Becoming a Brilliant Beacon of Happiness!

Me and my friend Michelle out on her boat in Lake Michigan yesterday ~ 

taken by her husband Gary

By Daisaku Ikeda, 

From For Today and Tomorrow, page 256

"It is not a question of your environment 
or those around you, 
nor what the organization or leaders may be like. 
To be swayed by such externals is pointless. 
It all comes down to one person: you. 
What matters is that you become a brilliant beacon, 
shining with joy and happiness, 
and live your life with confidence and courage. 
If you shine with a radiant light, 
there can be no darkness in your life." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YES! 
A resounding yes! 

Every morning when we chant we have the brilliant opportunity to tap into the power that exists within our lives and focus it for the day. Every evening when we chant we can seize the moment, stay focused and continue to shine the light of appreciation and love into our lives. 

I have never felt more powerful or creative. Each moment is flowing with appreciation and rich with possibility. 

I chant to open my life to the best possible person I can be, and that my moments in front of the Gohonzon bring my life to even greater purpose...and to bring all my skills, talents and loves to the forefront so I can inspire every single person with my life and through my happiness! 

It is happening. 

By two weekends from now I will be living on the beach in St. Pete's Beach on the 5th floor overlooking the water and the sunset. I'll tell you, when the benefits come in...when we don't give up...everything flows. 

When I got back from my visit to Florida in February, I spent the next week chanting three hours a day for it all come together perfectly for my move...for everything I needed to present itself at the perfect time. Then I took the bold move of giving the required 60 day notice on my apartment. 

And I keep chanting ~  

Every day I chant to be that brilliant beacon Daisaku Ikeda talks about in this quote. 

I radiate love and light, smiling and loving everyone I see...even those that are harder to love...even those who don't smile back. In my heart I bless them. 

Immediately after Ben's Memorial Mile (where we raised $20k for schizophrenia research and mental health awareness - see BensMemorialMile.com or like us on Facebook) my friends helped me start packing.  We went through a closet and seeing Ben's sock drawer just broke my heart. But the shoten zenjin are surrounding me at all times. 

I have the incredible fortune to have a friend dedicating herself to helping me move. She's helping me find new homes for all my furniture, donate what I don't love, and bring or store my treasures. She's even going to drive with me to St. Pete's Beach from here! THAT is fortune. Money cannot buy this! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

And along the way, I'm sharing my story of turning poison into medicine. I KNOW my son Ben is cheering me on, because every time I pick up my pen to write him he writes me right back. Now I carry around my book "Our Forever Ben," and people are buying it right out of my hands. 

It touches a chord. 

Soon I will have a book launch and make it available for you. It is a story of such hope and eternity. 
I still occasionally get sad that Ben is not here in person, but more often I feel the appreciation that I HAD that bright light with me for 22 years! He was a Buddha in life and he is an eternal Buddha, just like your eternal loved ones. 

I am so grateful to be sharing this journey with you!

Ben's Memorial Mile Victory!

My great fortune is as vast as the sky. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo absolutely works. Whatever you are facing - don't give up. Keep chanting to the best of your ability and keep moving forward! 

This weekend was Ben's Memorial Mile and it was one huge benefit after another. I am in awe of the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - I can feel it in every moment of my life. 

I have more photos to share, and you can friend Ben's Memorial Mile on Facebook and Instagram to see more. We had PERFECT Ben weather, and a stunning sunset. I could feel him every moment, as I do now.  

It was held at the outdoor track of Downers North High School and there were over 400 people there. We raised over $20,000 gross, but we have some expenses to pay...still, for a first year event it was a rousing success. 
$1100 of that was due to sales of my book - "Our Forever Ben." I will offer that to you as soon as I can! 

And the best thing is everyone was happy, there were smiles all around. People came to walk and run in Ben's honor. It was a thrill to cheer for them all! 
We have photos in the paper today. It was a pure victory!

And now - I am packing up and have 2 weeks until I'm in Florida - at St. Pete's Beach - right on the beach with a view of the sunset every day and the beach at my feet. I'm taking a huge leap of faith and just going for it. I have a furnished apartment that I found through a family member. 

It's a new beginning! The anniversary of Ben entering his eternal life is coming up on July 2nd. I plan to be in my new apartment chanting by then. Join me in chanting if you can!  

Have No Fear!

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
enables us 
to make any hardship or setback 
the source of our new advancement 
and our treasure for the future. 
Therefore, 
you don't have to be afraid of making a mistake or encountering an obstacle. 
In short, 
as long as you are devoted 
to staying in the correct orbit of faith, 
you won't ever cease to advance toward your victory, 
even if you may go through 
some twists and turns in life." 

Daisaku Ikeda
Buddhism Day by Day, June 7, page 85
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was the perfect wisdom for me today. 
I don't know about you, but I am one of those people who can be afraid to make a mistake. I feel like it's "part of who I am." Sometimes I'm bold...but also I can be afraid.

And, as we all know, we don't practice Buddhism to just settle...to just say "Oh well...that's just me." If we are going to have that kind of attitude, we might as well not even practice Buddhism.  

This quote just says it all. 

We don't have to be afraid of making a mistake because there are no mistakes if we keep our practice strong and stay in the orbit of faith. We can turn any "mistake" into a benefit. ANYTHING. So we can put it all on the line and forge fearlessly on. 

Even if we've made a "wrong turn" if we keep chanting to turn poison into medicine...keep chanting for kosen rufu every morning and evening...DO our practice...we will keep winning! 

As we know... 

We practice Buddhism to break through the shell of our lesser selves...to become people we never thought we could be...and to practice expansion in all we desire. 

This is the Year of EXPANSION! 

I'm making some huge and fearless goals. I'm chanting for strength, wisdom, and to live every breath of my life as an inspiration to others that anything is possible. Let's expand together! 

4 ways to Keeping a High Life Condition While on Vacation

I just got back from a whirlwind of activities and travels. Aaron graduated medical school. This weekend  is Ben's Memorial Mile at Downers Grove North High School (in Illinois, USA)  ~ Check out BensMemorialMile.com if you want to donate to the exceptional cause of finding a cure for schizophrenia. It looks like we'll have at least 400 runners and walkers gathering in the name of my sweet son, Benjamin Lee Silver. Many of you are part of his story!

During my my travels my schedule has been crazy. And we all know that keeping a high life-condition is especially important while on vacation. How can we do that while still "vacating?"

(As always, these are my personal reflections as a 31 year practicing Buddhist. I don't represent the SGI, although I am a devoted member.)  

SO how can we do it? 
How can we keep the our life conditions high when we are traveling? 
Here are my

1. We can give ourselves a little room for variance, and not be too worried about it. I think we need to realize not everyone we are traveling with chants, and know that being a little off our normal schedule is not the worst thing in the world. In other words - we can relax and enjoy our vacation. 

2. Chant whenever possible.
While I was on my travels, I visited the Phoenix SGI center with my son Aaron who will be doing his medical residency in Phoenix. We chanted in the center's Gohonzon room, and I bought him a beautiful new bell. We shopped for a new altar/table for him....and found the perfect thing. Whenever we could, we chanted sincere daimoku and did gongyo...but we also slept a little later, and ran out to the golf course really early. 

3. We can make every daimoku count. When we chanted, we kept our cell phones far, far away. It is so EASY to be distracted. But while on vacation every single Nam-myoho-renge-kyo matters more than ever! Concentration counts. 

4. We can do shakubuku! We can keep our Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards close, and give them out often. On this last plane ride I sat next to the mom of an olympic skater and she was really interested in hearing about chanting. I always bring a huge stack and see how many I can give out. believe me, it makes travel go smoothly! And planting seeds is how we make our garden grow. One of the people I visited is a person who finally started chanting after knowing me for over 20 years. She recently bought a large tract of land in California to form an intentional cohousing community. 

Daimoku works, and can make all our dreams come true!  

What if You Don't Have "Clear Targets?"

Do you ever sit down to chant, and have no idea what to chant for?

What do you do at that point? 

Sometimes my mind is just a jumble of things, and I can't seem to sort anything out. 

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. My son Aaron Michael Silver became a doctor last weekend. It was non-stop festivities for three days. 
And I leave for California and Arizona (where Aaron will live for the next 4 years) tomorrow. Whew. When I get back to Chicago it's Ben's Memorial Mile on June 11th. You can check out Bensmemorialmile.com to see what we are doing or to contribute to the cause of ending Schizophrenia. 

We have almost 300 people signed up to walk or run so far. That is truly amazing!

These last few weeks I haven't been writing a lot. There have been times I am just amazed that I have been able to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. One week I presented to 5 groups about Ben's Memorial Mile, and I stopped sleeping well, and became so, so sad. And even though I'm happy about Aaron beginning his residency, and his new life...it felt like losing him too. 

It was so dark inside my head that I didn't know what to write. But I kept chanting, kept going, and most of all, I kept taking care of myself to the best of my ability...going to my chiropractor, seeing my energy healer, emceeing at my SGI meeting, writing in my journal, going to my therapist, and chanting.

And there have been a few times my mind was so full that I didn't even know where to start. 

So, instead of worrying about having clear targets 
I chanted for:
Peace of Mind
Clarity
To "breathe in" every moment
To see the good in everything
To be my best self
and to realize that I am the Buddha, no matter what, and that somehow...even in my pain I can be the Buddha, and I can get through this tough time.

....and enjoy what there is to enjoy. 

We know the important thing is to keep chanting every day - every morning and evening. As long as we do that we are winning! 

Let's win together! Don't give up no matter what! 

12 Incredible Buddhist Quotes for Overcoming Illness ~ Please share

For any of you who are facing illness - this should raise your spirits! 

The person who originally compiled these quotes 

was able to use this practice and modern medicine 

to overcome breast cancer completely. 

Please feel free to forward the link to this post 

to anyone who is suffering from illness. 

From President Ikeda's Lecture series "The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin: On Prolonging One's Life Span - Faith for Leading a Long and healthy Life" in the July-August 08 Living Buddhism. (Thank you to my friend Melissa Bradford for compiling these great quotes!)

1. “Suffering from illness is a means by which you can eradicate your negative karma.”  
President Toda, as quoted by President Ikeda. - pg 70 

2. “To see illness as an opportunity to transform our karma – this strong spirit and resolve can break through all obstacles and devilish functions and open wide the path to happiness.  Like a rocket blasting out of the earth’s atmosphere, the passionate conviction of faith that comes from viewing illness as an opportunity to transform our karma can become a powerful engine propelling us forward not only in this existence but throughout eternity, enabling us to freely savor everlasting happiness.”  Pg 74

3. “Becoming ill in itself is certainly not a sign of defeat.  Even the Buddha, who is said to have ‘few ills and few worries’ (LS, 214), struggles with sickness from time to time.  Accordingly, there will be times when we are confronted with illness.  The important point above all is not to be defeated mentally or emotionally by the prospect of being ill.  Faith is the source of the fighting spirit to stand up to illness.  Therefore, as we noted earlier, Nichiren Daishonin first of all talks about the ‘treasure of faith’.  Pg 77

4. “As Nichiren says, ‘Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way’ (The Good Medicine for All Ills, WND-1, 937).  If a practitioner who upholds faith in the Mystic Law becomes ill, it definitely has some profound meaning.  It could be said that confronting illness is one route to awakening to the eternity of life.  President Toda often said, ‘A person who has overcome a major illness knows how to deeply savor life.’” Pg78

5. From Matilda Buck’s guidance, World Tribune 4/27/01 pg 10 “When We Face Disappointment” – regarding SGI leaders who overcame cancer and chanted this way:  

Through this experience, I will become someone who does not doubt the Gohonzon (my life), no matter what happens.
As a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to experience this, and as a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to create a victory.
I will share the power of Buddhism with others, even as I grapple with this experience.
I won’t let my spirits stay down.  I won’t make a place in my life for negativity to settle.

6.From The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Volume 6:  “Praying with doubt is like trying to keep water in a bathtub with the plug pulled.  Our good fortune and benefit will drain away.  A passage from the ‘Perceiver of the World’s Sounds’ chapter reads, ‘from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!’  A confident prayer will reverberate powerfully throughout the entire universe.”  Pg 88

From Buddhism Day by Day:

7. “Buddhism views illness as an opportunity to attain a higher, nobler state of life.  It teaches that, instead of agonizing over a serious disease, or despairing of ever overcoming it, we should use illness as a means to build a strong, compassionate self, which in turn will make it possible for us to be truly victorious.”  pg 300

8. “The expansive world lies not in some distant place; it exists right where you are.  That is why you need to win where you are right now.  Today’s victory is linked to your eternal victory.”  Page 314

9, “No matter what the circumstances, you should never concede defeat.  Never conclude that you’ve reached a dead end, that everything is finished.  You possess a glorious future.  And precisely because of that, you must persevere and study.  Life is eternal.  We need to focus on the two existences of the present and the future and not get caught up in the past.  We must always have the spirit to begin anew ‘from this moment,’ to initiate a new struggle each day.” Pg 315

10. “The air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies.  While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images.  The practice of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe.  It ‘tunes’ our lives, so to speak, so that we can manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings.”  Pg 314



11. From For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda: Sept 20 pg 288:  When your determination changes, everything else will begin to move in the direction you desire.  The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself toward your success.  On the other hand, if you think “This is never going to work out,” then at that instant every cell in your being will be deflated and give up the fight, and then everything really will move in the direction of failure.

12. Aug 15 pg 249:  The first thing is to pray.  From the moment we begin to pray, things start moving.  The darker the night, the closer the dawn.  From the moment we chant daimoku with a deep and powerful resolve, the sun begins to rise in our hearts.  Hope – prayer is the sun of hope.  To chant daimoku each time we face a problem, overcoming it and elevating our life-condition as a result – this is the path of “changing earthly desires into enlightenment,” taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Gongyo is a Grand and Noble Rite, by Daisaku Ikeda

Gongyo is a Grand and Noble Rite: 

"I would like to take the opportunity provided by today’s training session of the youth division to present a succinct and easily comprehensible discussion of the significance of gongyo. Because of the limitations of time I cannot pursue the subject in all its details, so I would like all of you to consider and explore this topic on your own afterwards as well. 

Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that our existence is identical to the universe as a whole, and the universe as a whole is identical to our existence. Each individual human life is a microcosm. 

The practice of gongyo is a grand and noble rite to achieve the vital communication to the microcosm of each person’s existence with the universe, based on the Gohonzon. 

The correspondence of each part of our bodies to parts of the universe is proof that our existence is a microcosm. Our heads are round like the heavens above us are round, and our eyes are like the sun and the moon. We close them and open them, like day and night. Our hair shines like the sparkling stars. Our eyebrows are like the seven stars of the Big Dipper. 
Our breath is the wind, 
and the quiet breathing from our nostrils is like the still air of the valleys and dales. 

There are some 360 joints in the human body
 and they stand for the days of the year. 
The twelve major joints signify the twelve months. 

The warm, front side of our body — our abdomen and stomach — is spring and summer. The cold hard back is fall and winter. 

Our blood vessels and arteries are streams and rivers. 
When we suffer a cerebral hemorrhage, it is as if a dam or dike has burst. 
Our bones are stones, and our skin and muscle are like the earth. 
Our body hair is a forest. 
Buddhist scriptures discuss in detail these correspondences i
ncluding each of the internal organs, 
teaching that our body is indeed a universe in miniature. 

There are clouds in the heavens. The wind blows, the stars twinkle. There are oceans on earth. The rivers flow. Volcanoes erupt. And great quantities of metals and minerals — gold, silver, copper, potassium, calcium — lie in the earth’s depths. 

The activities and qualities of all these materials are also incorporated in our bodies. 

The infinite elementary particles of the cosmos — atoms, protons, photons, electrons, neutrons, and all the rest — microscopic animals such as bacteria, the activities of good and evil, and the laws of gravity, the conservation of mass and energy, and all other laws of the universe also apply in almost the same fashion to the microcosm of our bodies. 

A look at the operation of our bodies suggests that they are great pharmaceutical plants. They have the capability to produce the drugs we need to preserve our health. They take in food and transform it into nourishment and energy. 

The human brain has the capability of a giant computer — even though we may not always be able to use it! 

The sixty trillion cells of our bodies work together 
in their established order in a perfect biorhythm. This is the original order of things. 

The Great Law That Pervades Individual Existence and the Universe 
Our existence is the universe, and its life processes are sublime. A slight change in the heat of the sun will enormously affect not only the Earth but all the other planets. If the Earth’s rotation were to stop for the briefest instant, or if its axis were to tilt the slightest degree, all living things would be threatened with extinction. 

That is how subtle the natural order is. And further, a firm and irrevocable law of the universe exists. This holds true for the microcosm as well. 

It is science that pursues this invisible but truly existent law, and technology is the invention of machines and other devices based on the fruits of scientific research. 

Nichiren Daishonin discovered and awoke to the great law of all existence that underlies all the partial laws governing all spiritual and physical phenomena, and it was he who revealed that law to humanity as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This Mystic Law applies equally to the universe as a whole and to each and every individual human existence. The universe and the individual are one in this Mystic Law. 

Under certain circumstances, an invisible law takes form as a visible existence. The individual human existence, for example, emerges out of its state of fusion with the rest of the universe by taking shape in the womb and being born in the world. 

A ship can be regarded as a tangible representation of the law of buoyancy, just as an airplane is a representation of the laws of aerodynamics, a radio or television program a representation of the law of electromagnetic waves. All of these objects give shape to invisible laws. 

The fundamental law of the universe and individual existence is also invisible. The Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon as a visual representation of that Mystic Law for the people of the world. The Lotus Sutra and other Buddhist scriptures are the instruction manuals for the Gohonzon. 

Josei Toda, my teacher and the second president of the Soka Gakkai, explained the Gohonzon in an easily comprehensible way as "a machine to produce happiness." 

When we practice gongyo and chant daimoku before the Gohonzon, our individual existence is perfectly harmonized with the universe. 

Both the universe and our individual existence are the concrete manifestation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as is the Gohonzon. That is why when we practice gongyo and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the Gohonzon, our existence and the universe mesh as perfectly as two gears, and with an initial creak begin to work together. 

The single life-moment (ichinen) of the individual becomes one with the three thousand (sanzen) factors and realms of the universe and begins to produce great value. This is the concrete practice of ichinen sanzen. 

Through that practice we can acquire wisdom and good fortune, 
and glow with the energy to overcome any obstacle throughout the four seasons, 
three hundred sixty-five days a year; 
we can enter the way to the eternal happiness 
and attain eternity, joy, true self and purity (jo raku ga jo). 

Gongyo is a practice 
which calls forth and activates 
the infinite power that the microcosm 
inherently possesses. 
It transforms your fate, 
breaks through any apparent dead end 
and converts sufferings into happiness. 
It creates a transformation, 
a revolution of the microcosm. 
It is a diagram in miniature of kosen-rufu in our lives. 

The kosen-rufu that is our aim is a movement to transform the universe, the Earth and human society into a world of peace, comfort and harmony in accord with the rhythm of the Mystic Law. 

The Practice of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, Which Leads to Eternal Happiness 
If you let an automobile or any other machine fall into disuse, it will rust and stop working correctly. You have to use it and maintain it regularly and properly. Why, the same thing is even true of the hair on our heads: If we don’t wash it regularly we’ll be encrusted with dandruff! 

Gongyo and chanting daimoku 
are like starting the automobile’s engine every day 
and driving in the direction of happiness and truth. 

By doing so day after day, you will gradually attain perfect unity with the universe and the Law. That state is the state of the Buddha. 

Once that has happened, you will be able to enjoy yourself with complete freedom for all eternity. Your existence will be a diamond that will never perish throughout the three existences. 

To attain Buddhahood in this life, the Daishonin warns us with firm concern that we must never retreat in our practice. 

Even though we may experience a period of sadness 
or depression, 
the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment 
teaches us that great sufferings 
are bound to be transformed 
into equally great joy, progress and value. 
There is nothing to fear, 
since the Gohonzon possesses 
the infinite power of the Law and the Buddha. 

We often say that strong faith, valiant and untiring practice and courageous acts are important. This is an expression of the truth that without a strong will and courageous practice it is impossible to achieve great things. 

You will not be able to communicate in a discussion with another unless you are clear and direct. If you lack the courage of your convictions and mumble vague things, you won’t make any impression on your listener. Nor can you strike a chord in his heart. And of course you will not be able to move or convince him. To do that you need to be very determined and sure.

Isn’t the same thing true of love? 

It’s certainly true in a job interview. Unless you present your thoughts clearly and forcefully, you won’t make any impression on the interviewer. In other words, mental determination and courageous actions can change any situation and they possess a critical capability to produce happiness. 

The Victory Song of Life Is to Be Found in Action 
To fly, a plane needs the extra push it gets by acceleration down a runway. To get good grades in school, you need the extra push of study before a test. 

Whatever you do, to achieve something better, to reach a higher level, you need a push. 

Buddhism teaches practice for oneself and practice for others. If either one is lacking, you cannot practice properly. 

The Gohonzon is the concrete manifestation of the very existence of Nichiren Daishonin, who taught kosen-rufu. Because of that, if you only practice gongyo and chant the daimoku and don’t take any other action for the sake of kosen rufu or improving your own life, the Gohonzon will not have its true, full effect. 

If, however, you take actions to achieve kosen-rufu, they will serve as that extra push for your own life and help you leap to higher and higher states of mind in your gongyo and chanting as well. 

And it is only natural that the energy you acquire through the gongyo practice for yourself will be channeled back into your activities for others, for kosen-rufu. 

The fact is that the practice of gongyo and your actions in service of kosen-rufu will become one, and together they will unlock the infinite power of the Mystic Law in your life. 

In Buddhism, practice is faith. That means action is faith, and without action there can be no true faith. The action I speak of is the way of practice for oneself and for others that is taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s writings. 

Action is the source of blessings and merits. In propagating the teachings, for example, whether the person you are presenting the teachings to arouses faith or not is his problem. The effects of our action of propagating will vary, depending on the person’s capacities and other conditions. 

There is no need at all to rejoice or lament over each effect. You can be proud that you have practiced the truest, most wonderful law of life in the universe to the best of your ability and go forward with your head held high. One who has acted for the sake of kosen-rufu is already a great victor in life. 

The words "the heads of those who cause affliction will be split in seven pieces" are written on the Gohonzon. 

This is a warning that it is wrong to seek to harm this law of your own being. 

Abandoning the teachings or slandering them are self-destructive actions that are bound to split you apart. 

We also find the words "those who make offerings will acquire blessings surpassing the Buddha’s ten names." 
This forceful statement tells us that the merits of one who make offerings to the Gohonzon and spreads the teaching will be far greater than the magnificent merits of the one who makes offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. This is a promise that our personal microcosm will absorb the nourishment of all the blessings in the macrocosm, the whole universe, and be elevated to a state of existence of the highest happiness itself. 

Thus we know that the children of the Buddha who strive for kosen-rufu are each guaranteed to attain the ultimate degree of happiness. There is no one who will be more blessed. 

Faith in Present and Future 
"For both the present and the future" is also written on the Gohonzon. For present and future. That is what faith is for, what the Buddhist Law is for. 

When we worship the Gohonzon, the eternal life of time without beginning wells up within us. Our faith is that every day, every instant begins from time without beginning. 

We are always setting out, full of hope, from today to the future, from this moment to eternal happiness. We are always young, always beginning. 

My message to you is that you must be absolutely certain of this and live your wonderful lives without regret, with joy and brightness, always moving forward."  

This essay is from the collected speeches of Daisaku Ikeda in "To My Young American Friends"