Why are you chanting? Would you like to be in my book?

I have been working hard on my book for you. It will be a book to give to people who are beginning to practice, and to those who wish to refresh their practice and learn to roar like lions!


I am wondering if some readers would like to participate...


Would you answer these questions for me, and for the book? 


Right now it is called "Chant Your Way to Happiness" And I am working on a sentence to follow that. Suggestions? 


Here are my questions for you:


Why did you start chanting? 


Can you describe a benefit you got from chanting? 


Why do you keep chanting? 


Can you tell me a word of advice you'd give to someone who is just beginning to chant? 


Thank You!!!


You can email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com or post a comment on this blog. 

Question and Answer

This is a question I received today based on the "How to Chant for the First Time" post:


Question:
I have been chanting for 4 months now but this post helps. I went thru a real challenging time and my chanting has went from 15 min twice a day (sometimes much longer) to 5 min once a day, some days I skipped but never skip more than a day in between. I feel like I am slipping...I do my meetings but it doesnt feel the same...I also feel bad about the less time spent chanting but if i force it then ill really stop. Is it normal to start and stop until it becomes a habit? When does it become a habit? 


Answer:


Congratulations! You are experiencing sansho shima, the energy that arises in our lives to stop us when we want to move forward! You have encountered an obstacle of the truest kind, an obstacle that exists in your own mind and says "well, if I really push myself I know I'll stop". If you can recognize this as a force working to HOLD YOU BACK and say NOT THIS TIME!! I AM MOVING FORWARD AND YOU CANT STOP ME! Then you will definitely WIN!!


As I've mentioned before, I chanted 5 minutes a day in the morning and the evening when I first started. It was a different rhythm in the SGI then, and I went to a meeting every single day and spent most of the day on Sunday at youth division activities. I also had my sponsor and many of my mentors chanting for me every day. The more I saw results in my life the MORE I wanted to chant. Once I grasped that this practice was actually working (and it did take some time for me to see that my results were because of my chanting) I wanted to take on more of my challenges and chant more. 
The support of the other Soka Gakkai members was crucial to me. I don't know what I would have been able to do without them. 
The problem with only chanting 5 minutes once a day is that you never really get the engine of your car revved up and running. So each time you sit down to chant you have to turn the key, pump the gas, hope it will start....but if you chant twice a day you get into an easy rhythm with the motor running and actually want to chant more! AND YOU HAE THE POWER TO PUSH THE SANSHO SHIMA AWAY! 
Much depends on your own ichinen (your will and desire put into action) regarding your problems. How much are you suffering? And how much do you want to stop that suffering? What is your desire, and how deeply do you want to make it happen? 
You know I started this blog by chanting two hours a day, and there's a reason I was chanting two hours a day...I HAD to! I was heartbroken and could not get the thoughts and sadness out of my brain. I became determined to call an end to the sadness and tears...so I began chanting two hours a day and started this blog to share my my results and encourage others. I have found that the more determined I am to change something in my life, the more I WANT to chant! Many days two hours FELT like two 5 minute sessions because I was so connected to my desire. THe deeper you connect, the more the time flies! 
It sounds like you really want to chant more. See if you can focus on what you really want, what you REALLY desire, and go from there. 
I find that the more effort I put into chanting the more smoothly the rest of my life went. Chanting is not always easy, but it makes everything else easier!
Also, almost everyone realizes at a certain point that they need to chant more Daimoku. Usually that feeling comes after you start feeling a little flat, and nothing seems to be happening. Call an SGI friend. Attend a Tozo (chanting session), rewrite your goals and remember what you want to accomplish in your life and above all HAVE HOPE! YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WITH THIS PRACTICE! THERE IS NO PROBLEM BIGGER THAN CHANTING NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!!!
That's why having problems is a benefit. They make you chant, and when you chant you change your karma. It's a beautiful world! 


Roar like the lion you are! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!

How to Chant for the first time!

How to be Happy! How to Chant for the first time. A great post to share with first time chanters.

(I had a request from a reader to teach her how to chant - this is my response, and part of the book I'm writing. Please forward this to anyone you'd like to introduce to this amazing practice!)

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!

Here you will learn how to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

First of all make a list of what you really want in life. Take a new look at your desires and write them down.  Dream big. What do you really want? What do you want for yourself? What do you want for others? What do you want for the world? Make a list. There is no such thing as a “bad” desire as long as you wish no harm on others. Many Buddhists began chanting with desires that later turned into other desires. Don’t worry about it. Chant for what is really in your heart. Be true to yourself. 

I suggest having some sort of journal to write in. Writing in a journal helps you become aware of your progress and benefits.

Choose a place to chant comfortably. You’ll want to sit in a comfortable chair. Where would you feel most at ease chanting out loud? It is helpful to have something on the wall to focus on. It's helpful to rest your eyes on something slightly above eye level. It can be anything. When I first started chanting in my little two room apartment in San Francisco, I sat on the mattress on the floor and gazed up at the moon in a poster of Mono Lake. Choose something soothing to rest your eyes on. I find it helpful to have a table nearby for my tea, and other things I like to have close when I chant. You may want to put a little table up as an altar, but you don’t need that to begin. 

Write the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo on a piece of paper (or use the card enclosed in this book). The words are pronounced as follows: 

Nahm, rhymes with Mom, 

meeyohoh, with three long vowels, 

rain gay, 

key oh. 

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 

Nahm Meeyohoh Rain Gay Key Oh

Hold your hands with the palms facing in and touching each other in front of your heart. Sit with your back as straight as possible and say the words over and over and over again. 

You do not have to concentrate about what is in your mind at first. Just say the words. Breathe whenever you have to for as long as you like. See if you can chant for a few minutes, then a few minutes more. Chant for as long as you can!  

The rhythm should sound like a train moving, or horses running. There should be some energy to it. You can chant as fast or as slow as you wish. Speed of chanting is up to you. 

If you want to hear how it sounds you can go to the top left corner of this blog and chant with me. I begin slowly and speed up with more energy. 

See how it makes you feel. Can you chant for a little longer? Maybe even a little longer than that. Can you get to the point where you don’t have to think about the words, but can actually think about what you want? It may take a little time. Naturally you will begin to chant for what you want. You’ll see. 

When you are finished chanting you can write in your journal.

Start by writing an assessment of your life right now. What’s going well, what you’d like to improve on. Then write how you felt before chanting and after chanting. In your journal set a goal for how much you want to chant every day.  When I started, I could only chant five minutes a day in the morning and five minutes in the evening. I had a timer next to me and I’m sure there were times I stopped before I’d even reached five minutes! You will build up momentum! Commit to chant twice a day every day. Keep your goals in mind and you’ll remember your reasons for chanting! 

These words and this vibration go deep into the heart of your life itself. They summon forth your highest wisdom, vitality and sense of purpose. They also uproot the karma that is making you suffer, and give you the opportunity to change this karma forever. You will still have challenges and problems in life when you chant...but eventually you will see them as the opportunities they are. Problems are the FUEL you need to catapult your life into a life of happiness and joy. You have begun a journey to uncover the true happiness that exists in your shining Buddha life. Congratulations!
Also - make sure to search on Soka Gakkai followed by whatever country you live in. This site will help you to connect with people who will be happy to help you learn to chant, overcome your problems, and reveal your brilliant, wonderful self!  Fellow Soka Gakka members love to help each other. 
and go to IKEDAQUOTES.org to read Daisaku Ikeda's words. He is lighting the way for us all...and for YOU!

Living a Victorious Life!

I'm just sitting here, greeting the day on my patio. I finished my 40 minute walk around the neighborhood and have some time to write to you. 


I'm thinking about what a happy life I have, and how I want every one of you to experience this happiness. 


I feel totally unafraid, fulfilled, happy about the present and looking forward to the future. 
I know that each part of my life is moving toward more and more happiness at every minute.  
I'm becoming healthier and more fit without dieting and messing up my metabolism, I'm wearing beautiful clothes and feel confident. 
I'm progressing at work, and I'm just about to launch a series of really cool products that will benefit you and the people I have yet to meet. 
I have fun and playful and warm relationships with so many people and I make more friends everyday. 
The vision I have written for my life is here, right now!


Some of you have been reading this blog since the beginning in 2009. You might remember ~ I was very much under the sway of intense emotions. I've had strong mood swings and depression and sadness most of my life. And every day I have faced the Gohonzon and told my life I WILL BE HAPPY! No matter how much the sadness and hopelessness comes to claim me...I WILL WIN!!! I MUST be happy so I can show others how it is done! 


And here I am...clear...free. Sitting on my patio, feeding the baby ducks, facing a day of fulfilling work and an evening at the pool with my sweet son...smiling at the beginning of each day...having beautiful dreams when I sleep...and greeting the next day with enthusiasm and happiness! 


And I greet each day with an hour of Daimoku. 


Each day I roar like a lion. 


Each day I CLAIM my happiness, I CLAIM my results, I CLAIM my life. 


I tell the Gohonzon (which is inside my life and IS my life) that I am praising my life and loving my own self. 
I have always known that real love comes from within, blah, blah blah, haven't we heard that our whole lives? And now, I am generating that love and feeling that love. 


I chant to PRAISE MY LIFE! 


I chant to live a sparkling life of happiness so that each one of you, and all my district members, and everyone I am meeting now, and will meet in the future will say 
"Hey! ~ This woman has something special. She has an inner glow. Maybe she can tell me how I can get that for myself!" And of course, nothing makes me happier than introducing people to this practice...and happiness for the rest of their lives! 


And YOU can be happier than you ever dreamed possible. Don't wait for it. If you are in a bad situation GET OUT OF IT! And keep chanting. Remember that this is not a practice of passive acceptance. It is a practice of ACTION! There is no need to suffer. Change what you do not like about your life! Chant for everyone and everything involved. Chant to KNOW the right action to take. Chant to be decisive and wise. 
And take action...starting with strong daimoku in the morning and in the evening. You have your Soka Gakkai district and friends for support. And if you're not yet a part of this wonderful organization full of warm hearts and shining eyes please JOIN US! We are here wanting to give you a hand into a happy life. We are all examples of victory! Go to the Soka Gakkai website and call the center closest to you. You will claim your new family. 


Write to me and share your experiences!! Let me know if I can share them with the readers. 
Be victorious! Happiness lies at the end of your determinations! Don't give up. ROAR like the LION YOU ARE! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!

Experience: Roaring Daimoku like a Lion King!

Thank you for letting me share this experience with the other readers of this blog! Your courage and power is inspiring to us all. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is stronger than any problem!!!

A Reader's Experience:

I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you and your blog. It is such a great way to reach people and really encourage and motivate others with their practice. It has certainly helped me!

I think most of all you have helped me with "attitude". I had been chanting but in a way that didn't have

much power behind it. My determination was kind of weak and I kept feeling doubt creeping in. I took advice from the guidance I got and was grateful to those who tried to help me, but I still felt deep inside that maybe I didn't have the strength or the determination I needed. Your blog has done that more than anything else. It gave me a more concrete idea of how I should think about my own lion's roar. The idea of changing this karma in my family forever. I know that we can chant for anything but you actually demand that it be torn out of your life by the roots so that it is permanently removed never having to deal with it again.

And so in that same spirit of determination and command from the very core of my life I have been chanting for my son who has just become a proud father on May 23rd, to his daughter, Michele Lee! Michael, my son is an alcoholic. My family has suffered along with him and all the affects of this disease most of Michael's  teenage and adult life. Last year at this time, I initiated an intervention for him to go to rehab. After 3 months he came back home, but he still wavered on and off again. Then we learned there was a baby on the way, then he lost his job, and then he got another DUI. For my New Year's determination I renewed my Vow to change this Karma in my family and even went to FNCC to the relationship conference. I put up a little sign on my alter "Transformation", a reminder for me not only of those I chant for, but that I too need to transform the way I think and act; in words, deeds and actions of how I am with my son. Michael and his girlfriend have been together for 5 years and were so happy about the baby so after some initial consideration decided they could never give up the baby. They are both in their early 30's. I chanted for their happiness, for a harmonious family life, for a wonderful job where his boss could be a mentor to him and he would be fulfilled. Michael began to feel differently about things as the pregnancy became more real along with his fatherhood. He is respectworthy in his actions with the baby, changing her diapers and batheing her, and dressing her.  I think he is proud of himself for his struggle,but. this is an ongoing battle for him, but I can truly see a transformation in him. With all your encouragementI I continue to chant like the roar of a lion! Thank you for all your help and blogging!

    Also I chanted for Michael's girl friend to have an easy labor and it only took about 4 hours and she had no meds. His daughter is doing so well

Again, thank you for sharing your inspiring story!


Roar ON!!! 

-- 
Jamie Lee Silver

Human Revolution/Transformation can be painful - at first!

I have a friend who has a difficult relative who has been disturbing the peace in their family for some time. 
We all have people that disturb us, right? 


Well, I have found that there is only one solution for this problem and it works absolutely 100 percent of the time. Not only that, it will absolutely turn poison into medicine in your life. Seriously. I guarantee it. It works every single time. 


Today I went to the meeting here in Chicago with Danny Nagashima. It was great. I saw Danny last week in Los Angeles, and it was great to hear his lecture on the Treasure Tower today. He's so animated, so humble, so alive! If you get the chance to see him DO!!!


And there was an experience that included a really great thought. I have said before that the ONLY way to solve any relationship issues is to chant for the other person's happiness. I have done this so many times and gotten amazing results. One of two things either happens. Sometimes the person and I just fall in love in a really great way, and we end up having an unexpectedly great relationship. OR, they leave my environment. Either way, I concentrate on really, sincerely chanting for their happiness. 


In today's experience, the person said "Chant that their Buddha Nature hears YOUR Buddha Nature." And I thought "Yes!" That's it exactly. 


Why does chanting for another's happiness have such deep significance in our lives? It's because our lives and the lives of every other person on the planet, are interconnected. We are all one life. Science is proving this over and over. Nothing exists in a vacuum. When I chant for another person's happiness, I also chant for my happiness, and I do my human revolution. Just by transcending my anger at another, and chanting for their happiness....it is making a huge cause! 


And you can do this in all instances. 


Last night my friend was telling me about this "evil" person in his life. I understand that she has been a huge disappointment and caused a lot of pain. I said that chanting for her happiness was the only answer and he said "But she's just evil." And I said that she is a reflection of his own life...part of his karma that he needs to change...and that all life is interconnected. Her suffering is what is causing her "evilness", and he can chant for her happiness and it will raise his life-condition and change the dynamic of their entire family. In the end....he may look back at this time and say "Thank You!" to her for helping him do his human revolution. And, to my great happinness, he agreed to chant for her. I will join him in is prayer. 


I also reminded him that he is not asking anyone or anything for favors or blessings when he chants. He is only summoning the power of the universe that is rightfully HIS. That power is rightfully ALL OF OURS. And he needs to make a determination towards the happiness of his whole family. 


This type of prayer is karma changing. This is what human revolution is all about. This is the real stuff...the hard stuff....and the BEST STUFF for our lives. 
I challenge you to change the dynamic between you and someone you have problems with. You can do it. We can all do this. 


If you have a benefit write me! I want to hear! If you want me to share it with the other readers let me know!




 As I said I've been encouraging a friend in doing "family revolution"...at least that's what I called it yesterday. He said the word "revolution" makes him picture redcoats from the wars...so I think I'll use the phrase "Family transformation" for a while and see how that feels. What do you think? Let me know! The word REVOLUTION clearly means standing up to what is not right to create something better. The word transformation means a total change. Your opinion? 


At any rate, my friend was here yesterday filled with anger about this one person in his life...the one who has been driving him crazy...the one for whom he launched a fierce daimoku campaign for her happiness at the beginning of this week. He is, of course frustrated that another incident around this woman has come up to anger him...and I think he is starting to be humbled as well. He's getting to the part of his Daimoku where he is realizing that his reactions to each situation are going to have to change TOO. Oh how painful, yet how breathtakingly real and freedom-giving to see your own part of the problem and be open (even just to have the realization) that family transformation (any transformation) includes YOUR transformation! Ouch! 


This takes GUTS! 


He also said he was going to have to think about how to fix a part of the problem and I said "No! Stop thinking! Your mind hasn't helped you so far! Just chant for awhile! Chant in the car, chant whenever you can...just chant and take a break from thinking!" And he laughed wholeheartedly knowing I was right. Sometimes we do think too much! Instead, make your determinations for the outcome you want, and just chant!! Try it!


As I've said before, this practice is not for cowards! No! Practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism will ONLY WIN IF THEY CONTINUE TO ROAR LIKE LIONS! We all have to continually, every single day, roar down the tendencies we have in our own lives to cause ourselves pain! We are fighting back years of habit...lifetimes of karma...and WE CAN DO IT! And each time we triumph, we change the fabric of the entire universe and make everyone stronger against their own innate darkness. 


We all know how easy it is to blame others...blame our bosses...blame our jobs, blame anyone and everyone etc. But we know that doesn't make us any happier  - or change the situation! But somewhere in our minds we know that WE are present in each of the situations...and maybe...just maybe...what needs to change is our attitude. And through bringing forth the universe within us by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo we can do it! We can shed light on ANY darkness we still live with. This week I'm shedding light on an area of my life that keeps cropping up. And I am more determined than ever to ROAR it out of my life "I am a BUDDHA" I yell in my head when I chant! "I will not have this in my life! I MUST have absolute victory in all areas of my life. I MUST inspire my district and my blog readers and all I touch! 


Roaring right along with you my fierce and powerful friends!

New Determinations

This week has been all about making new Determinations and chanting for the people you are having the most trouble with - chanting for them to be happier than they ever thought possible! 


How has it been going for you?


One member in my District was having a challenge with an official at a hospital who cancelled her contract. As a sincere Buddhist she chanted for this women, and shortly after that the woman lost her job.  The member was not chanting for the woman to lose her job! She was chanting for her happiness...purely for her happiness. And she told the woman she was chanting for her, and it touched her heart. 


I know this story is not yet over...anything can happen. They may become friends. They may do business together again at some point...the hospital official may begin to chant...or they may never see each other again. What's important is that she chanted for her, she made the cause! 


That's what it's all about. That's where the power lies. 


Who ELSE can you chant for? Who do you think is an impossible relationship for you. Who have you given up on, but in your heart you'd like the relationship to change? 


Be courageous! 


You're a Buddha