As I mentioned earlier this week, I chanted for three hours for the youth of our world on Sunday, my 29th Gohonzon birthday.
Well I have had some wonderful results this week.
The day following this 3 hour youth tozo was one of the happiest I have had in a long time. I spent it with my son roaming the trails in the Arboretum in the sun...appreciating every minute that I get to spend with my twenty-year old young man. My heart was just bursting with happiness and enjoyment of the beauty all around us. We walked for a good three miles and enjoyed the exercise and laughter we shared. My heart and mind were filled with peace about my life and his.
And the next day my world Tribune came and Daisaku Ikeda was talking about how the youth of this age are going to rid the world of nuclear weapons...and his words resounded with me throughout the whole issue.
Then at last night's District meeting we had two youth division guests and FIVE young people total join us. I have been chanting for one guest we had two weeks ago and she returned. Daimoku WORKS. (We were having so much fun visiting together after the meeting that I totally forgot to take a picture)
Chanting for Youth Division is such a joy. It actually feels good to take my mind off my own challenges and just chant for the youth of our world. I am repeating the post here:
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(Originally posted Monday, October 21st)
Hi, yesterday was my 29th Gohonzon birthday. Every year on my birthday I set aside a solid block of time to chant..at least three hours. Yesterday I spent all three hours chanting for youth. And as I was chanting I was realizing some things I wanted to tell you.
I get many members and readers asking the same question: "If I spend time chanting for these broader things, like kosen-rufu, or shakubuku, or youth ~ what about my OWN desires? Don't I need to chant for them?"
That's a perfectly understandable question. We have all had the same thoughts.
Here are a few of my own thoughts on the matter. This is not an official SGI blog, it is my own heart and soul from years of being a district leader and chanting with an open heart to feel and express the heart of my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda.
So, yesterday I chanted for youth. For three hours. As I chanted, I flooded my thoughts with smiling faces of young people all over the world. I chanted for them to take the vanguard in ending the suffering of all of humanity by cutting through their obstacles, doing shakubuku, and having the vision, creativity and drive to change the world. The rest of us are their supporters, cheerleaders and mentors. We are all working together.
As I was chanting I felt connected to all of the SGI. I felt like I was chanting Daisaku Ikeda's prayer. I could see the earth in my mind, glowing in peace and happiness, and personal suffering waning, and waning, and waning. I don't have to tell you we live in turbulent times. And I myself, have a youth who is facing challenges right now.
Chanting for youth made the time fly. Three hours felt like 30 minutes. And I was surrounded with the peace of knowing that no matter what I am facing personally, everything will just work out perfectly. This is not blind faith, resignation or an inability to take action. No. My life is filled with action, but the prayer to shakubuku youth is DEEP. It is the collective prayer of us all. I felt like I was tapping into a swiftly moving current.
Do you HAVE to chant about youth? No. No one will ever tell you what you HAVE to chant about in this practice, and I am always saying "Chant for what you want. Chant for what you REALLY want." and I believe that. But we all know that raising our prayer towards universal aspirations has incredible power.
In every World Tribune and Living Buddhism (American SGI publications) Daisaku Ikeda is encouraging us to encourage, support and chant for the youth. He knows that life is eternal, and we need a planet filled with impassioned youth...impassioned for GOOD, impassioned with PURPOSE!
Having purpose helps us all. It is the most fulfilling way to live.
So now, I offer you a PowerPrayer for YOUTH. Many people read PowerPrayers before chanting, to help with focus and concentration.
Please, as always, don't cut and paste the PowerPrayer, but please send links to chantforhappiness.com or use the sharing buttons at the bottom of the post.
PowerPrayer for YOUTH
Life!
I tap into you with this strong Daimoku!
Every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant is aimed straight for the heart of the youth in this world!
I picture youth chanting
I picture youth singing
I picture youth smiling radiantly and seeing their actions change the world
I chant for every hopeless youth to have HOPE
I chant for them all to connect
with this incredible law of life
create happy families,
and challenge themselves to create a happy world of respect for all (kosen-rufu!)
while introducing their friends to chanting.
Their Daimoku is MY Daimoku.
Every moment of my prayer I dedicate to these new, shining, spiritual ones.
My District will have at least ONE new Youth receive Gohonzon by November 18th!
May they each experience the joy of practice!
May they each transform their lives
into lives of happy purpose,
May they transform their families, their schools, their communities and the world!
My prayer is their prayer
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
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