3 keys for Jumpstarting or Beginning Your Buddhist Practice

 

Hello from the desert! 

If you're wondering how to get your Buddhist practice up and running, you have come to the right place!  

FYI, I have been practicing since 1985. What I write in my blog are my own insights into what works for me in chanting. I do not represent any organization in my writings. You are welcome to share this blog! If you do, please credit the writer.  :)

Whether you are returning to the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or jumping in for the first time there are three key things to keep in mind: 

Key #1

What's your WHY? 

What do you want in your life that you don't have currently? A job, a house, a spouse, health, a car, etc? 

Many people have started practicing because they needed something material. And chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo puts you in rhythm with all you desire. 

What are your other WHYS? 

How about freedom from worry, peace of mind, peace in your household, or your concern about a loved one? 

All of these and more are possible with Buddhist chanting. 

Key #2

Make your list!

Here's your chance to tell your life what you want. Here's your chance to get specific. Date it today! Write down everything you can think of. Chanting taps into the deepest reserves of your universe within your own life. Let her roll! 

Key #3

Find your place! 

Pick your sacred space where you will chant, write, and get in touch with your inner spark twice a day. It can be private (mine started in my bedroom), or right in the middle of the living room. 

Some Bonus Tips: 

1. I find chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo along with a Youtube chanting session works great for me. I feel as if I'm in the center of the chanting room in San Francisco where I chanted for hours on end. 

2. Before I chant I raise my vibration by doing some EFT Tapping and meditating. This helps me to positively focus while chanting and spend more time chanting in appreciation! I also write my list of ten things I'm grateful for. 

3. Try to chant every day morning and evening, just for you! Chanting is easier if you chant every morning and evening - even if it's for 5 minutes. It's amazing what 5 minutes a day, morning and evening will accomplish. Usually, you will start wanting to chant more when you see the results. 

Some news from Jamie:

Hello, my friends! I'm so happy that my blog is getting the highest ratings! 

I love that what you read here is making a difference in your lives! 

For many years I have been working on my signature system: 

The Silver Lining System 
for bouncing back better than ever 
and turning poison and pain into medicine and gain. 

5 proven steps to get your life back after the loss of a loved one, 

divorce, accident, Covid-related setbacks, and more. 

There are limited spots available. Stay tuned or reach out to me for an early application at chantforhapiness@gmail.com 

Sending much love to you! 

Jamie Lee Silver

Ready for a breakthough? Here's an invitation:

 

Hello, my dear friends!

As you know, I have been chanting for many, many years. 

This is my blog and offering to you. 

The SGI and this blog are not affiliated. 

Along with chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I have something unique, positive and practical to offer. 

Are you searching for answers? 

And you know that they are inside you, but can't seem to access them? 

Have you had some of these challenges forever? 

It's been a while since I have written because I am a full-time EFT Practitioner now. EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, is a way for us to access our mind and body's wisdom, leading to great relief, happiness, and clearer thinking. 

Here's a useful tapping tip you can use when you are experiencing an emotion you'd like to change, gently tap on the inside of your wrist and say: "Even though I feel this way, right here, right now, I'm okay. It's okay to feel the way I do." Tap gently and do this for a while and most likely, the feeling will lift. Drink some water. Move your body. Write to me about your experiences doing this. 

If there is a freedom you are seeking, (maybe it is from fear, anger, or dread) it's best to go to the Gohonzon, and sometimes we chant for a long, long time and we still can't change something. Daisaku Ikeda has said everything is Buddhism, and to consult a doctor if we are ill. When we are under emotional stress we can go to a skilled professional who can really help us. 

With my precise and Clinical EFT Training certification and skills, you'll feel relief in the very first session, or your money back.  I provide instruction for you to tap between sessions as well. If you are interested in knowing more, please visit my Website at TapforHappiness.com. 

Tapping is the ultimate self-compassion, self-care tool. Tapping with a skilled practitioner makes all the difference.  You can email me at TapforHappiness@gmail.com or call me at 630-926-3001. I am in Arizona on Pacific Standard Time US. 

With all my love, 

Jamie Lee Silver

In Kauai with my son Aaron before Covid

3 Keys to Revving your Chanting Engine! (And getting to an hour a day!)

 

Hello Beloved Friends! 

I took this photo from Mulholland Drive in LA when Aaron and I were visiting LA. He's now in Portland doing his ultrasound fellowship. 

My son's not just a doctor, he's a visionary. There is a new version of ultrasound available to doctors and he aims to be one of the first M.D. academicians teaching it to residents!

I'm here in Phoenix doing my EFT Tapping work (mostly through zoom anywhere in the world) with people who have experienced loss and are ready to reclaim their lives better than ever. I teach people to communicate with their nervous systems in a way that opens a path to peace and happiness. This results in less stress and more self-compassion. With my loving support, we pave a new way. 

3 Keys to Revving Your Daimoku Engine 

(and getting to an hour a day or more) :

1. Show yourself some self-compassion. 

It's okay if you are not perfect from the beginning. Do more and more every day to get to a solid hour. Just don't give up! 

Also, when I began this 100-day campaign, I wasn't sure of my exact targets, but I knew the more I chanted, the more clear they would become. 

Each day strive more and more. 

2. Make a pact with your Buddha Buddies! Find someone to challenge a 100-day daimoku campaign with, that's the best way. And if you can't find someone you know, just join along with me! 

3. Become stronger and stronger each day, and when obstacles arise greet them with joy and say "I was expecting you!" and turn poison into medicine! 

Sending you great love! And please remember I do not represent the SGI. And if you share this post please say it's from ChantforHappiness.com   

My email is: ChantforHappiness@gmail.com

If you are interested in learning about EFT Tapping with me, please reach out to me at the above email. I generally run a full practice and I love serving my fellow Buddhas. Lots of love, Jamie

What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean and why do we chant it?

What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean, 

and why do we chant it? 

By Jamie Lee Silver, ChantforHappiness.com - 
(Not an official SGI site)

(Subscribe by putting your email in the box to the right. 

Translate button is at the top right.)

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the mystic law that means:

"I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect 

through sound vibration (or sutra)." 

It is the title of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha's highest teaching that declares all people possess the Buddha Nature...all people are Buddhas...and we can access this nature, and the wisdom, fortitude, resilience, and happiness that we possess by calling our Buddha Nature forth in our lives using this phrase. 

We are all Buddhas - 

(We do not pray to the Buddha for favors...we pray to connect with our own Buddha-nature and change from the inside, so that our environments may change) 

We possess the key to enlightenment 

we can tap the river of life 

that runs through ALL life 

- summoning the mystic law 
and realizing 
we ARE the Mystic Law. 
We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ~ 
and we ARE Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ~the Mystic Law. 

When we have something we don't like in our lives, we chant to summon the power of the mystic law, use that power to change from the inside, and show actual proof of the power of our own lives, and our lives will glow with brilliance. People around us will naturally want to know what gives us this glow. 

It works the same way when we have a goal. We chant, "I am determined to fulfill this goal so I can show actual proof and raise the vibration of the entire world!" 

Yes!

I like to think of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as "I am one with the rhythm of all life." It is the rhythm that exists within all of life...the reason for the turning of the tides...the reason for the seasons...the atoms that exist within every single cell...from an elephant to a spec of dust...to the cells in our hearts and minds. Everything possesses this connectedness...this rhythm.  
It is all-encompassing and contains the wisdom and energy of all of life itself...the whole universe. 

When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we tap into that energy and access it for our lives...directed towards our desires and for the fulfillment of happiness for all. In this practice, it's okay to have desires. More than okay! We don't have to alleviate them. Desires make us who we are and lead us to chant. 

When we chant we change the internal life within our lives. We change the core and fiber of our lives. We change our karma. And when we make that internal change, our ENVIRONMENT (meaning everything that is not within our own skin, our jobs, our relationships, our sense of self, everything we experience and think) ALL of that changes to reflect our internal change. We call this "Human Revolution."

When we chant we harness the energy that is our birthright. And we chant for however long we wish, twice a day, every single day, to get and keep our lives in rhythm. 

When we are in rhythm we are in the right place at the right time... to find out about and get the job...or to meet the man of our dreams...or to protect our child from danger. 

When we are in rhythm life isn't so much of a struggle as it is a joy...we see the beauty in everything and we feel our lives overflowing with appreciation. 

We chant for something and get it or something better. We get access to internal happiness and strength that cannot be blown away by any event or obstacle. 

In fact, we view obstacles themselves as benefits, as strange as that may sound....because obstacles make us chant more, and when we chant more we draw even higher life conditions and deeper satisfaction into our lives. 

What can we chant FOR? Anything. We chant for others, we chant for our planet, our countries, and ourselves. 
We can chant for whatever our desire may be...even if it might not be the "right" desire for us. In the act of chanting, we will change our karma and our desires themselves will naturally begin to shift. We will open our lives to the deeper wisdom within...the deeper yearning, the REAL desires that we have forgotten or given up on. We will grow. We will prosper and we will blossom. 

We will gain the wisdom of the right action to take - because ACTION springs from wisdom. 

The challenge is...we need to do it. We have to chant to bring all this rhythm and harmony out. And that's why we practice together as an organization, the SGI, The Soka Gakkai, our fellowship of friends who support each other, chant for each other, and create a new Soka family for each practitioner. We are so fortunate. 

We are in this life together...sharing our challenges and our successes. If you are not yet connected to the SGI please go to sgi-usa.com and find your local members. You will be so glad you did. 

Some Powerful Quotes from our mentor Daisaku Ikeda from Ikedaquotes.org:

THIS moment, this instant, is important, 
not some unknown time in the future. 
Today, this very day is what matters. 
You must put your whole being 
into the time that exists now. 
For future victory rests in the present moment.

BUDDHISM holds that everything 
is in a constant state of flux. 
Thus, the question is 
whether we are to accept change passively 
and be swept away by it, 
or whether we are to take the lead 
and create positive changes on our own initiative. 
While conservatism and self-protection
might be likened to winter, night, and death, 
the spirit of pioneering and attempting to realize 
the ideals evoke the images of spring,
morning and birth.

Do gongyo (our daily recitation of the Lotus Sutra) 

and chant daimoku with a fresh spirit. 
And, filled with renewed vitality, 

Build a history of accumulating fresh benefit."

Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 Ways to Really Enjoy the Silent Prayers!

 

Here's a beautiful Phoenix sunset!

Hello my friends! I know it's been ages since I've written. I'm living here in Phoenix where the sun shines every day. 

I moved here to be closer to my son Aaron, knowing he was going to be leaving for a year's medical fellowship in hand-held ultrasound in Portland in July. 

His next adventure is about to begin! After his fellowship, he will teach other doctors this important new skill! He and I have loved living five minutes from each other. We've chanted many mornings at 6:00 am together.

I have been loving my practice of Buddhism. These days I concentrate on getting an hour of Daimoku and luxuriate in the silent prayers. As I appreciate and love my practice, I appreciate and love my life. 

Here are 5 Ways to Really Enjoy the Silent Prayers: 

1. Slow down! What's the hurry? I remember so clearly the day I met Daisaku Ikeda. One of the things that struck me the most was how took time to take everything in. He got out of the car in front of the San Francisco Civic Center, looked up to see the SGI Flag hanging proudly and he stopped and threw his arms open as if he was taking it into his heart. 

I was surprised. I thought a man with as much to do as Sensei would be in a hurry. But he takes it IN. Let's savor and love each moment of our prayers! 

2. Feel the prayers. Really feel them. Thank the Gohonzon, your life, and your scroll. Thank Nichiren Daishonin. Think about how he traveled from temple to temple seeking true Buddhism, and how he made a vow at 16 to be the wisest man in Japan. Pick any of your favorite treasured stories of him, Tatsunokuchi, addressing Hachiman with fury...whatever you wish. 

3. Take TIME thanking Daisaku Ikeda, Josei Toda, and Mr. Makiguchi. I picture them in prison, and all they went through and solemnly thank them. Without them, I would not be chanting. 

4. After having a wonderful time praying for the SGI and your own silent prayers, savor every ring of the bell for your dear friends who are no longer here physically. I ring the bell very slowly as I let each ring of the bell carry the vibration to each of my lovies. And I pray for them, not just say their names. I offer gratitude and love. 

5. In the last prayer I encircle the globe in white light and picture a smile on the face of the world. 

Oh, what a glorious practice we have! I hope you are well and happy. And I hope you love every minute of your practice and your LIFE! 

With Love, Jamie Lee Silver, ChantforHappiness@gmail.com

1 Great Way EFT Tapping Can Help When It's Really Hard to Chant

I have to ask: 

Have you ever found it impossible to chant? 

You sit down, light the candles and/or incense, ring the bell and realize you just can't chant right now. You might try for a little while, but your mind is racing so much you can't "settle" and you feel you are wasting your time? 

Has this ever happened to you? Has it happened at a time you feel you really need to chant? If so, you are not alone, that's for sure. And you're not a bad person, either! 

You know I've incorporated EFT Tapping into my daily routine and here is a way it can really come in handy. EFT frees your brain so you can focus better. Truly! 

OK, when it's hard to chant try this. Tap with the tips of the fingers on one hand on the side of the other hand between your pinky and your wrist and say: 

"Even though I really want to chant and really can't chant, I deeply and competely accept myself and all my feelings." repeat this three times. 

Then tap on the top of your head with both hands, or either hand and say "I really want to chant adn I really don't want to chant." THis is your reminder phrase for the rest of the tapping sequence. Tap on your eyebrow. Repeat this phrase. Tap on your temples...repeating the phrase. Tap under your eye. Repeat the phrase. Tap under your nose. Repeat the phrase. Tap under your lip. Repeat the phrase. Tap just under your collar bone. Repeat the phrase. and end by tapping on your inside wrist, repeating the phrase. 

Do this as many times as you wish. See the effect if has on your body and mind. Try chanting again. 

What you are doing is sending signals to your nervous system that it can calm down. The calming of your nervous system (and the clearing of your energy meridian lines through tapping) allow the blood flow to return to your thinking and focusing mind. 

Try this. And reach out for a session if you want to go deeper.  Email me at ChantforHappiness@gmail.com and we can set up a session for you. I'm Clinically Certified in EFT Tapping and help with concentration, grief-relief and stress relief. 

Sending love as always! 

Jamie Lee Silver

Turning Stress to Peace and Grief to Gratitude Through Chanting and EFT Tapping - A Free Gift for 10 Action Takers

 

Greetings From Arizona!

What interesting times we are living in! I'm sitting here looking out over the mountains and thinking of you. I picture you sitting down in front of your Gohonzon and chanting, determining, and praying, just as I do every day. This is the cornerstone of my life. And there are other modalities that also serve us. I want to introduce you to one: 

Now every morning I also do EFT. (Emotional Freedom Techniques, or Tapping) What is EFT you ask? It is a way of communicating with your nervous system to signal it can relax. It is one of the healthiest things that you can possibly do. By Gently Tapping on several meridian points while following along with me, you will relax your nervous system. 

When the nervous system is relaxed the body achieves a state of wellness, vitality, and clarity of mind. I am an expert in this field now, having achieved my certification and international accreditation two years ago. 

And now, for the first 10 people who respond to this post, and meet via zoom, I am offering an EFT Tapping Tune-up for only $49. Along with this, you will receive the FREE gift of the recorded version of "Our Forever Ben, One Mom's Letters to Her Son-in-Spirit and His Poetic Replies."  

During this Tune-up we'll take something that is causing you worry, or anger, or depression, and free that emotion from your nervous system.  It is truly amazing. That's why this Buddhist, your friend, does it! 

I specialize in turning Grief to Gratitude, (Including the grief of missing your old, pre-Covid life!) Stress to Peace, and Anger to Laughter. It is a precise, and fun way to create a breakthrough in your life. 

As a 35-year practicing Buddhist, I can confidently say this technique helps you break through those things that you may have been chanting about for some time. 

Send me an email at ChantforHappiness@gmail.com and we can set up a time for your Tapping Tune-up!