Guest Posting From Bubbles Sabharwal

Bubbles Sabharwal

I joined the practice in 2005 and know I was a bodhisattva from many lifetimes ago. I am a theatre director with two theatre companies, one that works with children and one with adults. I am a published writer with Penguin (Tomorrows Promise, contemporary fiction), and Scholastic (The Curse of the Broken Step, an adventure story for 8-10 year olds. Fusing history with fiction) I write a column with the Financial Chronicle which is about the "Business of Life" i.e. mystically value creation. I acted in a popular film, "No One Killed Jessica". I am one part writer, another part actress, another part mother, one part wife,one part businesswoman, but these are merely parts, the whole is NMRK. A foot soldier of the Law.

Today I went for an activity and a member said a lovely line "Focus on faith and Karma will sort itself out."

Focus on faith, strength will come, strength to challenge karma and karma will get sorted out. In the process you grow from strength to strength (those are my words!!!).

and only 73 days to Nov 18th when victories must ring across the countries...we MUST break through shackles and obstacles and chant with a do-or-die passion to change our lives. i.e. become happier!!!

Hugs, and much love from a hot hot country! (India)

Bubbles

"As long as we pray earnestly and sincerely with all our being, if we have strong and genuine faith, even though results may not be immediately visible, they will definitely manifest without fail in generations of our children and our children's children. I would like all of you to have absolute confidence in this."

Daisaku Ikeda

WISDOM FOR A WINNING LIFE:
"Success, is not a matter of accumulating more of this or that; it is not measured in quantity. It means changing the quality of your life. Wealth, power, fame and knowledge alone cannot make you happy, no matter how much you acquire. Nor can you can them with you when you die. But by improving the quality of your life you will at last approach true happiness."

Daisaku Ikeda

GOSHO PASSAGE:
"Believers in the Lotus Sutra should fear those who attempt to obstruct their practice more than they fear bandits, burglars, night raiders, tigers, wolves, or lions—even more than invasion now by the Mongols."

(WND 495) Letter to the Brothers
Written to Ikegami Munenaka and Ikegami Munenaga on April 16, 1275

BUDDHISM DAY BY DAY - WISDOM FOR MODERN LIFE:

"Overcoming the four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death is not just a matter of theory. We mustn't move away from the issues of how we can lead healthy, fulfilling and long lives, and how we can die without suffering. Buddhism teaches the wisdom that enables us to do this."

Daisaku Ikeda

THE NEW HUMAN REVOLUTION:
Shin'ichi gazed at the white, ruined pillars of the Forum as they glistened in the sunlight, astonished that these buildings, crumbling though they might be, had stood for some two thousand years. No doubt the ancient Romans had built and designed each of their monuments to last for eternity, aiming also for the highest aesthetic beauty.
Shin'ichi was deeply determined that the Grand Reception Hall (Daikyakuden) and the Grand Main Temple (Sho-Hondo) that would be built at the head temple in the future would also endure for two or three thousand years, that they would be strong and at the same time endowed with both aesthetic beauty and the brilliance of humanity.
The party returned to their hotel and, after dinner, discussed further personnel appointments for Soka Gakkai activities in Europe...
After the meeting, Shin'ichi returned to the Roman Forum, accompanied by the other members in his party. He had wanted to take some time for quiet reflection while strolling through the ruins at night. A beautiful full moon illuminated the massive pillars with its cool blue light. In the stillness of night, the Forum had an impenetrable air not evident in the daytime.
It probably never occurred to the ancient Romans that their proud empire might one day perish. Shin'ichi thought to himself. Prosperity and decline are an inescapable part of human existence. Only a little more than 500 years after it began, imperial Rome, which all had thought would last forever, disappeared with the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire.
But Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "If Nichiren's compassion is truly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten thousand years and more, for all eternity." (MW-4, 272). The Mystic Law is eternal. LIkewise, peace and prosperity for humanity that is built upon the foundation of the Mystic Law must also endure for eternity. The Mystic Law can be described as a great spiritual realm where humanity has triumphed over the domination of military might and authoritarian power.
The Soka Gakkai's mission was to build this great spiritual realm - the Land of the Mystic Law - in the heart of each individual, and to construct there an Eternal City of human harmony. To open the door to a new, more hopeful, future for humanity, this had to be achieved. Vowing to accomplish this as he gazed up at the moon over Rome, Shin'ichi silently composed a poem in his mind:

Standing here
In the ruins of Rome
I am convinced
The Land of the Mystic Law
Shall never perish

(Vol. 5, Joy 124-125)

From Jamie: 

Thank you so much Bubbles! It was our great benefit to have you here in the Chicago Area at our meetings this spring! We wish you a speedy return here! 

If any readers want to guest post, please send your submission, a bio and a picture to me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. Experiences and questions are always welcome as well. 

Quote from Daisaku Ikeda - Strive to Elevate Your Faith With Freshness and Vigor

IT is certain that those who maintain an immovable determination 

never to discard faith will receive the protection of all Buddhas.

WHILE controlling your mind, which is both extremely subtle and awesomely profound, you should strive to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. When you do so, both your life and your surroundings will open wide before you, and every action you take will become a source of benefit. Understanding the subtle workings of one’s mind is the key to faith and to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

THE actions we take for others, for the Law, for society and for kosen-rufu ultimately bring blessings to our own lives. To the extent that we exert ourselves in this way, our lives become polished. We become like magnets, drawing benefits into our lives. People who continue to chant daimoku throughout their lives, naturally become a “cluster of fortune and blessings” themselves.

IF you fall down seven times, get up on the eighth. In other words, do not give up when you feel discouraged, just pick yourself up and renew your determination each time.

WE have truly entered the age in which the great philosophy of Buddhism will lead the world. Many thoughtful, discerning leaders around the globe are focusing intently on the wisdom of Buddhism and enthusiastically endorse the humanistic principles upheld by the SGI. Let us proudly work to expand our network dedicated to bringing peace to the world through the propagation of the correct teaching of Buddhism.

Daisaku Ikeda

Experience in Faith to Start Your Weekend!

From a reader from India who now lives in the US:

I started this practice in 2005. I moved to the US from India in 2003 all alone. As per indian tradition I got married in 2004. My marriage was not successful; we had lots of hardship during my marriage. 

I left the house so many times but always came back due to lack of courage and I was always scared what people would think. But somehow I got connected to my friend who had moved to the US. She introduced me to this wonderful practice. 

At first I chanted alone and not much. Whenever I would feel lonely, I always chanted (as my family as in India). I never wanted to tell them what I was going through. One day I got into big fight with my Ex and the next day I chanted - if this relationship is not going to work then I should know right away. 

No wonder, within 1 month I was out of that house. Not sure where that courage came from but I was really happy that I made that decision. Since then my faith is stronger and stronger day by day and I have never looked back. 

I used to chant for hours and received benefits beyond my imagination. A few years later I was chanting for a partner who would accept me with my chanting. I am married now and my partner fully supports my practice.  

I even have my own chanting room in my home (Beyond my imagination). I have two wonderful kids. I always chanted for a Harmonious family. My husband is so understanding and kind hearted that at one time in my life it seemed impossible. 

I have succeeded in my professional life as well. I will share that experience later. 

At the end all I can say this practice is my soul. 

Nothing is impossible - Keep chanting. 

DIS-couraged, or EN-Couraged? - Some Quotes to Inspire!

In all of our lives we sometimes experience frustration, right? We all have things we've chanted about for a long time and we think maybe they will never happen...and we face the choice of being discouraged, or encouraged. 
Let's think about those words for a moment: 

DIS-COURAGED. 
Lost courage. 
No more courage. 
Negative courage. 

We do feel this from time to time, I know. It is at exactly this point that we can put our faith to its best use. We have a unique tool. 
We have faith we can use to re-EN-COURAGE us. 

En-Courage
Filled with courage
Inner courage
In the state of courage

Much better, right? 

I know this from experience. This weekend I had an event I was pretty excited about. I chanted three hours the day it  happened, and it ended up being a bit disappointing. Thank goodness I chanted all those hours. I was a little miffed, but not depressed or upset. My life condition was sky-high! 

So I had a choice. DIS couraged or EN couraged? I must admit, after this incident on Saturday, on Sunday morning I woke up and sat in front of the Gohonzon (my life) and said "Really Gohonzon? Is that the best my life can do?" and I realized I was just facing an obstacle. And yes, it was really hard to chant! 
Today I woke up, and because of YOU, because I live not just for myself, I re-encouraged myself and was able to focus, chant and redetermine to WIN in all aspects of my life. That is the power of this practice. That is the power of our lives!  

I turned to the great writings of Daisaku Ikeda. 
In Faith in Action he writes in the section Perseverance:

"It is important to take a long range view. 
No great achievement is accomplished overnight 
or without difficulty. 
Should benefit be obtained easily, 
and without making serious efforts in our Buddhist practice, we'd probably easily abandon our faith 
and end up miserable." 
p. 145 

And he continues on the next page: 

"It is important to become strong 
and to not be defeated. 
Don't become the kind of people 
who are always depending or leaning on others 
or who weakly and timidly 
leave hard work and responsibility to others. 
Whatever obstacles you may encounter, 
please use them as a launching pad for your growth 
and keep advancing, 
bravely enduring all hardships, 
telling yourselves, 
"I'll show them what I'm made of!" 
p. 146

And:

"No matter what the circumstances, 
you should never concede defeat. 
Never conclude that you've reached a dead end. 
You possess a glorious future. 
Precisely because of that, 
you must persevere and study. 
Life is eternal. 
We need to focus on the two existences 
of the present and the future 
and not get caught up in worry about the past. 
We must always have the spirit to begin anew 
"from this moment," 
to initiate a new struggle each day." 
p. 146

I was also thinking about the wise words of my own personal mentor and good friend in faith Kate Randolph. She explained the concept of setting deadlines, and what it means to our Buddhist practice and our lives in this wise way:


"We set deadlines to motivate OURSELVES into action. 
A deadline is not for the universe to respond to us. 
We chant. 
We take action. 
The deadline comes. 
We either win or we don't. 
If we don't get the result by the deadline 
we pick ourselves right up again and redetermine. 
The goal is to never be defeated. 
Sensei always says "To win in life is to never be defeated." That does not mean that we will never fail. 
It's our spirit that matters. 
The battle we fight is not with the universe. 
It's with our inner demons...
the ones that say things like 
"obviously chanting doesn't work 
because I did not get my dream by my deadline...or...maybe I should have a different goal...
maybe I wasn't MEANT to have that thing!....
or what am I doing wrong? 
Maybe I wasn't chanting the RIGHT way!" 
It is at that juncture that we must recognize 
the opportunity to deepen our faith and our understanding of the profundity of Buddhism. 
ANYTHING that DRAINS OUR LIFE FORCE 
is the negative function. 
Any inner voice that causes us doubt and hopelessness 
IS the negative function. 
Once we decide we will win no matter what ~ 
we need only to continue. 
We've already won. 
The battle is with the negative function within. 
Ultimately, deadlines are irrelevant. 
Set them if you need them to motivate yourself. 
But decide from the onset that you will win no matter what. And hold YOURSELF accountable. Not the universe. 
If it is a crucial moment and you are in a dire predicament, financially, or health-wise, i
t is time to DEMAND the protection of the Shoten Zenjin. 

No prayer of a votary of the Lotus Sutra will go unanswered. If your prayer is going unanswered find out what it means to be a votary of the Lotus Sutra. STUDY. And as you are chanting DEMAND the result that you want through your prayer. Awaken to your mission and realize that all your suffering is your opportunity to encourage other people. That is what is meant by turning Karma into Mission."

Encouragement to have Courage and Faith

A Guest blogger provides this encouragement: 

I am feeling very inspired, the SGI meeting I went to was about courage and faith.  

Really it's in times where we feel that we cannot go on where we feel like giving up, that's when we call forward our courage and faith to go on. 

When we are chanting it is not about thinking through our problems "how will this work out?", but just deciding how we want things to be and letting go and enjoying our daimoku and allowing the buddha nature within us to come forth. 

Our strategizing in front of the Gohonzon, (thinking and analyzing) blocks the way for our innate wisdom to shine through. 

Here is a quote from President Ikeda's lectures on The One Essential Phrase:

'Daimoku is like light. 
As the Daishonin says, "A candle can light up a place that has been dark for billions of years." Similarly, the moment we offer prayers based on daimoku, the darkness in our lives vanishes. This is the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect. At that very instant, in the depths of our lives our prayer has been answered.
The inherent cause (nyo ze in) of a deep prayer simultaneously produces a latent effect (nyo ze ka). While it takes time for this effect to become manifest, in the depths of our lives our prayers are immediately realized. So at that moment light shines forth. The lotus flower (renge), in blooming and seeding at the same time, illustrates this principle of simultaneity of cause and effect.
Therefore, it is important that we offer prayers with great confidence. The powers of the Buddha and the Law are activated in direct proportion to the strength of our faith and practice. Strong faith is like a high voltage-it turns on a brilliant light in our lives.
Prayers are invisible, but if we pray steadfastly they will definitely effect clear results in our lives and surroundings in time. This is the principle of the true entity of all phenomena. Faith means having confidence in this invisible realm. Those who impatiently pursue only visible gains, who put on airs, or who are caught up in vanity and formalism will definitely become deadlocked.
People who base themselves on prayer are sincere. Prayer cleanses and expands the heart, and instills character.
Daimoku is also like fire. When you burn the firewood of earthly desires, then the fire of happiness-that is, of enlightenment-burns brightly. Sufferings thus become the raw material for constructing happiness. For someone who does not have faith in the Mystic Law, sufferings may be only sufferings. But for a person with strong faith, sufferings function to enable him or her to become happier still.
Faith is inextinguishable hope. The practice of faith is a struggle to realize our desires. And the basis of this practice is prayer. Through prayer, hope turns into confidence. This spirit of confidence unfolds in 3,000 ways, finally resulting in the attainment of our hopes. Therefore, we must never give up.
Even places that have been shrouded in darkness for billions of years can be illuminated. Even a stone from the bottom of a river can be used to produce fire. Our present sufferings, no matter how dark, have certainly not continued for billions of years-nor will they linger forever. The sun will definitely rise. In fact, its ascent has already begun.
To put yourself down is to denigrate the world of Buddhahood in your life. It is tantamount to slandering the Gohonzon. The same is true of setting your mind that absolutely nothing can be done about some particular problem or suffering.
Also, we must not decide in advance that a particular person or a particular area is a lost cause. It is precisely when faced with challenging circumstances that we need to pray. The key is to offer concrete prayers and take action-until results are produced.
Prayers based on the Mystic Law are not abstract. They are a concrete reality in our lives. To offer prayers is to conduct a dialogue, an exchange, with the universe. When we pray, we embrace the universe with our lives, our determination. Prayer is a struggle to expand our lives.
So prayer is not a feeble consolation; it is a powerful, unyielding conviction. And prayer must become manifest in action. To put it another way, if our prayers are in earnest, they will definitely give rise to action.'

Daisaku Ikeda

Shining Like the Sun ~ Lighting up Your Life

~ Shine like the Sun ~

That's my lifetime motto. 

I rise every day with the goal of shining like the sun. 
A life of radiance is one so busy shining, 
it repels all negativity from within or without, 
and shines its light everywhere. 

Another of my mottos is from Daisaku Ikeda: 

"When One Sun Rises, Everything is Illuminated." Brilliant. 

This week has been one of chanting with the members in my district for their suns to rise. There is nothing that energizes me more than engaging in the daily struggle to overcome suffering, and achieve goals alongside my members. There is nothing more exciting than helping others win in life. If I am doing that, my life flows smoothly from one happiness to another. I hope each of you 

One of our newest members was given a pretty bleak diagnosis from a doctor. But since she got her Gohonzon a few weeks ago she has HOPE for the first time in a long time. She's cheerful. She's planning on reapplying to get her masters degree. She's embracing her LIFE. Her life is shining like the sun! I look forward to reporting other victories to you as well. 

"Faith is Light
The hearts of those with strong faith 
are filled with light. 
A radiance envelops their lives. 
People with unshakable conviction in faith 
enjoy a happiness 
that is as luminous as the full moon 
on a dark night, 
as dazzling as the sun on a clear day."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 7

Chant with Our Whole Being

By TED MORINO
Editor in Chief, World Tribune, SGI-USA

What is the correct approach to chanting?

Fundamentally, I think it can be said that if after chanting daimoku you feel refreshed and revitalized, then you chanted great daimoku.

In many of his writings, Nichiren Daishonin states that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the core of his teachings. It seems the Daishonin felt the need to establish first and foremost the act of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo itself in order to guide the people of his time away from misguided practices and beliefs that opposed the original intent of Buddhism. While emphasizing the importance of having faith in the power of the Mystic Law, he appears to forgo addressing any other specific details of exactly how to chant.

What the Daishonin does stress, however, is our attitude—the realization or conviction that we should have when chanting. He writes: “Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization is to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 216). He also explains: “You, yourself, are a Thus Come One who is originally enlightened and endowed with the three bodies. You should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with this conviction” (WND, 299–300).

We can discuss the purpose behind the act of chanting from two different levels. On one level, we chant to open our innate Buddhahood, the universal existence and cultivation of which is the ultimate message of the Lotus Sutra and the basis of human happiness. On another level, we can say that we chant to have our specific prayers answered—an intriguing element in the practice of Buddhist faith.

Ultimately, it is important that we chant with our entire being. This is indicated by a phrase the Daishonin quotes from the verse portion of “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which reads, “single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha, not hesitating even if it costs them their lives” (WND, 389). For us, this translates into an earnest desire to reveal our Buddha nature each time we chant. He states, “As a result of this passage, I have revealed the Buddhahood in my own life” (WND, 389).

Explaining the principle of having our prayers answered through the power of faith underlying our act of chanting, Nichiren Daishonin exhorts: “Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?” (WND, 412). And: “Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?” (WND, 412).

From another perspective, Nichiren Daishonin cautions, “A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered” (WND, 1001). In this passage, cowardice can be interpreted as the benighted quality of life that is not rooted in our Buddhahood. In other words, cowardice can be defined in Buddhism as the impure elements in life, which, if allowed to take control of the self, separate us from our Buddha nature or the Mystic Law. Conversely, if we are continuously developing our Buddha nature, taking action with the wisdom we tap through chanting and thus courageous in our life-condition, then we are moving toward and becoming the type of person who can have all their prayers answered.

SGI President Ikeda states: “The more specific and detailed the blueprint we have
in our hearts, the better. The point is to continue vividly painting the target we have and to advance toward that goal single-mindedly. Then, at each instant, the reality of our lives will gradually approach the painting that is our aspiration. “Everything depends on what is in our hearts. Heartfelt prayers will definitely be answered” (Learning from the Gosho, p. 129). In praying to the Gohonzon, we should drop all pretense and just be ourselves, offering sincere prayers for the realization of all our desires. By so doing, we can elevate our life-condition and strengthen our life force to the point where we start sensing what to do about each of our specific goals.

In the final analysis, we should first decide that we are going to win before we chant. This strong determination coupled with our chanting enables us to summon forth the appropriate wisdom to deal with any of the inevitable difficulties we will encounter on the way toward achieving our goals. With this resolution, something positive will start welling up from within our lives through chanting. Worry should not be basis of our prayer, as this can undermine the power of chanting. Rather we should to resolve to win first, so that through each daimoku we chant we are tapping every human quality necessary for our victory.

By chanting such heartfelt daimoku to the Gohonzon, the very core of our lives aligns with the purest life force of the universe, melting away whatever negative effects we may otherwise have to experience due to our karma. “Various sins are just like dewdrops,” wrote the Daishonin. “The ‘sun of wisdom’ (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) is capable of dissolving them all” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 786).

Chanting from the heart solidifies the condition of Buddhahood as the basis of our existence, which is described by the Daishonin as “the unchanging reality which reigns over all of life’s functions” (WND, 832). When Buddhahood is firmly established as the basis of our lives, we gain self-control without being defeated by the five poisons—greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance and doubt.

After chanting, we can return to the reality of our daily lives, acting with renewed confidence to touch the lives of other people and reach our goals. As the Daishonin states, “The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being” (WND, 852).

Lastly, President Ikeda writes about the meaning of prayer in Buddhism, referring to the concept of a pledge or vow in The New Human Revolution. He says to a pioneer member in Brazil: “Prayer in Nichiren Buddhism means to chant daimoku based on a pledge or vow. At its very core, this vow is to attain kosen-rufu. It means chanting resolutely with the determination: ‘I will attain kosen-rufu in Brazil. Therefore, I will show magnificent actual proof in my work. Please enable me to bring forth my greatest potential.’ This is what our prayer should be like. “It is also important that we establish clear and concrete goals for what we hope to achieve each day and then pray and challenge ourselves to achieve each of them. This earnest determination gives rise to wisdom and resourcefulness, thereby leading to success. In short, to win in life we need determination and prayer, effort and ingenuity. It is misguided to dream of getting rich quick, expecting to encounter a rare stroke of luck or some shrewd moneymaking scheme. This is not faith. It is mere fantasy” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, pp. 250–251).

Summary of key points

• Chant with your entire being or with the spirit that “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion.”
• Chant with clear and concrete goals.
• Chant with the determination “I will win no matter what.”
• Chant with the vow to help achieve kosen-rufu

Mamta's Hurricane Experience

Here is an experience from Mamta, a blog reader. Thank you Mamta for sending this in! 

Is it YOUR turn next?  

I invite ALL readers to share your experience here on this blog.

 Get published! Encourage people! Send your experience to chantforhappiness@gmail.com.  

Mamta and her Children. 

This experience is from Mamta Neb who lives in Princeton, New Jersey. The picture of the downed tree above is an example of the destruction of the hurricane that was close to her house. Thank you Mamta for sharing this with us.


Mamta's Hurricane Experience:

I started practicing Nichiren Buddhism in June 2011 while I was posted in Singapore. I moved out from Singapore in November 2011 to the US. Though, I started this practice out of sheer curiosity due to the fact my sister in India is one of the senior members. However, ever since I started this, I have seen my life COMPLETELY changed for the better. While there are lots to share about my triumphs and victories where the negative circumstances were soon masked by the positive changes which maximized the potential to achieve happiness, I would definitely like to share one of the most notable benefits that I recently saw during the Hurricane.

In the last 100 years, Hurricane Sandy had quickly acclaimed the title of being one of the worst hurricanes the east coast had both witnessed and dealt with. This being my first hurricane, I could have never imagined how devastating it could be. My friends and neighbors shared their experiences related to the last few hurricanes (Irene, Katrina) and how they were hit by power outages/loss of water/ flooded basements/ falling trees etc. While I heard all this, I was very confident that we would be safe this time and would not face any problems as we have the Power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

I started chanting earnestly in front of Gohonzhon and was consistently praying for our protection as well as those who surrounded us. I was confident that my prayers would be answered. My family and I were sure to chant for our protection and happiness in this time where we needed it the most.

The Strom hit us on Monday. It started raining since Monday morning and towards the evening, there was a heavy wind (almost at a speed of 50-60 miles per hour). I went to see the condition in the basement and was scared to see the water level which was rising high in the Sump pump. Usually, when the water level goes beyond a particular level, the pump starts automatically flushing the water out. As expected, we lost the power at 6 PM in the evening while it was still raining outside. I fell into despair and everyone in the family and our neighborhood got apprehensive about the flooding basement. At that very moment, I made a strong determination that NO MATTER WHAT, none of us including ourselves and the people around us would have the Flooding Basements and Falling Trees. I chanted to fulfill my mission and to show actual proof of my chanting and to reap the benefits as well.

I continued to chant all this while and finally went off to sleep with a growing sense of confidence and hope.

The next day when we all woke up, the first thing that I did was run to the basement to check the water condition expecting a flooded basement. I came downstairs expecting the worst only to have all my previous assumptions to be challenged. The basement was completely dry without a sight of a leak anywhere. The water levels in the Sump pump did not rise up beyond the "threshold" mark. My eyes brimmed with water as I knew that the Universe had just given me protection.

The Strom had stopped outside. We went out in our neighborhood to check the condition with our neighbours and to my utmost joy, none of our neighbors had flooded basements. There were no trees on the road except one at the back yard of our neighbors which did not cause any damage. At that very moment, I felt such a Great Sense of Gratitude towards the Mystic Law and an unshakable confidence of 100% victory.

It was unbelievable that an area which was approximate 1.5 - 2 miles from our house was completely saved. There were no trees on the road and hence no damage whatsoever.

As we made the drive out of our area and onto the road to see how others weathered this storm, it was devastating to see these enormous trees that once stood firmly were now spread across the roads. I have attached some pictures that I took that depict exactly what we saw as we drove by.

The Mystic Law is exactly what it spells, mystic. I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve come to realize that this Mystic Power blankets us with protection at any given moment in time. It’s give and take really, the more firm our belief in the Mystic faith, the more we can get out of it with any given circumstance that may be thrown at us. And in this, we can see that our protection is a direct result of the positive functions that are always in the works by our Universe.

In closing remarks, I would like to share one of the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1. p, 614 - "The Supremacy of the Law".

"So long one maintains firm faith [in the Mystic Law], one is certain to receive the great protection of the gods [the positive functions of the Universe]. I say this for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than ever."

Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!

A Guest Blogger today and a GREAT QUOTE

Today I am posting an email from a reader. It came at the perfect time and says the perfect thing so I hope you will enjoy it! I have been busy reaping the benefits of my hours of chanting last weekend, and been happily running from morning until late at night for the past few days! 

The quote below is a prescription for how ALL of us can live our lives secure in the knowledge that every Daimoku is hitting every mark...every time! Let's all SUMMON our faith more than ever and release all our doubts!!!

Here is our guest blogger's encouragement:

 I am feeling very inspired, the SGI meeting I went to was about courage and faith.  Really it's in times where we feel that we cannot go on where we feel like giving up, that's when we call forward our courage and faith to go on. When we are chanting it is not about thinking through our problems how will this work out, but just deciding  how we want things to be and letting go enjoying our daimoku and allowing the buddha nature within us to come forth. Our strategizing in front of the Gohonzon, blocks the way for our innate wisdom to shine through.  I know that you have said this all before and thank you!  I would like to share a quote from President Ikeda's lectures on The One Essential Phrase, one that has touched me deeply and one which I will use to continue on my daimoku campaign:

Daimoku is like light. As the Daishonin says, "A candle can light up a place that has been dark for billions of years." Similarly, the moment we offer prayers based on daimoku, the darkness in our lives vanishes. This is the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect. At that very instant, in the depths of our lives our prayer has been answered.
The inherent cause (nyo ze in) of a deep prayer simultaneously produces a latent effect (nyo ze ka). While it takes time for this effect to become manifest, in the depths of our lives our prayers are immediately realized. So at that moment light shines forth. The lotus flower (renge), in blooming and seeding at the same time, illustrates this principle of simultaneity of cause and effect.
Therefore, it is important that we offer prayers with great confidence. The powers of the Buddha and the Law are activated in direct proportion to the strength of our faith and practice. Strong faith is like a high voltage-it turns on a brilliant light in our lives.
Prayers are invisible, but if we pray steadfastly they will definitely effect clear results in our lives and surroundings in time. This is the principle of the true entity of all phenomena. Faith means having confidence in this invisible realm. Those who impatiently pursue only visible gains, who put on airs, or who are caught up in vanity and formalism will definitely become deadlocked.
People who base themselves on prayer are sincere. Prayer cleanses and expands the heart, and instills character.
Daimoku is also like fire. When you burn the firewood of earthly desires, then the fire of happiness-that is, of enlightenment-burns brightly. Sufferings thus become the raw material for constructing happiness. For someone who does not have faith in the Mystic Law, sufferings may be only sufferings. But for a person with strong faith, sufferings function to enable him or her to become happier still.
Faith is inextinguishable hope. The practice of faith is a struggle to realize our desires. And the basis of this practice is prayer. Through prayer, hope turns into confidence. This spirit of confidence unfolds in 3,000 ways, finally resulting in the attainment of our hopes. Therefore, we must never give up.
Even places that have been shrouded in darkness for billions of years can be illuminated. Even a stone from the bottom of a river can be used to produce fire. Our present sufferings, no matter how dark, have certainly not continued for billions of years-nor will they linger forever. The sun will definitely rise. In fact, its ascent has already begun.
To put yourself down is to denigrate the world of Buddhahood in your life. It is tantamount to slandering the Gohonzon. The same is true of setting your mind that absolutely nothing can be done about some particular problem or suffering.
Also, we must not decide in advance that a particular person or a particular area is a lost cause. It is precisely when faced with challenging circumstances that we need to pray. The key is to offer concrete prayers and take action-until results are produced.
Prayers based on the Mystic Law are not abstract. They are a concrete reality in our lives. To offer prayers is to conduct a dialogue, an exchange, with the universe. When we pray, we embrace the universe with our lives, our determination. Prayer is a struggle to expand our lives.
So prayer is not a feeble consolation; it is a powerful, unyielding conviction. And prayer must become manifest in action. To put it another way, if our prayers are in earnest, they will definitely give rise to action.
Thank you for your wonderful contributions! You make my day receiving your daily blogs, I love them and will tell more people about them.

And thank YOU friend for sending this incredible quote on this wonderful day!!!!

Testing the Limits of our Faith

First of all I want to thank my friend in France for writing this comment: 

"I must say that I have been following your blog for quite sometime. I love everything that I have received from you. I am based in Europe in France. Practising for twelve years and facing challenges of my own. Our lives seem to be in tune as you always seem to tap exactly what I am struggling with. Deep deep gratitude to you for your wonderful work and for your words of encouragement that touch many like me. I am inspired by you to keep on chanting, achieve my goals and overcome my karma. Thank you on How to REALLY USE THIS PRACTICE!"

Your comments are sooooo important to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write!

This morning I want to write about testing our limits of faith. In Nichiren Buddhism FAITH IS A VERB! You have to make it happen! You have to summon it from inside your life!

I sat down today to chant for a person in my life. A person who is very close to me...and for some reason all I could hear in my brain was "this will never work". Now, I can't tell you why I heard this in my brain! All I can tell you is it was there! I always set my sights on chanting for a full hour, so sometimes when I first start chanting it is very hard to connect and rev up that chanting engine. All I hear are the voices in my own head. But I don't get up. I stay there. I keep chanting. And sooner of later the FAITH kicks in...I exercise that muscle. I make my mind focus on seeing this person with a happy face and chanting and smiling. And after a little while my "chanting muscle" is strong again and I can really see my prayer having an effect. 

When you are experiencing the limits of your faith, and you are face to face with something you don't believe will happen - don't give up! Keep chanting. As I was chanting I was realizing this was actually an opportunity to strengthen my faith. How perfect. We ALL need to strengthen our faith. What an amazing practice this is...how much we can grow and become strong and happy and help ALL the people we love and everyone who is struggling. 

Exercise that muscle! You WILL GROW!!!