Do I get everything I want Right Away? Where's My Benefit!

The real thrill about being a Practical Buddhist and chanting Nam Myoho REnge Kyo every day is this:

Even when I don't get what I want...I get what I want. When I keep chanting, and keep focused...what I want is always on its way. The challenge is to not let my own doubt and negativity overshadow things.

Right now I am chanting with appreciation for my life, for being able to chant and for knowing, that NO MATTER WHAT I will be victorious is all areas of my life. I base my life on reading Daisaku Ikeda's writings, encouraging my fellow members and the readers of my blog. My entire life is tied to helping others be happy, and living as an example that NO MATTER WHAT, I will win in all aspects of my life.

Has everything "finished" in my life? No! And it never will! Am I enjoying the process along the way? YES! When you base your life on the mystic law it is possible to even enjoy your own sadness...because you see it for what it is...fuel for the fire of your Daimoku (chanting).

And because you can always turn poison into medicine...NOTHING will ever stop you.

I had a friend in Japan who always used to say "I love it when I get BIG PROBLEMS! Because I know that a BIG BENEFIT is on its way!"

He is so right! As long as you keep chanting, keep reading President Ikeda's guidance, and keep encouraging people...you can't lose.

And if you are at the beginning stage of chanting...just face the Gohonzon and pray about what you want. You deserve to be happy. Don't ever listen to the people who tell you that you don't deserve to be happy....you know you deserve happiness and you have ALWAYS known this. Tap into your life force of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Be fearless. Make your glorious life overflow with benefits!

Dear Vidhu and all Readers! Great Breakthrough!!!!

I got the Job!!!

And now I'm celebrating!

First of all, I got exactly the job I wanted...I was able to raise their offer by almost 5 thousand dollars and today they informed me that I would be getting the three weeks of vacation that I requested!

I start on the 28th of March!

Yaaaayyy!! Daimoku Works! It really Does!!!

AND to really celebrate, I'm doing the thing I love the absolute best in the world...I'm going on a cruise!!!

Woohoo!!!!

And, get this, I'm going ALONE!!! No more sighing because I have no one to go with! Of course none of my friends could go on this short notice.

I feel very brave, I'll tell you! Brave, bold, strong and VICTORIOUS!!!

That's what this practice is all about .... WINNING!

I VOWED that I would win...and I did.

I chanted fiercely that I would achieve this victory through my prayer because I AM A VOTARY OF THE LOTUS SUTRA and I MUST PROVE THE POWER OF THIS PRACTICE!!

Now I'm taking myself on a victory cruise!

I leave from Miami on Saturday, for very little money, and get back on Thursday. I will have sun, music, and more sun!!!

I wish all of you could come with me! Wouldn't that be fun? I'm going to ask the cruise director if I can teach classes in chanting. I ought to meet some interesting people that way! I'm not sure what they will say, but it never hurts to ask!

Thank you for chanting for me!!!

Thank you for reading my blog!!

A wood burning fireplace

Here I am in the living room, watching the embers of a dying fire. It was roaring not that long ago...I'm still trying to figure the real-wood fire out! Those fake logs...I've got them down pat!

So this morning, who comes sauntering into my bedroom saying meow? You guessed it! My escapee~Myoho. Don't know where he'd been, but he had a bunch of new mats in his fur. People all day have been asking me "Where was he?" and I keep responding "He won't tell!"

But he's home! Most of the mats are gone by now. I brushed him this afternoon. So all is back to normal.

I learned a lot during the ride to Champaign last night. I learned that Ben's time on the Footlocker race last week was in the all time top 100 times...and on the way down a coach called to recruit him. Isn't it wonderful that Ben is in this position? Especially since he was injured for 5 weeks in the middle of his season. I just keep chanting for him, even when he doesn't have the time. It's a challenge to be a senior and get all the applications in to colleges and take 5 advanced placement classes AND be an all-state runner at the same time. Right now I hear him playing his guitar and I'm so happy he can take the time to write a song tonight!

I determined a while ago, through watching my friends who are Buddhist parents that the kids chant when they can...but my prayers are so powerful that they don't have to. A year ago my friend chanted for 6 hours one day so her daughter could break through and get a lead in the play...and she got it. I chant like that for my kids. Yes, it's nice when they can chant...but I can chant for them when they can't!