Wisdom For Our TIme ~ Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

News from Our Kate  

Hi, 
Thank you for writing to me. Thank you for telling me how much these posts mean to you. I am beginning to blog again. Remember you can always look through the archives for PowerPrayers and inspiration.  

I am about to return to St. Pete from a trip to see Aaron in Phoenix and Kate Randolph in LA. Kate is now a year and a half into her brain tumor diagnosis and she is doing great! Three hours of daimoku a day really is helping her life-condition and her health. I wrote the following blog post last year, but I promise I will write again soon!


Kate's 40 year anniversary of practicing was last 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 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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What does Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo mean, and why do we chant it?

What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean, 

and why do we chant it? 

By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com - 

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Translate button is at the top right.)

The literal translation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is:

"I fuse my life 

with the Mystic Law
 of cause and effect 

through sound vibration." 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
is the title of the Lotus Sutra, 

the Buddha's highest teaching 

that declares  

ALL people possess the Buddha Nature...

all people ARE Buddhas...

and we can access our own Buddhahood ~ our inherent wisdom, determination, power to take the best action for our lives while benefiting others, sense of vitality and ability to make a difference. 
We can create fulfillment, happiness, 
and the strength to turn 

EVERY POISON INTO MEDICINE 

~by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

That's it. We don't need to change our diets, memorize lists of paths, change our lifestyles, shave our heads, wear robes, or "purify our desires." This form of Buddhism is radically different than most forms you may have encountered. SGI (Soka Gakkai Buddhism is accessible to ALL. 

AND the most important aspect of our prayer is to do our own human revolution...to change the very core of our lives...change our karma, and by doing so, change the world around us as well. 
We chant for "Kosen-Rufu," a world of respect for all life, and for all who are suffering to be happy. Through our own happiness, we create happiness for all. We can all win in life together. 

When we chant, we harness the energy that is our birthright. And we chant twice a day, every single day, to get and keep our lives in rhythm. 

When we are in rhythm we are in the right place at the right time... to find out about and get the job...or to meet the man of our dreams...or to protect our child from danger. When we are in rhythm, life isn't so much of a struggle as it is a joy...we see the beauty in everything and we feel our lives overflowing with appreciation. 

In fact, we view obstacles themselves as benefits, as strange as that may sound....because obstacles make us chant more, and when we chant more we draw even higher life conditions and deeper satisfaction into our lives. 

What can we chant FOR? 
Anything. Make sure to write your list, and rewrite it when you achieve those goals. Ultimately, our goal is to change our own selves...to overcome our doubt and negativity, and to experience life as the Buddhas we are. When WE change, our environment changes. We are all interconnected. 

We chant for others, 
we chant for our planet, 
our countries, and ourselves. 
We can chant for whatever our desire may be...even if it might not be the "right" desire for us. In the act of chanting, we will change our karma and our desires themselves will naturally begin to shift. We will open our lives to the deeper wisdom within...the deeper yearning, the REAL desires that we have forgotten or given up on. We will grow. We will prosper and we will blossom. 

We will gain the wisdom of the right action to take - because ACTION springs from wisdom. 

The challenge is...we need to DO it. We have to chant to bring all this rhythm and harmony out. And that's why we practice together as an organization, the SGI, The Soka Gakkai, our fellowship of friends who support each other, chant for each other, and create a new Soka family for each practitioner. We are so fortunate. 

We are in this life together...sharing our challenges and our successes. If you are not yet connected to the SGI please go to sgi-usa.com and find your local members. You will be so glad you did. 
If you live in or around St. Pete Beach Florida you can connect with me through chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some Powerful Quotes from Daisaku Ikeda:

THIS moment, this instant, is important, 
not some unknown time in the future. 
Today, this very day is what matters. 
You must put your whole being 
into the time that exists now. 
For future victory rests in the present moment.

BUDDHISM holds that 
everything is in a constant state of flux. 
Thus, the question is 
whether we are to accept change passively 
and be swept away by it, 
or whether we are to take the lead 
and create positive changes on our own initiative. 
While conservatism and self-protection
might be likened to winter, night and death, 
the spirit of pioneering and attempting to realize 
the ideals evokes the images of spring,
morning and birth.

Do gongyo and chant daimoku with a fresh spirit. 
And, filled with renewed vitality, 

build a history of accumulating fresh benefit.

All quotes from Ikedaquotes.org

Excellent Family-Karma-Changing Experience

  

Hi….this  is Surashree. I am a part of Bsg family from last year. I  belong to a small city Raipur.  My relationship with my parents  has a void as both my parents  and  grandparents  were working and  maids took care of us. As parents did not have any time I always held a grudge  against them also felt  alone and frustrated. Also from childhood I was a stubborn person and a loner who avoided  people. When I completed my schooling all these qualities surfaced even more . My sister was facing the same issues. She suffered from obesity and was always  irritable. Till date, she has no  friend. Sometimes she used to speak very harshly. And I’ve seen her crying too. My sister and I always had problems with each other.  I am also suffering from a skin disorder. Overall, We were facing deep relationship karma within the family.

The first person from our family who encountered the Nichiren Buddhism was my elder sister. She introduced my mother too.  I went to Nagpur for my Graduation. More than studies to get  away from  parents. When I was in Nagpur, Didi and Maa both started practicing Nichiren Buddhism and each time I  returned home on vacations, I always noticed some improvement in my family environment. Everyone started taking responsibilities rather than blaming each other. I saw my sister becoming calmer and mature; and my mother became more serious about the family.

Still being a stubborn person, I used to fight repeatedly blaming my parents for never having time for me. One day my mother said sorry to me for not spending much time with us. My mother told me that if you want your karma to change, accept the hard realities of my life. This is only way that move towards happiness. After this, our family bonding  grew stronger , though  She also told me about the practice, but I ignored it.

Almost  8 years after this incident, When I saw huge victories in my mothers life, I thought of giving this practice a try. I seriously wanted change in my life. I was struggling with my office responsibilities, and I was tired of being alone also  very confused about the  course of my  life . As a girl in mid 20s, I thought It is better to spend some time with the family  so in spite of others opposition I resigned from my job and returned back to my hometown. I felt very  positive  that everything will be good from here on-wards.

I'm happy to report that it was then when I started practicing. I came across lines from Sensei Ikeda, ”You must have impossible dreams and then the courage to challenge them so that you can prove the power of the Mystic Law.”  Buddhism is the mirror that perfectly reflects the depths of our lives.” Soon  I realized that I never put any efforts in my relationships. I always behaved selfishly.  It was due to my own karma that I have suffered. And Buddhism is the way through which I can change my destiny.

Gradually, My relationship with my mother became good, though my  relationship with sister and father was not that great. I determined change the relationship with my father. He  is a very calm and fun loving person. He had issues with me due to my stubborn behavior. He  always wanted us to pursue music as career as we hail from a music family. It was only  after resigning, I started working on small stage shows with my father and helped him emotionally. After sometime, he started trusting me and our relationship grew stronger.

One day while studying, I came across gosho lines from the chapter, On Prolonging Life, “One day of life is more valuable than all the treasures of the universe, so first you must muster sincere faith.”  It explained how we can have an influence on our environment by practicing Buddhism and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I realized avoiding  problems will not help me. So, I strongly determined few things:

First, I would no longer hold my life back through fear and insecurity.

Second, No matter what, I’ll  strengthen my faith as much as possible for which I started reading about the concepts or books related to Nichiren Buddhism as much as possible.

Third, I determine to always put the concept of “ten worlds” in my daily life and to constantly check myself not to fall towards lower 4 worlds. Anytime time if I feel I'm spending more time in any of the lower worlds, I try to pull myself out from the situation and try to work on myself to become better. Sometimes I fail, but my practice gave me the strength to try again.

Fourth, I decided that I will have no hatred or anger towards anyone. Whenever I do, I confess it front of the Gohonzon and pray to give me the strength to overcome these negative feelings. Also, If I am angry on someone or I dislike someone, I pray for his/her happiness and their Buddha nature to emerge. I’ve experienced that if you chant for the happiness of the person who made you unhappy, the environment works for you, and everything will fall into place making your situation and those relations smoother than before.

Sensei says, “Dialogue requires heart-to-heart connection. You can have dialogue in your heart with anyone anywhere at any time, living or dead. The first step to touch another person's heart is “Appreciation”. Chant to develop appreciation. The path of the Bodhisattva lies in developing and expressing appreciation. Appreciation and joy multiply our good fortune. Complaint and negativity erase it”. After reading these lines, I took my fifth determination that I will always try to do heart to heart dialogue with everyone around me. I’ll appreciate every effort made by anyone surrounding me, no matter who that person is or which community he belongs to.

It is my observation that Even if any practitioner applies simple & small concepts from the book, “Basics of Buddhism”, One will surely receive tremendous benefits, conspicuous and inconspicuous both.

I got married last year. As a newly married, I started facing adjustment issues in the new environment, which even lead to arguments between me and my husband Saurabh. The drastic lifestyle-change became a huge challenge for me.  My practice gives me the courage to see the obstacles in life as an opportunity to change my karma. Instead of blaming others, I began to feel more confident in coping with problems in life and learned to live more creatively. My life has changed and become better since I started practicing this Buddhism. My husband and I are now great friends. He helps me in household chores and other things.  sometimes,  in office or in personal lives I face difficulty  I remember  Sensei Ikeda’s words, “Even if things don’t work out the way you hoped or imagined, when you look back later, you’ll understand on a much more profound level that it was the best possible result. This is tremendous inconspicuous benefit.”

I am happy to report that Environment in my family is much better and peaceful than what it was 12 years back. We all have very good & friendly relation with each other. I determine that I'll pray for my sister’s health & happiness and I’ll struggle and change my family karma completely. I’ll win no matter what…..

Lastly I would like to thank all my district members who always encouraged me whenever I needed. I would also like to thank my husband  who always supported me . I  thank my mom who introduced me into this practice and changed our lives completely.

How to Increase Your Belief in YOUR OWN Buddha Nature

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From the November 2015 Living Buddhism:

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"Nevertheless, 
being no more than an ordinary person, 
I have at times been apt to regret 
having taken such a course." 

From the Gosho "On Rebuking Slanders of the Law and Eradicating Sins" by Nichiren Daishonin.

About this passage, Daisaku Ikeda writes on page 37:

'As Nichiren Daishonin writes here, we are ordinary people, and as such, are likely on occasion to have regrets. 

At times, we may allow ourselves to be defeated by our immediate sufferings and complain about our lot, thinking there is no point in practicing this Buddhism if it is going to involve so many challenges and wondering if we might not have had an easier time if we had not started chanting. 

Well aware of this human trait, Nichiren teaches the means by which ordinary people can walk the path to attaining the noble state of Buddhshood. Genuine Buddhism teaches fundamental trust in and respect for the Buddha Nature inherent within all human beings." 

Daisaku Ikeda, from Living Buddhism, November 2015, pages 36 and 37. 

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Okay, I know we "know" our lives contain dignity and power and the Buddha Nature. I know we read President Ikeda's Guidance, and the Gosho, and we "understand" them with our minds...but do we understand them with our hearts? 

This is the work we do in front of the Gohonzon. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (meaning: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) we tap into the power that is our birthright...that is always there for us...and we access that power for ourselves and for others. 

We can access the power to understand the profundity of our lives, the magnificence of our lives, and our true Buddha nature. 

How much do we each realize that we are the Buddha?

I hear people around me putting themselves down all the time. It seems to be part of our culture that we can't go around saying "I am magnificent. I am the Buddha." and I think we can and should change that part of the culture. Putting ourselves down is not helpful...especially when we are talking to ourselves. 

If we can't build ourselves up, who can? That's why I always say "Do not put yourself down. Ever. Not even in your head. you are a magnificent being...a Buddha of the highest respect. A Soka Gakkai Buddhist." 

President Ikeda has told us over and over that we will be remembered forever as the Soka Gakkai Buddhists. Each one of us is living out a drama of the highest significance. Each one of us is showing actual proof of the power of the mystic law to change our lives, change the lives of others and bring about a peaceful world through the power of our vow, and our chanting. 

And it REALLY HELPS if we REALLY believe this. It helps if we believe in the power of our lives and the power of our prayer. How can we really get to this point, that we believe it WITH OUR LIVES...and with every cell in our beings? Well, the answer is easy. 

We can chant to believe in our own magnificence. We can chant to believe in the power of our prayer. We can chant to dispel doubt forever and deepen our prayer at every moment. 

I have been chanting to uphold and see the dignity of my own life at each moment. I have been chanting to be present in each moment, and to BE WITH each person in front of me each moment. And you know what? When we are alone, WE are that person. WE are the one we need to support and uphold. We are the one we have to honor. 

How can we do this? We can start by talking to ourselves just like we would talk to our own very best friends. We can stop saying we are "idiots" or any other negative word. We can stop slandering our own lives 

We can tell ourselves we're doing great! We can tell ourselves we are beautiful, and we get more beautiful every day...inside and out. We can tell ourselves we make a difference. We can build up our own selves, while we are chanting and while we are going about our daily business. 

And we can make daily causes that prove our magnificence...chanting for wisdom...acting in wisdom and bringing forth our best selves! 

Life is a Joyful Challenge When We Really See Ourselves

Hello from St. Pete Beach. It's been a bit cloudy and rainy around here, but I'm still grateful for every day on the beach, and every day I can wake up, look my life in the eye and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration)

This practice can be difficult, isn't that right? First of all, it's a challenge to chant every morning and evening... EVERY morning and evening, right? And, secondly, this practice is a mirror for our inner lives...so we can see ourselves, and always determine to change for the better. 

As you know, last week I started a new job at a great company around people who truly inspire me. And...my own need for change from within is showing more clearly. I see how my communication style needs to be tweaked, I see some things about myself I want to change. 

Being able to see ourselves clearly and make changes for the better is one of the best things about our practice of Buddhism. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables us to look at our lives and change from within. This change, this "Human Revolution," as we call it, is an act of courage, of determination and strength. 

Think about it. Many people can't see themselves. And even if they do, they think "Well, that's just the way I am. I can't change THAT." As James Hermann says, We don't practice this Buddhism to say "Ah well, that's just the way I am." No! We practice it to change on that fundamental level we can only reach by determination and prayer. Nichiren Daishonin says we can't see our eyebrows on our face...they are just too close. Seeing our tendencies can be just as difficult.  

So my prayer of gratitude and happiness is to expand my capacity...and to strengthen my life... 
...to be mindful of my communication style...to take a moment to think clearly and breathe...and to USE this practice to focus my energies on my sincere desire for the happiness of all my coworkers...and all I serve. 

When I change, the world changes. When I do my human revolution, since we are all interconnected, I make the world a better place. 

"A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind."

Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org

It's not about blame. Blaming ourselves or others never leads to growth. It's about taking responsibility and saying "Yes! Yes, Yes!" It's the perfect time to grow and strengthen my life condition. "Yes! Yes, Yes!" I embrace this opportunity to expand my capacity! YES! I love my life! 

And on another note of happiness I can tell you that my son, Aaron Michael Silver M.D. is going to Chicago for the youth meeting in October. He's still in his first year as a double intern in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, and he's practicing harder than ever. He's doing Gojakai and loving his Buddhist family in Phoenix. I am so proud of him for the man he is and the man he is becoming. My heart shines! 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to you my friends! 
Take all your challenges and turn them into benefits right now! No blame. No complaint. Say YES to your karma, and determine to change it. Take the action you need to take in your lives. You are a precious Buddha. Love yourself! 
This is the secret to a happy life. 
Sending love to you from St. Pete Beach. 

The Life-Giving Power of Each Character of Gongyo

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Hello friends, I evacuated Florida today. I drove 11 hours in some really bad traffic and made it to halfway to Asheville, North Carolina where I'll stay with my Dad and Jan. I figure, even if the hurricane does not come to St. Pete Beach, I'll have a nice visit with my family. Thanks for your messages! All my best to you. There is so much to chant about...and remember...all real change starts with our own human revolution! 

In the Gosho "Letter to Horen," the Daishonin describes the characters of the Lotus Sutra as individual Buddhas emitting beams of light...able to find all those, living and dead, with whom we are connected. 
Wow.
What a great thing to learn about while we are all striving to perfect our Gongyo and deepen our faith. 

Daisaku Ikeda states in Living Buddhism, 
June 2015, page 32:

"...Through chanting the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can transmit benefit even to deceased family members, relatives, friends or acquaintances who may have opposed our Buddhist practice - benefit that will warmly embrace them and lead them to a state of profound peace and comfort.

Similarly, through the power of the Mystic Law, our family members and friends who have passed away in the course of the journey for kosen-rufu - whether from illness or as a result of unexpected accidents or natural disasters - will also be able to enter the path of Buddhahood. 

The best offering we can make for the eternal happiness of the departed is to live fully and strive vibrantly for kosen-rufu in their stead..."

"The Daishonin says that 
each of the 510 characters 
of the verse section 
of the "Life Span" chapter 
of the Lotus Sutra, 
from "ji ga toku burrai" 
(Since I attained Buddhahood) (LSOC, 270) 
to "soku joju busshin" 
(quickly acquire the body of the Buddha) (LSOC, 273), changes into a sun 
and then into a Buddha. 
It emits great beams of light 
that pervade every corner of the universe, 
finding Kyoshin's father wherever he might be 
and illuminating him 
(see WND-I, 517-18).
In other words, 
each chapter 
of the verse section of the "LifeSpan" chapter 
recited by Kyoshin 
becomes the Buddha, 
shining with the brilliant light of compassion 
that reaches his deceased father
in whatever state of being he may reside, 
relieving him of his suffering 
and guiding him to enlightenment."

What a wonderful life-giving practice we have! Who do you want to reach with your Daimoku today?