Daisaku Ikeda states:
"When we practice gongyo and chant daimoku
in front of the Gohonzon
the good and evil capacities of our lives
begin to function as exalted forms
of fundamental existence.
Lives that are full of the pain of Hell,
lives that are in the state of Hunger,
lives warped by the state of Anger ~
such lives too, begin to move in the direction
of creating personal happiness and value.
Lives being pulled toward misfortune and unhappiness
are redirected and pulled in the opposite direction,
toward good, when they make the mystic law their base." Faith in Action page 120.
Every day we are tuning our lives to the good, the right and the true when we chant.
We are revealing our Buddhahood.
The great writer and humanitarian Louise Hay says that
the most important thing we all have to learn
is how to really love ourselves.
And when we bow to the image in the mirror,
the image in the mirror bows back to us.
If we are looking for love,
we need to love ourselves...
really love ourselves...
realize that WE ARE the Buddha.
Intellectually that might be easy,
but actually feeling and living as the Buddha
requires us to stop listening to the evil twin
that lives in our brains who never shuts up.
We need to turn our focus away from that evil twin who always says "you can't do it"...or "You know this will never work out"...or "this is one of those things that works out for other people but never works out for you." I'm sure you know the voice. The more we focus on bringing out our own Buddhahood, and recognizing our own Buddhahood, the more we put that negative voice aside. It may never go completely away, but we can turn our focus, and listen to our positive voices instead.
Here's a PowerPrayer that has helped me. Here's to your own Buddhahood! When you are chanting you might want to keep your favorite phrases from this PowerPrayer in mind...and let your mind create new PowerPrayers as you are chanting.
Please do not cut and paste this PowerPrayer. If you want to share it please use the share buttons at the bottom of the post or send the url chantforhappiness.com.
PowerPrayer for Revealing
Your Buddha Nature
and Appreciating YourSELF
"I chant to reveal the pure, sparkling Diamond
of resilience, strength, wisdom-heart
that lies within me.
I feel that Daimond glowing in my heart/
I chant to appreciate my own shining core
Every single day.
I chant that every cause I make,
every single moment of every day
is a positive cause for my life,
and all of life,
and leads me to see more and more of my Buddha nature.
I chant that my Buddha Nature emerge
and flow from my life touching everyone I see.
I chant that I see my life
as the brilliant sparkling Diamond that it is.
I chant that throughout the day
I say only kind words to myself.
That I praise myself with my every thought.
I chant to believe in my own goodness
and to see it revealed in my actions.
I pray to realize my life as the Buddha I am.
I chant that those around me
are inspired to begin chanting,
or to strengthen their practice
just by seeing my happiness flow.
I chant to meet the people
who are looking for the Mystic Law
and to be able to help them practice.
I glow!
