Apartment Finding Victory!

Here's the View from my apartment!

Hello from rainy Chicago. It's green. It's beautiful. But the rain has to stop by Ben's Memorial Mile on Saturday. Check it out at Bensmemorialmile.com. So exciting. Costume mile! Children's activities, fast runners, slower runners, and walkers...all raising money for schizophrenia research and suicide prevention, in the name of my sweet son. 

Continuing from the last blog post...
Here's how I got those walls to turn into little pebbles at my feet. In the last blog I wrote about getting guidance, and chanting to change myself in ways that felt unchangeable. This prayer lead me to breaking through. 

For the past few weeks, apartment hunting has been my full time job. The owner of my apartment wants to move back in after June. The housing market is incredibly hot where I live in Florida. It's been tough! Many apartments were rented already when I called...and what was available was, for the most part, not so great. Every day I woke up to scale this mountain, and every day I was frustrated!

I had a deadline. I had to find my new place before I left for Ben's Memorial Mile on the 13th. It felt impossible. But I'm a Buddha, just like YOU are! We practice to make the impossible happen. We have the ultimate tool for changing our lives - Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

So, I got guidance, started chanting three hours a day...and deepening my prayer. What does this mean? I told the Gohonzon...my life...that I had the courage to see what I didn't have the courage to see before...to change my basic life tendencies that are holding me back.

And on Monday...(the day before I was to leave for Chicago) I finished my three hours of chanting and the phone rang. It was my friend Mikaela. She told me she'd been outside her apartment (not far from where I live) and a couple came by on their bikes. They told her they live in the building I live in. (It's an historic building right on the beach). They said they live on the first floor and have been trying to sell a one bedroom apartment on the fourth floor.

Boom. I knew exactly what would happen. I knew their fourth floor apartment was going to be mine! I contacted them. They showed me their gorgeous place, but weren't sure they wanted to rent it. I connected them with the person I'm renting from now, so he could give me a glowing reference...and I chanted another three hours the next morning.  

And...

We signed the lease agreement half an hour before I left for the airport for Ben's Memorial Mile. The apartment is so beautiful! All updated...bigger than where I live, and unfurnished so I will have a fun project when I get back. The view is just like mine...overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. I took off for Chicago relieved...happy...victorious! 

Whatever your walls are...you can break through them too. You can seek guidance from your seniors in faith. You can grow in ways you can't even imagine. 

Never give up hope!

Inspiring Shakubuku Story!

Sam!

Here's a story to inspire YOU!

Doing shakubuku is my greatest joy. There is NOTHING that makes me happier. And I, along with all of you, have been chanting to introduce our youth to this life-affirming, practical practice. When I was at FNCC (SGI's Florida Nature Culture Center) they said: "The youth will teach us how to shakubuku the youth." And I thought, "How wise." Here's Sam's story:

A few weeks ago I planned some time with a new friend who lives in my building. We went swimming, and she came upstairs and learned to chant with me, then we walked down the street for dinner. We had a great time with our beautiful and vivacious server. I thought to myself "This young woman is so beautiful and warm and energetic. She exudes happiness...maybe she doesn't need the Gohonzon." But, of course, at the end of the meal I told her about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I didn't have a NMRK card with me so I wrote the words out on one of my business cards, and told her chanting was a means to tap into our highest life potential.

When she heard this she said "Boy do I need this! My Mom's in the hospital crying in pain and the doctors can't help her and I'm her main caretaker, all alone!" So I said, "When do you get off work? Want to come over and chant with me tonight?" And she said "Yes!" 

At 11:30pm, Sam came over and we chanted and talked until 1:00am. She came over the next night too! Sam told me her life story. She's a resilient young woman who has had many challenges, and has a great dream to be a prosthetics practitioner. She believes anyone with a prosthetic has a story, and she wants to help them. 

For various reasons, she wasn't able to finish High School, and wanted to take her High School equivalency exam, but the thought of taking that exam filled her with fear. She told me "I'm going to schedule that exam and use chanting to help me pass it!" Less than a week after beginning to chant, she passed the GED and got her High School Diploma! When she took the exam her usual anxiety was gone, and she could just feel the right answers throughout the test. What a great accomplishment! 

Also, her Mom was released from the Hospital two days after Sam came over to chant with me, and has now had surgery to help her. Sam and I continue to chant for her Mom. 

And right after she began chanting she lost her job. I, of course, said "Congratulations!" and knew she'd get a better one right away. (She already has) 

I had to go to Chicago for Ben's Memorial Mile prep, so I encouraged her to go to the Buddhist meeting without me, and she went. That night I was out to dinner in Chicago with my wonderful son Aaron, and my "wusband" (ex-husband) Paul, feeling emotional about our family being three, not four...happy to be with them, but missing my Ben (who died almost two years ago now). In the middle of dinner Sam called and told me she'd applied to get her Gohonzon! I thought "My family is growing! Look at all the benefits I have!" 

On Sunday, Sam received her Gohonzon and we enshrined it for her. Her bright smile and life condition is going to help lead more and more youth to chant. She's telling everyone about her new practice! Kosen Rufu in action. That's what it's all about. Sam is now applying to college...working on fulfilling her dream. 

Each of us makes a difference! Don't hold back! Tell everyone about this practice with all the love in your heart! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!   

Lighting the Lamp of Hope! The Joy of Fostering Youth!

Ahhhh the brilliance of introducing youth to this practice! Some of my golden memories are of the youth I took under my wing. They are living the lives of their dreams with the ultimate tool for creating happiness and value for themselves and others...this practice!

The other day someone magical...seeking...young and vibrant came happily into my life. I was at a restaurant with  my new friend Mari Beth whom I'd just introduced to chanting. She came up to my apartment and chanted with me for the first time. 

Our server was this delightful, beautiful young woman...she looked like she couldn't possibly have a care in the world. We had some laughs with her and a great time. At the end of the dinner I said "I have something for you!" and took out my card and wrote Nam-myoho-renge-kyo on it and the connection was INSTANT. 

It was as if she had been seeking this her whole life. She said "Oh! I really need this right now, my Mom's in the hospital in pain and I'm all alone caring for her!" I asked her if she wanted to come over to chant after she got off - my apartment was right across the street and she said SURE! 

She said she'd get our by about 10:30, but she got some last minute customers and was able to come around midnight (!!!)...and I was waiting for her and so happy to see her! She told me the story of her young life (she just turned 20), and I could see what a fighter she is, against all odds. She's faced extreme challenges and is intent on fulfilling her dream of helping people with artifical limbs. She is such a Bodhisattva already. 

We sat in front of the Gohonzon. I put the bell in front of her, taught her how to chant, and told her she could ring the bell when she was finished. She chanted almost half and hour!  

Yesterday her Mom was released from the hospital! Last night she came over at 10:30 pm and we chanted and talked. She is so grateful to be embraced into this practice and my life. There is nothing better than having experience, knowledge and HOPE to give someone who is soaking it up! She is my Mother's Day gift! Last night we watched the Ben videos and she got to know and love my boy. What a wonderful life I lead! 

I am dedicated to raising her. I am dedicated to helping her achieve each of her dreams. I see her as a leader of our bright, positive movement that will attract 50,000 youth and more!  

I am grateful for all your Daimoku for the youth. We can feel the groundswell... feel them arising...and RISE to meet them! We all have determination to raise capable, happy, bright beacons of hope. And introducing her has brought ME such happiness...a new vibrancy in my step...a fresh determination to live as a brilliant beacon of hope, to overcome my sufferings and achieve my dreams. 

It is time for our youth to find relief and stop suffering. It is time for them to gain human connection...and hope. It is time to stop losing so many to despair! It is up to us to reach out and be available. And it is the greatest joy to watch them blossom like flowers! 

As Daisaku Ikeda writes in the May 2017 Living Buddhism study material on Fostering Successors, (page 44):

"The right time 

is not something one waits for; 

one creates it!"

Now is the time! We can carry cards everywhere we go. 
Introducing people who work close to where I live is now a focus for me. I live on the beach. There are countless restaurants and stores close by. If I meet someone who is receptive they can pop on over before or after they work to learn to chant! 

So happy to be sharing this journey with YOU! 

11 Keys to Chanting Joyfully for Longer Times (Tosos!) Please Share

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by putting  your email in the box to the right. 

First a special thank you: 

Thank you to all my readers through all these years. 

Thank you for sharing this wonderful journey of changing your karma and becoming absolutely happy in this wonderful SGI organization. 

Thank you for letting me know when my posts have touched your hearts and inspired you to keep on chanting every day...and to push on for that last 5 minutes one more time! 

Thank you for understanding that I am a normal person, a Buddha just like you. I'm imperfect. I'm human. And I'm a Buddha, who long ago, in 2009 to be exact, decided that I was going to change my life-long karma of sadness and depression by chanting two hours a day. And in the first hour of that determination I decided to take the rest of the world along with me, and started this blog - because of my deep love of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and wanting to introduce this practice to others. 

And over and over I have mentioned that I do not represent our beloved SGI organization, and that I speak for myself alone. My goal is to show actual proof through my own life that anything is possible.

Thank you my friends!

Thank you for sharing the extreme poison I turned into medicine when my son got sick...and three years later, when he died at the age of 22, you sent me cards and letters and emails, and I felt your daimoku. You have been my companions on this journey...and I treasure you. 

There have been almost 2,000,000 views since the blog began, and almost 2,000 posts. 

Two of the most popular posts have been "My Dear Readers, About My Ben" from July 5th of 2015, my message to you when I was so concerned that you would become discouraged when my sweet Ben died. 
And the next most popular post was My experience of August 24th, 2016, when I shared Ben and my writings and the book I published called "Our Forever Ben, One Mom's letters to her son in spirit and his poetic replies." 

Chantforhappiness.com readers are all over the world...in the US, in India, in the UK, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia, the Ukraine and Africa...and more. My goal is to continue sharing my determinations, hearing about yours, and forging the path for Kosen Rufu in this world. 

THANK YOU for telling me this blog introduced you to chanting and got you connected to the SGI. Thank you for telling me this blog got you RECONNECTED to the SGI. Thank you for your support and love all these years. My love and support goes right back at you! You know you can always reach me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com, but if I don't respond immediately please email me again. 

I thought I'd share a sweet note I got from a reader, posted today, on a blog post she was reading from three years ago: 

"Dear Jamie, at this point, your post is over three years old. As I sit here on my sofa, crying over my broken heart, I want you to know that your message is still being heard by people that need it. Thank you for helping me feel that I'm not alone."  
Comment for the post "Healing a Broken Heart"

Today, 3/14/17, I chanted 8 hours of daimoku...to dig deeper...to change more karma...to continue to use my life as a brilliant beacon of hope. Here is a reprint of one of my most popular posts. Please feel free to share it, but put my Chantforhappiness.com and Jamie Lee Silver on anything you share, okay? Thanks! 

11 Tips for Chanting Joyfully 

for Longer Times:

From Chantforhappiness.com by Jamie Lee Silver - 

When I first began chanting in 1985, a leader told me our lives and karma can be compared to a glass with dirt at the bottom. The dirt represents the karma that exists inside our lives. She said when you start to chant you stir up that dirt and see it swirling around...and if you want to really dig deep and clear it out, you might want to chant a Daimoku Toso (chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for an hour or longer). 

Note: No one ever HAS to chant a long toso. Please don't think you are not a "good" Buddhist if you don't want to, or can't chant for long periods of time. There is no prescription for chanting. We just do our best! I do tosos when I have huge challenges, or to join the SGI when we are having big movements. The longest toso I ever chanted was 12 hours before the 2010 Rock the Era events for the youth division. Four youth division joined my district in the following month!

As always, these are my insights. I'm an enthusiastic SGI member, but I don't represent the SGI in an official capacity in this blog. 

1. Give Yourself Some Credit! Go YOU! 
Realize that what you are about to do...chanting longer than usual ~ doing a Daimoku Toso has profound significance for your life. Give yourself credit for this worthy goal. 

2. Write your goal or goals. 
(Some of these goals may occur to you naturally as you're chanting) You may want to write yourself a fresh determination, also called PowerPrayer and connect your desire to the greater good...to the real difference you want to make in the world. 

Remember that you are a precious votary of the Lotus Sutra and when you break through, the energy is forever changed. You are paving the way for others to break through ~ Your Happiness is IMPORTANT! 

Example of a goal/determination/PowerPrayer:

"I am determined to have the most beautiful, loving relationship so that I can totally inspire other people that great relationships are possible ...I can show actual proof with my life, and be able to introduce others to this practice!" 

President Ikeda's guidance says you can chant to have 10,000 times more power in your prayer. So I usually dedicate some time to chanting to increase the power of my daimoku by 10,000 times! 

3. Have your favorite drinks close by.
...tea...water...soft drinks...whatever you like. 

4. Remember YOU are the Buddha! 
Do not beg favors from a 'higher power." You are the higher power. Remember, the Gohonzon cannot get down off the wall and do the Buddha's work in the world. YOU are the Gohonzon; it is inside your life. The Gohonzon is a reflection of the highest life condition that exists within your own life. So when you are chanting CLAIM what is yours! Tell your life what you want. And know that all real change comes from within. 
Chant to do your own Human Revolution.
When we change, our environment changes. 
Take responsibility for your life...not blame. Realize whatever you are going through, whatever is causing you to chant...it's your karma..not your FAULT. Chant to reach the root of that karma and pull it out of your life. THEN your life circumstances and environment will change to reflect it. You don't have to figure out the deeper cause, don't worry about getting it right. Just chant to change it! 

5. Put Your Phone AWAY or turn it off. Yes OFF! 

6. Keep Your Favorite Buddhist Study Material Close by
...whatever touches your heart when you read it. And if you find yourself losing focus open it up to any page you want. I have "For Today and Tomorrow" by Daisaku Ikeda next to me right now. I just opened it for you right now...I read "When we chant sonorous Daimoku, the sun rises in our hearts. We are filled with power. Compassion wells forth. Our lives are lit with joy. Our wisdom shines. All Buddhas and Buddhist deities throughout the universe go to work on our behalf. Life becomes exhilarating." Read your passage and get right back to chanting!!!

7. Invite others to chant with you! 

8. Have pen and paper handy. 
You'll want to write down those brilliant ideas that come into your mind while you're chanting. You'll also want to write down some of those pesky thoughts and reminders that keep coming back...things like "remember to buy dog food." Just write it down and eject it from your brain so you can focus on what really matters.

9. Take care of your body 
You may want to get up and stretch at the end of every hour. Keep fruit or a snack at hand for an hourly break. Put your electronics away. You are dedicating this time. It takes energy not to dilute it, and it is so important to stay focused! 

10. After you chant, write in your journal.

11. Welcome Obstacles!
Bear in mind, some obstacles might arise after your toso. And just say 
"Hello obstacles! I was expecting you!" 
When you take on the mission to change your karma for yourself and others you can compare it to turning your speedboat to HIGH. The faster you go, the more resistance you feel. 

Above all - Don't give up! You CAN change your problems into benefits. You ARE the Buddha! 

I am chanting for you to accomplish your goals and shine with happiness. But your prayers are the most important! 

I'd love to hear from those of you who have connected to the SGI through my blog! And send me your experiences. Every once in a while I will share an experience on the blog

I can be reached at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

When It's Really Hard to Chant ~ Some Strategies

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Ok, we all know we need to chant every day - twice a day, to keep our life condition elevated and our motors powered up and moving. 

But what about the days when we sit down to chant and feel like we have a mountain of resistance in the way, and suddenly we have to pop up to do something...then we get distracted by Facebook (I promise this has never happened to me :) ) or we just can't sit still? 

This morning I knew I had the time...I knew I had the determination...and Ugh, it felt so hard. 

So I thought about all of you, and I wondered 

"How can I solve this today so I can tell the readers of Chantforhappiness.com something useful? How can I be an example?" 

So, I stood up and shook my hands out and danced around the room for awhile to get the energy flowing. I just let my hands shake, and breathed deeply to get the energy flowing. Then I made sure I had water and tea, and ... drumroll...I put the phone where I could not touch it, and I turned the ringer off. 

I opened my favorite quote book by Daisaku Ikeda and read: 

"What kinds of causes am I making right now?" "What actions am I taking?" The answers to these questions are what will determine our future ~ in this life and throughout the three existences. Herein lies the foundation of faith. True glory and victory in life lie in basing oneself on this fundamental principle. 

(10/25/96) From Faith Into Action page 89, by Daisaku Ikeda

Perfect!

Then I sat down in front of my altar, wrote out a fresh determination for the day, and YES, my hour of daimoku sailed by. Sometimes it's easier than we think. 

I hope that helps. 

All my best to you!

Go Buddha Go! 9 Keys for Starting Your Buddhist Practice Now!

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)

By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you can transform all of your sufferings into benefit, and crystalize every desire into a blooming flower in our lives. You can become happier than you ever imagined...happier, more resourceful and more courageous in taking action. 

AND, you will make a difference in the lives of all you touch.  

We can change anything through chanting because we tap into our inner realm of unlimited possibility when we chant. 

You are a Buddha of infinite potential! 

When we chant the Mystic law (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) we see changes in our life - whether we believe they will happen or not. 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration" or, as some say "I tune my life to the rhythm of all life." Saying these words is a great cause that breaks through all suffering and creates a life of happiness. It works! It's vibrational...

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a Lion. What sickness could therefore be an obstacle?" 
Nichiren Daishonin 

9 Ways to Jump Start Your New Buddhist Practice!
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

1. Make a list of what you really want in life. Take a fresh look at your desires and write them down.  Dream big. What do you really want? What do you want for yourself? What do you want for others? What do you want for the world? Make a list. Write it down and put the date on it. 

Many people began chanting with desires that later transformed into other desires. So don't worry about whether your desires are "right" desires to have. Chanting is progressive, both you and your desires will evolve. I know people who began a very rewarding practice chanting for things that were important at the time, but later changed into other desires. 

One of my friends chanted for a month to prove to his wife that this practice doesn't work. Well, he found out it DID work and more than 40 years later he is still practicing. In Nichiren Buddhism your desires ARE enlightenment. It is okay to desire whatever you desire, whether it's money, the happiness of someone else, a relationship, a job, or peace of mind and contentment. With continued practice you will see that your dreams for yourself actually become tied to the dreams of happiness for all. 

Chant for what is really in your heart. 

2. This is a great time to start a Journal.  It's not essential, but I think it's a great idea. Writing in a journal helps you become aware of your progress and benefits.

3. Create an altar for yourself, for your LIFE.  
Choose a place to chant comfortably. Find your "home" within your home, where you can feel comfortable chanting out loud, having a dialogue with your life itself. Sit comfortably. (Did I say this enough times?! ~ I like to be comfortable!)

4. Choose a focal point on the wall, slightly above eye level, or chant to a blank wall. I chanted to a moon in a picture when I first began chanting.  

5. Keep a table close by for a drink, your journal and a pen. 

6. If you are brand new to the chant, write the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo on a piece of paper. 

The words are pronounced as follows: 

Nam ~    Nahm, rhymes with Mom, 
Myoho ~ meeyohoh,  
Renge ~  rain gay, 
Kyo ~     kee oh. 
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 
Nahm Meeyohoh Rain Gay Kee Oh
(Phonetic spelling) 

7. Begin to chant. Hold your hands with the palms facing in and touching each other in front of your heart. And say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again with your eyes OPEN looking at the wall. 

8. At first, you will probably only be able to concentrate on the words themselves, and that's fine.  Once you've got the chant down you can think about what you want and chant at the same time. 

9. Join fellow practitioners as soon as you can. The SGI Portal to the right will help you locate a center near you, and you can call that center to connect to your local meeting house. 

Chant twice a day every day, even if it's only for a short time. Get in rhythm! Establishing a twice a day rhythm to your chanting is important. It gets the wheels of your life moving. 

Keep your goals in mind and you’ll remember your reasons for chanting! 

These words and this vibration go deep into the heart of your life itself. They summon forth your highest wisdom, vitality and sense of purpose. They also uproot the karma that is making you suffer, and give you the opportunity to change this karma forever. 

When you chant you are entering into a dialogue with your life itself. You are not chanting to any god or asking for favors. Instead, you are connecting with the rhythm of the universe itself. 

As Nichiren Daishonin says in the famous writing (Gosho) "On Attaining Buddhahood" :

"If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life...It is called the mystic truth because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomena. 
"Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the ten worlds, as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky and earth, and even the most minute particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the universe and is revealed in all phenomena. One awakened to this principle himself embodies this relationship. However, even though you chant and believe in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the mystic law but some inferior teaching."
From "Lectures on Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime" by Daisaku Ikeda, 2007  

Go Buddha Go! 9 Keys for Starting Your Buddhist Practice Now!

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)

By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you can transform all of your sufferings into benefit, and crystalize every desire into a blooming flower in our lives. You can become happier than you ever imagined...happier, more resourceful and more courageous in taking action. 

AND, you will make a difference in the lives of all you touch.  

We can change anything through chanting because we tap into our inner realm of unlimited possibility when we chant. 

You are a Buddha of infinite potential! 

When we chant the Mystic law (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) we see changes in our life - whether we believe they will happen or not. 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration" or, as some say "I tune my life to the rhythm of all life." Saying these words is a great cause that breaks through all suffering and creates a life of happiness. It works! It's vibrational...

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a Lion. What sickness could therefore be an obstacle?" 
Nichiren Daishonin 

9 Ways to Jump Start Your New Buddhist Practice!
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

1. Make a list of what you really want in life. Take a fresh look at your desires and write them down.  Dream big. What do you really want? What do you want for yourself? What do you want for others? What do you want for the world? Make a list. Write it down and put the date on it. 

Many people began chanting with desires that later transformed into other desires. So don't worry about whether your desires are "right" desires to have. Chanting is progressive, both you and your desires will evolve. I know people who began a very rewarding practice chanting for things that were important at the time, but later changed into other desires. 

One of my friends chanted for a month to prove to his wife that this practice doesn't work. Well, he found out it DID work and more than 40 years later he is still practicing. In Nichiren Buddhism your desires ARE enlightenment. It is okay to desire whatever you desire, whether it's money, the happiness of someone else, a relationship, a job, or peace of mind and contentment. With continued practice you will see that your dreams for yourself actually become tied to the dreams of happiness for all. 

Chant for what is really in your heart. 

2. This is a great time to start a Journal.  It's not essential, but I think it's a great idea. Writing in a journal helps you become aware of your progress and benefits.

3. Create an altar for yourself, for your LIFE.  
Choose a place to chant comfortably. Find your "home" within your home, where you can feel comfortable chanting out loud, having a dialogue with your life itself. Sit comfortably. (Did I say this enough times?! ~ I like to be comfortable!)

4. Choose a focal point on the wall, slightly above eye level, or chant to a blank wall. I chanted to a moon in a picture when I first began chanting.  

5. Keep a table close by for a drink, your journal and a pen. 

6. If you are brand new to the chant, write the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo on a piece of paper. 

The words are pronounced as follows: 

Nam ~    Nahm, rhymes with Mom, 
Myoho ~ meeyohoh,  
Renge ~  rain gay, 
Kyo ~     kee oh. 
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 
Nahm Meeyohoh Rain Gay Kee Oh
(Phonetic spelling) 

7. Begin to chant. Hold your hands with the palms facing in and touching each other in front of your heart. And say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again with your eyes OPEN looking at the wall. 

8. At first, you will probably only be able to concentrate on the words themselves, and that's fine.  Once you've got the chant down you can think about what you want and chant at the same time. 

9. Join fellow practitioners as soon as you can. The SGI Portal to the right will help you locate a center near you, and you can call that center to connect to your local meeting house. 

Chant twice a day every day, even if it's only for a short time. Get in rhythm! Establishing a twice a day rhythm to your chanting is important. It gets the wheels of your life moving. 

Keep your goals in mind and you’ll remember your reasons for chanting! 

These words and this vibration go deep into the heart of your life itself. They summon forth your highest wisdom, vitality and sense of purpose. They also uproot the karma that is making you suffer, and give you the opportunity to change this karma forever. 

When you chant you are entering into a dialogue with your life itself. You are not chanting to any god or asking for favors. Instead, you are connecting with the rhythm of the universe itself. 

As Nichiren Daishonin says in the famous writing (Gosho) "On Attaining Buddhahood" :

"If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life...It is called the mystic truth because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomena. 
"Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the ten worlds, as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky and earth, and even the most minute particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the universe and is revealed in all phenomena. One awakened to this principle himself embodies this relationship. However, even though you chant and believe in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the mystic law but some inferior teaching."
From "Lectures on Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime" by Daisaku Ikeda, 2007  

When we Win - Everyone Wins!

My first meeting in the St. Pete/Tampa Cultural Center

With new friends Candida Silva and Alisa Miller

Today was a significant anniversary - July 12th last year many of you joined me as I web broadcasted Ben's Life Ceremony. 

Today I celebrated the year anniversary by bringing three youth division guests at my first SGI meeting in Florida. I'm sure Ben had a hand in this! 

(In case you are new to this blog, my son, my Bodhisattva Ben, "became eternal" at the age of 22 after suffering with schizophrenia for 2 1/2 years on July 2nd, 2015. His life ceremony was a year ago today.)

Tonight's SGI meeting was a Gosho lecture on 

"On Persecutions Befalling the Sage." 

"When people with an awareness

of their mission for kosen-rufu stand up, 

and the philosophy of respect for life 

based on the Mystic Law 

is transmitted from the people to the people 

and deeply absorbed into their lives, 

then society and the times 

will be transformed on a fundamental level.

The expansion of our Soka network 

is the surest step forward in building peace. 

The sun of the Buddhism of the people is rising now, 

shining ever more brightly as a source of hope. 

Let us set forth toward a golden age 

of victory for humanity! 

The time has come to commence the real struggle 

of genuine disciples" 

Daisaku Ikeda, World Tribune, July 2016, page 49. 

Here is the fundamental message. We must all become happy so we can lead others to happiness! America needs this. The world needs this. Our missions have never been deeper, have they? And our "persecutions," our problems - FUEL this change, FUEL our lives when we embrace our challenges, chant to use them as springboards for our lives, and do shakubuku so others can be happy.

Let's do this together. It's pretty simple. We can chant more. (I'm chanting 3 hours a day this week to kick off my new life in Florida) We can wake up earlier. We do this for ourselves and for others. 

When we overcome our own fundamental darkness we overcome the world's fundamental darkness. THIS is the essence of Human Revolution. When we win over ourselves we bring the light of wisdom to the world. Yes!  

I really enjoyed meeting the members. 

Candida Silva recognized my name and blog from her time chanting in the UK. 

Here's a shout out to my friends in the UK! 

Also, the young man who chanted with Aaron while he was away at college and studying for his medical school entrance exams is also in my new chapter. Our connections run deep...all of us Buddhas. All of us are Bodhisattvas of the earth and deeply connected. 

Now is our time! When we win  - everyone wins! 

New Beginnings - Next Post is from Florida!

The sky welcoming us to Georgia

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right.) 

Almost there! Today I am arriving at my new home after a fantastic send-off from my best friends and family, and a long fun 1200 mile ride with Tracy. 

Mystically, on the day we began the journey, Neha, my friend from India, delivered my package to Sensei at the Great Hall of the Vow of Kosen Rufu. It contains the experience about Ben and our book "Our Forever Ben," along with newspaper clippings and promotional materials for Ben's Memorial Mile which just raised $22,000 for schizophrenia research (less expenses). My determination to turn poison into medicine is contained in this package! Thank you Neha! 

Several times we encountered traffic and I started chanting and boom, the traffic began moving. We drove about 700 miles yesterday. Today we will arrive at the the Starlight Tower in St. Pete Beach. I'll stay there for at least a few months as I navigate my future. 

This is the week....the week Ben "died" last year...and a great week to start my new life. I arrive with just what I can fit into "Champagne", my lovely "new" 2000 Lexus RX I got this spring. We have a roof bag, and all my clothes and belongings in it. I gave everything else away...

I chant today in appreciation for this practice, for you, and for having enough faith in the power of my own life to make this momentous change through chanting the name of the Mystic Law. Everything is possible...for me and for you!  

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

What if You Don't Have "Clear Targets?"

Do you ever sit down to chant, and have no idea what to chant for?

What do you do at that point? 

Sometimes my mind is just a jumble of things, and I can't seem to sort anything out. 

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. My son Aaron Michael Silver became a doctor last weekend. It was non-stop festivities for three days. 
And I leave for California and Arizona (where Aaron will live for the next 4 years) tomorrow. Whew. When I get back to Chicago it's Ben's Memorial Mile on June 11th. You can check out Bensmemorialmile.com to see what we are doing or to contribute to the cause of ending Schizophrenia. 

We have almost 300 people signed up to walk or run so far. That is truly amazing!

These last few weeks I haven't been writing a lot. There have been times I am just amazed that I have been able to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. One week I presented to 5 groups about Ben's Memorial Mile, and I stopped sleeping well, and became so, so sad. And even though I'm happy about Aaron beginning his residency, and his new life...it felt like losing him too. 

It was so dark inside my head that I didn't know what to write. But I kept chanting, kept going, and most of all, I kept taking care of myself to the best of my ability...going to my chiropractor, seeing my energy healer, emceeing at my SGI meeting, writing in my journal, going to my therapist, and chanting.

And there have been a few times my mind was so full that I didn't even know where to start. 

So, instead of worrying about having clear targets 
I chanted for:
Peace of Mind
Clarity
To "breathe in" every moment
To see the good in everything
To be my best self
and to realize that I am the Buddha, no matter what, and that somehow...even in my pain I can be the Buddha, and I can get through this tough time.

....and enjoy what there is to enjoy. 

We know the important thing is to keep chanting every day - every morning and evening. As long as we do that we are winning! 

Let's win together! Don't give up no matter what! 

7 Keys to Vanquishing Recurring Karma Once and For All!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Strength is Happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you might lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle 
is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - 
developing these is victory 
and the world of Buddhahood."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 50 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all have it. That karmic pattern that we've chanted to end forever...and somehow, it ends for a bit then resurfaces in a different time and place. 

For some people it's a financial challenge, for others it might be within relationships, but at the core of it all, it's OUR karma and we need to keep our determination to change it. And for me, it usually involves some kind of courageous conversation, and drawing some resource from within my own life using wisdom to overcome, not cower from it. 

I picture our lives and karma like a spiral going upwards, and as I come around a bend, the karma resurfaces in some way...and it's up to me once again to write the story of my life. 

At a study meeting the other day, a leader reminded me: "Whenever I encounter a trouble I remind myself I WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE. I'm the protagonist and the author. I'm sure I wrote a happy ending!" I loved that. It made me laugh! Of course, we made a happy ending. And right here, right now...we are building that happiness. We can vanquish recurring karma once and for all. 

How do we do this?

7 KEYS to Vanquishing Recurring Karma Once and for ALL

By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com

1. Have a strong determination to prove the power of this faith through your own life so you can encourage others. We practice to change ourselves and to change the world. Keep reminding yourself of your brilliant mission. 
You are a Buddha!!! Always! Eternally and at every moment! 

2. Keep going to meetings! 

3. Keep studying! 

4. Encourage others!

5. Take good care of yourself! 
Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise.
Appreciate yourself. Appreciate everything

6. Be open to new resources. 
Our powerful Daimoku leads us to resources that help us. 

7. Keep chanting! 
Every morning and evening and every morning and evening! You can do it! 

GO Buddha Go! 

I've been spending much of my time promoting Ben's Memorial Mile. This event will honor Ben's life, bring the community together, and raise money for a cure for Schizophrenia. It's June 11th in Downers Grove Illinois. You are all invited! There will be races for all age groups of varying lengths. This is incredibly hard for me...but I am persevering! For more info go to BensMemorialMile.com

STRENGTH! 
STRENGTH!
STRENGTH!