What is True Success in Life?

From Daisaku Ikeda, Faith in Action page 68:

"What is success in life? 
Who are the truly successful? 
There are famous and powerful people 
who become pitiful figures in their old age. 
There are people who die alone, 
feeling empty and desolute inside. 

Just what is success? 

The English thinker Walter Plater (1839-94) wrote:

"To burn always with this hard, gemlike flame, 
to maintain this ecstasy, 
is success in life."

The person who lives life fully, 
glowing with life's energy, 
is the person who lives a successful life."

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I know there are are times when our flame burns brightly and other times when it's hard to keep the pilot light on. Yesterday I was talking with Kate and she said "No matter what is going on in your life, chant to expand your practice and your life so that you can grow and have victory in your life. What does "have victory" mean? It means not being defeated, it means living with hope. It means forging ahead brightly and showing others that no matter what...no matter what...we have the resources to deal with ANYTHING. We have the Gohonzon. We can chant. We are the pioneers. We are the few who know about and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. There are so many who don't." And this morning I chanted with focus, in joy and appreciation and happiness. No Matter What ~ I will WIN, for the sake of my family, for the sake of all!  

You Don't Need to "Figure it all Out"

When we don't know exactly where to go or what to do - we can rely on our own inner wisdom, our lives. 

It is perfectly fine to chant without a plan. It is really magical sometimes to just open up your heart when you chant and not to have a specific agenda or list. 
I know, I know, I am always saying to focus on what you want. And that is true. But aren't there times when you just don't know what to chant? That is okay. Chant anyway. Just chant from your heart and let your thoughts flow. Daisaku Ikeda says to just chant naturally. 

In Faith in Action under "Prayer" (p, 153) he states;

"Being human, it's natural for our minds to wander, for all sorts of thoughts to surface during prayer. You can share all those thoughts with the Gohonzon. There is no set form or pattern for how we should pray. Buddhism empahsizes being natural. Therefore, simply chant earnestly without pretense, jsut as you are. In time, your faith develops, you'll find it easier to focus your mind when you chant." 

What if We Don't Know Exactly What We Want?

"What is youth?
The French philosopher Roher Gaurady suggests that while
most people believe a person is born young and then ages and dies,
in reality, acquiring youth in the deepest sense is a very long and challenging process.
The youth of which he speaks is the spiritual strength
not to stagnate or grow resistant to change
but to stay ever open to new possibilities.
It is the power of the spirit
that refuses to succumb to complacency and strives forward. "
Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow p. 71

I am often recommending that we all write and rewrite our lists of what we want in our lives, and continue to hone our desires so that we can achieve what we really want in life. 

Being specific is always a good idea...

But what if we don't know what we want? Does that mean our lives will not advance and that our happiness will always elude us? 
No. No. No. 
If we don't know exactly what we want, we can still activate a very powerful prayer on our own behalf. If we focus our prayer on using our lives for kosen-rufu (world peace) we can continue to advance our happiness even if we don't really know exactly what we want. 

Right now, as many of you know, I am looking at the next phase of my life and chanting about my next job/life endeavor. And I have an all-encompassing prayer, rather than a narrow and exact prayer. 

I chant to use every one of talents for kosen-rufu, fulfilling my real mission in life among people who inspire and delight me. I chant to be well-compensated and happy and fulfilled. 
That is enough. 

I don't have to have a clearer vision until I do have one. At some time I may have something specific that catches my eye, and chant for that. In the meantime this is still a powerful prayer.

We can adopt this idea for any prayer...to find love for kosen-rufu...to buy a new house for kosen-rufu, for anything you want for kosen-rufu. 
Basing our lives on kosen rufu will move our lives in the direction of our happiness. That us just the way it is. We can't go wrong. 
The prayer for kosen-rufu is a deep prayer for the happiness of all...the happiness of all beings. Basing our lives on everyone's happiness is a noble and beautiful way to live. Our happiness is assured when we have such a strong prayer.