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

Perfecting Our Spiritual Workouts (Gongyo!) to Bring Benefit to Our Lives

As I'm sitting here watching the news about hurricane Irma barreling this way.
Please join me in chanting for Irma to veer to the right and north and miss America completely! 
Let's also chant about the flooding in India, the wildfires in the West and continued cleaning up in Texas and all other areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Oh yes, let's not forget North Korea, and keeping the peace. 
There is so much going on. 

Here are some of my thoughts on how we can continue to leverage our spiritual muscles to change ourselves, and change the world. 

Perfecting our daily recitation of Gongyo and Daimoku is our spiritual work-out for the interior of our lives. This work-out makes our environments 
(our world at every moment, and all the people and things and EVERYTHING in it) 
flow smoothly...and we can accomplish our goals and live fulfilling lives.  

When Shakyamuni was meditating under the Bodhi Tree, he was assailed by many thoughts to make him stop or to throw off his meditation. 
He kept focused. He won. 
Our practice of Gongyo every day is just like this. 
We are the Buddha! 
Every day - twice a day!  
We must win! 

Gongyo is important!

Our concentration will pay off. Doing gongyo with the following guidelines has brought me great benefit. 
(As always ~ these writings are mine, and come from my heart to yours.)

5 Keys to Make Your Gongyo 

and Your Life Sparkle!

Don't just "do" Gongyo. Feel it. Experience it.
by Jamie Lee Silver at chantforhappiness.com

1. Put your phone in another room. 
                 Claim this time as your own! 

2. Pray each silent prayer with all your heart. 

Elevate the moment from reading to praying! 

Read each silent prayer over and over until you can actually feel the appreciation. Read the silent prayers until they sink in...so you are truly praying in appreciation. If you don't know why Nichiren Daishonin and the three presidents deserve your praise, please ask a fellow member and study the history of Nichiren Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai. (Clink the link to the right to find your local SGI group) It took tremendous conviction and courage to bring this practice to us today! 
During these prayers, I bring forth the gratitude I feel for having this practice in my life.   

3. Begin and end Gongyo 
                     with no interruptions. 

You can chant as long as you'd like between gongyo and the silent prayers. 
Sometimes I recite the silent prayers at the end of Gongyo soon after the recitation...not after finishing all my daimoku for the morning. This makes it easier to do a complete gongyo before I get up to do something else, or refresh my drink or whatever. 
I start and complete gongyo. Boom. 
Then I can do as much daimoku as I want, with gongyo done. Complete. With no interruptions. If I get interrupted in the middle of gongyo I begin again! I see this helping me complete things in my life on a much more regular basis. 

4. Chant every morning and evening. 

I know, I know, you've heard this before. The reason I keep repeating this message is that it WORKS! When we do gongyo twice a day our lives get on a roll. You have to experience it to see it! I can't tell you how it feels. I can tell you that one of my YWD (young woman) finally began chanting twice a day (after refusing to do this for two years) she was able to realize a hidden goal, bring it to the surface, chant about it, and now she's living her dream in Colorado. Chanting twice a day WORKS! 

5. Perfect Your Rhythm 
              and Pronunciation of Gongyo

In the early days of my practice, I was fortunate to have a leader who believed that perfecting gongyo was important. Every day I showed up at her house to fine-tune my rhythm and pronunciation. You can do the same, and it will energize your practice and life. 
I suggest finding a mentor in your SGI circle who can work with you. To learn, we can bring a pencil and circle the parts we find difficult, and highlight our mistakes. The next time through we can be aware of the challenging parts because we circled them. We can learn it like a song. 
It is easier to learn it right the first time, but not impossible to fix, if learned wrong. 

Having perfect gongyo gives us confidence. 

I'd like to hear your stories of how perfecting your gongyo changes your life. Everything we do to enhance our practice is reflected in our lives. 

Gongyo and Daimoku are our laboratory 
where we create the lives of our dreams! 

I'm interested in hearing how you are perfecting your gongyo! 
Doing Gongyo is like lifting spiritual weights. how strong can we make our lives? 
That's what we're talking about! 

Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

How to Break Through Those Walls!

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Have you ever felt like you were stopped at every turn? That, somehow there were thick walls between you and everything you want? Have you ever been making positive causes, chanting, and still the walls getting higher and higher? 

I have felt walled in lately - and I am in the process of breaking through - I know it. I know there's a bright expanse on the other side of these walls! 

Here's how I am turning these walls into tiny little pebbles that I will just step over. 

This week I made a call to one of my treasured friends in faith, and she had some wise words for me. 

She said that when she was experiencing walls, she learned that there was something deep in her life, and in her character...at the very depths of her human revolution that needed to change. She asked me some questions and I could clearly see the action I needed to take, and the Daimoku I needed to chant. 
I went to the Gohonzon and chanted to learn what I needed to change. Some things came to mind...my tendency to get defensive in the face of criticism, and the need to develop the skill of understanding the other person's point of view and not letting my emotions overrun my brain. In front of the Gohonzon I chanted with all my heart to have the courage to see my shortcomings...and the courage to change them. 

As James Hermann in Chicago once said: "We don't chant so we can say "That's just the way I am." We chant to CHANGE  what we see needs to be changed! 

So, for the past few days, I've been chanting three hours a day and I am on the verge of a huge breakthrough! I know this because three of my good friends are coming to the meeting on Tuesday when I will be giving my experience.
I also uncovered something important about my finances and made two new dear friends. Treasures of the heart! 

It's not complete yet, but I'll tell you all about it when it's done! 

Today I fly off for Ben's Memorial Mile! It will be Saturday the 17th of June at Downers Grove North Illinois High School's outdoor track at 5:00. Join us if you can! Here's the link: Bensmemorialmile.com. 

This week I'll see my whole family and around 500 wonderful friends in Downers Grove. Hope for the Day, National Alliance of Mental Illness, Your Story Counseling and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will all have booths. There are children's events and a costume mile, great music, laughter, cheers and fun. Al Carius, the coach of the century will be speaking. 

It's hard to believe it has been almost two years since my precious boy became eternal! 

I can hardly breathe I'm so excited! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

Inspiring Shakubuku Story!

Sam!

Here's a story to inspire YOU!

Doing shakubuku is my greatest joy. There is NOTHING that makes me happier. And I, along with all of you, have been chanting to introduce our youth to this life-affirming, practical practice. When I was at FNCC (SGI's Florida Nature Culture Center) they said: "The youth will teach us how to shakubuku the youth." And I thought, "How wise." Here's Sam's story:

A few weeks ago I planned some time with a new friend who lives in my building. We went swimming, and she came upstairs and learned to chant with me, then we walked down the street for dinner. We had a great time with our beautiful and vivacious server. I thought to myself "This young woman is so beautiful and warm and energetic. She exudes happiness...maybe she doesn't need the Gohonzon." But, of course, at the end of the meal I told her about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I didn't have a NMRK card with me so I wrote the words out on one of my business cards, and told her chanting was a means to tap into our highest life potential.

When she heard this she said "Boy do I need this! My Mom's in the hospital crying in pain and the doctors can't help her and I'm her main caretaker, all alone!" So I said, "When do you get off work? Want to come over and chant with me tonight?" And she said "Yes!" 

At 11:30pm, Sam came over and we chanted and talked until 1:00am. She came over the next night too! Sam told me her life story. She's a resilient young woman who has had many challenges, and has a great dream to be a prosthetics practitioner. She believes anyone with a prosthetic has a story, and she wants to help them. 

For various reasons, she wasn't able to finish High School, and wanted to take her High School equivalency exam, but the thought of taking that exam filled her with fear. She told me "I'm going to schedule that exam and use chanting to help me pass it!" Less than a week after beginning to chant, she passed the GED and got her High School Diploma! When she took the exam her usual anxiety was gone, and she could just feel the right answers throughout the test. What a great accomplishment! 

Also, her Mom was released from the Hospital two days after Sam came over to chant with me, and has now had surgery to help her. Sam and I continue to chant for her Mom. 

And right after she began chanting she lost her job. I, of course, said "Congratulations!" and knew she'd get a better one right away. (She already has) 

I had to go to Chicago for Ben's Memorial Mile prep, so I encouraged her to go to the Buddhist meeting without me, and she went. That night I was out to dinner in Chicago with my wonderful son Aaron, and my "wusband" (ex-husband) Paul, feeling emotional about our family being three, not four...happy to be with them, but missing my Ben (who died almost two years ago now). In the middle of dinner Sam called and told me she'd applied to get her Gohonzon! I thought "My family is growing! Look at all the benefits I have!" 

On Sunday, Sam received her Gohonzon and we enshrined it for her. Her bright smile and life condition is going to help lead more and more youth to chant. She's telling everyone about her new practice! Kosen Rufu in action. That's what it's all about. Sam is now applying to college...working on fulfilling her dream. 

Each of us makes a difference! Don't hold back! Tell everyone about this practice with all the love in your heart! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!   

Lighting the Lamp of Hope! The Joy of Fostering Youth!

Ahhhh the brilliance of introducing youth to this practice! Some of my golden memories are of the youth I took under my wing. They are living the lives of their dreams with the ultimate tool for creating happiness and value for themselves and others...this practice!

The other day someone magical...seeking...young and vibrant came happily into my life. I was at a restaurant with  my new friend Mari Beth whom I'd just introduced to chanting. She came up to my apartment and chanted with me for the first time. 

Our server was this delightful, beautiful young woman...she looked like she couldn't possibly have a care in the world. We had some laughs with her and a great time. At the end of the dinner I said "I have something for you!" and took out my card and wrote Nam-myoho-renge-kyo on it and the connection was INSTANT. 

It was as if she had been seeking this her whole life. She said "Oh! I really need this right now, my Mom's in the hospital in pain and I'm all alone caring for her!" I asked her if she wanted to come over to chant after she got off - my apartment was right across the street and she said SURE! 

She said she'd get our by about 10:30, but she got some last minute customers and was able to come around midnight (!!!)...and I was waiting for her and so happy to see her! She told me the story of her young life (she just turned 20), and I could see what a fighter she is, against all odds. She's faced extreme challenges and is intent on fulfilling her dream of helping people with artifical limbs. She is such a Bodhisattva already. 

We sat in front of the Gohonzon. I put the bell in front of her, taught her how to chant, and told her she could ring the bell when she was finished. She chanted almost half and hour!  

Yesterday her Mom was released from the hospital! Last night she came over at 10:30 pm and we chanted and talked. She is so grateful to be embraced into this practice and my life. There is nothing better than having experience, knowledge and HOPE to give someone who is soaking it up! She is my Mother's Day gift! Last night we watched the Ben videos and she got to know and love my boy. What a wonderful life I lead! 

I am dedicated to raising her. I am dedicated to helping her achieve each of her dreams. I see her as a leader of our bright, positive movement that will attract 50,000 youth and more!  

I am grateful for all your Daimoku for the youth. We can feel the groundswell... feel them arising...and RISE to meet them! We all have determination to raise capable, happy, bright beacons of hope. And introducing her has brought ME such happiness...a new vibrancy in my step...a fresh determination to live as a brilliant beacon of hope, to overcome my sufferings and achieve my dreams. 

It is time for our youth to find relief and stop suffering. It is time for them to gain human connection...and hope. It is time to stop losing so many to despair! It is up to us to reach out and be available. And it is the greatest joy to watch them blossom like flowers! 

As Daisaku Ikeda writes in the May 2017 Living Buddhism study material on Fostering Successors, (page 44):

"The right time 

is not something one waits for; 

one creates it!"

Now is the time! We can carry cards everywhere we go. 
Introducing people who work close to where I live is now a focus for me. I live on the beach. There are countless restaurants and stores close by. If I meet someone who is receptive they can pop on over before or after they work to learn to chant! 

So happy to be sharing this journey with YOU! 

18 Types of Fortune and 3 Ways to Build it for Ourselves!

Sunday Night's Sunset from my window

Lately I am getting a lot of emails asking how to get money  ~ and asking "Is it ok to chant for money? First I would would like to say to chant for exactly what you want. If you need money chant for money~! 

If you need a job, chant for the BEST job for Kosen Rufu, where you can be the happiest, and make your life shine as a beacon for other's happiness. 

You deserve to have what you need. There are many, many examples of people chanting for money and getting it.  

AND underlying the need for money, there is a deeper and more exciting benefit that we can access within our lives. We can access and build TRUE FORTUNE into our lives. 

What is FORTUNE? How do we build it for ourselves?

First of all, fortune is self made. We can BUILD it with this practice, and change any negative karma we may have. 

No matter what our levels of fortune may be before we begin practicing Buddhism, once we begin chanting the name of the Law of Cause and Effect, the Mystic Law itself, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, our lives begin to move in the direction of fortune. 

With our Daimoku (chanting) we begin "changing from the inside out", the ONLY way to affect true and lasting change. 

And with each passing day of chanting, studying, encouraging others and introducing people to this practice our fortune grows and grows.

Fortune :

Daisaku Ikeda states: 
"Governments come and go, 
economies rise and fall, 
and society changes constantly. 
Only the good fortune 
we accumulate during our lives 
lasts forever. 
True victors are those 
who cultivate the tree of Buddhahood 
in the vast earth of their lives 
while achieving success 
both in society and in their personal lives 
through true faith and a true way of living. 
(Faith in Action page 110)

18 Types of Fortune 
Accumulated by chanting the name of the Mystic Law itself, 
the title of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com 

Fortune is being in rhythm so that we KNOW what to do, and have the spirit, conviction and courage to make the best possible causes at all times. 

Fortune is being in the right place at the right time. 

Fortune is Happiness and the ability to overcome any suffering and turn poison into medicine.

Fortune is strength and resiliency. 

Fortune is getting a call from an associate about a job opportunity that happens to be perfect for you. 

Fortune is having the courage and wisdom to say what must be said and do what must be done at the crucial moment. 

Fortune is always having what you need when you need it. 

Fortune is having the time to chant to our heart's content and encourage others, too. 

Fortune is being able to join harmoniously with our fellow SGI members creating a new kind of family for us all. 

Fortune is being born at the same time as Daisaku Ikeda and learning how to engrave the mentor disciple relationship into our lives so that it is a living, powerful source of energy and wisdom in our lives.  

Fortune is finding solace and peace even when we have lost a loved one. 

Fortune is experiencing the true depth of friendship... knowing how to be a friend, attracting, keeping and appreciating quality people in our lives.  

Fortune is experiencing how to love and be loved in return. 

Fortune is the freedom to live our lives as we want...traveling freely and happily. 

Fortune is health. 

Fortune is the ability to laugh.  

Fortune is the ability to sit in front or our Gohonzons and carry out a meaningful dialogue within our own lives that makes the impossible possible,and brings happiness to ourselves and our families, friends and world.

Fortune is being accident free.

There is much more to fortune.
You can add to this list...send me your ideas of fortune at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

How do we build fortune for ourselves?

1. First we must build a strong practice.  
The more "work" we put into building our practice...the less "work" we have to put into our lives...the less struggling we have to do. We can use all the resources at our disposal to CREATE the discipline to be able to chant twice a day every day and participate in activities. Being a part of the SGI is crucial. Click on the link to the right or send me an email if you need help finding your local organization. If you don't live by any other SGI members, you can do shakubuku and create a group right where you are. In the meantime we can support each other in chanting. 
Having the wisdom to ask for assistance is crucial. Having a seeking mind to understand how and why the Mystic law can have such a profound effect on our lives is important. Studying our SGI publications is important. We call this having a seeking spirit. Chanting at least an hour a day is the fuel most people need to get the motor of their lives started. 

Fortune Comes from Having the spirit and the prayer: 

"I will WIN because my life is important. I will use my life as a shining example that this practice works!! My winning will be a real "win/win" because I will inspire others to the greatness of their own lives! And I will help them bring out the Buddhahood in their own lives by introducing them to chantingI will win for kosen-rufu. I will win over my own negativity. I will absolutely do this!" 

2. Determine and believe we DESERVE what we want fuels our fortune. Every action we take all day long is a cause for our happiness. What do we want? Why do we want it? What can we do to fuel that desire? 
Remember the Buddhist concept Hon Nim Myo - "from this moment forth". Every time we chant we begin life anew. From this moment forth I will win. From this moment forth is EVERY MOMENT. We have the power to change. NOW. We chant the MYSTIC LAW underlying all of life. Wow. We are filled with fortune!

3. Chant for what we want, and Chant for STRENGTH of practice and strength of mind and heart! If we want money, we chant for money. If we want to NEVER WORRY ABOUT MONEY AGAIN - we chant with this in mind. If we want a job we chant for it. The world is OURS. We chant for exactly what we want!

What does fortune mean for you? Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com with your experiences and comments! 

3 Ways to Show Actual Proof with Determined Action

My son Ben on the podium at the Illinois State Track Meet in 2011. Ben's on the left. He came from behind after being injured and joined the other elite runners - where he belonged. He was a Champion in life and is a Champion in eternity. 

On June 11th, we are producing an event to bring the community together, have fun in his memory, and raise funds to help find a cure for Schizophrenia (a disease he got just 3 years ago). 

I have a vow as a Buddha to show actual proof through my own life, and to inspire others that anything is possible. Many of us have taken this vow. When things are hardest, it is our vow that carries us through. 

These last few months the committee for Ben's Memorial Mile, honoring my son, Benjamin Lee Silver, who died last summer, has been working very hard. Together we came up with the concept, the races, the location, the insurance, press releases, website, and all promotional pieces. 

This week I'm being interviewed by the press all week, and today I have a photo shoot. We're going to pose with the many articles published about Ben's champion years of running at Downers Grove North High School. 

And how do we keep moving forward showing actual proof even when we are in such painful situations. how do we take determined actions, even though our eyes are filled with tears? 

I think of the song we sang as YWDs - 

"I'll do my best 
to write a brand new story with my life, 
although the pages may be stained with tears. 
And when I rest, 
if they say there was glory in my life 
it's because I asked this question, 
over and over I asked this question every day, 
through all my years...
What can I do to change the world 
to make it better than before?"

3 ways to show actual proof with determined action:

1. Chant strongly with no distractions every morning and evening. Put away that pesky cell phone. Really. I know how hard it is. But you owe yourself this time. Think to yourself "This is MY time" and put it away. 

2. Make your list of what you want. Then Just chant! Don't worry so much about how or what you are praying. read the Gosho. Chant from your heart. The wisdom will come to you. 

3. Don't give up. Keep taking resolute and determined effort. When I was putting together all the flyers, posters and letters for Ben's Memorial Mile there were days I couldn't face it...days I had to put it aside. Then the next day I woke up and tackled it. Just keep going. Do not give up!  Whatever you are facing...you can win! 

Generating "Earnest Resolve" and Making Each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Count!

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How do we approach our lives powerfully? 
How do we make each moment count? 
How do we generate "earnest resolve"?

We KNOW that each moment contains the seed and power of the entire universe within our lives (ichinen sanzen) We KNOW THIS MOMENT is important. What do we need to harness and activate and use this knowledge with every fiber of our being? Here are some insights from the September Gosho study on the Gift of Rice:


The Gosho, the Gift of Rice states: 
"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 states "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

How powerfully can earnest resolve work in our lives? 

Akeymi Bailey Haynie, our National SGI Leader said 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! 
I am changing this KARMA Forever - 
I am rooting the cause from my life now! 
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 World Peace, I ignite my vow!
I will show actual proof -  inspire myself, inspire others, 
and change the world! 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

The Gohonzon is Not Outside Us !

From the Power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo ~ Very Powerful!

THE GOHONZON IS NOT OUTSIDE US by Linda Johnson

I find that so many people still chant to the Gohonzon as if it were some God or some force outside of themselves. The attitude with which we chant, and the attitude with which we view the Gohonzon is most important, because if we have a distorted view, we will have a distorted practice, and it is that distorted practice and view, that we will teach to others.

We know from study that the characters on the Gohonzon represent the two sides of life and all of the positive/negative attributes that exist within life, including that fundamental darkness that coexists within every human life. Nichiren Daishonin says that there is no life that has one without the other. The characters representing both aspects of life are written on the Gohonzon. For me what is exciting is to know, that even without my being able to read it, Nichiren Daishonin wrote all of these characters on the Gohonzon, which represent every aspect of life, in such a way that every character is looking at the centre just like you and me. Every character is looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Think about the Ceremony in the Air. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the axis of the universe and we’re forming a circle around that axis.

All of us are looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It is the centre that every character is looking at. Why? It is because Nichiren Daishonin is giving us a continual message every time we look at the Gohonzon. The message is that we must base our life on the Law and never on the person. It is the mystic law that has enabled every Buddha throughout eternity to be able to manifest their fullest potential, and that it is the key, which is the centre, for everything. We have to make Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo the centre of our life and we have to base our life on Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It means being able to see and to hear ourselves. It means that whenever we are facing a problem, we don’t just try to use our brain to figure it out, or strategise how to fix it. Many members still do this, and after they have racked their brain as to what to do in order to get from Point A to Point B or to fix the problem, they then chant the solution to the Gohonzon to make it work!. I think that this is practising incorrectly. Let me tell you why.
When we talk about the nine levels of consciousness, the first five are our senses. Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch. The sixth level is the conscious mind. The seventh is the unconscious mind. The eighth level is what we call the karma storage area, which is that area in our life that has accumulated every cause we have ever made throughout all existences. Below that is the ninth level of consciousness, which Buddhism says, is the one pure, unchanging reality of our life.

Every single one of us has fortune and lack of fortune in our life. In the areas in which we have fortune, we can do the same things we see other people do and we can achieve our goals but in the areas of your life where you lack fortune, you can do the identical thing you see your neighbour doing, but the object of your desire seems to move further and further away, right?

EXCHANGING MISFORTUNE FOR FORTUNE

When we are dealing with problems in our lives, they have a causal connection to us. Many times they come from that place in our life where we lack fortune. And so, if we use our brain to strategize how to fix things, our brain can only go to the eighth level of consciousness, which is the karma storage. That is the area which stores up and accumulates all of the causes we have ever made, and it’s seems to be the place in which; WE DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE FORTUNE . Our brain then devises a solution based on lack of fortune. By following this “mental” solution, we will keep reinforcing the same pattern of karmic tendencies over and over in our lives.

But what Nichiren teaches is that by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo you can pierce through the eighth level of karma storage. Pierce through it, be unaffected by it, and you can reach the pure unchanging reality and infinite wisdom of your life that is unaffected by karma storage. That answer is the correct answer for your life. It’s not affected by your karma in the area in which you lack fortune. And this is why I believe Nichiren Daishonin says we must become the master of our mind rather than allowing our mind to master us.

My point is this; when we pray, we need to start from a determination such as: “I will accomplish X,” (whatever X is). We also have to understand from Buddhism that we create our life every moment through our thoughts, our words, and our behavior. Prayer in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is profoundly different from prayer in other religions. We are not praying to something outside of ourselves to bestow something on us. Instead, our prayer here is the determination that; “I will create the object or thing that I am praying for through my causes of thought, words, and actions. I am the creator of my life and I will take the responsibility to create the thing that I am praying for, and that after I have chanted this kind of determined daimoku, I will accomplish X.” I then must come to a realization… “How in the world am I going to do this? That answer only exists inside of my life. I can tap my wisdom for the answer when I have the belief and conviction, that the answer exists inside of me.” And I start chanting with the determination to pull that wisdom up from within my life to clearly see what it is that I need to do in order to create the thing that I’m praying for. That is why President Ikeda says:
“Benefit comes from you. Nobody gives you benefit.”

Excerpt - The Art of listening with the eyes of a Buddha

By Linda Johnson, SGI-USA WD Leader

PowerPrayer for Awakening Our Own Buddha Nature

Today's Daily Guidance from "For Today and Tomorrow" by Daisaku Ikeda: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please remember that patience is in and of itself 

a great challenge, 

and that it often holds the key 

to breaking through a seeming impasse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished a wonderful hour of studying 
"The Heart of the Lotus Sutra" by Daisaku Ikeda. 
(Available at sgi-usa.org - you can click on the portal to the right). 
As a fellow SGI member and lover of this practice (not as an official representative of the SGI) I share my thoughts here with you:   

"The Heart of the Lotus Sutra" is truly the story of our lives. In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni reveals that he did not attain enlightenment in his present lifetime as so many people assume. (And as Shakyamuni said in earlier sutras) 
In the Lotus Sutra he reveals that he attained enlightenment in "beginningless time" and that we, as practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism also attained enlightenment in beginningless time, and are fulfilling our vow to come to this world and show everyone the path to happiness by using the example of our own lives, never being defeated, and overcoming every obstacle.  

Once we are awakened to the fact that we are Buddhas equal to the original Buddha, we can embrace every challenge with fresh eyes, saying to ourselves 

"Yes! I chose this challenge. 
I chose this because I KNOW 
that I can chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and absolutely, without a doubt I can change this.
It is up to me. 
I have the power to tap into the vast resources within, 
as long as I stay focused on my mission for kosen-rufu." 

Each of us can awaken every day with the ability to access the reality that we are Boddhisatvas of the Earth ~ Dancing in happiness ~ assured of our own power to overcome anything in our lives, through reading President Ikeda's words, chanting, refreshing our determination and knowing, absolutely knowing that we chose this existence to manifest our highest potential. 

This might not be our first thought upon awakening - but we can access it in front of the Gohonzon every single morning!

What kind of PowerPrayer (thoughts in our minds while we are chanting) would be useful?  
Let's look at a few of Sensei's quotes from "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra,"

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"The Buddha's original state of life is identical with all people's original state of life. They could not be in any way different. Fundamentally, all people are Buddhas. The only difference is that the Buddha understands this while others are ignorant of it. " p. 153

When we realize that we are Buddhas from beginningless time "We can attain a state of eternal happiness as indestructible as a diamond~that is, the true aspect of the Buddha ~ in our lives." and that "No matter how heavy our burden of karma, through tapping our inner life force, we can revolutionize our existence." p. 163. 
"It enables us to address the reality of our situations with a fresh, forward-looking spirit, always basing ourselves on life's "original moment." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sensei goes on to quote Josei Toda who talks about how we all dwelt together as Buddhas of absolute happiness before making our vows to return to this world and lead others to happiness. 

We are all here fulfilling our vow joyously together. 

What problem could stop us? 
Could financial difficulty stop us?...not unless we let it. 
How about heartbreak, a karma many of us are challenging? Every day I chip away at my karma right along with you. And every day I awaken refreshed...when I study, chant, encourage others and go to SGI meetings. We have such precious lives. People are depending on us to shine. We ARE the suns in our lives! 

PowerPrayer for
Awakening Our Own Buddha Nature!
By Jamie Lee Silver, from the Blog Chantforhappiness.com. 

Life! 
Once again I greet you in front of the Gohonzon! 
I appreciate one more day in this world of strife! 
Once again I strive at every moment 
to bring forth the world of Buddhahood within. 
Right now I am raising my life condition! 
I am determined to live in wisdom, 
tapping the highest potential in my life. 
I am determined to harmonize with my fellow humans 
in a way that makes a difference. 
I am determined to be all I can be, 
and fulfill my vow for kosen-rufu! 
(Happiness and respect for all of life - 
the raising of the life-condition of ALL)
I am determined to forge ahead 
with wisdom, happiness and composure. 
May I live this day fully and happily, 
and shine like the sun! 
I am determined to_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

as I joyously bring forth my Buddhahood!