What an Incredible Monday

After I posted the previous blog I got a call from a friend I met about ten years ago in a writing class. She is going through a life transition and called out of the blue. I invited her over to my sweet little apartment and she suggested we chant together and loved the peace it gave her. Sweet. 

Then I spent the next five hours encouraging someone else from the bottom of my heart. 
She showed me an app that was very interesting. 

Now I am determined to produce an app for you that will be so incredibly useful that you can't wait to try it, and you'll want to share it with all your friends...and they will want to tell everyone THEY know about it too...and on and on...
Cool, right?

Does anyone out there know someone who could help me design an app?  

Overcoming Fear

This photo is courtesy of my friend Axel Koch. He just went though the Panama Canal last week.

I've been considering the nature of fear lately. I mean, here I am, living on my own, and I was just laid off. (My last dy is this Friday) One would think that I would be really scared. I probably would be scared if I didn't have this practice. But I'm not at all scared. I chant Daimoku (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) every day to have confidence in my life itself. I chant enough Daimoku to override my fear, and keep the negativity and fear far away from my brain. I know that with every chant I am connecting to the power of the universe itself. My life is unstoppable. How could I be afraid?

I am filled with appreciation for my last job, and I'm really looking forward to working with the outplacement firm that will help me with my resume and job finding skills. 

The primary thing I can say today is that I always chant enough Daimoku to keep any fear at bay. The moment I feel any creeping fear or sadness in the corner of my mind I head straight to the Gohonzon and chant. I vow to be victorious in all areas of my life. I am determined to turn this "log" into a fresh flame of benefit. The Gosho (writing of Nichiren Daishonin) for this month is "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering." I have embedded some of the quotes from this Gosho into my life. I will be leading a discussion on this Gosho at my house this Wednesday. 

"In the Latter Day of the Law, the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear without fail. (That's me and you) The greater the hardships befalling him the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith. Doesn't a fire burn more briskly when logs are added?"

The Gosho goes on to state that "...anyone who teaches others even a single phrase of the Lotus Sutra is clearly the Buddha's envoy." 

and 

"Even a single phrase cherished deep in one's heart will without fail help him to reach the opposite shore. To ponder one phrase and practice it is to exercise navigation."

The Gosho is rich with phrases to cherish. When I was a young Buddhist I cherished "Suffer what there is to suffer, and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and continue chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo no matter what happens. Then you will experience boundless joy from the law." from the Gosho called Happiness in this World. 

At the moment I am cherishing my hardships and using them to fuel me forward, and increase my ability to connect with people, to have compassion and to inspire! 

Happy Holidays

I put up my Christmas tree today...
with all the trimmings, 
and twinkling lights all over my home. 
It's awesome. 
Although I have never been a Christian, I grew up in Oak Park Illinois and we celebrate Christmas here. We sing carols, we give gifts, we go to Christmas shows, we give gifts, and we spread holiday cheer. One of the best things about being a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism is we can continue our cultural heritage in whatever form we choose. 
It is no stranger for me to have a Christmas tree now than it was when I had a tree as a child. 
All of us, in any country we live, we can celebrate whatever customs we wish. 
And we come together to chant. We'll chant in this room with the Christmas tree here. 

Let the Christmas season commence. Happy Holidays! 

Power Prayers for Health

As President Ikeda says, health is the most important thing of all. We all know the truth of this statement. 

I have improved my health through this practice. I used to have allergies, asthma, and frequent headaches, along with the additional weight.   

I don't experience any of those things anymore.

Today I am sharing with you some of the thoughts, prayers and determinations that have become the fiber of my life lately. 

As I am chanting, these thoughts of appreciation and determinations flow through my mind as I connect with the universe during morning and evening gongyo:

Power Prayers for Health:

Power prayers come in several formats. The first type of power prayer is the determination. It is the prayer you pray when you are determined to make something happen in your life. They usually begin, not surprisingly, with "I am determined." 

The second type of power prayer is the power of appreciation...reveling in the experience of having received a previous prayer and being grateful for it. 

Power Prayers: 

Being healthy is easier than ever. 

I easily draw to myself all the resources and people I need to help me to be the healthiest, happiest version of me. 

All the best information just flows to me. Suddenly I know just what my body needs to be nourished and enlivened, and I naturally crave these things. I am becoming stronger and more resilient every single moment. I feel the best I have ever felt. I glow. 

I love to move and express myself. 

All the clothes I need to feel great at every moment naturally flow into my life. 

All the resources I need come to me now. 

I easily and happily become the very best version of me! 

I appreciate myself for releasing my resistance to change and for letting my life flow. 

Being Healthy. Tips for losing weight.

A reader wrote me to ask how I lost the weight. Here is my reply:

I had a problem with my weight every since I can remember. I'll see if I can find a before and after picture for you....

All through grade school, high school and college...then on into and past my twenties and thirties. 

I lost weight over and over and always gained it back. I was always hungry. According to some doctors, the typical American diet is one that starves the body of the nutrients it needs. That's one of the reasons so many of us are hungry all the time. 

I have finally conquered this problem and feel better than ever. 

Here are the tips I can give you:

Make a list:

I made a list of all the reasons I wanted to be thinner. I love this list and will always keep it close to heart. My reasons range from being healthy enough to play with my grandchildren when they come. I don't know when that will be, but I want to be young no matter what age I am. And being healthy is what feeling young is all about. I love feeling good and sexy and being able to buy any clothes I wish. I love being able to shop in any store...not just the larger size stores and departments. 

Make a book or poster:

I have a book of pictures of cute clothes, inspiring quotes and loving pictures of couples together. I update this from time to time with new clothes and pictures that inspire me. I have lots of pictures that include ships and water. And I'm leaving on a cruise in three weeks. These techniques really work. 

Find a visualization that works for you:

I could not conjure an image of myself thin. But I could envision myself walking into the petite section of my favorite clothing store, going to a rack and choosing a tiny looking outfit, going into the fitting room and trying it on and being so happy because it fit! I picture myself laughing and really enjoying the fact that anything I like fits. 

Write some affirmations:

I wrote out a list of things beginning with the phrase "Wouldn't it be nice if..." Such as "Wouldn't it be nice if all the efforts I've ever put into weight loss all came together and this time losing weight is easier than ever." and "Wouldn't it be nice is I could go into any store and find clothes that look great on me." Using the phrase "Wouldn't it be nice" releases some of the resistance we might have to affirmations. It just works. 

Love exercise ~  find something that makes you happy:

Find what works for you. I walk and use free weights and machines. Sometimes I ride my exercise bike. I love the feeling I have when I walk. I love the way it boosts my mood. My brain loves getting the oxygen hit from walking. If I don't walk for a couple of days I feel my mood slipping a bit and I get back on that treadmill or exercise bike. 

Choose a program:

Right now I am trimming down even more by adopting a plant-based whole food lifestyle change. It is actually the easiest way to lose weight because you can eat as much as you want. I am so grateful to my dear friend Julia for inspiring me. At first all I could think about was what I couldn't eat. She helped me to see all the things I could eat, and how tasty they are. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's! I've been eating this way for over a week now and it's much easier than I thought it would be. I have books I can recommend and other tips for this. Let me know if you are interested. I am doing this for my health, and I really feel great! 

Some of the members in my district have been very successfully doing Weight Watchers. 

Chanting tips:

I chant to release myself from the world of hunger and to raise my life condition. 
I chant to release my fear of change. 

I hope these help. Let me know if you want to hear more about this subject. 
Happy Day after Thanksgiving. 

Happy Thanksgiving ! A great day to polish our altars.

Pikachu 

at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - right on my TV

My kids loved to play with Pokemon when they were young. Pokemon bring me back such wonderful memories of sitting on the floor and playing with my boys.  Pika was always my favorite, but at one point I knew almost all the Pokemon names. Pika just makes me laugh. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you wherever you live. 

I am so grateful for all of you and your messages to me. I'm grateful for sharing this incredible lifetime with you. I am so grateful to be alive at the same time as President Ikeda. I'm grateful for this practice. And so grateful for my healthy family. 

I wish you all a marvelous day today. 

The holiday comes from when the pilgrims celebrated an abundant harvest. We take the time to be with our families and appreciate each other and good food and drink. Many families have the customary turkey and stuffing dinner. 

It's a day to be together. 

I like to take time on the holidays to clean my altar. 

Our Buddhist altar is really important because 

it represents our lives. 

When we have a Gohonzon 

we have a "Home within a home."

Today I took everything off my altar and cleaned it really thoroughly. I used a hair dryer to melt off some residual candle wax I found on the wood. I shined the wood with wood cleaner and dusted everything else. I keep my altar very clean, but some days I just like to go the extra mile and polish it up. I've always believed that the way I care for my altar is reflected in the way my environment treats me. A dusty or cluttered altar isn't good, it's neglected. We don't want to neglect our lives. Our altars should be free and clear and uncluttered. If there are things that don't belong, now is a great time to remove them. The only objects that should be on our altars are: fruit, water, greens of some kind or flowers, bell and candles and incense if you use them. 

Have a great day ~ 

Raising children to have faith in the power of their lives

Aaron and Ben - Best friends and brothers

The fish we were watching last night at the restaurant. 

We've been having a blast this holiday week spending time together. Aaron is growing his beard to raise money for prostate cancer research. I called him Paul Bunyan last night just for fun.  

I got a few questions about how I raised my boys as Buddhists. 

I think the most important thing I do is strive to be inspiring to my boys. I want to show them that practicing buddhism can lead to a happy and fulfilling life. They have seen me unhappy, and they have watched me determine to change. They've seen me shed 70 pounds. They've watched me in every job I've had, watched as I've greeted every adversity as a challenge and produced great results. They have seen me rise out of heartbreak and seen me become happy again. It's very important to me to inspire them with my actions, words, and with my life itself. 

And I always chant for them to be happy and to fulfill their mission for Kosen Rufu. If they didn't have a mission for Kosen Rufu they would not have been born to me. And I have tried not to push them. Oh sure, there were times I begged them to come to a big meeting, and times I lured them with food. But I always tried not to push them too hard. And in the times that they weren't chanting, or couldn't chant, or were too tired to chant I followed President Ikeda's guidance and said "That's okay sweetie, you don't have to worry, I'm chanting for you twice as hard today." And the next time I would invite them to chant they would gladly join me. 

I have been behind the scenes chanting and chanting for their happiness. 

And I always speak encouraging words to them. I NEVER put them down. I say "I trust you. I know that you have wisdom and that your life always knows what is best for you. I know you will be fine. I'm not worried about you. I am so proud of you."

And of course, when they want to talk I do my best to listen with a full heart and with no judgement. I may steer them, but don't have a heavy hand. 

Those are some of the key aspects I've found to raising Buddha Boys.