Wonderful Buddhist Conference!

I just returned from The Florida Nature Culture Center and I have a gift for all the new friends I just met, and for all of you.

These two quotes were in the Ikeda Hall. They speak volumes about the Soka School System founded by Daisaku Ikeda. Read them and let me know what you think!

"Education at its best
is a process of liberation from prejudice
which frees the human heart
from its violent passions.
It is through education that young people
can be delivered from powerlessness,
from the burden of mistrust
directed against themselves.
And those who have learned to trust in themselves
are naturally able to believe
in the latent capacity of others."

And this address to the students of Soka University:

"The world in which we live today,
jarred as it is by inexorable, dramatic change
demands new expressions of creative wisdom.
It eagerly awaits the appearance
of individuals who are imbued with vision and energy,
who can be trusted to build a grander, better world.
It is you, students and graduates of Soka
who will meet the lofty expectations of our era
by serving as pioneers of a new frontier this century.
For you embrace a robust philosophy
that reveres the inherent dignity of life.
I ask you to inspire hope where there is suffering,
strengthen unity where there is conflict,
and impel progress where there is stagnation,
and in doing so, usher in a global renaissance
by fulfilling the roles you were meant to fill."

Great Results

You should just see me walking! Already, almost 4 weeks after hip surgery, I have much more flexibility than I had for the past few years! I am walking around the park by my house...and feeling really good! I am still doing all of my exercises very faithfully, and I can feel myself getting stronger.

Tonight's Buddhist meeting rocked again! There were 14 people here including two guests. One of the guests is going to get his Gohonzon next week at the meeting - on my 50th Birthday! That's the best gift I could possibly get! We will have 6 youth division members (or more) at the meeting next week. THAT is actual proof that chanting works, because we have been chanting for Downers Grove to be the center of youth division activity in our region!

This is so exciting. I feel so fortunate...so incredibly grateful...to be able to help these young people achieve their goals and overcome their sufferings!

Still Recovering

Well I am working so hard all day long! The physical therapist comes here every other day, and I do my exercises all day long, on and off. I can feel myself getting stronger, and every once in a while I get a glimmer of what a life without pain would be like. It is three weeks today since the surgery. And I wish I could say I felt good as new!
What I hope for tonight is to sleep well. I took some sleeping pills already, in the hopes that I might get to sleep earlier than 3:00am.

Last night was an amazing Buddhist meeting at my house. We had five guests! It was such incredible energy...so happy...so exciting. Everyone could feel it! We all explained how we all possess the power of the universe, and it is up to us to draw it forth. It all makes so much sense! We had two youth at the meeting and three women from my neighborhood. I hope all our guests give this life-changing practice a try!

When the student is ready...the teacher will appear

It has been an exciting few days helping 2 precious new members learn how to practice. When the student is ready the teacher will appear.

I remember what it was like to be in the youth division of the SGI...it is a special time when you can grow in unprecedented ways and make friends that you will treasure for life.

Due to all the chanting of the members of our district we now have two brand new 20 year old young women so eager to learn! Today they spent three hours at my house practicing gongyo and chanting daimoku. It is not easy to learn gongyo...it has it's own rhythm and style. But once you learn it...it becomes so energizing to recite!
And it overcomes all language barriers. Once you learn it you can chant anywhere in the world together with SGI members. When you recite Gongyo you are literally reciting the words from the Lotus Sutra. You are joining your microcosm with the macrocosm of the universe...drawing forth the power that has always been yours...channeling it in the direction of your desires!

You are speaking the words of Shakyamuni Buddha...
and of course that makes total sense because
YOU ARE A BUDDHA! SO ARE WE ALL!

It ends with the deep prayer:

"At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings
to gain entry into the unsurpassed way
and quickly acquire the body of a buddha"

There are several goals that my new young friends have...and I am going to chant for each of them and help them achieve their dreams. It will be so wonderful watching them grow in faith and become happier and happier and more certain of the power of their faith. Soon we will have many youth in our district! They are the leaders for the future. It is an honor to help them as I was helped by my seniors in faith so many years ago!

Hip Surgery Successful

OK, I'm not going to say that it was fun...having my right hip replaced...but I think the worst is over and I am home recovering. Yes, I am using my Mom's walker...and I am still on pain meds...but I look forward to the day that I won't be on meds and won't be in pain and will be able to climb to the top of Mt. Tamalpais (or any other mountain) on my own.
I really had an amazing doctor, and this new anterior approach to hip surgery does cut down on recovery time etc...but it is still major surgery.

There are two things I observed. One is that the anesthesia and surgery affected me more emotionally than I thought it would. I went into the surgery pretty calm, and came out of it scared to death...and remained scared and frail for several days.
The other important benefit I see is how much I have changed my "friend" karma over the years. Oh my goodness, there were so many wonderful people to support me all along the way. And they were surprised when I answered their requests for "what can I bring?" SO now I have the September issues of all my favorite magazines! I've got to say the Vogue this month really rocks! Every page is a feast for the eyes...many of men and women...lots of fashion. I've been reading it for days and it will take me weeks to finish!
Seriously...my dear friends have been connecting with me from all over the world. And let me tell you my life wasn't always like this, oh no. I was severely "friend challenged" for many years. I remember sitting in front of my Gohonzon and crying in San Francisco, and only having a few friends my whole life before that. I've really changed some karma here. There are so many people I care deeply about...and so many who saw me through some rough times.
Right now I'm busy editing this blog to turn it into a book! I'm so excited about this. And I'm preparing for my 50th birthday coming up on the 22nd of September.

I still can't believe I had the courage to do this. When I got home a few days ago I chanted in wonder that I could have done such a scary thing. I thanked my life for having the courage....for being strong enough to take the medicine...for undergoing the whole thing.

My 17 year old editor

It turns out that my son Ben is an incredibly talented editor. I'm going through the last year of the blog and preparing it for publishing...and Ben can just see and feel exactly what I want to say. He has enough distance from the material to be able to question parts that are really too vague, and enough closeness with me to know the heart of my message.

What lovely days these are...enjoying summer...enjoying my new tiny self...and creating...creating...creating!

Here we are...

A year later..and so much stronger.

Think of how much I have changed.

A year ago
...my marriage was finished, had been finished for some time...but I was too scared to do anything about it. My whole life was on hold. It felt like it wasn't my "real" life...that somehow my "real" life would start only when I'd gotten the courage to make the changes I knew I had to make. But I didn't have that courage last year...no...not by a long shot.

...I had recently regained some of the weight I was always struggling to lose...it was going up...up...up when I started this blog.

...I was hobbling in pain, and determined to solve it...

...I was a "closet" writer. I had dreams of publishing and writing many books to help people. I'd seen how Buddhist parenting worked with my own kids, and what marvelous men they are blossoming into...all without ever hitting them, and without them fighting with each other. I'd seen how powerfully this practice impacted the work environment...and all my relationships. I always felt I had so much to share...but when I sat down to write a book it felt contrite...forced...and I lacked any confidence.

What I did have was hope. I had a practice that had seen me through life for the last 24 years...and it was time to really put the wheels in motion and challenge myself to chant two hours a day.

And because of the deep desire to have my life impact others...I started this blog, and took you all on my journey.

Through this year we went through some additional heartbreak...even Buddhists cannot avoid problems...or death. And as you know, my sweet Mommy died in November. And after that I realized with new wisdom, that my life was going to end too...and I couldn't keep it on hold any longer. I really could not keep my life in dress rehearsal mode any longer. So I summoned the courage, based on my prayers to access the power of the universe within, to put the divorce in motion.

And ironically I was laid off of my job...but the courage didn't fade...the courage had become a part of my life. And even as I am writing this I do not know exactly how I will carry it all off. I just know that I will.

And over the year...the heartbreak became less and less..the sadness still comes every once in a while but it is not as deep and I continue to challenge it with chanting.

And I stand here today with a whole new life ahead of me...one without pain...I hope!
...One where I live permanently seventy pounds lighter...
...one I share eventually with a new partner who will delight me as much as I delight him...
...and a blooming confidence in my own ability to live the life of my dreams as a writer.

It is no coincidence that my favorite publishing house...the one I always knew would be best for my works...Hay House of course...just established a self publishing arm. It took exactly a minute for me to decide to publish through them, Balboa Press.

So a new journey is beginning. After one year I have an entirely new life. I will still be blogging...and inspiring more and more and more and more...