Sparkling Altar = Sparkling Life!

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As Nichiren Buddhists, we chant at the altars in our homes. They consist of a box holding the scroll we focus on when we chant, along with a table with fruit, a bell, and various other things. We do  not all have to have the same set-up. Some prefer incense; others don't. Most have either real or fake candles. Some have plants. Today's post isn't about what we put on our altar; it's about how we treat it and where we have it. 

Our altars represent our lives. The better we take care of our altars, the better our environment treats us. It's simply cause and effect. 

Just think about it. Our altar is the place we go to connect with our own lives, our Buddha nature. If it's dusty, or cluttered, our life is dusty and cluttered. I have often found that the fastest way to have immediate change is to change something about my altar. 

At one time, my butsudan (box that holds the Gohonzon, or scroll) was inside a bookcase. I felt stuck in my life at the time. I wanted to break through. Kate suggested I change my altar set up. The minute I moved the box out of the bookcase and affixed it securely onto the wall my life moved forward in a positive direction. I felt free. 

Lately, my house has gotten crowded with mementos, pictures, photo albums, and all kinds of things that came into my house last month. I thought "I need a change!" 

So I looked at my altar, moved the huge fruit basket and was shocked to discover there was fruit residue all over the wood table and a dead peach in the pile of fruit. Awesome opportunity for change! I brought out my wood polish and shined it up, and took the huge fruit bowl away and replaced it with a small bowl of new fruit. 

And I decided to remove one of the plants so there was more space - more open space on my altar table. I moved this plant to another place, looked at my shiny wooden table and thought: "THIS is going to cause a change in my living space and in my life!" Whenever we clear our space we make room for more good to come into our lives. 

That night I woke up in the middle of the night (as I often do) and started straightening everything up in my apartment. It just felt easy. I sorted, I moved things and my space feels much more open. Much better! 

Every change we make to our altar makes a difference. 

The more secure we have our altar, the more secure our life. Is your butsudan safely away from a window? Is it bolted to a wall or does it tip easily? Think of it as your life. How do you want it? Secure...or easily tipped? 

You might want to take a fresh look at your altar space right now. Is it in the center of your house? Is YOUR LIFE in the center of YOUR LIFE? Is it in a dark corner? How is it lit? I have a bright light so I can see my life (my Gohonzon). 

Do you have fresh fruit? Take a new look!

And if you change something and see it's effect send me a note at chantforhappiness@gmail.com! 

PowerPrayer to Make it Happen NOW! Roooaaarrr!

Roarrrrr!

As practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, we chant the Mystic Law every single day. Intoning Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (which means: I fuse my life with the Mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) is a noble cause. It elevates our life condition, and the life condition and vibration of all of life. 
We chant for ourselves. 
We chant for others. 
We chant for this life and this world. 
We change our karma 
for the sake of changing the whole world's karma.  
We are the noble Boddhisatvas of the earth 
and Votaries of the Lotus Sutra. 
When we chant we TELL our lives what we want. 
We do not ask for favors from a force outside of our lives. 
We ARE Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 
We know that the goal of our practice is to have faith like flowing water...so we chant every day, twice a day...we study...we encourage each other, introduce others and attend our SGI meetings. (Click on the link to the right to find out more about the SGI)

And....Sometimes it seems like it is taking quite a while for a benefit to arrive, or an obstacle to go away, doesn't it? Even though we KNOW the answer lies within our own karma, and in doing our human revolution, sometimes we just have to get mad at our own life and wake those Shoten Zenjin UP! 

In the February 2014 Living Buddhism Magazine
(published by the SGI-USA and available by calling 800-835-4558) one of my favorite Gosho passages appeared. In this Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin has been persecuted by the government and is being taken away to Tatsunokuchi Beach to be beheaded. On the way, he sees a statue of Hachiman, one of the Buddhist deities (which represent functions within our own lives). 

He makes the entourage stop so he can address the statue of Hachiman. (The full Gosho quote is below)

What I love about this moment in the Gosho is that he basically yells at the Buddhist God and says "you had better show your support to me RIGHT NOW because that is the pledge you made. If I die I will report you! Get to work!" Of course, after he yells at the statue, when Nichiren is taken to the beach to be beheaded, a huge orb comes out of the sky lighting up the faces of his would-be assassins, they all run scared, and he is saved from death. 

Nichiren's indignant attitude when he addresses the statue shows us we can summon our power and direct it at the forces within our life. We can all pray in front of our own Gohonzons with fury and with fire. 

PowerPrayer to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com

"Gohonzon! 
Shoten Zenjin! 
Life! 
SOME KIND OF WAY 
this HAS TO CHANGE NOW!!! 
I Don't know HOW to make it happen. 
I just know it HAS TO!!
Some Kind of Way! 
It is time for me to see results in these areas. 
NOW!
 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

We can all summon this fiery attitude at the crucial moment - we are ALL dignified votaries of the Lotus Sutra, we can all command the fundamental forces that are within our lives and represented on the Gohonzon. 

Here is the Gosho passage: 

Nichiren stops at the statue and shouts: 

'Great Boddhisatva Hachiman, are you truly a god?...Now I, Nichiren, and the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in all of Japan, and am entirely without guilt. I have expounded the doctrine to save all the people of Japan from falling into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering for slandering the Lotus Sutra....When Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha and the Buddhas and Boddhisatvas of the ten-directions gathered, shining like so many suns and moons, stars and mirrors. In the presence of the countless heavenly gods as well as the benevolent deities and sages of India, China and Japan. Shakyamuni Buddha urged each one to submit a written pledge to protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra at all times. Each and every one of you gods made this pledge. I should not have to remind you. Why do you not appear at once to fulfill your solemn oath? ....If I am executed tonight and go to the pure land of Eagle Peak, I will dare to report to Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, that the Sun Goddess and Great Boddhisatva Hachiman are the deities who have broken their oath to him. If you feel this will go hard with you, you had better do something about it right away!' (WND - 1, 766-67)

You WILL LOVE this post!!! A reader has a breakthrough!

Here is a great experience for you!
I originally heard from this reader in May. She and I exchanged several emails (not all of which I'm publishing here...but I promise, if you send me an email I will do my best to respond personally to you) 

My first email from this reader:

"I hope all is great.

Just been reading some articles on your blog and wanted to say thank you many times for 

your writings! I came into Buddhism after my heart was shattered too and every day I am feeling that I am letting go

and gaining a clear understanding of what kind of relationship I need. I also attracted a man who takes very good care of me

and who truly seems to like me. "

Later, she and I exchanged a few personal emails. Then she sent me an email describing how she had fallen and not gotten hurt, and how that incident was a realization for her as follows:

However, i realized that the focal point should be us asking Gohonzon

to strengthen our Buddhanature. 

Just as I fell physically and got back on my feet with great ease - it is important to cultivate and maintain a personality which is strong and well balanced. 

Reaching our goals is important, 

but many of them may only be reachable when we are truly ready spiritually

and psychologically. 

The main purpose is building that powerful self 

which can become capable of using all those benefits we ask for. 

So, I feel for having good relationships it is important to be your own best friend 

and be self - loving and reflect this attitude of self-love 

in the way we interact with other people - 

and by chanting many daimokus for “us” (family, other SGI members). 

I also believe that one can improve once self-confidence and self-esteem 

and thus be even more capable and strong 

for holding down one`s desired job and reaching the set goals (

or identifying them as nonsense). 

What i also like about this Buddhism is that no matter the circumstances - 

we do not throw the towel. Perseverance is key. 

Kosen Rufu starts with every single one of us fostering peace in ourselves, 

with our friends, at work. 

And her breakthrough came:

Just wanted to let you know that things have improved considerably. 

I got a better job situation and a nice place to stay AND my last boyfriend called me on

my birthday and he was really super sweet to me. He paid me a lot of compliments

and said me and my best friends should come to NY and he will keep me up 

to date on what is going on in his life. What a break through! Been chanting soooo

much for everything and my life right now is very, very impressive. 

Nichiren Buddhism is soooo goood. Sooooo goood. I am really grateful for having been introduced and it works wonders!!

Here are some of the elements she followed to produce her breakthrough! 

1)  I found that idea of making wishing lists very helpful

2) You encourage people do keep going even though their might not be any kind of proof at first. I kept chanting, chanting and chanting for a great situation with my ex even though "everybody" told me to just let it go....the results are impressive: as if all of that negative stuff had never happened  between us. 

3) I like the fact that you encourage people to demand proof. In my SGI circles people often tell me the Gohonzon is exlusively inside yourself and everything which happens is done by you. But, I noticed that chanting creates situations I would not have been able to control just by being me. So, yes, my Buddhanature get evoked, but things also start happening around me without me putting too much effort. It is almost like chanting puts me into favorable situations.  

I LOVE Hearing your Experiences! you can encourage others by letting me post them here. Thank you so much my friend!!! You GO Girl! 

I know...Sometimes You Just have to KEEP HAVING HOPE

I know sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's difficult for me too. We chant and take action and some benefits just take much longer than others. I know!

But please do not stop and do not doubt! Chant to overcome your own disbelief! 

When you are diligently persevering, studying, chanting, introducing others to this practice ~ the benefit is DEFINITELY on it's way. Please do not doubt, and do not stop chanting.

At times like this it's really useful to remember a few of those key Gosho quotes and inscribe them deep with our lives:

"Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets. For example, the journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop on the twelfth, how can you admire the moon over the capitol?"

From Letter to Niike, by Nichiren Daishonin

And:

"To discard the shallow and seek the profound requires courage." 

From "On the Buddha's Prophesy" by Nichiren Daishonin

Please have profound respect for your own incredible life and remember that the journey you are on is most respectworthy. Please respect and honor your life. Chant to PRAISE YOUR LIFE! I know I say this over and over again, but it is SOOOO important. It is so easy for us to forget how noble we are, and how we shine like brilliant Buddhas to the very core. The purpose of our practice is to recognize and shine this brilliant diamond every single day. 

It is who we are. Brilliant. Sparkling. Noble. Deserving. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. 

You are Purifying your Life! 

"The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water is to wash away filth. The wind blows away dust and breathes life into plants, animals and human beings. The earth nourishes the grasses and trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. Myoho Renge Kyo too works in all these ways. It is the cluster of blessings brought by the Boddhisatvas of the Earth." 

YOU are the Boddhisatva of the Earth. We ALL ARE! GO YOU!

From Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life by Nichiren Daishonin

BREAKTHROUGH!

I know some of you have been reading this blog since I started writing it almost three years ago. If you read the first post you will see that the main reason I began chanting two hours a day was to root the sadness, depression and feeling of hopelessness out of my life for good! 


For most of my life I felt like I was living on the side of a volcano. Sometimes I'd fall in and be consumed by the fires of depression, sometimes I would ride a lava flow down the side and feel the pain, but not be consumed by it. Other times I could hover over the volcano and be grateful I couldn't feel the depression and sadness for a little while. 


When I started this blog I knew several things. I was sad over a particular relationship, but I KNEW deep in my heart that the sadness had always been within my life. In other words, it was MY sadness, and my karma, and recognizing the sadness as MY OWN gave me power over it. I knew I could change it with my determination and daimoku. 


Well I want to report to you that I have totally transformed that feeling. I am genuinely happy. I am praising my life in my daimoku every day. I no longer wake up and feel I have to crawl out of a hole of sadness just to begin my day. I have absolutely changed my life condition. 


I really need to thank all the people in my life who have been such great examples for me, Kate Randolph and Melissa Bradford and Kathy Fisher and many others have been examples for me. Their lives shine with the glow of Daimoku. They are undaunted and have faith that no matter what is happening, they have already triumphed! 


Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo has the power to change our lives from the inside out. By chanting we are tapping into the highest possible part of our own lives...the part where we are connected with ALL of life....the powerful core of our lives. I chanted to purify this core and rid my life of this suffering and it worked. Because we are connected to our environment in every possible way, my circumstances are reflecting my happiness in every possible way. I have a great job, lots of hope for the future, many interests and friends. I do not have a hole of sadness to fill anymore! 


I accomplished this by chanting to PRAISE MY LIFE. By accepting responsibility (not blame) for my suffering, and making a fierce determination to CHANGE IT FOREVER...And to be an example for others that this kind of change is possible. 


I share with with you to INSPIRE YOU. If I can change this impossible thing ~ you can change your IMPOSSIBLE THING!!! NO matter what it is!!! 

Having a Karma Attack?

OK, first of all, the phrase "karma attack" is not an official Buddhist phrase. I have to admit, I made it up! Sometimes, it's the only way to explain what it feels like when part of your world is spinning in what looks like a downward spiral. Right now I'm having an experience like this in a certain area of my professional life. 
Have you ever felt this way? Like something very familiar (and not positive) is happening...a repeat of something that has happened to you before, and it's rearing its ugly head yet again? What are some examples? How about when you seem to be having the same relationship problems over and over...only with different people. Or the same job problems in different jobs. 


So what do you do? How do you chant when it seems that the same problem (each time a little less severe, because you ARE changing your karma) has come up. 


First of all, don't let your own inner darkness defeat you. It is all too easy to say "this chanting doesn't work anyway...why even try." It is all too easy to let doubt take over. But don't surrender! That is truly the voice of your inner darkness, not your Buddha self.  And, sometimes it becomes agonizingly hard to chant. Has that ever happened to you? It does to me! And I start hearing negative thoughts all day as I'm working. This is a karma attack! 


What do I do? What can you do? 


First of all, I contact my Buddhist friends and let them know I need some daimoku. I chant for many people, and sometimes I need a boost from my friends too! And I call the people who inspire me most and get some words of wisdom and guidance. I MAKE myself chant even when it's so hard. I know I am busting through something life changing. I study and chant as much as I can, and I take the time to encourage other people who are struggling. I listen carefully to the advice I give others such as: you know you are going to have a big breakthrough and a big benefit when you have a big problem. 


I once had a friend from Japan who said "Really big problems make me really happy...I KNOW a really big benefit is on the way!" I'll tell you, THAT'S the attitude to have, isn't it? 


I also chant to have an incredibly high life condition....so that no matter what happens I am focused, I say and do the right things, and I can generate the wisdom to make the right decisions. 


And I take the opportunity to really connect with the Gohonzon. Suffering can be the cause to deepen your prayer so that you get the results you want to get! Sometimes it is the best thing for your practice (and I do not mean to say that suffering is the way of the Buddhist. It is NOT. Happiness is the way of the Buddhist...and forging our lives through suffering is a means of strengthening our lives. But the goal is happiness!) 


And I sit in front of the Gohonzon and VOW to be happy...and VOW to show actual proof of the Gohonzon. I tell the Buddhist gods (the functions within my own life) that I MUST win. I am the votary of the Lotus Sutra. I HAVE to inspire my district, my friends and family and my beloved blog readers! That's how I am chanting right now. If you have challenges JOIN ME!!! You can have the same prayer. You are all votaries of the Lotus Sutra! Write me and share your stories with the other readers of this blog! Be strong and break through your karma as I am determined to break through mine!!! 

Chanting 5 minutes can be enough for a breakthrough!!!

Would you be interested in knowing that chanting only five minutes has the power to turn your whole life around?
I know, I know...it sounds too good to be true, but I have seen it happen!

The first 5 minute experience happened with a dear friend when I lived in San Francisco. Her daughter had been going through numerous challenges ever since she was quite young. Now she was a troubled teenager. She couldn't seem to fit in anywhere...she couldn't seem to save herself and my friend was really at a loss.

My friend is an intellectual...sometimes the smartest people have the hardest time chanting! Their brains just won't stop telling them that they are too smart for all of this! They want to figure it all out...but you can't figure this out...it's experiential! You have to do it!

However...this one time...at the end of her rope...my friend chanted.

Her daughter was in jail...again...and my friend came over. I said "what do you have to lose?" and she chanted FIVE minutes with me. She was chanting for her daughter to be allowed back into the place she had just been. I'll never forget chanting with her.
After that, she went to visit her daughter in jail and they chanted 20 minutes together!! OMG!

The daughter did not get back into the place they had hoped for...she ended up in a much better place...a place that saved her life. It was a place in Colorado that WOULD NOT kick her out if she ran away...and they had a beauty school, something my friend's daughter really wanted to learn. It set her on the right course. It was life changing.

It all started with 5 minutes.

Whenever you chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo it's as if you are reciting the entire Lotus Sutra. You are, in a way...speaking the words of the Buddha that you REALLY are...and accessing the power that has always been yours!

Chanting is a tool to access your own Buddhahood.

Rock and roll!