Overcoming HUGE Challenges!

ROARRRRRRRRRRRR

Here we are chanting in the Worldwide Million Daimoku Campaign. Many of you have emailed me saying you have huge goals, and are chanting 300 hours (a Million Nam-myoho-renge-kyos) to make them happen. 

You know what that means, right? YES! It means that your karma, my karma, all of our karma will come out so we can change it forever through chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Although this is really the best, most invigorating way to live, it can also be daunting. Today's post is from my heart, because I am totally sharing in a great challenge in my own life.

Many of you write me facing Huge challenges...HUGE CHALLENGES. As you know, I love hearing from you and am always happy to answer your emails that you send to chantforhappiness@gmail.com. I am now offering chanting coaching over the phone or skype. You can tell me what is happening in your life and I will really hear you. I can help you write your own personal PowerPrayer, and move your life forward with new courage, vigor and determination. If you are interested in finding out more about speaking with me personally, please send me an email at chantforhappiness.com.  

Whatever you are facing ~ YOU have the power to change your situation. It starts with chanting to do your own HUMAN REVOLUTION. Your life is the shadow of your inner life. When you change your inner life, you will also change the shadow ~ your whole environment will change. This will absolutely happen. 

I think of karma as being in the garden hose of life...the water is coming through the hose, but it also has mud and dirt in it. As the dirt (karma) washes out through Daimoku, sometimes it gets clogged with problems, and that's when I have to chant more, study more, chant with others more, do shakubuku more and challenge myself more to change my karma. 

I can't give up. No problem is bigger that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Let's not give up! 

I know I can use my victory over this problem to inspire others and build my own unshakable faith. I MUST use all the resources of my faith, my mind, my courage and my compassion to light the way for all of us. 

When you have this sort of feeling, that "I, _______(your name here), will overcome ALL my suffering and use my experience to inspire others" your feeling of suffering will change. You will understand and challenge your life in a new way. You will chant with more strength in front of the Gohonzon! See if you can do this!  

You must generate and create the conviction that you are suffering for a greater purpose: to help others, and that you WILL achieve victory so you can inspire others. And your suffering will end immediately when you grasp that you have a deep mission. But we are not here to master suffering, not we who practice Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism with our mentor Daisaku Ikeda! We are here to master happiness! And forging courageously through our suffering, and using it as the fuel to create our happiness...that is the highest and best state of life. 

We are so lucky to be able to chant to overcome our problems! We can change everything! We can't back down. We must make strong determinations! We have to go the distance and say "No matter how long it takes...I WILL change this! I am THE BUDDHA! I AM NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! NO devilish function, no "bad karma" can defeat me! No WAY! 

"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is like the Roar of A Lion - What Sickness Can Therefore be an Obstacle!"

"A Coward cannot have any of his prayers answered" Nichiren

Summon Courage! 

Make a strong determination!

Human Revolution/Transformation can be painful - at first!

I have a friend who has a difficult relative who has been disturbing the peace in their family for some time. 
We all have people that disturb us, right? 


Well, I have found that there is only one solution for this problem and it works absolutely 100 percent of the time. Not only that, it will absolutely turn poison into medicine in your life. Seriously. I guarantee it. It works every single time. 


Today I went to the meeting here in Chicago with Danny Nagashima. It was great. I saw Danny last week in Los Angeles, and it was great to hear his lecture on the Treasure Tower today. He's so animated, so humble, so alive! If you get the chance to see him DO!!!


And there was an experience that included a really great thought. I have said before that the ONLY way to solve any relationship issues is to chant for the other person's happiness. I have done this so many times and gotten amazing results. One of two things either happens. Sometimes the person and I just fall in love in a really great way, and we end up having an unexpectedly great relationship. OR, they leave my environment. Either way, I concentrate on really, sincerely chanting for their happiness. 


In today's experience, the person said "Chant that their Buddha Nature hears YOUR Buddha Nature." And I thought "Yes!" That's it exactly. 


Why does chanting for another's happiness have such deep significance in our lives? It's because our lives and the lives of every other person on the planet, are interconnected. We are all one life. Science is proving this over and over. Nothing exists in a vacuum. When I chant for another person's happiness, I also chant for my happiness, and I do my human revolution. Just by transcending my anger at another, and chanting for their happiness....it is making a huge cause! 


And you can do this in all instances. 


Last night my friend was telling me about this "evil" person in his life. I understand that she has been a huge disappointment and caused a lot of pain. I said that chanting for her happiness was the only answer and he said "But she's just evil." And I said that she is a reflection of his own life...part of his karma that he needs to change...and that all life is interconnected. Her suffering is what is causing her "evilness", and he can chant for her happiness and it will raise his life-condition and change the dynamic of their entire family. In the end....he may look back at this time and say "Thank You!" to her for helping him do his human revolution. And, to my great happinness, he agreed to chant for her. I will join him in is prayer. 


I also reminded him that he is not asking anyone or anything for favors or blessings when he chants. He is only summoning the power of the universe that is rightfully HIS. That power is rightfully ALL OF OURS. And he needs to make a determination towards the happiness of his whole family. 


This type of prayer is karma changing. This is what human revolution is all about. This is the real stuff...the hard stuff....and the BEST STUFF for our lives. 
I challenge you to change the dynamic between you and someone you have problems with. You can do it. We can all do this. 


If you have a benefit write me! I want to hear! If you want me to share it with the other readers let me know!




 As I said I've been encouraging a friend in doing "family revolution"...at least that's what I called it yesterday. He said the word "revolution" makes him picture redcoats from the wars...so I think I'll use the phrase "Family transformation" for a while and see how that feels. What do you think? Let me know! The word REVOLUTION clearly means standing up to what is not right to create something better. The word transformation means a total change. Your opinion? 


At any rate, my friend was here yesterday filled with anger about this one person in his life...the one who has been driving him crazy...the one for whom he launched a fierce daimoku campaign for her happiness at the beginning of this week. He is, of course frustrated that another incident around this woman has come up to anger him...and I think he is starting to be humbled as well. He's getting to the part of his Daimoku where he is realizing that his reactions to each situation are going to have to change TOO. Oh how painful, yet how breathtakingly real and freedom-giving to see your own part of the problem and be open (even just to have the realization) that family transformation (any transformation) includes YOUR transformation! Ouch! 


This takes GUTS! 


He also said he was going to have to think about how to fix a part of the problem and I said "No! Stop thinking! Your mind hasn't helped you so far! Just chant for awhile! Chant in the car, chant whenever you can...just chant and take a break from thinking!" And he laughed wholeheartedly knowing I was right. Sometimes we do think too much! Instead, make your determinations for the outcome you want, and just chant!! Try it!


As I've said before, this practice is not for cowards! No! Practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism will ONLY WIN IF THEY CONTINUE TO ROAR LIKE LIONS! We all have to continually, every single day, roar down the tendencies we have in our own lives to cause ourselves pain! We are fighting back years of habit...lifetimes of karma...and WE CAN DO IT! And each time we triumph, we change the fabric of the entire universe and make everyone stronger against their own innate darkness. 


We all know how easy it is to blame others...blame our bosses...blame our jobs, blame anyone and everyone etc. But we know that doesn't make us any happier  - or change the situation! But somewhere in our minds we know that WE are present in each of the situations...and maybe...just maybe...what needs to change is our attitude. And through bringing forth the universe within us by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo we can do it! We can shed light on ANY darkness we still live with. This week I'm shedding light on an area of my life that keeps cropping up. And I am more determined than ever to ROAR it out of my life "I am a BUDDHA" I yell in my head when I chant! "I will not have this in my life! I MUST have absolute victory in all areas of my life. I MUST inspire my district and my blog readers and all I touch! 


Roaring right along with you my fierce and powerful friends!