Wake Up to Joy! From Kate Randolph ~ Please share!

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News from Our Kate  

Kate recently found out she has a brain tumor...and she's chanting three hours a day. 

Kate's 40 year anniversary of practicing is this 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 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

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The Universe is in the Palm of Your Hand! Be joyful!

It's true. You hold the key to the entire universe that is already within you. All the power of the rushing waterfalls of the earth...all the power of the exploding supernovas...all the power of one person's triumph over evil, all the good and the bad that exists ANYWHERE  - You and I are microcosms of this power. We know this in our hearts. We feel it with our cellular memory. Science is lining up with it at an ever-increasing rate. And WE, you and I, are ahead of the game with the gem of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in our lives. 

We are ALL pioneers. We are all learning from each other. I'll bet if you and I sat down and had a cup of tea together we would each learn from each other. Soka Gakkai members (Value Creating Society) are mirrors of each other, and together are increase everyone's benefit. 

When we chant we SUMMON this power that is already in our lives. We awaken the knowledge and experience of our OWN power. We OWN it...we own all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly. We don't have to cower at the things we don't like about ourselves, or the unhappiness that still exists in our lives. We can continue to vanquish it through our chanting and determination. 
Through my years of practice I know my own inherent darkness well. It emerges as a voice that makes me feel lonely alone and without hope. But I have raised my awareness of it to the point that I understand it for what it is...just my inherent darkness coming forth...NOT anything REAL, and I can vanquish these thoughts by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and saying "No! No inherent darkness is arriving to darken MY day! Be gone! I replace dark thoughts with smiles and feeling of JOY and happiness and fulfillment! I am a Buddha! I have the power!"

We ALL can have determinations that make our lives sparkle! Today I am chanting:

"I now raise my life condition and experience every moment of this day as a Buddha. I will soak up every possible sparkling moment of happiness. I will be easy and unstressed! I will enjoy my wonderful family and create memories that will last forever. Everyone will have a great time at my house today, and we'll enjoy this beautiful fall weather and the pleasure of each other's company. I chant to expand my capacity for feeling joy all the way down to my toes! I expand my capacity for connection and love and warmth! Today, on this Beautiful Sunday when my Dad and Mom-Jan are visiting from Asheville North Carolina we will create a brilliant, sparkling memory of song, laughter and joy!" 

What sparkling determination can YOU have today? You BUDDHA You! 

Exercising that MUSCLE of faith!

Good beautiful Saturday Morning!!!

This is such a unique practice! You don't HAVE to believe that chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo works because it is a LAW. It doesn't have a personality. It doesn't CARE whether you believe it works. It works ANYWAY....like Gravity...like turning on a light. 

You chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and you tap into the life force of the universe that is your birthright. We are children of the universe...that is not just some song from the sixties! Our eyes are the stars, our veins are the rivers, our hair is the trees, we ARE microcosms of the universe and we have always known this.  And now, because of some very brave people who risked (and lost) their lives - we can now tap into the life force by chanting the name of the rhythm of life itself NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! 

When we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo we TELL our lives what we want. That's what we are doing when we chant. 

I posted an experience by Kathy Fisher a couple of weeks ago. She chanted for the perfect job and it took her a while to find it....and this job is totally amazing. She got everything she chanted for and more. I'm asking her to write a new experience to tell you how incredibly cool her first month has been...how appreciated she is...how she feels she has found a home...how perfectly she understands her role there and how much she loves the actual job and the people. It is HER job, and that's what she was chanting for. She didn't get discouraged because it didn't appear for a while. She kept chanting...undaunted...and she kept encouraging people...and bringing people to meetings...and she KNEW she would be victorious. 

That's how we ALL need to be. 

Chant for what you want and don't give up.!!!! Some things take longer than others. Some happen that very same day (as you know!) but the important thing is to not give up. 

There are a few key things I want to pass along to you today. Remember when you are having challenges with ANY PERSON...ANYWHERE to chant sincerely for their happiness. It works 100% of the time. Don't believe me! Try it yourself. We are ALL connected. Chanting for others brings happiness to them, to you, to all of life. This is Buddhism. This is the pure energy of interconnectivity that we live in. Isn't it wonderful!

And another thing....you are WORTHY of EVERY HAPPINESS and EVERY DESIRE! You are WORTHY! You were born worthy! You are so wonderful and precious, so beautiful and new. The world has never seen a more beautiful being with a bigger heart than YOU! Please chant for ANYTHING you desire...even if your friends tell you you shouldn't. Tapping into your real, honest and true desire will lead you to chant sincerely and become the happiest YOU possible. 

And one other thing, and I KNOW I say this all the time...please make sure to join the orbit of faith and meet your friends along the path at your local SGI meetings! They are there to teach you and to learn from you! Send me a note if you need help finding your local meeting. They take place all over the world. 

And send me your comments and experiences! You know how I love hearing from you!!! I'd LOVE to post YOUR experiences in faith on this blog! THink of how much you can help others by inspiring them! 

I am heading out into a lovely day filled with people and adventures I have brought into my life through chanting for my desires. I am living the life of my dreams. I wish you ALL a wonderful joy-filled day!

Enjoy Your Life!

I hope that whatever you are doing in life, and no matter how busy you are, that you can take a moment to enjoy watching the billowing of the clouds. They move so slowly, and they move my heart. 

Powerful Prayers and stories!

POWERFUL PRAYERS! 


Buddhism says one of the causes of suffering is ignorance...ignorance of your own Buddha Nature! Chanting to do your Human Revolution and Praise your life is a great way to pray to reveal and recognize your own Buddha Nature. 


You may remember that my job duties changed in several ways over the past few months. I now work for three locations and faced a lot of challenges at the beginning. I had to introduce myself, and my way of working, to two new campuses. 


Every morning in front of the Gohonzon and in the car ride I would chant to PRAISE MY LIFE! In other words, to recognize my own brilliant Buddha Nature. This is what I call a SuperPrayer! When you chant this way you touch your life in many ways! You bring about changes from deep within. 


Another SuperPrayer I love is the one to EXPAND MY CAPACITY. I sit in front of my Gohonzon and I chant to expand my capacity, and I list all the ways I want to experience expanded capacity:


I chant to expand my capacity for writing blogs that inspire you!
...expand my capacity for compassion...
...for happiness...
for skill in writing my book...
for being a great Mom...
for being a great friend...
for feeling immense joy every day...
I chant to expand my capacity for JOY!
and for pleasure
and for feeling the love in my life
for brain power and memory
for learning and resourcing new ideas
for making new friends
for producing amazing results in my job...
for giving powerful guidance...
for inspiring others to chant...
for overcoming negative emotions quickly!


There are so many ways I chant to Expand my Capacity! 
And so many ways I already HAVE expanded my Capacity!


If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know how frequently I used to sink into depression...and have a feeling of being unloved. That almost never happens anymore. And when I feel that feeling coming on, I chant it away very quickly. I almost never feel depressed or hopeless, and I used to feel depressed very frequently. This practice has SOLVED THAT PROBLEM for me, and IF I CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT! 


At the core of my prayer is always the the deep conviction that I must overcome my problems so that I can show actual proof of this practice and help others to become happy. 


You can have the same prayer. 


WHEN YOU BECOME HAPPY YOU AFFECT EVERYONE AROUND YOU! THEY BECOME HAPPY TOO, AND THEY MIGHT JUST BE INSPIRED BY YOU TO CHANT! 


For me, there is no greater happiness than watching my friends and new members and blog readers become happy through this practice. You can SEE IT AND FEEL IT! 


There's a woman in our district who inspires everyone every time she comes to a meeting because of the bright smile she wears. All of us remember her early days of chanting when she was so sad you could feel her sadness walk right in the door with her! She has totally transformed! You can transform ANYTHING though this practice!


It all starts with you and your determination to be happy and to solve your problems. 


Chant every day...every morning and evening! Read the Gosho!
And regard your troubles as wonderful reasons for you to chant and show actual proof. 


In Nichiren Daishonin's "Letter to Sado" he writes:
"Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove his own strength." 
What is your "powerful enemy"? Is it sadness, depression, abuse, hopelessness...whatever it is: 


You can definitely defeat it! 


Do you have others suffering around you? You can help them too! 
As always, thank you for writing me! Thank you for letting me share your challenges (only with your permission). Thank you for helping me inspire all 6,000 blog readers every month. And THANK YOU for sending the link chantforhappiness.com to everyone you know! You never know when YOU are going to profoundly help someone! 

Unconditional Love and Appreciation

Today, May 10th is a great day to summon all the appreciation in your heart and chant to expand your capacity for feeling and expressing appreciation. 


Those who can fully appreciate, always attract more and more and more to appreciate. 


I believe developing appreciation is like developing every other spiritual muscle. The more you focus on it, the more it increases. 


Yesterday we had a powerful and wonderful meeting of Soka Gakkai members at my house. And I also received beautiful roses. I have so much to appreciate!


But I must focus on developing even deeper appreciation as well! 


Today I chanted once more to break my ties to my familiar sufferings and I vowed to increase my capacity for joy and appreciation! I vowed once again to be happy and joyful and to show every moment what is possible in life. 


We are Buddhas. 


Joy can be ours. 


Focus on bringing joy into your life. Do what makes you feel good. Bring smiles to people's faces and you will experience more and more joy. Remember, what we focus on increases. Let's all focus on joy and happiness today!

Boundless Joy From the law!

Right now I am experiencing the longest string of continual happiness I can ever remember in my life.  I have permanently changed my life state. 
I have heard of this happening to many other Buddhists. 


A dark level of unhappiness has permanently left my life. I have, indeed "raised my life condition". 
We talk about this phrase all the time, and what I am experiencing right now is the proof of this phrase. 


I'll describe it like this: 


When you have a problem or sadness it's as if it is in front of you like a wall. When you "raise your life condition" you elevate yourself so high above that wall, that you look down on it thinking "I can't believe that wall ever loomed so large in my life...look at how tiny it is now."


That deep level of sadness and despair that I have battled my whole life has just gone poof. I have even made it through the usual cycle where I feel it again....and no...I'm still happy. 


PERMANENT, FOUNDATIONAL CHANGE IN YOUR STATE OF LIFE IS POSSIBLE...if only you keep going and DON"T GIVE UP.  No. Matter. What. 


Here I am, once again, living in paradise, paying my own bills, having my own life. I see my boys often   and have a great time with them. Ben and Aaron have both spent the night here at different times this week. I have something fun to do every single night...and when I don't, I've been going to yoga and I'm going to start really working out again with a trainer. I'm about to get in the best shape I've ever been. 


And I am so content. Some of you remember the reason I began this blog...and my sad, broken heart. Well...there has been the opportunity for that sadness to resurface lately...and it hasn't. I just keep chanting to continue opening my life to the happiness and appreciation I feel in my heart. I am chanting in appreciation for my health, my mind...my self...and of course to make a tremendous contribution at work...for all doors to open...and for all my precious fellow members and friends and YOU! 


Everything is possible. 


It's a gorgeous summer day here in the Chicago Area...if your'e HERE, enjoy the day. 


And wherever you are....enjoy each moment...as the Daishonin says: "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."


I am experiencing Boundless joy from the law~~~!!! And so can YOU!!!