PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus Our Inner Resolve

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Last night's Downers' Grove District's Gosho Study Meeting was fantastic. I appreciate Takahashi, who studied, prepared and presented a great study meeting for us. 

The Gosho was "The Gift of Rice" and he began by saying we should feel that THIS moment is the first time, first day, first moment,to learn this Gosho...no matter how many times we have read it before.

I think that's a great attitude to have towards so many things! 

The first quote that jumped out at me from the Gosho was "When we carefully consider what exactly "earnest resolve" refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind." 
(From the Gift of Rice by Nichiren Daishonin, Living Buddhism September 2015, page 29)

President Ikeda goes on to say "Everything is determined by the direction in which our "earnest resolve" orients our minds. When we focus our "earnest resolve" on our Buddhist practice, believing and practicing the Mystic Law that enables all people to attain enlightenment, our inner Buddhahood reveals itself, pervading our lives and the environment." 
LB, 9/15, page 38

And one of the members related an experience from this month's World Peace Prayer meeting on Sunday (Kosen-Rufu Gongyo). I wasn't there because I was in the air flying home from Cape Cod. 

She related Akemi Bailey Haynie's experience.  

She said Akeymi related that one day she heard her mother cry out from a nightmare, and realized that her mother had been having nightmares every night. (Her mother is a survivor of the WWII bombings in Japan). Akeymi developed a deep resolve in her heart and sat down and chanted 15 minutes of focused Daimoku that her mother would NEVER AGAIN have another nightmare. She reached that level of "now or never" or "NO WAY!" that is so powerful, and her Mom never had another nightmare. 

We all have this power in our lives. Sensei tells us this every day. When we are in front of the Gohonzon it is up to us to summon this resolve, and to focus our minds.

We all have this power! Today I offer you: 

PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus
Our Inner Resolve
by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com

LIFE! 
Now it the crucial moment! 
THIS MOMENT 
While I am chanting I am drawing a line in the sand! 
This shall happen:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
and/or THIS shall STOP happening:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I NOW summon all the power vested in me as a worthy votary of the Lotus Sutra. 
My life is Powerful!
My daimoku is Powerful
Shoten Zenjin activate your forces NOW! 
Each Daimoku summons my power!
Each Daimoku has an effect NOW
For the sake of Kosen Rufu, I ignite my vow!
I will show actual proof -  inspire myself, and change the world! 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

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 for Releasing Resistance to Change

This post contains one of the most important PowerPrayers. I think many of us (me included) have what many religions call "attachments" to the way we see things, and the way we think things ARE. 
To really be able to change our lives, we have to be courageous and willing to release fear of the unknown and step into change. 
Last fall I was reading Louise Hay's seminal book You Can Heal Your Life. This is a book I have kept close to me ever since discovering it many years ago. Louise is an amazing human, one of the people I most revere. In the 80s she was one of the first to work with people with AIDS.  She is also the founder of Hay House Publishing which publishes Doreen Virtue, another of my favorite writers. 

So I came across the affirmation "Release my resistance to change." and I thought "Wow, this is really powerful. What would happen if I chanted this way?" And I tried it. Immediately my life shifted drastically and I was given the time and space to write my Treasure Map of PowerPrayers for you. 

I warn you! This prayer, along with chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo may shake up your life a bit. But if you are courageous and you have a strong practice (meaning you chant every day, twice a day, are connected to the SGI, and are going to meetings, study President Ikeda's guidance and the Gosho and encourage others to chant), you might be as appreciative of this powerful prayer as I am! 

Please let me know how this PowerPrayer works for you. I deeply appreciate all your letters and posts. I will be using many of your testimonials in the book. You and your feedback and support are crucial to helping this book and blog reach people who are looking for solutions...seeking Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Your efforts at sharing this blog and emailing the link to people, liking the Facebook page "Chant for Happiness" and sending me your thoughts are so important! My email is chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 

Power Prayer 

for 

Releasing Resistance to Change

I chant to release my resistance to change 
and to be willing to change from the inside out. 

I am now open to changing in any way 
that will help me to be a shining beacon of light and hope 
to myself and those around me. 
I now find the experience of change deeply pleasurable! 
I love it. 
I love the sensation of changing 
and becoming a happier and more beautiful person 
and inspiring 
that same kind of change in everyone in my life.
My inner wisdom and intuition is blossoming. 
I can hear it, 
I trust in it, and I love to see the effect in my life! 

Time to Celebrate - How to BREAKTHROUGH!

I published this about a month ago and think it's a good time to run it again. 
It's a great blog to pass along to encourage people. 

I'm celebrating today! All time readership of this blog just went over 60,000! (New number as of today, 8/10/12) 

Thank you so much! Thank you for passing the link chantforhappiness.com 
on to your fellow members, friends, family and anyone you want to introduce to this practice! 

And thank you for passing it on to people who speak languages other than English since there's a translation button on the upper left corner! And thank you so much for writing me! I love knowing what is on your mind and I adore hearing your successes! I am so grateful to you!

What can you accomplish through chanting? Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is bigger than your biggest problem. There was a great experience in a recent World Tribune. A girl with a very heavy heart and lots of troubles went to her first SGI meeting. A member who had been chanting for many years had her hold up her baby finger, and she told her "All your troubles will be as tiny as your baby finger compared to the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo." And that's the truth! 

What are some examples of the things I have personally seen change for people? 

I'll start with my own benefits for you.

There are three categories of "treasures" in Buddhism - the most important is the treasure of the heart:
Here are some Benefits of developing the treasure of the heart:

I have cured in my own life:

Hopelessness
Depression
Anxiety
Sadness
Fear! 
Loneliness - I went from having very few friends to having many friends, and to being happier on my own too. 
I have resolved every conflict in the workplace and in my personal life very quickly
I have no more need to be eating all the time
I have alleviated the endless hunger for everything, that constant longing for what I cannot have for whatever reason. 
I've lost 50 pounds and feel younger and stronger than ever.
I am working on publishing a book that will help many people learn to chant. This, along with the blog you are reading now is my greatest passion....helping people alleviate their suffering. 
I have peace of mind! Aaaahhh!

Other treasures of the heart:

One of my members stopped his pattern of constant worrying and never worries anymore.
One member overcame her deep dark depression, and all of the members in my district have greatly alleviated their anxiety.
They face their problems head-on and together we break through them! 

I've seen many members get the jobs of their dreams...overcome fear of public speaking...overcome many fears. 

The list goes on and on.....

There are also treasures of the storehouse...and things that people want to have and accomplish.

I remember chanting for my first car. I chanted for a reliable car for Kosen Rufu (world peace) so that I could drive people to meetings in San Francisco. 
I chanted for a beautiful house to hold Buddhist meetings in...one that would inspire people that anything was possible!
 I'll never forget the looks on the movers faces when they arrived at my beautiful kosen rufu home on the hill with the gorgeous view! It was such a contrast from my tiny little apartment on lower Nob Hill (Upper Tenderloin for those in the know) in San Francisco! 
And I've chanted for financial benefits. We need money to live and to give us opportunities. Without money I could not have brought my Buddha boys to California this spring! It is not some kind of "sin" to chant for money. Money is necessary. 

Oh there are soooo many things... feeling...experiences that you can chant for. And the biggest benefit of all is that as you are chanting for these things you are developing a stronger sense of self...a stronger inner core...a strength so powerful that NO PROBLEM CAN DEFEAT YOU. EVER. That is truly the best benefit. 
And remember that when you chant you are not asking anyone for anything...you are drawing power from your own precious life! Go YOU!

I wish I had more time but I have to run out the door to my job! 
Please keep writing me. Let me know what you'd like to hear about! Let me know your successes! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!!!