Encouragement for a Monday Morning

Hello,

Happy Monday. 


Some days I just wake up feeling a little it down...does that ever happen to you? 


I am just so grateful I have my own laboratory to create happiness in my life. 


Every day I sit down in front of my beautiful Gohonzon and feel any heaviness in my heart lifting. 


Chanting brings back light-heartedness and hope. Only a few minutes of chanting lightens my mood considerably. 


It helps to tell the truth when you start chanting each morning. Melissa Bradford says just pour out your heart, empty it of everything troubling you in honesty. You are speaking to your own life after all. Then I recommend you fill your heart with all your hopes and dreams. Fill your heart with dreams, and fill it with hopes for this very day. 


Some of you have asked me, "Do you actually THINK these prayers while chanting or do you think them before chanting?" And the answer is a resounding YES! I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, look at the Gohonzon (scroll on my wall that represents the entire universe that is within ME - and YOU!) and I think thoughts of determination to create the kind of life that encourages others to be happy. I must be happy so I can inspire others! You can chant this way too!


Tell your life "I praise my breath! I praise my health! I praise my determination to be happy, and to help those around me be happy! I praise my life!" 


Chanting for others always brings me joy from within. So many of you have touched my heart with your stories, and I chant for each one of you. You can write me at silversunsinger@gmail.com and I will always reply with the best I can give you. 


As Nichiren Daishonin says, the only one who can really make the determination and become happy is you, but encouragement is absolutely essential. 


My prayers are no more powerful than yours. I am not some special Buddha who is any more important than you are. My aim is to help YOU fire your own Daimoku and be the brilliant, shining example that this practice works. I want you to overflow with happiness and hope! My hope is that you are encouraging other to chant-to the best of your ability. 


You do not have to have a perfect life to encourage others, but having a spirit of hopefulness and the determination to show actual proof through your own life is the best way to start. 


I always chant for the people who are looking for this practice to cross my path. And that they will embrace this practice when I mention it to them.

I just mention my blog, or a Buddhist meeting as part of the conversation, and wait to see if they are interested in learning more. Many of these people have now entirely changed their lives for the better because they started chanting, and continue to chant. 


When you tell others about chanting you are planting a seed in their lives...and firing up your own happiness!


 It doesn't matter if they start chanting right away or not...the seed has been planted. But I'll tell you one thing...nothing makes me a happier person than hearing the positive results of someone I've introduced to this practice, or whom I've encouraged. Nothing makes me happier! I love hearing your stories!! Make a strong determination to be happier than you ever dreamed possible! 


Have a great and victorious week!

The Gosho Lecture today was Incredible!

I hope you were able to go to this month's Gosho Study in your area. Ours was wonderful! It is always so great to be with other SGI members...so bright...so victorious! 


As I mentioned in the last few posts...we are the Treasure Tower. Our lives possess so much power. And it's available for us to tap into. All we need to do is chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and join the noble fellowship of the SGI. 


Why is it so hard for us to believe in our own brightness...out own worthiness...our own powerful universe inside us?  


I suspect the answer lies in having been born into a culture that has "original sin" embedded in it. Buddhism doesn't believe we have original sin. Yes, everyone has fundamental darkness that surfaces from time to time, but that's not the same as original sin. In Buddhism we have "original Buddhahood" and we strive to remember and bring back to life our own truly bright, authentic sparkling self. 


Please chant about this! 


Chant to PRAISE YOUR LIFE! Chant to bring forth your own Buddhahood. It is there! It is in everyone! Realize that you are an incredibly precious Buddha! 


And make your dreams come true!!!!

Noble Practitioners ~ Many in Body- One in Mind!

In this week's World Tribune ther is an essay by Daisaku Ikeda called "Fostering Young 'Tokimitzus' of a new era". On page E of the insert is a passage I want to share with you. 


I'd actually like to post all of Daisaku Ikeda's words, essays, photographs on this blog every day! His words are so important. You can find quotes at the great website Ikedaquotes.org, and you can read the World Tribune and Living Buddhism online or on paper when you subscribe by calling 800-835-4558, or by going to www.SGIsubs.org. There are publications in every county. This is the information for America's publications. For other countries you could start at the Website SGI.org.


In this essay President Ikeda is talking about how difficult it is to maintain a Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law. That's the age that we are living in. 


It's a time of darkness where the land is defiled by fundamental darkness. Greed, anger and stupidity run amok. I'm sure you'll agree with that! 
He compares each practitioner to the carps from the ancient Chinese tale of the Dragon Gate. He compares all of us to the carps that are trying to swim up to the top of the waterfall, going against the tide of the times to become powerful dragons. Fierce currents assail us, fishermen, animals and birds of prey seek to stop us on our journey. Our own fundamental darkness (manifesting as the voices in our head that tell  us that chanting won't work, and in people who seek to discourage us) can be overwhelming sometimes. 


But if we persevere we become the strong shining souls I talk about in this blog. In other words, we Attain Buddhahood. 


Daisaku Ikeda states: 


"Precisely because it is so difficult to carry out faith in the Mystic Law in such an age, the bond of mentor and disciple in Buddhism takes on decisive importance. Likewise a harmonious community of fellow practitioners solidly united in purpose - in what Nichiren Daishonin terms "the spirit of many in body, one in mind" - is also indispensable. 
The Soka Gakkai possesses the bond of mentor and disciple that is strong enough to withstand any adversity. 
And its members - noble ordinary people who are polishing their lives by striving in faith with the same commitment as their mentor - are allied together in solid unity. Moreover, countless members, like magnificent dragons born through the the triumphant ascent of the waterfall, are leading lives of profound dignity and confidence forged through continually challenging themselves in their faith and self-development." 


No - it is not easy!!! But you can do it. We can all do it together. Please make sure to join with your fellow members in every country. We are so fortunate. The foundation has been forged by Daisaku Ikeda and the members who came before us. All we have to do is make sure that we are in the flow of the water by joining our local SGI members and chanting with the heart of Daisaku Ikeda. When we join our hearts with our great mentor we can accomplish ANYTHING! We can achieve our own happiness and the happiness of all those around us. Don't give up - you are not alone! Persevere towards your own happiness! 

Happiness Based on Your Own True Self!

I found this encouraging guidance from my mentor Kate, and would like to share it with you. 


This applies to whatever you are currently facing - no matter what your struggle:




Every single one of us - every single one, is standing at a door and 100,000 people are behind us waiting for us to open that door. 


We need to choose to open the door and move forward. 


One person moving forward moves the entire web of life forward. 


We want our true happiness to be built on stronger shores than just what is in our hearts and my minds. We want our happiness to be built on the core of our lives in the deepest core...our life force itself - the law of cause and effect deep in our lives. Our true...unshakable identity. 
We have seen the transience of our minds, our hearts and our emotions. We don't want to build our happiness on that. 
Following our hearts means following our instincts. We don't want our happiness to be built on moment-to-moment instincts. We want to build it on our real true selves. 


We must chant to have the kind of unshakable happiness that is based on who we really are inside. We must chant to build a SOLID, UNSHAKABLE SELF...We can chant to be the Buddha of absolute freedom. 


These are power prayers for sure!


I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! 

You are the Universe...You are the Buddha...and so are we all!

This month's Living Buddhism Magazine is as amazing as always! 
 Please make sure you have your copy. Instructions for getting your subscription is at the bottom of this post. 


One of the most exciting aspects of chanting is the steady realization of how everything that is NOT BUDDHA about you is all illusion. 


When you chant to reveal - every day - the beautiful crystal clear and pure self inside,  then your life begins to shine more brightly. 


When your inner self shines more brightly your outer environment changes to reflect it. 


We call this the process of "Doing Human Revolution". There are many times when I didn't know what to chant...so I just focused my prayer on "doing my human revolution and raising my life condition." When you chant with this in mind your life will move forward...even if you don't know what to chant about. 


I know it must sound confusing. On the one hand I am always advising you to be as specific as possible in your prayer, and to write and rewrite your determinations. On the other hand I tell you that you can chant a general prayer like "raise my life condition." And truthfully, there is a place for both of these kinds of prayers. Sometimes we just don't know what we want. In the early years of my practice I chanted hours and hours to know what my mission in life was...why was I born...what am I here to do." Well, as you can tell, I did get the answer to my prayer! My life is moving forward in so many amazing ways! 
I hope yours is too!


To get your own publications:


Living Buddhism is published in America and available by calling 800-835-4558 or going to SGI-USA.org and subscribing on line. It is a beautiful monthly magazine filled with experiences and study material that will touch your heart and add fire to your prayers. The bi-monthly World Tribune comes along with your subscription. It is an essential part of practice to study these wonderful publications. I highly recommend them! 

Determination for Financial Fortune

A reader wrote in yesterday asking for me to give her examples of determinations for building financial fortune. 


Do you have one to share? 


If you have one that works for you please send me an email or post it in comments so I can share it with the readers of this blog!


My vision/determination for my life:


I am a sought after author and public speaker. Everywhere I go people tell me how my many books, talks, videos and personal emails have helped them to connect with their own lives through chanting, and generate unlimited happiness and good fortune in their lives, and in the lives of their family and friends. I generate enough income to live anywhere I wish, travel anywhere I wish, and always feel financially secure. I am honored to donate 10% of every dollar I make to the incredible Soka Gakkai organization, fostering a culture of Peace, Culture and Education for the entire world. 

Determination for Health!

My dear friend Julia  has been chanting for two years on August 9th. 


We have known each other for 20 years. When we saw each other two years ago she was inspired by the person I had become through this practice and decided to begin a thorough practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 

Teo years ago Julia was very ill. Although she is a young woman, her health had been failing for many years. She had not given up all hope of wellness, but she was clearly getting worse not better. 


She has vigorously embraced this practice! She is continually inspiring me! Now she is doing her life's work of helping people through telephone counseling, she is walking again, running again and beginning to become the picture of absolute health! 


Here is the determination she gave me yesterday towards creating a healthy life:


'I am determined that to create everlasting health in my body, mind and spirit. I am profoundly and irresistibly attracting any resources that will help me to become healthy. Every resource I need comes to me now....books, medicines, herbs, practices, websites, people, information flows to me now for my highest health and healing. 
I live in a state of radiant health. Everything in my environment is coming together and conspiring to make me WELL!
I have profound strength and wisdom to make the changes necessary to bring about complete health.'


Words are powerful! What are your determinations? Do you have any you'd like to share with the other blog readers? Are there any areas of determination you'd like me to address? 


Remember Determinations erase and replace complaints! Wherever you feel a sadness and need for change in your life - Make a new determination! Write it down! Chant about it!