Showing posts with label Buddhahood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddhahood. Show all posts

Saturday, June 26, 2021

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

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Three Keys to Building Good Fortune and being the Buddha of Absolute Happiness





Hello, my friends. 

What does it mean to build a life of good fortune? 

Here I am living my dream in Florida. I'm enjoying my friends, the sunshine, my health and my profession that enables me to teach people a method of releasing their emotions so they can be happy. I am the Buddha of Absolute Happiness and you can be too! 

Sometimes I get the question "Is it ok to chant for money?" And the answer I have always heard as a 35 year practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in the SGI is chant for exactly what you want. 
If you need money chant for money~! 

Note to my friends: if you are stuck in some area of your life, please get encouragement from your Soka Gakkai seniors in faith. They are there to help you. They will chant with you and bear your burdens with you. The SGI is truly a noble organization I am proud to be part of. 


If you need a job, chant for the BEST job for Kosen Rufu, where you can be the happiest, and make your life shine as a beacon for other's happiness.

You deserve to have what you need. There are many, many examples of people chanting for money and getting it.  

AND underlying the need for money, there is a deeper and more exciting benefit that we can access within our lives. We can access and build TRUE FORTUNE in our lives.  

What is FORTUNE? How do we build it for ourselves?

No matter what our levels of fortune may be before we begin practicing Buddhism, once we begin chanting the name of the Law of Cause and Effect, the Mystic Law itself, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, our lives begin to move in the direction of fortune. 

With each day of chanting, studying, encouraging others and introducing people to this practice our fortune grows and grows.

Fortune :

Daisaku Ikeda states: 
"Governments come and go, 
economies rise and fall, 
and society changes constantly. 
Only the good fortune 
we accumulate during our lives 
lasts forever. 
True victors are those 
who cultivate the tree of Buddhahood 
in the vast earth of their lives 
while achieving success 
both in society and in their personal lives 
through true faith and a true way of living. 
(Faith in Action page 110)

18 Types of Fortune 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com 

Fortune is being in rhythm so that we KNOW what to do, and have the spirit, conviction and courage to make the best possible causes at all times. 

Fortune is being in the right place at the right time. 

Fortune is happiness and the ability to overcome any suffering and turn poison into medicine through chanting strong daimoku and taking the wise action that arises through our prayer. 

Fortune is strength and resiliency. 

Fortune is getting a call from an associate about a job opportunity that is perfect for you. 

Fortune is having the courage and wisdom to say what must be said and do what must be done at the crucial moment. 

Fortune is always having what you need when you need it. 

Fortune is having the time to chant to our heart's content and encourage others, too. 

Fortune is doing our human revolution and joining harmoniously with our fellow SGI members creating a new family for us all. 

Fortune is being born at the same time as Daisaku Ikeda and engraving the mentor disciple relationship into our lives so that it is a living, powerful source of energy and wisdom in our lives.  

Fortune is finding solace and peace even when we have lost a loved one. 

Fortune is experiencing the true depth of friendship... knowing how to be a friend, attracting, keeping and appreciating quality people in our lives.  

Fortune is experiencing how to love and be loved in return. 

Fortune is friendship.

Fortune is health. 

Fortune is the ability to laugh.  

Fortune is the ability to sit in front of our Gohonzons and carry out a meaningful dialogue within our own lives that makes the impossible possible,and brings happiness to ourselves and our families, friends and world.

Fortune is being accident free.

There is much more to fortune.
You can add to this list...send me your ideas of fortune at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

How do we build fortune for ourselves?

1. First we must build a strong practice.  
The more "work" we put into building our practice...the less "work" we have to put into our lives...the less struggling we have to do. We can use all the resources at our disposal to CREATE the discipline to be able to chant twice a day every day and participate in activities. Focusing our prayer on others is a powerful way to build a strong practice. Yes, it's great to chant for ourselves, and we need to do that, but chanting for others has a profound effect on their lives, and ours. Chanting, and uniting with others is the foundation of our faith. 

Being a part of the SGI is crucial. Go to SGI-USA.org to learn more.  

Having a seeking mind to understand how and why the Mystic law has such a profound effect on our lives is important. Studying our SGI publications is important. Reading the Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin is important! We call this having a seeking spirit. You can  find what is holding you back in your own nature. We all have a fatal flaw...something we can't see. We gain the most when we chant to see our OWN flaws...and chant to change them!

Fortune Comes from Having the spirit and the prayer: 

"I will WIN because my life is important. I will use my life as a shining example that this practice works!! My winning will be a real "win/win" because I will inspire others to the greatness of their own lives! And I will help them bring out the Buddhahood in their own lives by introducing them to chanting! I will win for kosen-rufu. I will win over my own negativity. I will absolutely do this!" 

2. Determine and believe we DESERVE what we want fuels our fortune. Every action we take all day long is a cause for our happiness. What do we want? Why do we want it? What can we do to fuel that desire? 
Remember the Buddhist concept Hon Nim Myo - "from this moment forth". Every time we chant we begin life anew. From this moment forth I will win. From this moment forth is EVERY MOMENT. We have the power to change. NOW. We chant the MYSTIC LAW underlying all of life. Wow. We are filled with fortune!

3. Chant for what we want, and Chant for STRENGTH of practice and strength of mind and heart! If we want money, we chant for money. If we want to NEVER WORRY ABOUT MONEY AGAIN - we chant with this in mind. If we want a job we chant for it. The world is OURS. We chant for exactly what we want!

What does fortune mean for you? Write to me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com with your experiences and comments! 

Thursday, July 25, 2019

What Does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Mean?



So glad you asked!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo means:

"I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration".

I like to think of it as "I am one with the flow of life" because that's what it does...it puts us in rhythm with our own lives and everything around us. 
We are all Buddhas. 
We possess the power of the entire universe in our lives. Chanting this phrase brings it out. 

Aligning our energies with our mentor Daisaku Ikeda, and chanting these words every morning and evening, 
studying the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda and introducing others to this practice 
are the keys to living vibrant, happy and victorious lives! 

It's a law. It works whether you believe in it or not.

People all over the world chant this phrase with the Sokka Gakkai International. The Website link is sgi-usa.org. I encourage you to go there. Call the center nearest you and get the name of someone who practices near you. Go to a meeting and make new friends. You'll be starting on a whole new journey of happiness. 

It doesn't cost anything...you don't have to "do" anything to chant. Just try!

It's truly a practice for anyone...no rules...no dues...no eating restrictions...just chant!
And practice. Chant every morning and evening...then you'll be writing me to tell me your results!  

Remember...dream big...go for the impossible!

In a few days this blog will be ten years old. That's right. There are well over 2,000 posts here, and 2,500,000 people have viewed it. Thank you for chanting and introducing others. Thank you for sharing, and above all else, I greet you my Buddha friends, in this Buddha Land! 

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Lighting the Lamp of Hope from Florida !

This egret is walking along St. Pete Beach on a beautiful day recently. I think he was posing for me. 

On Sunday I went to my local SGI Center and chanted for 4 hours for the Lions of Justice Festival, 50K youth gathering across America on September 23rd. 
I chanted for the youth of the world to realize their power to make the world a better place...and to be happy...
I chanted...
...for all the youth who are going to the festival to have a breakthrough in their lives...
...for all who registered to overcome obstacles and be able to attend...
...for safety, great weather, and operations to go smoothly...
...for all who are supporting and chanting for this festival to have breakthroughs...
...for every member everywhere to feel an incredible connection to the power within their own lives when chanting to the Gohonzon...
...and to have conviction in my own Buddha Nature... 

It's been a while since I chanted that much daimoku at one time. I sat right up front and supported the people who were leading the chanting. I love doing that...listening to their rhythm, and expanding it.

And, of course, yesterday, Monday, I was energetic and focused. I launched a project at work involving teamwork and leadership...and it flowed naturally. Later this week, on my birthday, I'm going to my High School reunion feeling healthy and happy with that Florida Glow. 

When we chant for others we are also chanting for ourselves. We are all interconnected. We are all one being. When we chant for those who are giving us problems in life, we are opening our channels of compassion and expanding our capacity to feel joy, love, and happiness. Who can you chant for? How can we each expand our capacity to love and be loved? 

No matter where you are in life, or what's happening, you can always launch a new rocket of hope into your life. Chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo infused your life with the life of the universe...and chanting is YOURS. For FREE. 

Join with your fellow SGI members, make a fresh determination. Refuse to give in to ANYTHING that is getting you down. Your life IS the Buddha. Chant to feel this with your life at every moment. Let's all be radiantly happy and victorious together! 

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?" 

Nichiren Daishonin. From the Gosho Reply to Kyo'o








Sunday, September 9, 2018

Inspiring Experience from Shara Gulati, YWD in India





From Shara Gulati: 

I am glad that I am able to share my delightful experience.
Chanting 'Nam-myoho-renge-kyo' has worked like Magic.

I am a masters graduate from The University of Manchester. I currently live with my parents in India. After spending one and a half years in the UK, I came back to India this year in January, to live with my family.

Looking back at the past 6 months is a nightmare.
I was extremely depressed. I have never lived idle in my life. But the struggle to find the perfect job has its own repercussions. I stopped socializing, meeting friends or anyone else with the fear that people would ask me what I would do next and I would look like a failure. I used to chicken-out of any conversation that was related to my career. Long story short, I was miserable.

Then Buddhism came into my life and things started changing.
I met a distant relative who encouraged me (I am very grateful to her)  to start chanting. Not knowing what that meant, I started searching Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and SGI Buddhism on google and that very day I felt different, I felt good, I felt like myself after a long time.
That happened and then I have another relative who is an SGI district leader, who motivated me further more and sent me two books for more knowledge.
All this happened in late July and things started turning so much better in just a month's time. 

I found an amazing woman from Quora who has been there through my thick and thin, to motivate me and keep my Daimoku strong, so strong that I can conquer anything and come out victorious.

I started chanting for 5 minutes a day which has now changed to 2 hours a day.

I could feel that I started caring more about other people's happiness too.

I have now taken full charge of my life and have stopped blaming anyone for my condition.

My friend's grandmother got extremely ill and ghospitalized sed not once but thrice. I kept my faith strong and chanted for her everyday. I chanted with the aim that she should be healthy and should get discharged by 28th Aug. Mystically, she got discharged on the same day.
My niece got diagnosed with eczema and she is just three years old. It took 5 doctors to diagnose something like that until we found out what exactly appeared on her cheeks. I kept chanting for her and also prayed that her skin condition improves by 28th Aug and miraculously the skin ailment vanished completely by then.

I have also been considering to get help from a good recruitment agency for an overseas career. I found one. My family and I got in touch with them. It took us 10 days to have faith in them and be ready to pay the amount the next day.
I chanted to be saved from any fraudulent act. I chanted that 'if the company is not genuine, I should not pay the amount the next day'. Mystically, the very next day I got up late and I forgot to ask my father to get the amount deposited. 
In the evening, one of the employees of the company, who I had been in touch with, contacted me and to quote her exact words 'I believe in Karma. I believe if you do good to others, you get things back. So I would suggest you not to rely on this company as my other colleagues stop taking calls once the candidate has paid the amount.
So mystic, isnt it?
That's the power of daimoku, that is the power of our Gohonzon.
With this practise, I am determined to report four victories by the end of this year.

"Chant abundant Daimoku and pray to the Gohonzon. Ask the Gohonzon for whatever you need. Everything will come true as you wish, and the path of kosen-rufu will open up in front of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Jamie: 

Thank you, Shara! Thank you for your enthusiasm and determination. Thank you for submitting your experience to me. 

And to the readers of ChantforHappiness.com, please have renewed hope that you can accomplish all your dreams. 
Chant for conviction in your Buddha Nature! Chant to realize your life as the beautiful Buddha you are! 

Today I am taking my pen in hand to write down as many goals as I can for my life. What number will I achieve? 100? 200? Danny Nagashima encouraged us to do this in 1993 in San Francisco when he was the center leader there. I wrote 200+ goals and met Sensei that year. Go for your goals! Live your beautiful lives! Sending love from sunny Florida, Jamie






Monday, April 23, 2018

Experience from Neelam Kumar, author of "To Cancer, With Love"


Experience—March 2018, Zadenkai

(As I publish this blog tonight, Neelam's mother has been very ill. 
Please join me in chanting for Neelam's Mother's full recovery (Jamie) 

Two years back, I was at the peak of my life’s contentment. I had faced the struggles of 23 years of widowhood bravely; had completed my duties of getting my 2 children married off; had spent more than two decades in a top position in a top company and had written 5 popular fiction books. I was all set to sit back and heave a sigh of relief when Cancer struck me with a vengeance a 2nd time.
 I must admit, lying alone on that cold hospital stretcher, I asked myself whether there was really any purpose left to my life.  With my doting husband gone, nobody actually needed me anymore.
Under attack, my weak body collapsed, but my spirit, forged in the fire of 12 years of Buddhist practice soared high, bright and resilient. The first decision I made was an important one. I would live--joyously and meaningfully. The second decision: I would cling to the Gosho and chant daimoku with  “ a never-say-die attitude” to get clarity of why I had been spared.
Disappointed at not finding any “happy literature” on Cancer in India, I simply decided to write one to cheer myself up. To my surprise, that book, “To Cancer, With Love—My Journey of Joy” zoomed up to become a bestseller, emerging as India’s 1st joyous book on Cancer. More importantly, readers from all over the world began contacting me and telling me how my words had given them hope, courage and the strength to fight on.
I was taken aback by readers’ response. Cancer fighters began reaching out to me to say what a hellish state they felt they were in.
At that time I came across Sensei’s guidance: “The world of Hell is a state in which life is itself painful; where anything you see makes you feel miserable. Such people need someone—anyone—to be at their side. They need someone who will be there for them, to listen and offer even just a few words of encouragement.”  I decided I would be that person. And would use each dialogue as an opportunity to talk about Buddhism.
I had no hair, no eyelashes, no eyebrows, but to my surprise, at that juncture, I suddenly became famous! I began to be approached by newspapers and magazines for interviews. To my horror, even while I was shuddering inside like a coward at this wave of public adulation, people actually started celebrating me as a symbol of courage! I took a deep breath, chanted soundlessly and smiled. So, Gohonzon… this is the role you have in mind for me, I asked?  But I needed the strength of the strongest armor to cloak me.
So I plunged myself into my Practise. I launched on my 7th million daimoku; never missed my gongyo even on crazily busy days; woke up early to pack in at least an hour of chanting before leaving for work; home visited and shaku bukud with immense vigour, focused on winning in all the campaigns and targets Sensei set for us. I backed all this up with solid Study, not missing a single meeting. The Block in which I was earlier, became a Shinichi district and I began to be called “Shaku buku Queen.” I do not remember a day when I have missed reading the Gosho. I am now on the second reading of Gosho 1 and Gosho 2.
Emboldened by the success of my book, I decided to write India’s first Graphic Novel—comic book--on Cancer that would cater to our rushed, deadline-driven times of short attention spans. When I learnt that the funds to create it were unaffordable, I left it to Gohonzon. Sure enough, mystically, 2 Indian legends-Mr Ratan Tata and Mr Amitabh Bachchan stepped forward to praise my writing, to fund it and ensure that I wrote my comic book for these grim times when India is sitting on a Cancer time bomb. The funds were so generous that I wrote not one but 3 books on Cancer.
What was so special about them? The fact that in each book I have described how my faith in Nichiren Buddhism has helped me overcome the doctors’ diagnosis. This, I told Gohonzon are my kosen rufu books.
The Daishonin has assured us that when we concentrate on kosen rufu, benefits pour into our lives from thousands of miles away. 
Sure enough, benefits flooded in.
In October 2017, my 88 year old mother was handed back to me from ICU. I was told that I must take her home as her crater-like, pus filled bedsore was untreatable and would not make her last more than 48 hours. I nursed her at home, pouring daimoku into her wound. 5 months later, today, her bedsore is completely gone and she is better than ever.
I began to be invited to give Motivational Talks at hitherto unimaginable places—fancy corporates, institutes and organizations. And, pumped on the power of hours of daimoku, each time I would launch on my favorite topic,  Buddhism, the moment the audience asked me—So how did you get the courage to face it?
My big benefit was, receiving a personal message from Sensei for my books.
And then came the awards—all from unimaginable places.
1.The very Convent School that had labelled me as “Wood Sitting on Wood” and predicted I would never learn the English language honored me with a Trophy for being an Outstanding Alumni.
2. The Nargis Dutt Memorial Trophy for outstanding work in the field of creating cancer awareness through my books has been another surprise.
3. This month, 2 significant awards have come my way—the Inspiring Indian Woman Award 2018 from IIW, London as well as Glenmark’s  V Wash 2018 Woman of the Year award for changing the narrative of Cancer in India from grimness to hope.
I must admit, I asked Gohonzon one day, I wish I was my younger, pretty self. I would have looked nice receiving these awards. That day I read Sensei’s words, “There is no retirement age in faith.”  Nichiren Daishonin has said about those who embrace the Mystic Law, “You will grow younger and your good fortune will accumulate.”
That day, a big company approached me for a few shots they wanted to take of me on Madh Island. I embraced the excitement of being made up and clothed by a stylist, of being asked to pose on a boat and the beach. I sank into the warm feeling of being pampered like a star.
Last week I woke up to pictures of me perched atop Bangalore’s MG Road. The 30 by 20 hoarding says—“When Cancer visited me a second time, I pulled out the mightiest weapon—my pen”
Had I ever imagined that I would be modelling at my age? That people would actually look at my photo shopped face and say—you look so pretty. And better—so young!

My heart is filled with gratitude as I realize that actually this phase of my life is not mine at all. It is for those countless Indians who draw strength from just looking at me and label me as Inspirational. This phase of my life is my actual Kosen rufu phase. In these grim times when 1,500 Indians are succumbing to Cancer each day, I am so grateful for getting the opportunity to touch a million lives with my written and spoken words and shine the powerful beacon of hope, courage and joy embodied in Buddhism into their lives.
Finally, the hurt of my 3 younger devars dispossessing me of our ancestral home after I was widowed, is healing. Finally, I am NEEDED. The stage is my entire country; its inhabitants are my kosen rufu family.
Dear Cancer, thank you for visiting me twice and revealing to me my mission in this life.
Dear Gohonzon, now I realise why my life has been spared. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to turn “poison into medicine.”
Dear Sensei, as you turn 90, I realise the magnitude of the kosen rufu I must do through my life to become your worthy disciple.
I determine to use my pen, my words, my body and each remaining breath for the eternal honor of spreading kosen rufu.
Ikeda Sensei says, “May you live in such a way
That others will say,
“She is a woman who, though ordinary,
Somehow stands out,
And has a beautiful story to tell.”




Thank you!
Neelam Kumar
corporate.lounge@gmail.com