Six Years Ago Today....

Beautiful Marla

Beautiful heart

Laughing spirit

Intelligent soul....

all you had to offer...

to your gorgeous children

your patients

Your friends

What a healer you were...

How strong and determined...

rising from the poorest Bronx projects...

where you told us everyone was like family...

Meeting Gary when you were still a child...

and keeping him in your heart

until he was ready to become fully yours.

And you traveled to California

and made a beautiful family...

including me, your loving sister in law.

All the great times we shared...

laughing with our adorable babies...

through camping trips in the snow...

to camping in the mud...

...and laughing...always laughing...

Beautiful Marla.

I think of you every day...

twice a day during gongyo's silent prayers

and I raise a grateful prayer

for having known you

and become your sister

and loved you

and

love

you

so.

What does Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Mean?

So glad you asked!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo means:
"I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration".
I like to think of it as "I am one with the flow of life" because that's what it does...it puts you right in rhythm with your own life and everything around you.

It's a law. It works whether you believe in it or not.

People all over the world chant this phrase with the Sokka Gakkai International. The Website link is sgi-usa.org. I've posted it next to the copy of this blog. I encourage you to go there. Call the center nearest you and get the name of someone who practices near you. It doesn't cost anything...you don't have to "do" anything to chant. Just try!

It's truly a practice for anyone...no rules...no dues...no eating restrictions...just chant!
And practice. Chant every morning and evening...then you'll be writing me to tell me your results! Remember...dream big...go for the impossible!

I'll be chanting a lot today! Join Me!

Hello!

Here I am waiting to hear about the job.

It's a sunny day here in Chicago.

I'm going to spend a lot of time chanting today.

I'm determined to get the best job for Kosen Rufu!

And I'm determined to move my brilliant, sparkling life forward!

Join me!

Benefits Abound!

When going through something like this...applying for a job and hoping to get it, it's important to remember all the benefits you have every day.

My benefits include: My health! After my surgery last year I am walking effortlessly wit a spring in my step and no pain!

...my wonderful Aaron...exceeding expectations as a Junior at the University of illinois...fulfilling his duties of being the President of the running club...he's running faster than ever (which really makes him happy!) and getting a 4.0 in his studies to boot. He's chanting and having a great social life too. He's taking advantage of ALL that college life has to offer!

...my wonderful Ben~! I just mentioned his name here at the Panera and a complete stranger said "You're Ben's mother? I know all about Ben!" and he started telling me how Ben is fast like lightning. THis happens all the time...mention his name around town and everyone knows who he is. In the meantime Ben's deciding on a prom date and planning his original songs for ther open mic later this week.

...so grateful to have discovered chanting and to be a disciple of President Ikeda's! I searched for this practice until I found it at the age of 25. What if I hadn't found it? I am so grateful to be able to chant and to be a part of this incredible organization.

...grateful for all the friends and love I have around me every day!

...grateful for my readers! I love it when you send me comments. I love that I have the honor of encouraging you and giving you hope.

Thank you!!!!

Before the NEXT interview! Chanting for Connection!

The excitement continues!

Today I am giving a mock presentation...the kind of presentation I would be giving on a daily basis to business leaders in the community about the college where I am interviewing.

I am chanting to connect deeply with the other Directors who will be my audience. I am chanting to be poised, articulate, warm and intelligent. I am chanting for them to REALLY want me to come to work for them. I am chanting for the best opportunity to do Kosen Rufu and move my life along. It is a job in education...a worthy endeavor helping people better their lives.

I produced the coolest looking presentation at the Apple store on my MacBook Air. I've been practicing and will practice more.

Now to chant again, then get ready to go!

From Daisaku Ikeda to you and me

"Seen from the perspective of faith and Buddhism,

everything has profound meaning.

There is no need whatsoever

for us to vacillate between elation and despair

at each turn of events.

There is no such thing

as a storm

that will continue blowing and wreaking havoc without end.

In the same way,

there is no hardship that will continue forever.

There are clear days and there are rainy days.

If we are swayed by our environment,

rejoicing one moment and despairing the next

amid ever-changing circumstances,

then we will not be able to accomplish

a true revolution

in our state of life.

The important thing is to always believe in the Mystic Law and to enter the powerful orbit of faith, practice and study. Entering this orbit--the orbit of human revolution and of changing our karma --is the way to construct a life of good fortune and happiness that will endure throughout eternity. No matter what happens, we will enjoy the unerring protection of the Gohonzon. Instead of drawing conclusions about the world of faith from a superficial viewpoint, we need to calmly discern the true reality and significance of things and keep pressing forward.

With the passage of time, it will definitely become clear that everything has unfolded in the best possible manner."

From The Hope Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 277, from his essay on the Gosho "A Warning Against Begrudging One's Fief."

Thriving, not just Surviving...!

Magical Moments:

Ben came home from his meet and we chanted really strongly together...chanting with Ben is like running with him...strong, fast, determined...you literally get warm...

After we chanted he suggested we listen to our favorite album of our dear friend Peppinos D'Agostino's music and started listening to that. The music from that particular album is magical. It is not our imagination...it is truly incredible in feeling, tone...passion...It captured a time in Peppino's life, and in our lives, when we were hanging out together all the time...Ben was two years old...Peppino was crazy about Ben and nicknamed him Benjamino (and we still call him that). We all saw each other every day. We lived blocks away from each other on one of the tallest hills in San Francisco...and the music on this album...well it was the soundtrack to our lives.

Music this beautiful just doesn't come along that often...and Ben and I played every song, and savored every note, and shared so much love and appreciation for the rich life we have shared together. Thriving, not surviving...

I know that these are my last few months with Ben before great changes occur...he goes to college...I move out...

Ben's creating some beautiful music himself...he's composed three complete songs with witty lyrics, and has 2 more almost done. He's performing at an open mic on Thursday...

I am about to go back to my Gohonzon right now and chant in complete appreciation...just as I was doing this morning when I did morning Gongyo and chanted in appreciation then... in praise of my own...precious...life.