PowerPrayer for Going From Victim to Victor!

This PowerPrayer ~ Fresh Determination
has been inspired by the Gosho Study from the August of 2013 Living Buddhism "The Three Obstacles and Four Devils" written in November 1277 to the youngest Ikegami brother, Munenega, after his brother had been disowned by his father for his faith in Nichiren Buddhism. 
It is a writing I use to refresh my faith over and over. 

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

President Ikeda's lecture from the August 2013 

Living Buddhism on this Gosho includes these words: 

"Though we speak of the "three obstacles and four devils" appearing, no one wishes to have to face adversity. 
That is surely a natural human reaction. 
But Nichiren says that 
the appearance of the three obstacles and four devils 
is a source of JOY. 
How could that be? 
It doesn't seem possible. 
But it is, in fact, 
by overcoming the steep hills and inclines of obstacles 
we can forge our lives 
and ascend the summit of Buddhahood, 
where we can savor the sublime vista of 
eternity, happiness, true self and purity."

He goes on to say:

"We need to "own" them (our obstacles) as something we ourselves have summoned up...we are in charge, we are the protagonists...the struggle against the three obstacles and four devils is indeed a great joy."

President Ikeda goes on to say:
"As Nichiren Daishonin writes: "When a tiger roars, gales blow; when a dragon intones, clouds gather" (The Workings of Brahma and Shakra," WND-1, 799) When we adopt this attitude ~ "I summoned this storm!" ~ our hearts will be filled with the bright sense of hope and purpose." (All quotes from the 2013 August Living Buddhism, pages 21, 22) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~According to Daisaku Ikeda, we summon the exact set of obstacles we need to springboard our lives to the next level of practice and happiness. 
We will be better off for them.  
We summoned these storms. 

Realizing this takes our lives from Victim to Victory! This simple change in perspective brings incredible power to our Daimoku. When we are chanting we can address our lives and roar like the lions (Buddhas!) we are. What follows is a PowerPrayer I offer you to reclaim your life and move from Victim to Victor. As always, I offer you my writings from my heart, not as an official SGI representative, although I love the organization and encourage everyone to participate - if you are not yet a member please use this link to connect: sgi-usa.org 

PowerPrayer  ~ Fresh Determination

For Moving 

From Victim to VICTOR 

You may want to read this before chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and let the words and gently flow in and out of your mind while chanting. It's a focusing tool ~ that's what a PowerPrayer - A Fresh Determination...

by Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com. 

LIFE !! 
I get it! 
I SUMMONED THIS STORM and I can VANQUISH IT! 
I summoned this storm and I will WIN over it !
I am a Buddha - 
I feel Nam-myoho-renge-kyo throughout my whole body - 
in every cell. I will prove the power of the Gohonzon, the Power of my own life right here, right now! My own sufferings will turn into my happiness and I inspire others and create kosen-rufu through my own life. 

Shoten Zenjin (protective forces of the universe within all life) 
Back me up! 
Support this votary of the Lotus Sutra in these ways:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I vow to PROVE the POWER of the MYSTIC LAW 
through my own victories - 
so I can encourage everyone that 
the IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE!
I will NOW raise my life condition to a level I have never before experienced. 
I see through the eyes of the Buddha, 
I feel with the heart of the Buddha
I AM the Buddha! 
The universe exists within ME! 
I am CLAIMING power over my own life. 
No more complaining for me! 
No More "Woe is me!" 
NO! 
Starting today ~ with this Daimoku ~ 
I bring forth all the wisdom I need
                             to know what I need to do - 
All the courage I need ~ 
                             as I boldly take the right action 
All the perfect timing I need ~ 
                             to accomplish what I want
And the People and Resources I need ~ 
                             ALL appear right now! 
I am a powerful being waging a powerful war against the fundamental darkness inherent in all of life and I will WIN. 
Starting today 
I will win in:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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

For more information about 
SGI Buddhism please go to SGI-USA.org

Write me your victories at Chantforhappiness@gmail.com!

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! 

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

Wisdom For Our TIme ~ Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

News from Our Kate  

Hi, 
Thank you for writing to me. Thank you for telling me how much these posts mean to you. I am beginning to blog again. Remember you can always look through the archives for PowerPrayers and inspiration.  

I am about to return to St. Pete from a trip to see Aaron in Phoenix and Kate Randolph in LA. Kate is now a year and a half into her brain tumor diagnosis and she is doing great! Three hours of daimoku a day really is helping her life-condition and her health. I wrote the following blog post last year, but I promise I will write again soon!


Kate's 40 year anniversary of practicing was last August. She has reached many of her personal goals, producing and staring in many plays, creating a sought-after arts program within the Los Angeles County school district, and having a wonderful relationship with her husband Hal, (who is a brilliant teacher)  and daughter Sarah, who recently graduated from Soka University of America.  

Kate's life condition is sky high and she has this wisdom for you. 

Kate says: "NOW is the time to wake up to joy. Now, more than ever, SGI members need to summon joy, forget complaining about anything, and wear a radiant smile on our faces. She says our smiles must radiate so brightly that light comes out of our fingertips and we glow as beacons so people can learn of the mystic law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo from us, and be moved to happiness just by being in our presence.
 She says we must have joy to show the possibilities of life...JOY is a REQUIREMENT, not an afterthought, and it comes from our determination to summon it from within our lives and express it in our smiles, the pep in our step, and our lives themselves. We can do this! We can do this for ourselves, and by doing this we change the world." 

Kate echoed something I've said for years,  "Our smile is a cause, not an effect." we can't sit around waiting for joy to come into our lives. We must be joyful, and invite more. That's how it works! 

She said: "Joy's the leading edge. Wake up and be joyful, smile at the person next to you in bed, smile at the person next to you at the store, in the elevator, and at other drivers. BE Kosen-rufu in action!" 

"It's gotta be real, but you can also fake it till you make it. Put that smile on your face and you will spark your happiness. Try to be sad with a huge grin. It doesn't work so well!

Kate said "We have to go deeper into our own lives, and into the Buddha we are every day. We've gotta do this NOW. This is it. This is our time. We're ALIVE! whether we are 17 or 95. Grab the moment for all it's got and say "I am creating the deepest value that's ever been created. NOW. Right this moment. There's no other moment. here's no other person. How are we influencing the person next to us...it is our SMILE...beaming with joy...Joy!"

She said: "Stop complaining. NOW. It must be replaced, even if it's phony at first. It may feel phony but it will cause a shift inside your life.  And we have to keep going deeper and deeper into joy. There can't be a place at which we stop. we need constant movement...constantly going deeper." 

President Ikeda says:

"The relationships we have with people are a direct reflection of our inner state of life. To extend and deepen our human relationships is to expand our state of life."

Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org, under Relationships

_________________________________________________

The Key to True Wealth and Good Fortune

Hello! After two weeks away because of Hurricane Irma I am back in St. Pete Beach in time for my birthday today!

My trip was amazing. A week in Asheville with my Daddy and my Janis, then a week in Chicago. And, because of all the incredible fortune of the last two weeks,  I  want to talk about fortune and inconspicuous benefit.

I set off on my trip on Wednesday before most people evacuated, although it was an arduous drive. I was the sole driver, and kept faith in my ability to be protected, even though there were accidents all over the road. I was easily able to get gas. I chanted most of the way and knew all would be well in this courageous journey. I drove 18 hours to reach my Dad in two days. 

My stay in Asheville was full of magical moments with my Dad and Janis. We read books together, went for long walks and enjoyed absolutely perfect warm weather in the mountains. The hurricane came over St. Pete Beach and did not destroy it! 

Then my "wasband," my dear friend, and father of my two boys gave me miles to fly to Chicago. Every single moment I was filled with appreciation and love for my friends in Chicago. I got the best massage of my life, I enjoyed incredible weather and brightly turning trees, and made golden memories with my sister and all my friends. I flew back to Asheville, and yesterday drove for 12 hours and got back to my perfect apartment. 

I am not telling you these things to "brag." I am sharing this with you because throughout my "Hurrication" I felt my strong life force. I felt my "inconspicuous benefits" becoming conspicuous at jus the right time. I knew I was protected. I chanted in appreciation every day, and I based my life on the Gohonzon, (my own life), and my faith in my life. Today. On my birthday, I've arranged for a party at a gorgeous roof-top deck. On Monday I start a new job. All is incredibly well. 

Daisaku Ikeda, in the May-June Living Buddhism from 2011, has an essay called "Become People of True Wealth" This essay is also in My Dear Friends in America. In it he states: 

"A person of true success 
is one who enjoys a free and unrestrained state of life. 
The supraworthy wealthy person is the Buddha. 
Attaining Buddhahood is true success; 
the Buddha is the eternal wealthy person. 
The Buddha possesses the treasure of the law, 
as well as all good qualities and all virtues. 
He/she defeats all obstacles 
and attains all kinds of wisdom. 
His/her heart is as vast as the ocean, 
and he/she always abides 
in a state of limitless freedom and bliss...
"In other words, the Buddha, 
or suprawordly wealthy person 
is characterized by abundant and strong life force...
Put simply "mind-observing" 
means to observe one's own mind 
and find the world of Buddhahood 
inherent within oneself, 
or to realize that in our lives 
we possess the limitless treasure house 
of all riches gathered from throughout the universe...
Like the lion King, 
we fear nothing 
and are unaffected by fleeting joys and sorrows. 
In Nichiren Buddhism to "observe one's own mind" 
means faith in the Gohonzon...
Such a wealthy person 
is one who believes and perceives 
that his or her life 
is itself the supreme treasure house 
and who opens this treasure house."

I wish for you all to know you possess this power, and can access it by chanting daily to the Gohonzon, doing shakubuku, studying, and being close with your friends and faith! If I can feel this way, so can you!

Lighting the Lamp of Hope ~ From Florida!

Hello my friends. Yes, I am here in St. Pete proving the power of the Gohonzon -  the power of my own life.

Our POWER is LIMITLESS. We are life itself...more and more we are knowing and experiencing this great truth. 

I have been reading "On Attaining Buddhahood," by Nichiren Daishonin, the reformist monk, who founded this practice and realized that chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra, is the key to life, happiness, strength and fulfillment. I have been reading his words for 32 years, and "On Attaining Buddhahood" is one of my favorites. 

"If you wish to free yourself 
from the sufferings of birth and death 
you have endured through eternity 
and attain supreme enlightenment in this lifetime, 
you must awaken 
to the mystic truth which has always been 
within your life. 
This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. 
Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo 
will therefore enable you 
to grasp the mystic truth within you. 
Its words are the reality of life 
and the reality of life is the Mystic Law (myoho). 
It is called the Mystic Law because 
it explains the mutually inclusive 
relationship of life and all phenomena. 
That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas.

"Life at each moment 
encompasses both body and spirit 
and both self and environment 
of all sentient beings 
in every condition of life, 
as well as insentient beings - 
plants. sky and earth, 
on down to the most minute particles of dust. 
Life at each moment permeates the universe 
and is revealed in all aspects of phenomena. 
One awakened to this truth embodies this relationship. However, 
even if you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, 
if you think the law is outside yourself, 
you are embracing not the mystic law, 
but some inferior teaching." 
From The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 3

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

I like to read the Gosho by inscribing its words upon my heart...and repeating them over and over. The LAW IS WITHIN US. It's our birthright. And chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is our key to realizing and tapping into that truth. We are true microcosms of the universe. We are Buddhas. 

We are deep into the planning stages of the second annual Ben's Memorial Mile. As I've mentioned, last year we 
(a small committee consisting of family and friends) raised $22,000 for Schizophrenia research and mental illness  This year Ben's Memorial Mile will be June 17th in Downers Grove, Illinois, and more exciting than ever. 

Check out BensMemorialMile.com to take a look at what we are doing. (I don't mention this as a solicitation, only as some insight into my life, and what I have been doing to honor Ben's legacy to turn poison into medicine.) It's a pretty cool website with some of Ben's videos (He was a singer/songwriter) and pictures of last year's event. 

I hope this post finds you well - and happy. And no matter what - persevering! 

Universal Power Prayer for Ourselves and the Planet

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As Nichiren Buddhists, we are the Buddha  ~  
as we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo summoning our fathomless wisdom while steering our life in the direction of our innermost desires...both for ourselves and for others. 

We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again. We call this "chanting Daimoku"(Die-MOH-Koo). Daimoku means title. The title of the Lotus Sutra (Shakyamuni Buddha’s self-proclaimed highest teaching) is  Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  

Nichiren Daishonin added "Nam" (devotion - focusing) before Myoho-renge-kyo to make the phrase mean “I devote my life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration,” or, “I am one with the very rhythm of life.”

“Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the ultimate mystic truth, and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo  is the name of the life state of Buddhas who embody and reveal this truth.” 

p.28 Lectures on “On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime”, Daisaku Ikeda

What follows is a Universal PowerPrayer to tap into our desire for happiness for all beings...the real vow we all make as Buddhas! 

Here's a PowerPrayer for you. You can read this before chanting to help focus your brain while chanting: 

Universal PowerPrayer 
for the Happiness for ALL

By Jamie Lee Silver of Chantforhappiness.com

Every Daimoku I chant 
remakes my VOW as a Buddha 
for Victory in my own life 
so that all others can achieve VICTORY in theirs! 

reaches every other person who is chanting. 
I see everyone chanting...
tapping into the deepest prayer they have ever felt ~

At this moment 
I deepen the power of my prayer by 10,000 times
Just like my mentor describes ~

so that all who are chanting can also deepen their faith, 
and bring forth the results they desire 
as we 
spread the word of this great teaching 

to those still suffering

we all become absolutely happy

and create a happy and peaceful world!

I chant that every single person who is chanting 

feels the full power 

sees the full power

experiences the full power

of this faith in their lives. 

I chant for all members to have faith

receive incredible 

benefits

and to know, and feel 

within every cell in their body

the power welling forth 
with each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!!

Together we create kosen-rufu
the total energy shift of our planet! 

Merry Everything - 7 Keys to Having Hearts Full of Gratitude

Aaron was just visiting from Phoenix. He said "Mom St. Pete's is a new home for me now, because wherever you are, that is home." I am so grateful for my boy!
This photo was taken in Johns Pass. I can see Ben right alongside Aaron. Can you? 

"People whose hearts are full of gratitude and appreciation are truly beautiful. A humble heart is the wellspring of great growth and development."

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org

Good morning! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy EVERYTHING! I am grateful for YOU. 

Many of you have been reading this blog from the beginning...the summer of 2009 when I first declared that I was going to end my life-long depression and take the rest of the world with me on this journey. Since then, countless people have found out about this glorious practical Buddhism and joined the SGI through chantforhappiness.com. Others have gotten reconnected, and many have been inspired.

My themes are many: 

1. Chant every day - twice a day (and if you are not yet doing this you will be amazed by the difference it makes once you start). Don't take my word for it. Just do it! 

2. Stay close to the SGI - make friends, overcome your own negativity, and use the organization as a place where you can expand your state of life while working alongside others to make the world a better place through our own transformation. 

3. Read president Ikeda's guidance with your life. Chant to understand it with your whole being.

4. Take the vow of the Bodhisattva. We have the opportunity to do this every time we chant....we chant for our own dream to be fulfilled so that we can show actual proof of the power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and inspire others to chant...inspire others through our lives as we go about our daily lives being a bright beacon of hope and telling people about Nam-myohh-renge-kyo. Taking the vow of the Bodhisattva will naturally lead you to: 

5. Do shakubuku. Let people know the source of your smile. Last night at a party I was talking with two really lovely people and they each said Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with me three times. At the last District meeting I had two guests. You can chant for shakubuku. Chant to meet people who are seeking this practice, and for the courage wand wisdom to introduce them.

6. Study the Gosho. The letters of Nichiren Daishonin are our great fortune. We have the actual letters of this great sage and way-shower. Find a phrase that inspires you and engrave it into your heart. 
My favorite for many years was: 
"Suffer what there is to suffer, and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo no matter what. Then you will experience boundless joy from the law." 
(From Happiness in this World.)

I also love:
"Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go."
From "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon) 

And number 7 is to have a grateful heart, and be a bright, cheerful person. Spread your light far and wide! 

As you know, I'm living on St. Pete Beach. And I need to leave my apartment for 4 months because another renter was already signed up to come here. Because of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I have been able to arrange to move right next door into another lovely apartment overlooking the Gulf of Mexica. (For even less money) Total benefit. But I still woke up a few days ago thinking of all the work...all the cleaning...all the ugh of moving. But I said to myself "From this moment on, I am grateful for this opportunity. I'm going to have fun with this and FEEL all the gratitude for this easy move. So I did. At that moment I changed my focus. And it makes all the difference. 

So for today, is there something you COULD feel grateful for if you just decided to? Is there someone you could express your gratitude to? The person it will most change is you!

(And for all who are chanting for Kate, please keep chanting. She is starting further treatment)