What is Absolute Happiness?
Daisaku Ikeda states in Faith in Action, page 37:
"There is a saying, "A small heart gets used to misery and becomes docile, while a great heart towers above misfortune." True happiness is not the absence of suffering, you cannot have day after day of clear skies. Ture happiness lies in building a self that stands dignified and indomitable like a great palace on all days, even when it is raining, snowing or stormy. "
The following is an excerpt from the book we're almost finished writing:
The BuddhaZone
PowerPrayers for Chanting for your Absolute Happiness.
PowerPrayer for Absolute Happiness
You have arrived! Go ahead, chant your way to absolute happiness. We've done it. We've proven the power of this prayer. Now it's your turn. If we can do it, you can do it.
Core Strengthening PowerPrayer
I am determined to experience my brilliant Buddha-self.
I am determined to raise my life condition.
I am determined to develop a strong— strong
core of life
so that NOTHING will bring me to this state of unhappiness ever again.
I am determined to strengthen my life from deep within and to radiate happiness wherever I go.
I don't CARE if unhappiness keeps rearing its ugly head along the way.
I WILL WIN and I will defeat it forever.
I will defeat you, unhappiness.
I am determined to become happy so I can inspire others to become happy. If I can become happy, anyone can become happy.
I now embrace absolute happiness as my mission.
All of our challenges exist so that we can overcome them and prove the power of this practice. Do we really understand this? If we do, if we REALLY feel this in our hearts we have a whole different view of life.
When we KNOW that all our challenges are FUEL for our happiness, then none of them will ever truly get us down. Realizing we are the Buddha and have the ultimate tool to change ANYTHING is the secret of our success.
No Buddha is defeated. No Buddha has a problem they can't solve. Actually we Buddhas do MORE than solve our problems, we turn them into great benefits.
I remember my dear Japanese friend saying: "I love it when I get HUGE problems, because I know I will get HUGE benefit!"
I know many of us believe this in theory, but how do we understand it in practice, with our very lives, and how do we turn poison into benefit?
First we must realize that the problem is OURS, not the other person's. We cannot spend our time blaming our environment or the people in it. The moment we do that we have lost the battle. We are no longer Buddhas.
I remember when I was in the process of realizing that it was time to move on from my marriage, I had to get to the point of not blaming my husband for anything. I just had to own the situation. I made a fierce determination that all members of my family would be happier once we split up. ALL members. And that our split was going to inspire people to chant. I determined to have people look at us and say "Wait a minute, they are going through a divorce and everyone's so happy? What is up with that? How can it be?" And this is exactly what I created.
The book Julia Landis and I are writing for you:
The Buddha Zone
Power Prayers for Chanting Your Way to Absolute Happiness
is currently being written because Julia saw us going through our divorce and being a happy family. She was so shocked she began chanting and hasn't stopped!
I accomplished my goal.
My husband and I are happier than ever and our sons are happy too. We don't argue about anything. As a matter of fact we haven't argued at all since we made the decision to separate. And all of this was powered by my Daimoku and my determination. We still celebrate every holiday and get together as a family often. We are harmonious.
I took something that was a huge problem for me, and I turned it into a benefit through chanting.
Power prayer to change problems into benefits:
I am determined to use my situation to strengthen my faith. I know thatthat Nam-Myoho-renge-kyo is the core of my life, and stronger than ANY problem ~ no matter what is happening. I see every problem and challenge as fuel for my happiness, and the happiness of others
As a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the karma to experience this; therefore, I have the mission to overcome it and to be victorious.” I roar like a lion at the problems in my life. Daimoku overcomes everything! daimoku. I am a Buddha and I will live as a Buddha. I see through the eyes of the Buddha and I live with the daily conviction that at every moment I am paving the way for others to become happy. I live my life as an inspiration that ANYTHING is possible. I am determined to ________________________________________________________________________(you fill in the blank for your life)
President Ikeda has said: “A person may have all the wealth and treasure in the world, but viewed from the perspective of the ultimate reality of life, such things are but mere illusions…. The most important thing is to build an indestructible palace of happiness within our lives…. It is through experiencing hardship that we can savor true joy. It is through making efforts that we can grow.”
