Look at this! We ARE the universe and we can solve ALL our problems!

Our eyes, our nebulae!

Buddhist thought holds that we are microcosms of the universe. Science is moving closer to Buddhist thought all the time. This picture really intrigued me. It's just mesmerizing isn't it? And we access the power of the entire universe every time we chant. 

And when we look around our lives we see that our lives actually do reflect how we feel, what we see, and how we experience the world. 

Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (it means: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) we can set our entire lives right. 

We can change ANY poison into medicine. 

We can change anything. 

Life is eternal. 

Some things take longer than others, 

I know, we all know. 

But the important thing, as Daisaku Ikeda says, 

is to keep chanting until we DO change it. 

The important thing is to not give up, and to take every challenge and make fresh determinations around it.

As some of you know,  my son Ben is in the hospital. I have been chanting for him for some time. My determination is that he comes out of this experience happier, more fulfilled, and full of faith and hope in the future. I am also determined that this experience bring all members of the family closer and be a catalyst for the happiness of all. I am chanting for each one of the people who is taking care of Ben right now...that somehow through being with him and our family that their lives be filled with hope too. 

ANY experience can be a catalyst for greater happiness when we meet it right in front of the Gohonzon, and don't run from it! The key is to keep chanting for human revolution, doing shakubuku and studying. 

How much Daimoku should you chant? I am chanting two hours a day and I'm so grateful to mySELF for making this happen. 

How much should you chant? It depends on your goals, your state of life, and as you have pointed out - you DO need to sleep! So I say ~ chant as much as you need to keep your life condition elevated! Only you know how long that is. And whatever you do ~ when confronted by obstacles and "problems" meet them head on in front of the Gohonzon and say 

"Life! I summoned this storm and I will USE it to revolutionalize (my word!) MY LIFE! I will use this as fuel for my life and the lives of others! I will prove the power of my life and this practice right here. RIGHT NOW!"