What if You are dealing with illness?

I received a question from a reader who's illness has gotten worse since she started chanting. 


She was asking for confirmation that she should keep chanting, even though facing these concerns. 


Today I atended a lecture at the Chicago Buddhist Center by Linda Johnson. She talked about many things, health included. I'll paraphrase a bit here. 


She said May is a time for us to reaffirm our mission to be able to demonstrate the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in our own lives in order to encourage others. 


Transforming our own destiny has nothing to do with anyone or anything outside of our own lives. It is something that we have to change from within. 


Nichiren Daishonin was a revolutionary during his time, and he is still a revolutionary NOW because he tells us to look within to solve our problems, not to look outside ourselves. 


Everything operates on the strict law of cause and effect. Everything around us, all the people, the job, everything, no exception (including illness) is operating on the law of cause and effect. And we have to realize that we have caused the effects we see in our lives today. But don't get upset and close your computer and run away when I tell you this! Understanding this fact is the only way that you will get mastery over your life!


All you have to do is OWN that you, living lifetime after lifetime, made the causes that have you in the place you are right now....with whatever sadness, sickness, loneliness, etc. You need to own your karma....only THEN can you make the deep determination to change it. 


But! Very important to KNOW! ~
Owning your karma is not the same as BLAME, GUILT, SHAME. Do not think of it as your FAULT...and above all, do not waste your time analyzing it and trying to figure it out. DON'T DO IT! IT WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE!!!


All you need to do is recognize the interconnectedness of life, and see that the one common denominator in all your problems is YOU. And with that knowledge and power...YOU can change it! There is nothing Nam Myoho Renge Kyo can't change!!!!


Chant to get to the core of your karma...chant to reach into your life and uproot the karmic cause of suffering by the roots and dash it out of your body!!! 


Shut off your brain. Stop analyzing it! 


Just chant to change it! 


Pray to change it from a place you can use to encourage others. Chant "I must change this so I can be happy and my happiness will encourage others!!!"


About illness ~ Linda said chant to wake up every one of your cells to the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo... and send it through your entire body! She told a story about a woman whose son had lymphoma and the doctors had said he only had a short time to live. The mother chanted this way...sending Nam Myoho Renge Kyo through his bloodstream and now he is cancer free. 


You are powerful! 
Summon up the faith to change your karma. 
Please realize that chanting brings forth all you need to change to become happy, and change every single thing until you are happy and don't give up!! 

Lots of your comments coming in...

Thank you all for writing. It seems my last post really struck a chord. Many people have experienced various forms of physical and emotional release when they first started chanting. One person wrote me about having anxiety attacks after starting chanting. They said they had about 6 attacks. At first the attacks were emotional, then faded and faded in intensity and finally disappeared. 


Sometime during my first few years of chanting I felt that I was stirring a lot of issues up in my life, but I felt like they weren't really resolving. I went for guidance with a senior leader...and her guidance really changed my life. She said that when you first start chanting your life is like a big glass of dirty water. When you chant you stir that up...and you feel the effects of everything moving around. But there is still a layer on the bottom that hasn't been reached. She said that's what tozos and fresh determination are about. She said I might think about chanting one day for a long period of time with a specific goal...and I took her advice pretty seriously. I decided to take the issue I was most concerned about, make a vow to totally change the karma I was experiencing in this area and chant for 10 hours about it. I tell you this story because I experienced it, not because anyone is ever expected to chant for such a long period of time...please don't worry that you won't get results in your life if you don't do this. Your daily practice WILL give you results if you don't give up!


So I sat down on this gorgeous sunny day in San Francisco with my water, my journal and my vow to overcome this suffering. During the course of the day I stopped every hour to stretch. I watched very interesting things come up as I chanted....and the first thing I chanted for was to get through the ten hours. My dear friend Delores Hepburn taught me that. I also called my District leader and he came over and chanted the last hour with me. Thank you Jon Doskow! 


During the day the time really flew. I thought about all the things I had ever done that I regretted and I forgave myself. I chanted for my list of all the things I wanted. I chanted to introduce everyone who was suffering to this practice. I chanted to love my life. And I chanted about my job karma, and the karma I had always had  - I always had problems in my relationships with other people. 


And something did change that day. I don't know if I saw it immediately afterwards. I remember it being really hard to chant for at least a few days. But I've changed so many things over the course of my chanting...changed them forever. I don't have problems connecting with people anymore. On the contrary I always have endless invitations to really cool things with really wonderful people. My life overflows with love. From all areas. I can let it in...in ways I always longed for, and never knew WHY I couldn't. I never had to figure out WHY, I just chanted to change the karma and it worked!
I feel tremendous satisfaction in my work life, and even when I have challenges I know exactly what to do about them. 


For those of you who wrote me that some things are moving slowly I have two words of advice. 


Don't GIVE UP! 
And make a VOW deep in your life to be happy in every single area of your life so that you can be a shining example that this practice works...and in front of the Gohonzon DEMAND the results that you want. You are a Buddha!!! You deserve for all your prayers to come true! Don't give up!!!

Turn your Karma into MISSION!!!! True Happiness every moment!

I had to show this picture one more time....this is a photo of my sons getting to know their grandfather for the first time EVER. I chanted for a long time to have this wonderful man, Eli, be found...and to become part of the family again after almost 50 years. And here he is! Actual Proof!! Daimoku Works!!!




What does it mean to turn 
Karma into mission?


Take Your Deepest Desires and Accomplish Them!


Let me give you an example.


Say you have something you are trying to change. One day you think "YES ~ I CAN CHANGE THIS!!!", then the next day you are discouraged and feel hopeless again. If you can recognize the hopelessness for what it is ~ a negative function in your life seeking to hold you back, then you can elevate your understanding of every single challenge that you face.


As some of you know, my husband of many years and I are in the process of splitting up. We have 
raised two great children together and it's time for us to move on. I don't see it as a failure...but really as a victory since we are both headed towards more compatible relationships. I chant for his happiness and deeply desire it for him. I know we will always be friends....


AND...Right now...my deepest wish (among others) is to love and be loved. I want to feel REALLY cherished. I want to have the kind of love I sometimes see in other couples. When I was on my cruise I met two couples who inspired me right down to my toes. I could feel their love for each other...I could see the admiration in their eyes, and most of all, I could see the real pleasure they got in making each other feel good! THAT'S what I want! Nothing less!


And whenever I start to get that feeling of hopelessness, I turn it around in a few seconds by realizing...THIS IS MY MISSION. I VOW in front of the Gohonzon that I will have this kind of love, and not just for myself. I MUST have this kind of love because I need to inspire my district, my blog readers...I NEED TO MOVE THE UNIVERSE with my prayer. EVERYONE DESERVES THIS!!!
And everyone CAN HAVE IT. I'm in the process of proving it.


Then ~ how can I be unhappy? I know victory is certain. I have proven the power of this Gohonzon 
(in other words - the power of my own life ~ over and over....) I can do it again!!! I will do it again.
I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! I have so many victories to shout from the rooftops! This will be one more of them....


And remember  - if it's easy ~ then it isn't the kind of karma I'm talking about! Everyone has things that are easy...things you can master quickly...and everyone has things that are "stuck"! THAT's the kind of karma I'm talking about.
And you, yes YOU have the power within you through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo...studying the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda, going to SGI meetings, and telling people about this practice....if you do those things....YOU WILL WIN!!!! NO DOUBT!!!

Prayer in Buddhism

Prayer in this practice is very different than most forms of prayer.
While we are chanting we are busy focusing our thoughts like a laser beam cutting through our karma.
We are not "asking" anyone for anything...
We are instead making a vow or a determination
to accomplish something.
That's so different, isn't it?
We are chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
and at the same time vowing to win in whatever endeavor we desire.

Daisaku Ikeda says it best:

When your determination changes,
everything else will begin to move
in the direction you desire.
The moment you resolve to be victorious,
every nerve and fiber in your being
will immediately orient itself
toward your success.
On the other hand, if you think
"This is never going to work out,"
then at that instant
every cell in your being
will be deflated and give up the fight,
and then,
everything really WILL move
in the direction of failure.

For Today and Tomorrow
Daily Encoragement
for September 20th
Daisaku Ikeda