More Great Results and coaching on how to chant effectively!

I'll tell you, when you're in the flow of things...you are in the FLOW of things. I sooo want all of you to experience this. And again, it comes from devoting your life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!


This week was incredible. Besides being my birthday week and having flowers and gifts and love everywhere...it was also an accreditation visit at the college where I work. This is a big deal. The various departments in the school have been preparing for this for months. Mostly I was thinking that it doesn't effect me too much. I am the Director of Community and Alumni Outreach...my main purpose is to join the college with various organizations where our students can get real world experience doing health care related tasks for a few hours at a time. It's fun...I love bringing the students to senior fairs and public health departments. It gives them confidence. I take pictures of them and post them on the bulletin boards....I form partnerships with organizations so we can return again and again. And I didn't think the surveyors would care much about this. 


Not only did they care, but something totally unexpected came out of this. Remember I am the Buddha, right? So I've been pouring daimoku into this program since the day I started....for the program chairs' happiness, for us to work together happily, for the students happiness and success. And I thought the only thing that came out of these types of surveys was bad news, information of things we had to improve on, but no! What happened was my program ended up being written up as OUTSTANDING! The surveyors reported that on my campus Service Learning was overwhelmingly effective and popular among the students. I was given a personal commendation in the final report. I didn't even know this could happen! 


And one of the staff said to me that ripples of my happiness had affected the whole school!


HOW TO CHANT! 


Just focus on what you want. Chant what is in your heart!  


Think about what makes you most passionate. Chant to raise your life condition so that everything will come to you. Chant to realize, at every moment, how precious your life is!!! Chant to share President Ikeda's heart...like it is beating in your own heart. Then read his writings to find out why I would recommend such a thing to you! If you're not connected to the Soka Gakkai...chant to BE connected to the Soka Gakkai, and go to meetings in your area. It is lonely, and impossible to get the same benefits chanting alone. If you can't find the organization close to you...make one by introducing your friends. Be a brave pioneer! But get connected to the SGI somehow!
Chant to have many dear friends in faith and to find people who inspire you. Chant in appreciation for having challenges so you can PROVE this practice. Chant to be an example that this practice works....that you HAVE to have RESULTS so that you can inspire people. Then share your practice with others to the best of your ability. I chant that my members can't NOT share the practice because they are overflowing with benefits!  I carry Nam Myoho Renge Kyo cards with me and hand out cards all day long....
Just keep going...don't give up! Chant twice a day, morning and evening. Perfect your gongyo. All of this comes easily when you are in the rhythm of chanting twice daily. Believe me...it is a joy not a struggle!!! Let me know your results and your challenges! 
You can do it!!!

It's My Birthday! ~ Shine up that Altar of Yours!

And because I can chant the Daimoku of the title of the Lotus Sutra....I am happier than I've ever been in my whole life!


Yes, it's true!


I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo... with joy and conviction and a VOW to be Happy ~ Healthy ~ Smart ~ Sexy ~ Prosperous! All the good things I can think of! I chant to share the heart of my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda. You know  - when you chant this way you are already a winner! You can't lose!


Last night's District Meeting Rocked! There were 17 people in Jamie's Sweet Apartment, and two incredible experiences. The first was from Heather, who had experienced a real downturn lately. She'd quit her job because it wasn't paying the rent, so she couldn't afford her car insurance and lost her license....and on and on. I went over to her house and we moved her beautiful Butsudan (altar)(it was my Mom's) and cleaned it all up and made it bright and shiny and we talked about the way you treat your altar is the same as the respect you have for your own life. If you keep it bright and clean and have offerings of fresh fruit....your life will sparkle! Heather ended up getting a job she is over the moon about! It's at a wonderful place and she has all kinds of benefits she never even chanted for....along with working with people she genuinely respect and who treat her well!!! Yaaaayyy!!! 
And Ted also got a job he is thrilled about. He's a relatively new member (so is Heather) and he'd been struggling to find a job he liked. We kept encouraging him to chant chant chant chant! And NOT give up!!! He finally got a job interview at a hotel and  - get this - they have a Gohonzon room in the hotel and he is working with Buddhists! They are giving him a lot of responsibility and he is thrilled. The day before his interview he chanted for 6 hours with his partner Mark! Sometimes THAT is what it takes!!!


So on this day, my birthday...take a look at your own altar. Make sure it is against a very sturdy wall...not under a window...not in a corner. Make sure there is NOTHING hanging over it. Dust it lovingly. Get the residue of candles off of it (I used to use a hot hairdryer to do this - now I burn candles with glass around them), put fresh fruit, and water in the morning, and if you want you ca put some fresh greens, or bamboo, or a plant. I have the beautiful roses given to me by a very special man in my life on my altar today. Aaaaaahhhh life is good! Clean up your altar area and you clean up your life. Make it sparkle and your life will sparkle too!!!!

Ohhhh I feel so good

And I want you all to feel soooo great too!


 My life is incredible, and it starts anew every single morning and every evening when I sit in front of my Gohonzon and chant with an open heart. I pour out every one of my desires...and I start with the desire to really, every single minute, realize how incredible I AM and how incredible my life force is....and how much I love my life and love myself...and how every Nam Myoho Renge Kyo I chant goes to further realize my own magnificence. It is so refreshing to see the diamond brilliance of my life...to see and feel the power of the Buddha within me. 
And the results of this prayer...and the VOW to be winning in every single area of my life....well I am sparkling more brilliantly in every area every moment. 
My life is sparkly and brilliant and wonderful. I am totally fulfilled....totally seeing and feeling...and letting in all the love...all the happiness that surrounds me in ways I have longed for my entire life. I feel cherished and happy and beautiful and  whole. And I long for all people...all women...to know this feeling!  Nam Myoho Renge Kyo...have I ever changed some karma. My  cup is overflowing and there is more and more flowing my way every moment. YES universe! That's what I'm talking about. 
And my professional life is an absolute blast. After a rough start in my new job...where I really turned around a tough situation...I am so happy that work never feels like working. I am shining and glowing and producing incredible results while enjoying every single minute of every day...making new friends....creating value for everyone around me. I even got national recognition on the weekly call I'm part of every Friday.  Some of the recognition was unexpected...a nice public thank you from an associate in another city...so very cool. And last week I participated in a training and won the $100 gift card to a cool restaurant. The week before that I received an incredible opal set in gold as part of a cool thing I was doing with my students. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo...my life is full of unexpected surprises! 
I have wonderful health....great friends....better friends than I've ever had...wonderful, loving friends with many shared interests. I am riding high. And I KNOW, KNOW, KNOW that it is because of this wonderful practice. I KNOW I have designed it all, and create it all with every Daimoku I chant.  
AND I KNOW this all is possible for you too. Whatever your challenges, whatever your goals and dreams and visions....if I CAN DO IT...SO CAN YOU! I am not extraordinary. I am determined to be happy, and willing to put in the time in front of my Gohonzon with my heart in my hands and my life in my hands. I chant for my Human Revolution, and to lift every suffering being up with me. I chant to do my Human Revolution so the entire world can rid itself of suffering, of war, of hate, of despair. Through my happiness I am healing the world. THAT is my determination. 
And if I can be happy so can you. No matter what your karma is you can change it. No matter how badly you are suffering now....I promise you, you can change it into a beautiful overflowing garden just as I have. Remember when I started this blog two years ago? I was suffering from heartache, and life-ache and deepest, darkest despair. And I committed to chant two hours a day for my own happiness and to take anyone who wanted to read my blog on this journey with me...and look at me now. May my words and determination inspire you to chant every single morning and evening...to never give up on your dreams....to join with your mentor and my mentor Daisaku Ikeda...and to achieve the kind of happiness that will have you pinching yourself in joy!!!! 
You can do it! Own your suffering! Call it your mission! Recognize your karma. Embrace it...chant to change it. Every morning and evening and don't give up! 
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!
I love you !!!
Jamie

Incredible Guidance ~ Try this!

I have been following this incredible Guidance. Check it out.

Chanting to become a man/woman 

of UNLIMITED SELF EXTEEM

Whatever it is that you are suffering from...whatever it is, it has a common root and this way of prayer will have a deep impact!!

...You can analyze your situation all you want. You have to get to the bottom of why "I don't believe in the greatness of my life". You have to grab it by the roots and yank it out of your life. 

You must chant to AWAKEN TO YOUR OWN GREATNESS!

Chant to appreciate and value your own life!

Your mission as a Buddhist is TO BECOME HAPPY! NOT TO MASTER SUFFERING!!!

We all have negative and positive voices in our heads... one says "Who are you kidding?" and the other says "You can do it!." Which voice will you listen to? Which will you tell to just go away? It's your choice! You HAVE to fight not to give in to your negativity. It is the ULTIMATE win you MUST HAVE! This is not about being a writer, artist, actor, etc. It's about becoming the person you always wanted to become, a person who values and appreciates his/her life at EACH MOMENT! A person who revels in being who they are! 

I am living proof that this is possible. I am enjoying every single moment of my life and appreciating myself every second of every day. I am producing excellent results at work...and loving it! I am so happy in every aspect of my social life....especially those aspects that have challenged me so completely for my entire life. I have just seen my two Buddha boys go off to college, and YES, I do feel the sadness of the changes of time...the passage of a phase of my life. My little Ben is never going to come running across the field with his arms outstretched and jump into my waiting arms...but I have a life so rich and exciting that I am feeling the loss, I'm present to this moment of poignancy, but I am not laid low for very long before I spring into the excitement of my next exciting encounter.  The guidance I am sharing this evening is part of the reason I am flourishing. 

THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE ARE THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER!

Those feelings of self-doubt, those feelings of "I am a failure"....or "I am NEVER going to change this"...THOSE are the feelings you have to address and fight head on! YOUR TALENT IS NOT BEING QUESTIONED....it's about how you feel about yourself! THAT is the karma! You have to value your own life! You have to appreciate it!




Unless you conquer those feelings you will not break through to the happiness that is YOUR BIRTHRIGHT ! You deserve to be happy! Chanting to REALIZE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF YOUR LIFE WILL HELP YOU TO SEE IT!




It has nothing to do with someone else validating you! Follow your heart! Chant to feel your own magnificence! THAT is what will move mountains in your life.
Chant to Do your human revolution!




You need to follow your heart, truly treasure your life. When Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, he was already chanting daimoku, and out of the greatness of his life welling forth in the realization that he had tapped into the key to happiness itself, he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon for all humanity, so that every single person could attain enlightenment, relieve their suffering, and be HAPPY! When you sit in front of the Gohonzon you have to have the most reverence for your life. The Gohonzon is the universe within you. It is the beautiful life state you can call forth by chanting in front of it. If you chant for at least two weeks to really be a man/woman of unlimited self esteem and to REALLY, TRULY appreciate your life, including your flaws, your accomplishments, your defeats, your losses, your victories, all you have created, and truly APPRECIATE YOUR TALENT AS________________ for at least two weeks then EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE.




Forget about all the garbage in the past. Put it away! From today on really chant to be a man/woman of unlimited self esteem!

This is part one, but a very good start! Make your determination and chant NOW!!!

Why Chant?

Good Question. 
If you're new to the whole chanting idea...or even if you're not...why do it? What does chanting do for you? 


Let's look at a few basics behind the very idea of chanting. 


First of all, one of the main concepts of Buddhism is that YOU ARE A BUDDHA. WE ARE ALL BUDDHAS. What is a BUDDHA? One who is awakened to the fact that he or she is a microcosm of the universe, and therefore has all the power of the universe inside his or her life.  All Buddhas are equal. We do not pray TO the Buddha! We ARE the Buddha. We chant to access the power within us...and channel it in the direction we want it to go. 


It's there. All the power...all the glory...all the beauty. Right in our own lives. And it's accessible by chanting the simple words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. These words mean: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration. Chanting these words is like calling out to the law of the universe BY NAME, and bringing forth whatever you may desire. 


That's another beautiful thing about chanting. Your DESIRES ARE ENLIGHTENMENT. The more desires you have, the better! Your desires are all good. Even the bad ones. When you chant for what you want you will change your life in a positive direction. When you chant, you are plugging your life into the miraculous power of the entire universe. YOU DON"T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT. YOU DON"T HAVE TO BELIEVE IT! IT'S A LAW! I know a man who started chanting to prove to his wife that chanting did not work. More than 40 years later he is still chanting because he realized how profoundly it DID work....even when he didn't believe in it. He has inspired countless people with his story and with his life. (Hi Amos!)


Chanting works because WE ARE INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. Our lives are interwoven and are able, with our own power, to affect the entire environment in which we live. I'm sure you've noticed this many times in your life. There are days in which you hit every green light, and days in which you hit every red one. I know this is simplified, but I think you understand what I am saying. And because of this, when we chant to change our own lives...when we chant to raise our life conditions, when we chant to realize the magnificence of our own Buddhahood, the environment around us changes as well. It has to. Try it and see. 


I offer you this: Do an experiment. For the next 100 days chant at least 5 minutes every morning and evening. Go the SGI-usa.com website and find people in your area who chant. Go to meetings. Make a Buddhist friend. Write your list of desires. And watch your life change in a positive direction! You will feel your own happiness growing and growing. Get some books at the SGI Center by you, or order them through the publications number on the website. Anything written by Daisaku Ikeda is the key to your growth. He has dedicated his life to achieving world peace through each person's human revolution for 64 years. One of my favorite books of his is a small book called "On Attaining Buddhahood". 


You can be happier than you ever imagined....and your desires CAN come true. I am living proof of that. YOU CAN BE TOO! 

Thriving, not Surviving

OK, I have successfully made it through one of life's greatest transitions...launching my precious boys into the world. As of last weekend, Aaron is at the University of Illinois, and Ben is at Miami of Ohio more than four hours away.
You know....someone once said to me, that once you have a child it is like your heart is permanently walking around outside your body ~ and I know this to be true. 
Right now my heart is launched in two different campuses. And I can't hover and control everything. 
No, at this point I have to trust that the years of raising them to chant for their own lives, and the continual Daimoku that I am chanting,  is just what they need to continue winning in life.
I love what Preseident Ikeda says about winning. It is not that winning is NEVER LOSING. WINNING MEANS NEVER BEING DEFEATED NO MATTER WHAT. 
We are human after all, aren't we?
Look at Ben, he's figuring everything out. He has a running scholarship he earned with his own hard work...and most people just wouldn't even believe what he puts himself through on a daily basis. When he's in good running shape (i.e. not injured) he pushes himself running in ways I can't even imagine. When he's injured (which is, mysteriously, and annoyingly...frequent) he pushes himself even harder...working in the gym for three hours or more to keep his cardio up for when he CAN run again.
Right now there is a question as to whether he'll be able to run this semester or not...we shall see. 
During his first week at college he met with many department heads on campus to help decide what major he wants to pursue.
On the day I moved him into his dorm,  I presented him with a tiny altar for his Omamori Gohonzon, anew book and beads set, Discussions on Youth by Daisaku Ikeda, and a gorgeous new bell. He'd received his Omamori Gohonzon earlier this summer. I know he is equipped now for success. I know he knows where he can turn when faced with challenges.  I can only hope that he has endless days of sunshine and glory...but life isn't always like that. But knowing that he is ready....well, as his Mom...I can breathe...I am happy.
And Aaron...he is handling what they call "Secondaries" for Medical school....I think that's what they call this phase of the application process. Who knows where he will be this time next year/ In the meantime, he's got an apartment he just fixed up and made wonderful...and all his friends around him everywhere. He's all set to lead his cross country club to victory at U of I, and succeed in his own life. I still am amazed at the thought of him last year...chanting in his conservative yet cool (they don't do hazing) fraternity.
And me, well, miraculously, my life is going on, even opening up. New and exciting people are coming into my life and showing me worlds of interesting, exciting, fun adventures. I am experiencing my own life as the rich, deep, passionate self I am. My true friends are more of a treasure than ever. I am appreciating every moment at a time I could be falling apart. For the past 20 years I have been responsible for raising these two bright sparks into their own power and happiness...and now they are launching into the world....not quite on their own...but needing me in a different way. So my life MUST expand and welcome new energy. Aaaaahhhh. It is wonderful :) Nam Myoho Renge Kyo friends.


If I can be this happy at this moment, anything is possible for you. I am living the life of my dreams You can too. Every single Nam Myoho Renge Kyo I have chanted is blossoming into my life right now. Whatever you're facing, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is MUCH more powerful than any problem or challenge you have.   Don't take MY word for it though! Prove the power of the universe in your life! You are one of the lucky ones. You KNOW about Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and can use it! Chant to acheive your desires beyond your wildest dreams! Fortunate YOU!!!!!

An Experience from my New friend in Australia! So inspiring!

This is from my new friend Nathan. Read it and be inspired by HOW FAST chanting Daimoku can impact your life. And remember, sometimes we go through the lows so that they can bring us to a much more incredible HIGH!!!

I discovered Daishonin Buddhsim through my councillor, I had a problem problems with my life, anger, addiction, hurting the ones I love most emotionally, mentally. About four weeks ago, my beautiful, loving, caring, wonderful wife left me because of these problems I had, all she wanted is for me to respect her, treat her with the love and care she has always showed me. But I just blew it off all the time, saying that I can fix myself, I don't need a councillor or any help, OMG was I wrong!!! What I didn't realize was that I did need help, and bad, so about three days ago I went to see my councillor, my wife came along to support me, to make a long story short, the things she said to the councillor about the way she feels and that she was happier in the past few weeks then when she was with me shocked my system drastically, I had been extremely depressed over the past few weeks from my wife leaving me but those few things she pointed out to the councillor hurt me more then any pain I ever felt, it was like a knife to the heart. My wife left the session early, and I stayed behind, let me add I'm South African and my wife is Australian, so I was here on a sponsorship from my wife, when she left mr, she withdrew her sponsorship and that gave me twenty eight days to stay in the country. So because of thy my councillor suggested I try Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism out, I thought to myself heck what so I have to lose, I've lost everything already. So we started to practice chanting, (Nam- myoho-renge-kyo) after the first five minutes I started to get the hang of it, after ten minutes I felt this amazing warmth insid of me, I felt relaxed, like the sadness had left my mind, I felt energized, peaceful. That afternoon I was walking through Melbourne city, and the thought popped in my head. So I stopped at the best florist in the city, and bought my gorgeous wife here favorite flowers (Lillie's) I went passed her parents place and I ran the bell, no answer, I rang again, no answer, so I rang a friend that lives in the complex, to my surprise he was home, and trust me he's never home. He opened and I sat on the stairs in front of her place, about 30 min she came down the stairs as two lovely ladies were entering the stairwell, she was surprised as heck, I gave her the flowers and a card, she offered me a lift on the way to one of her dancing classes she teaches at, we got to talking and when I left her on my way to the train station she hugged me, kissed me and told me she loves me. Gosh I felt amazing!! For the first time in weeks. I felt something other then pain and heart ache. 

So that night I got home, had dinner and went to my room, I started chanting loud and proud with all my heart thinking how much I would love my wife to give me another chance so that I could show her that I can change and I can be that man she fell in love with, I won't make another empty promise to her again, I did this for the next day aswell morning and evening, then this morning 13/08/2011 I went to work and I waited outside my office for 2 hours waiting for my boss to arrive, while I was waiting I started chanting in the work van, again loud and proud, for about thirty minutes. By then I realized my boss wasn't coming so I thought let me go take a walk in the city, I got near my parents inlaw's place, I decided To ask my wonderful mother inlaw if she'd like to go for coffee with me, she came down and told me that they were cleaning the carpets, so we sat down and had a long talk ( about an hour and a half) then my wife arrived from teaching, I asked her if she wanted to grab a coffee or something, she said YES!! so we went into the city and had a coffee, we ended up spending the entire day together, holding hands, kissing, hugging, you know.... What I'm trying to say is that even after three days of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-kyo my life started to change, I've started to feel hope again happiness, compassion, I feel fantastic!!! All I can say is that I believe and I'm no where near gonna give up, Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism is in me and is here to stay. I wanna thank you for your blog it has inspired me to never give up on my happiness, on my wife, on my life. Thank you with my heart of hearts thank you to you and my new mentor Nichiren Daishonin for giving me this wonderful and joyful gift of faith and enlightenment. THANK YOU