3 Benefits of Consistent Practice and 4 Ways to Establish it!

Welcome to the Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu. We are each expanding our own lives this year. How will we meet this great and noble challenge? 

I've been receiving emails from readers who have many challenges, and are not chanting consistently, and I think "If only they knew what a joy it is to practice consistently...many problems just fade away!"

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"Living in the saha world, it is impossible to stop the winds of suffering from blowing. Our only alternative is to become strong. 
Daisaku Ikeda, August Living Buddhism, page 50

"The Japanese word forr fellow member, or comrad (doshi) can also be read as "shared resolve," or commitment. The SGI is a gathering of fellow members, comrades in faith, who share the same resolve and purpose. 
..."SGI members, dedicated to the earnest resolve of helping all people, are the treasures of the world. SGI members, with the resolve to realize peace, are the treasures of humanity. The expansion of our network of shared resolve will change the planet into a beautiful treasure realm." 
Daisaku Ikeda, September 2015 Living Buddhism, page 39

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Always remember how noble and important you are!

How do we become strong? By strengthening our resolve, and our practice. 

When we do our practice every morning and evening our problems get smaller because we raise our life condition. 

We can each picture our problems as a big wall in front of us. When we practice consistently our life condition rises, just as if we are a big balloon rising to the sky. What looked like an insurmountable wall is now a tiny little ridge - way below us. We can step right over it. 

How can we establish and maintain a consistent practice? 

How can we reinforce our determination to practice twice a day every day, strengthen our lives and create unshakable benefit? 

3 benefits of consistent practice 
(Doing morning and evening gongyo and chanting daimoku consistently) 

1. It's easier. Once you establish the practice you just greet your life twice a day in front of the Gohonzon without having to force yourself to do it. It just becomes part of your life. 

2. Benefits flow more consistently, 

3. It WORKS! You change your karma, embrace your challenges and win over any challenge you face. You get what you want and so much more. 

4 Dynamic ways 
to establish a consistent practice

1. Determine that you want to use this practice to the best of your ability! Chanting consistently means winning the battle over your lesser self. Make your list of determinations and goals.  What have you decided is impossible in your life? We chant to make the impossible possible. Go for it. 

2. Embrace your friends in the SGI. (You can click on the SGI Portal to the right to find your local SGI, if you're not connected yet. Remember there are no dues or rules or priests. The SGI is an organization of people working together for their own happiness and the sake of others.) 

3. Establish a "Chanting Buddy" to chant with you.
Our friends in the SGI are our friends in faith. When I was first chanting 28 years ago my mentor came to my house every morning for a few weeks to help me generate Activation Energy for my practice.

4. Establish a Tele-Toso Chanting Buddy
If you can't chant together in person you can do it by telephone, or by text. Just establish a time and contact each other before and after. If you want, you can keep the telephone connection while you chant. (It's better if one person turns the volume down.) Or you can just call or text before and after. 

An Experience in Chanting Consistently: 

Chanting consistently must be experienced to be understood. 
My dear "Baby Buddha" (the nickname she chose for herself) heard me tell her for two years to chant every morning and evening, and she replied that she doesn't do ANYTHING consistently and wasn't going to do this. No way. I kept chanting for her and inviting her to chant. And one day, she just made the decision to try chanting twice a day to see how it felt. She couldn't believe how different she felt. She also realized a deep desire and began to chant for it to happen. Now she lives in Colorado - she got what she was chanting for! THIS is why we practice. Our desires are worth chanting for! 

You may have other ways of creating and maintaining your consistent practice. Please share them with me and I'll share them with the other readers of this blog. Email me at chantforhappiness.com with your ideas, questions, suggestions, victories and challenges. 

PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus Our Inner Resolve

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)
Last night's Downers' Grove District's Gosho Study Meeting was fantastic. I appreciate Takahashi, who studied, prepared and presented a great study meeting for us. 

The Gosho was "The Gift of Rice" and he began by saying we should feel that THIS moment is the first time, first day, first moment,to learn this Gosho...no matter how many times we have read it before.

I think that's a great attitude to have towards so many things! 

The first quote that jumped out at me from the Gosho was "When we carefully consider what exactly "earnest resolve" refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind." 
(From the Gift of Rice by Nichiren Daishonin, Living Buddhism September 2015, page 29)

President Ikeda goes on to say "Everything is determined by the direction in which our "earnest resolve" orients our minds. When we focus our "earnest resolve" on our Buddhist practice, believing and practicing the Mystic Law that enables all people to attain enlightenment, our inner Buddhahood reveals itself, pervading our lives and the environment." 
LB, 9/15, page 38

And one of the members related an experience from this month's World Peace Prayer meeting on Sunday (Kosen-Rufu Gongyo). I wasn't there because I was in the air flying home from Cape Cod. 

She related Akemi Bailey Haynie's experience.  

She said Akeymi related that one day she heard her mother cry out from a nightmare, and realized that her mother had been having nightmares every night. (Her mother is a survivor of the WWII bombings in Japan). Akeymi developed a deep resolve in her heart and sat down and chanted 15 minutes of focused Daimoku that her mother would NEVER AGAIN have another nightmare. She reached that level of "now or never" or "NO WAY!" that is so powerful, and her Mom never had another nightmare. 

We all have this power in our lives. Sensei tells us this every day. When we are in front of the Gohonzon it is up to us to summon this resolve, and to focus our minds.

We all have this power! Today I offer you: 

PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus
Our Inner Resolve
by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com

LIFE! 
Now it the crucial moment! 
THIS MOMENT 
While I am chanting I am drawing a line in the sand! 
This shall happen:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
and/or THIS shall STOP happening:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I NOW summon all the power vested in me as a worthy votary of the Lotus Sutra. 
My life is Powerful!
My daimoku is Powerful
Shoten Zenjin activate your forces NOW! 
Each Daimoku summons my power!
Each Daimoku has an effect NOW
For the sake of Kosen Rufu, I ignite my vow!
I will show actual proof -  inspire myself, and change the world! 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

Gurpreet's Experience!

(Note to readers: this is an experience from an SGI member and reader of this blog. Nichiren Buddhism has no dress code. People dress however they wish.) 

Hello everyone, I am Gurpreet practicing this philosophy for almost 5 years.

I lost my mother when I was 5, my father was left with a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter living in a joint family. 

At early stages, I missed my mother badly and my life was seeking love and attention from every corner. Gradually I was turning indisciplined, neglecting studies and getting myself into bad company. 

After some time my father got remarried. The inclusion of my step-mother was a bliss to us, but due to the negative influences I created an evil image of my step-mother in my mind. 

Relation was never smooth b/w me and my mother and at times there was intense discord between my parents due to me. Things were so distorted between us that we couldn’t imagine us being together for more than 15 mins . Ultimately my mother started giving up on me and we didn’t speak to each other for many months . I always thought of abandoning her when I get settled in my career and life, I longed for peace and felt emptiness or void in my life.

Between all this my mother gave birth to a daughter and we shifted to a new separate house. But at new place also there seemed no imminent end to our heated arguments.

In 2010 when I was struggling in my career, I got introduced to this practice, I had resigned from my job was jobless. Within a month I started chanting for almost 1.5 hours a day,   members embraced me with  warmth and guided me to chant to find the right job. 

One day while chanting rigorously I was struck by a thought and was in tears. The thought was, I will never succeed in my career till I don’t start respecting my mother, suddenly her entire struggles for raising us were flashed in my brain. I couldn’t control myself and called up a senior leader to meet. The leader  told me that this is called confronting your true self and from here on your relationship with your mother will be fixed.

Transformation at the heart was done, my heart desired to sit with my mother and talk to her, I insisted her to have dinner together daily. 

As our mentor says , “It is the heart that is important”.

Friends now  ~ whenever I think of my mother my heart is filled with unconditional love for her. Lately during her retirement function I was asked to speak a few words on the dice, there I happily declared that my entire being, every achievement is only because she took care of my well being by staking her needs. There is a lot of peace and composure at our home and we are enjoying our lives and comfort immensely with each other. Here I am not trying to communicate that we never enter into a debate now, we do, but I am the first one to withdraw myself without giving a feeling of disrespect . 

 Recently I received a compliment from my step-sister , she said that Gurpreet my brother is my best friend with whom I can open up. Dear all,I am proud to share that she is an active Gakkai member from last 6 months and is doing well.  

I will quote a Gosho line here, "Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.”  

In my family my parents and siblings feel comfort, joy and excitement whenever they are with me.

As the things were getting fixed at home I received another benefit when mystically I got a job in the profile of my choice, where I got the opportunity to work hard and nurture myself.

I would like to report one victory at the job front too. There was a time when my company started posting losses and we saw many manpower layoff initiatives, also we were imposed monthly salary deductions. I sought guidance and asked the senior leader when I am performing well at work , supporting members and chanting abundant daimoku then why am I facing such a situation? During the  guidance I understood that I am a part of an organization, society, etc hence I can’t grow in isolation, I need to chant for my company to grow substantially. 

I also read a Gosho line that became power source for me: “Misfortune will change into fortune, muster your faith and pray to this Gohonzon then what is there that cannot be achieved”

I chanted with all my might and the situation transformed. My company’s share value which dropped down to Rs 12 from Rs.48 in 10 months in now stable at Rs.70 which is the highest in 3 years. We had bagged many overseas orders, our market share and margins have improved in domestic market and we posted a profit .

All these benefits are due to chanting abundant daimoku and efforts to take care of members and help them realize absolute happiness. Daimoku is working in all aspects of my life and now after 5 years of vigorous training I started feeling joy while chanting daimoku and doing gakkai activities. 

Dear friends this is my last meeting with fellow members here and I deeply grateful to everybody for their kind support and giving me direction. 

In the end I will like to share a determination – I determine to make continuous efforts to become more responsible human being and a valuable asset for society. I also determine to fulfill my parents desire as they want me to get married soon, which is my desire too. 

 Thanks and I Wish u all of lot of good fortune.

Our Prayers are Powerful

Our Prayers Matter

What do we do when we find out about terrible things happening in the world, when we are touched, and saddened and scared for ourselves and our fellow humans? 

As I said yesterday, the first thing I do is go to the Gohonzon and chant. I chant for all involved, for all touched by the tragedy, and for all the beings in the world to have peace in their hearts. I envision the hospital rooms and chant for the injured, and for the people who devote their lives in the service of others as nurses, doctors, security specialists and the list goes on. I chant for the families of those afflicted, and I chant to understand and continue to have hope, and to give hope, and to somehow be an inspiration to all I touch and to all who read my words.

The next thing I do is turn to the words of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda. The first thing I did this morning was read the Gosho, then I took out one of my favorite books, Faith in Action, the compilation of quotes by Daisaku Ikeda separated into categories. 

Today I turned to the section on peace and read the words I have heard and learned and find to be true, and that is, of course, that true peace starts within every individual.  Human Revolution is REAL. When we change ourselves on the inside, by raising our life conditions from the four evil paths of Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger, we change the entire world. We are all connected to all of life. When we change, our environment and all around us changes.

On Page 289, under "Peace" in Faith and Action, Sensei (Daisaku Ikeda) writes:

"In Mahayana Buddhism, which is the creed of the Soka Gakkai, there are ten potential conditions of life inherent in human beings, known as the ten worlds. According to this principle, people who start wars exist in the four lowest states of Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger, known as the four evil paths. Controlled directly by instinct and desire, the thoughts and actions of those who start wars are inevitably foolish and barbaric. Therefore, from the Buddhist point of view, the issue of how to build the "defenses of peace" within the hearts of such individuals takes precedence over any external systemic factors and represents both the well spring and the core of any attempt to build world peace.'

And we can begin by building defenses of peace within ourselves. When we chant to raise our own life conditions we affect not only ourselves but life itself. When we chant to experience life in the world of Buddhahood (the highest of the ten worlds) our lives become imbued with compassion and move in action to help others by chanting for them, helping them learn to chant, and engaging in society in meaningful ways, including our activities for kosen-rufu, world peace through our activities in the SGI. 

Who we are makes a difference. What we think and how we act makes a difference. In Flourish, by Martin Seligman, the great book outlining Positive Psychology, Seligman asserts that what we have long felt can actually be proven, that HAPPINESS is CONTAGIOUS. And so is anger and all other lower emotions. So our happiness actually matters. That is why I am continually encouraging you to chant for your own happiness. It is important. 

Also from Faith in Action, from page 151, the chapter on Prayer, Daisaku Ikeda states:

" 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 and our determinations. Prayer is a struggle to expand our lives." (taken from Learning from the Gosho p. 92)

"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 high voltage ~ it turns on a brilliant light in our lives. (from Learning from the Gosho page 88)

Let's all turn our lights extra bright today, and every day! 

   

Great Gosho Quotes to Live By

As many of you know, the Gosho are the letters that Nichiren Daishonin wrote to his followers encouraging them. Each one of these contains gems of wisdom that you can use to navigate through life. 

From The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon comes a comforting quote...one to engrave in our lives:

"A woman who devotes herself to the Gohonzon invites happiness in this life; and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect ehr always. Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong supporting arm on a treacherous path, the Gohonzon will protect you, Lady Nichinyo, wherever you go. Therefore you should ward off slanderers as you would prevent a courtesan from entering your home. That is the meaning of "Part with bad friends and seek out good ones."  

And here is a quote to refresh our determination and make us bold:

"Your faith alone will determine all these things. A sword will be useless in the hands of a coward."

From Reply to Kyo'o

And from one of my favorite Goshos:

If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured though 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 therefor enable you to grasp the mystic truth within you...

It is called the mystic law because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomenon...

When you chant the mystic law and recite the Lotus Sutra, you must summon up deep conviction that Myoho Renge Kyo is your life itself. 

Above quotes are from the Gosho "On Attaining Buddhahood"

And again: 

"One who hears even a sentence or phrase of the Lotus Sutra and cherishes it deep in his heart may be likened to a ship which navigates the sea of suffering. The Great Teacher Miao-lo stated, Even a single phrase cherished deep in one's heart will without fail help him reach the opposite shore. To ponder one phrase and practice it is to exercise navigation..." 

From "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering"

Overcoming Fear

This photo is courtesy of my friend Axel Koch. He just went though the Panama Canal last week.

I've been considering the nature of fear lately. I mean, here I am, living on my own, and I was just laid off. (My last dy is this Friday) One would think that I would be really scared. I probably would be scared if I didn't have this practice. But I'm not at all scared. I chant Daimoku (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) every day to have confidence in my life itself. I chant enough Daimoku to override my fear, and keep the negativity and fear far away from my brain. I know that with every chant I am connecting to the power of the universe itself. My life is unstoppable. How could I be afraid?

I am filled with appreciation for my last job, and I'm really looking forward to working with the outplacement firm that will help me with my resume and job finding skills. 

The primary thing I can say today is that I always chant enough Daimoku to keep any fear at bay. The moment I feel any creeping fear or sadness in the corner of my mind I head straight to the Gohonzon and chant. I vow to be victorious in all areas of my life. I am determined to turn this "log" into a fresh flame of benefit. The Gosho (writing of Nichiren Daishonin) for this month is "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering." I have embedded some of the quotes from this Gosho into my life. I will be leading a discussion on this Gosho at my house this Wednesday. 

"In the Latter Day of the Law, the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear without fail. (That's me and you) The greater the hardships befalling him the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith. Doesn't a fire burn more briskly when logs are added?"

The Gosho goes on to state that "...anyone who teaches others even a single phrase of the Lotus Sutra is clearly the Buddha's envoy." 

and 

"Even a single phrase cherished deep in one's heart will without fail help him to reach the opposite shore. To ponder one phrase and practice it is to exercise navigation."

The Gosho is rich with phrases to cherish. When I was a young Buddhist I cherished "Suffer what there is to suffer, and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and continue chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo no matter what happens. Then you will experience boundless joy from the law." from the Gosho called Happiness in this World. 

At the moment I am cherishing my hardships and using them to fuel me forward, and increase my ability to connect with people, to have compassion and to inspire! 

Shika's Experience - Chanting for Her Father's Health

I was introduced to the practice by my sister's friend three years back.  I felt protected instantly  after chanting during some of the darkest moments . Initally like most of us, I chanted 5-10 minutes and then didn't for weeks. Thanks to some of the critical situations in life and the leaders' persistence I continued and became more active.

I have overcome a number of obstacles both from within and without during these years and have experienced many benefits (which I'll share with all of you soon).

This year in August my father, who suffers from chronic pancreatitus, suddenly got another acute attack on august 15th. After getting admitted to the hospital, his condition worsened and he was shifted to Fortis ICU for respiratory distress syndrome and acute pancreatitus. His serum amylase and lipase (indicator of pancreas) were above 1600 and the normal level is below 200. The normal PO2 level(indicator of lung function) is above 80 and his was 50. In such cases they put patients on ventilators but the doctors negligence turned out to be a benefit for us. His face used to be almost blue during those days.

This was a few days after I recieved my gohonzon and I just had complete faith that it has to be a benefit so that he has an even healthier life. Also On the same day I got an oppurtunity to be the MC for the August SGI meeting and I joyfully accepted it chanting through the night for a vibrant zadankai (meeting) and all members to be inspired. I determined to do my own human revolution by not panicing in such crisis instead giving faith and courage to my sister and mother who were clearly in utter panic.

Whenever I was in doubt, I read sensei's lecture on the gosho "The good medicine for all ills".  Josei Toda wrote,"Dont let anything shake you. Just chant with your whole life. Never lose heart. Activate the positive forces of the universe.  I chanted sincerely to change the poison in his pancreas to amrita . I visualised waving a sword of nam myoho renge kyo in his pancreas .

Papa's serum amylase and lipase- an indicator of pancreas dropped back to below 200 which is normal by august 19th i.e. within 4-5 days which was extremely remarkable .

We received protection in the form of my doctor aunt who dropped everything and came to our city  and instructed the low skilled staff of "a hospital in india " to handle his lungs better .
My sister also started chanting more seriously and started seeing results herself. His lung condition was still very weak. She chanted for papa to do spirometery exercises every hour as instructed  even though he was very weak. She chanted for him to want to get better and not give up even in the extreme condition of the ICU .

However, the infection in his body i.e. the TLC counts kept shooting up. In spite of that,  he started looking and feeling better. By the end of the week his TLC was as high as 30,000 (normal is below 11000) and the doctor in fortis said it's unbelievable that he doesn't look as sick as his reports say he is. I smiled, of course.

I read the gosho again and again. At the risk of sounding stupid to my family full of doctors, I encouraged them to read it. Sensei says, " The Buddha is likened to a physician because he teaches people the "medicine of immortality. " The medicine of immortality is "amrita". Elsewhere Nichiren daishonin says," Amrita is nam myoho renge kyo " .

Meanwhile The doctor insisted for him to get neckline since all his other veins were swollen. Now, the neckline can cause many more infections for a lung patient esp in the ICU and by then he had developed hospital aided pnuemonia. The doctor gave us one hour to decide and sign the consent form. I started chanting very strongly and within minutes one of the male nurse found a perfect vein in the arm somewhere which lasted three days.

Because of staying calm and being in a high life condition, we could decide immediately without even our mom to take him out of "A hospital in our city" to " Hospital in another city " where my aunt is an HOD. I was chanting all throughout the way. We met with many obstacles , the ambulance met with an accident , the ac didnt work  but papa's vitals didn't change a bit throughout the journey and he safely shifted to a private ward. Again, he didn't see us frown when any of this was happening, rather all he heard was Nam myoho renge kyo .

We met the best of doctors in the other city. The doctor again suggested a neck line but my sister had determined by then to not let that happen and well it didn't. His TLC i.e. the infection count came down to normal within 3-4 days. And within a week he was out of the hospital walking, talking a bit, urinating, defecating all by himself. His pancreas is damaged 40-50% but he can have a normal life with even half the pancreas. There is no damage to any other vital organ which is very good after an acute attack like this. His lung capacity is actually better than before now.  He has been a chain smoker since 50 years and he has not smoked since over a month now and has no intention of doing so. Like I said, his face is way brighter than before, and he walks twice a day by himself, eats healthy meals, has breakfast and is on the road to full recovery. My mother remarked yesterday that it was impossible to think that we'll all have a lifestyle where  no one smokes in the house and we have have fruits and breakfast on the dinner table. She said life has actually become 180 degrees better.

All this while I chanted for the medicine king buddha to manifest in his life. Leaders told me to read out the gosho" actual proof " to him during our stay and I did. I chanted for all our relatives to see actual proof through this experience. I chanted for my human revolution and to stay calm through it all. We (my sister, me and mom ) had just three small arguments through such high stress period and managed to be  encouraging and always smiling around papa. My sister and brother in law have started chanting and my brother in law already has had an experience.
I determine to keep showing actual proof through this practice and encourage each and everyone who's watching my life.

I know...Sometimes You Just have to KEEP HAVING HOPE

I know sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's difficult for me too. We chant and take action and some benefits just take much longer than others. I know!

But please do not stop and do not doubt! Chant to overcome your own disbelief! 

When you are diligently persevering, studying, chanting, introducing others to this practice ~ the benefit is DEFINITELY on it's way. Please do not doubt, and do not stop chanting.

At times like this it's really useful to remember a few of those key Gosho quotes and inscribe them deep with our lives:

"Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets. For example, the journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop on the twelfth, how can you admire the moon over the capitol?"

From Letter to Niike, by Nichiren Daishonin

And:

"To discard the shallow and seek the profound requires courage." 

From "On the Buddha's Prophesy" by Nichiren Daishonin

Please have profound respect for your own incredible life and remember that the journey you are on is most respectworthy. Please respect and honor your life. Chant to PRAISE YOUR LIFE! I know I say this over and over again, but it is SOOOO important. It is so easy for us to forget how noble we are, and how we shine like brilliant Buddhas to the very core. The purpose of our practice is to recognize and shine this brilliant diamond every single day. 

It is who we are. Brilliant. Sparkling. Noble. Deserving. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. 

You are Purifying your Life! 

"The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water is to wash away filth. The wind blows away dust and breathes life into plants, animals and human beings. The earth nourishes the grasses and trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. Myoho Renge Kyo too works in all these ways. It is the cluster of blessings brought by the Boddhisatvas of the Earth." 

YOU are the Boddhisatva of the Earth. We ALL ARE! GO YOU!

From Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life by Nichiren Daishonin

Gosho Quote for you

On this, the one year anniversary of my Mom's death, I share with you these words that have been inscribed in my heart.

This is one of the only religions that has the actual texts of the founder in written format...not someone else's interpretation of the founder's words. This quote reinforces how incredibly fortunate we are to have the Gohonzon and be able to draw the rich power of the universe from within our lives.

...from Reply to Kyo'o

This was written to Shijo Kingo's infant daughter, but meant for his parents. They had been followers for many years, and had recently been bestowed with the Gohonzon. They were one of the first families...and they had written the Daishonin to inform him that Kyo'o was very sick. This letter was his response. It was written August 15th, 1273.

Gosho Quote (This is almost the whole of this short Gosho):

Since I heard from you about Kyo'o Gozen, I have been praying to the gods of the sun and moon for her every moment of the day. Always cherish the Gohonzon which I sent you some time ago for her protection. This Gohonzon was never known, let alone inscribed by anyone in the Former or the Middle Day of the Law. The Lion, king of beasts, is said to advance three steps, then gather himself to spring, unleashing the same power whether he traps a tiny ant or attacks a fierce animal. In inscribing this Gohonzon for her protection, Nichiren is like the lion king. This is what the sutra means in "the power of an attacking lion." 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?

...Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her, she will be free from fear like the lion king... But your faith alone will determine all these things. A sword will be useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then he will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff. I Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi, so believe in this Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is none other than Nam Myoho Renge kyo. Miao-lo states in his interpretations, "The revelation of the Buddha's original enlightenment is the heart of the sutra."

Kyo'o Gozen's misfortunes will change into fortune. Muster your faith and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved? You should believe the Lotus Sutra when it says, "This sutra fulfills one's desires. It is the pond's cool, clear water that quenches thirst." and "They will have peace and security in this life and good circumstances in the next. When I am pardoned from exile in this province, I will hasten to Kamakura where we will meet. If one considers the power of the Lotus Sutra, he will find perpetual youth and eternal life before his eyes...."

Thank you Nichiren Daishonin!

Love to you!

Jamie