Happiness is Possible at every moment!

I just want you to know that the most satisfying, and fulfilling happiness is possible now...and now...and now...and all the nows to come. 


This is how I live every single day. Really. Yes!!! 


I go from one lovely moment to another...and it all starts with morning Gongyo. President Ikeda says: "Win in the morning and you win in life" and he's right! 


Each day I go from one delicious moment to another. 
Here's a typical day for me. 
I wake up before the alarm. 
I lie in bed and list things in my life that I appreciate.
I get up, get dressed and go ride the exercise bike for 30 minutes, then do some weight machines if I have time. 
I come home, bathe and make some decaf coffee. 


Then I have my date with my life! 

Every morning I begin my day with an hour of Daimoku in front of my Gohonzon.. My goal during my prayers is to connect deeply with my life and encourage myself. I aim for the prayers that make me feel most energized and connected, and I am constantly writing new determinations and goals. 

I like to write these in narrative form and really feel how much I desire them and why. 

I sit comfortably in front of my Gohonzon and I pour out all the feelings, longings, happiness and sadness in my heart. I know that I am joining an ongoing ceremony by chanting in front of the Gohonzon.  I feel the pulse of my life. I say what I want to say. Sometimes I write insights into my journal. If I think of things on my to-do list, I jot them down so I can get them out of my brain. And I focus on what I want for myself and for others and for America and for the world. I chant for the mundane, and for the sublime. I VOW that each one of these prayers will come true. My prayers are a vow! The hour just flies by! 

One of my constant prayers is for YOUR happiness. you know I wasn't always happy, right? Oh Man, how I used to suffer from depression, and hopelessness...and a feeling of being unloved! And I was searching for a solution in life. Well, I found it, and I want as many people to find it and experience what I have as possible. I WANT people who are suffering to find my blog and feel hope. Then I want MORE people to find my blog and feel hope!!! And it is my deep desire to have each one of you connect with President Ikeda through the SGI, find your own SGI Tribe close to you, and carve a life of happiness. I want to reach people who are suffering through as many types of media as possible. My goal is to publish many books....books on parenting as a Buddhist, having a successful career, generating love in your life....and on and on. I welcome calls from publishers. I also love being on the radio. I was just on the radio this week (talking about Nam Myoho Renge Kyo of course!) and my friends who listened said I should be on the radio all the time. Wouldn't that be wonderful!!! I could reach even more people. Maybe I'd have "Jamie's Chanting Hour"! How's that sound? We could chant together and I could encourage everyone through various words of Nichiren Daishonin's and Daisaku Ikeda's and fellow members all over the world. If you're a person who knows how to make these things happen I invite your emails!

Then I get dressed and drive the five minutes to my work. What I do is so much fun that it doesn't feel like work at all. I greet all my friends and I set about creating wonderful things for my students to do through my connections in the community. Sometimes I call people I don't know and make them into new friends. And I make more connections and create more events. Last week I had thirty students attend a senior fair and do blood pressure checks, glucose testing and educate people on various health related topics. I helped them network and introduce themselves to other professionals. I took pictures of their smiling faces. It was a blast. 
During the day I usually have other networking meetings with people in person, to see if there are more ways we can work together. My life is this delicious flow of encouraging people and making new friends and cultivating old ones. I truly enjoy every moment in the day. 
After work I have friends to play with, or a date with a man, or I come home to my lovely apartment and am so happy here! I love reading your emails, and writing my blog posts. 
Every Wednesday night I host a rocking Buddhist meeting in my apartment.


....and each day....I begin anew...with happiness overflowing...and so can you!! 

The Voice of the Roaring Lion Within! THe REAL Power of Dailmoku!!!

The biggest benefit chanting can give you is the opportunity every morning and evening to connect with your highest, best, most important and powerful self. 
I am sitting here right now in front of the Gohonzon chanting that no matter how cold it gets in Chicago, I will not let the feeling of despair that I often get in this weather overcome me....neither will I let the urge to eat everything in sight and inflate my body like a balloon happen! 


No way!


 I am saying this in my prayer! I am declaring to the universe within that that karma...the one I shared with my entire family...that is gone forever from my life through the POWER of my own DAIMOKU. The power of my own life determination and ichinen. 
THIS is the truest power of daimoku....the power of facing what it feels like and looking the negative function right in the eye and saying NOOOOOOOO. This negative function has no more power in my life!
Remember the scene  in the Lord of the Rings...from the Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandolph confronts the huge fire dragon (sorry, I forget his name) in the mines....and he screams "You shall not pass?" and the dragon falls into the pits (yes I know Gandolph does fall down there with him....but then he emerges even more powerful)....
Life is a struggle like this, against our own internal negative functions that seek to defeat us and bring us down. 


Today, even amidst this cold...depressing weather when I feel heavy and sad....I am saying NOOOOOO You shall not pass! I will still be my real self...my encouraging self....my happy self no matter what. I will not retreat into the world of finding food for comfort like my karma has been. I've lost 70 pounds and I'm going to keep it off. That story is done. 
I am sitting here in front of the Gohonzon chanting and telling my life how strong I have become....and how strong I must stay....for the sake of the members in my district....for the sake of my wonderful blog readers.....I have vowed victory in all areas of my life!!!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! The Lion is Roaring!!!!!

How to begin...or refresh your practice!

Hello!

First of all make your list! Write out all the things you want to bring in to your life...and all the things you want to have LEAVE your life! And add the reasons why!

Then, twice a day...every morning and evening, find a special spot in your home where you feel comfortable. Sit comfortably and put your hands in front of your heart with palms touching...and chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo slowly - three times! Then chant for as long as you want over and over again! Breather whenever you want to! Chant for at least five minutes eacch time.

Then go through this blog and read the posts that inspire you...there are so many about the correct attitide to have, adn what to be thinking about when you chant and great inspiring results! Try that! GO for it!!!

Happy Jewish New Year!

From a very special person in my life...I send these blessings for a beautiful new beginning for you!
And remember, in Buddhism we have "Hon Nin Myo" the concept that life begins anew in each and every single minute. With Hon Nin Myo and wishes for every moment to be a new beginning for you!
All my love, Jamie


May this year be filled with Sweetness & Joy.

May you have the peace and joy that passes all human comprehension,

May you enjoy your apples and honey.

May you find it easy to give and receive.

May you know when to surrender, and do so with grace.

May you remember that some people's lives are parched dry... and be grateful for the abundance in yours.

May you find beauty in unexpected places. 

May you carry your loads with ease amid sweetness.

May you learn and teach well.

May you move with as much joy and ease as you can.

May your home be filled with fresh air and light.

May your tense and angry times be short-lived...

so that you come back quickly to your comfortable ole' self. 

May you be startled and delighted by new beginnings.

May you find your uniqueness.

May you play with friends.

and hear beautiful music.

May you come to the surface for air when you need it.

May you take exquisite care of yourself.

And may everything that hurts you also be a little funny.
Have a wonderful 5772!     

Such an inspiring Gosho! Tonight's Meeting is going to ROCK!!

Tonight we are studying "The Sutra of True Requital" the Gosho by Nichiren Daishonin!

From the essay by Daisaku Ikeda:

'In order to repay my debt of gratitude to my mother, I have vowed to enable all women to chant the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra" THis passage is the crux of "The Sutra of True Requittal," It articulates the primary inspiration for the Daishonin's vow to open the way for the enlightenment of all people.

"In an early Buddhist scripture, Shakyamuni Buddha instructs: "Just as a mother would protect with her life her own son, her only son, so one should cultivate an unbounded mind towards all beings." It may be no exaggeration to say that motherly compassion is identical to the heart of the Buddha, which all living beings possess. A mother's compassion or love for her only child is directly linked to the concern or lovingkindness of the Buddha for all living beings. To experience a mother's love and compassion is to experience the heart of the Buddha. All of us are beneficiaries of the great spiritual blessings of motherly love and compassion."

"When the compassion of mothers everywhere illuminates all humanity, and when all humanity respects the wish for peace cherished by mothers everywhere, the very tenor of modern civilization will undergo a momentous change."

And that us what we call Kosen Rufu!

World Peace. 

Chanting one last hour before the meeting for all of your happiness!

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!!!!