One Key to chanting a "SOLID HOUR"

Here's my Fall altar!

I tried something new while chanting today, and it worked so well I just had to share it with you right away. 

We all know we want to chant as much daimoku as we can, and we also know that the quality, the concentration, the focus of our time in front of the Gohonzon - having a chat with the core of our life itself, is very important. 

And sometimes we get distracted. I know I'm not alone with the lure of the telephone constantly calling me. When I keep it beside me it's hard not to reach for it to see if anyone's reaching out to me for something important. 

But it is a major distraction for chanting. I sometimes keep it in the other room. But that's not easy either. 

Today, the first full day of my 35th year of practice, I determined to chant a SOLID HOUR of daimoku. That means, no getting up for any reason, no checking email, no checking Facebook, no looking away from the Gohonzon, but I can have sips of water or coffee. 

Not easy. But I did it. HOW? 

I set my clock on my phone to STOPWATCH, started the Stopwatch and turned the phone over. 

The stopwatch was running on the front of my phone, so I knew I wasn't going to check it for emails or Facebook. And when I did, just for a second, consider getting up to do something (turn off the air conditioning), I looked at the stopwatch and saw I'd chanted 37 minutes of absolutely uninterrupted, super-focused Daimoku, I turned my phone back over and kept chanting until I got to an hour. A SOLID HOUR of concentration! Woohoo! 

Of course, you don't have to chant for an hour, chant as long as you can, with focus, that's the important thing. 

So that's my hack for concentration for you today. 

I hope you have a great day and week!

PowerPrayer for Loving Your Body Into Its Perfect Shape (for women)

I'm continuing on a theme today 
to help those of you who have written me 
saying you are dealing with body image and weight issues. 
I chanted with the sentiments of this PowerPrayer in my mind 
and had strong determination to have a body I loved. 
It worked for me it can work for you. 
The way to use PowerPrayer is to read the words before your daily chanting, and throughout the day whenever you want to refresh your determination. 
Then, when you are chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you can focus your mind on absolutely winning in the area of your relationship with your body. 
Don't give up! 
From Julia and Jamie, (who have both achieved success in this area) from our upcoming book, The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting Your Way to happiness, we offer you:

PowerPrayer for Loving My Body into its Perfect Shape (for women)

When you practice this PowerPrayer you will be receiving what we call “inconspicuous benefit.” You may not see its effects right away, but you will build strength over time and these words will become true. 

My body feels great!

I am the perfect shape!

I easily cross my legs, 

I am smaller than all my clothes,

I fit in all sorts of beautiful, sexy clothes!

For the first time, I am not hungry for the wrong foods. 

I can eat anything I want - and I want what’s BEST for me. 

I love my food and enjoy it! 

I love my beautiful, sexy body!

I have a smooth, non-bloated tummy. 

My belly is stronger and happier than ever. 

My face shines with health and vibrancy. 

I do not miss the unhealthy food I used to eat. 

I have energy, 

                    spark 

                            and a light in my eye!

I work out. 

I breathe. 

I am in the best physical shape of my entire life. 

I look and feel much younger than my age. 

My posture is improving daily because my self-esteem is rising

I am grateful to my own life

for having the courage, 

                                    fortitude, 

                                                vision 

                                                 and determination 

to live my life HEALTHY. 

Oh  -  Thank You!

Most Exciting News

I just don't think there is anything more exciting than having a really deep impact in someone's life. For me, that is the crux of life...the reason I chose to be born at this time...the juice that makes life worth living.

You should just see what is happening in the lives of my friends from California who are about to receive the Gohonzon...and the thing is...the beautiful thing is...I shakubukued them with my life...and THAT is the anwer to my prayers.

I've known Julia for 12 years, ever since a friend fell deeply in love with her when we were all living together in San Francisco. We always had friends living with us there...it was truly a gift for ourselves and our kids. We gave our kids "chosen" family!

Once we met Julia, we could see why he had fallen so deeply for her...she is a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. It took him many moons to win her over, and when they got married it was in a grove on the side of Mt. Tamalpais...and the four of us flew back to San Francisco for the wedding. It was an unforgettable experience...watching Julia walk barefoot down to us through the knee high grasses...hearing all the blessings each person bestowed upon them as part of the ceremony...watching my little boys play catch while we drank Champagne and basked in the glow of their love...

Then over the course of life, Julia had some setbacks and got ill...she got Lyme disease and a deep sadness from some events she went through.

When Paul turned 50 I flew Cliff and Julia here to surprise Paul...and we had a great time...only I was so heavy and so sad. Julia believed in me. She believed I could win over my heavy body and become healthy and happy. She turned me on to Goji juice...and I redetermined...and redetermined to achieve victory. I would not give up. She and I would talk frequently about life and affairs of the heart. As you know...I've lost the weight!

When Paul and Ben and I drove to Port Clinton, Ohio to see Julia and Cliff this summer, Julia was in no mood to talk about religion. She had spent a week with Cliff's wonderful...evangelical ...Mennonite family...so I said nothing about chanting, and my life itself did the talking.

She was floored by how I looked...but not just how I looked...she is intuitive and spiritual and she could FEEL the strength of my life. She saw how Paul and I, even though we are divorcing, we are enjoying each other's company and raising our wonderful and happy Buddha boy! She has known Ben since before he was born and she and Cliff and Ben jammed on guitar and talked and laughed together. One afternoon in the park she said "Let's Chant". And Ben and I just started chanting outdoors with her...and she has not stopped since!!!

She and I talk every day...you should hear her! The power of life...the excitement of reclaiming her health, her vitality, her energy...it's palpable!!! She KNOWS she has tapped into the source of the UNIVERSE within her...she's chanting every day, twice a day and preparing to receive her Gohonzon. Every time I talk to her I get a surge of "Anything is possible! ANYTHING!" and we give each other energy. I know I am in the process of making my dreams come true. And I'm sharing this process with the people I love and watching their lives blossom too! Truly...what could be better?

Buddhist Bliss!

That's just what I'm experiencing right now! Buddhist bliss...feeling...knowing...believing and seeing that my desires are actually leading me to the deepest happiness I've ever known...because they are leading me to chant hard from the deepest core of my being...as Nichiren Daishonin says "chant as if to make fire from wood, or water from a dry well" THAT kind of chanting!

You should just see me...since 2005 I have lost over 65 pounds...35 of that since October 28th of last year! I fit in the cutest clothes ever!

Think about the changes in my life since I began this blog and started chanting 2 hours a day. At that time I was soooo sad. That's one of the reasons I began the two hours a day...also I was entering into my 25th year of Buddhist practice and aware I wanted to make some huge changes in my life! And that's what I've done...

My husband and I are amicably divorcing and looking at the next phases of our lives now that our Buddha Boys are almost grown. We have fulfilled our parenting mission together. My desire is for us to have the kind of life after divorce that will inspire people...that we'll still work well together for the good of the kids and remain the close friends we've always been. (Can I just say that this is an enormous breakthrough)!!

And now I have something new and exciting and that is an opportunity to recreate myself in the work world. I am no longer employed by the retirement community I worked for over the past 4 years...and the future is so bright for me. I'm not sure exactly where it will lead me...but right now I'm planning a trip to go visit my dear friends in the Bay Area for a few weeks. I have friends all over and it's been a few years since we had good quality time together. Yaaay!

And this morning I chanted for 2 hours with a desire I can't share with you just yet...one I thought I couldn't have...one that would literally make the impossible happen. And here I am, on top of the world.

Remember - there are no bad desires! You desires are yours alone...if you don't get what you are chanting for you will get something better.