This trip is actual proof.
We can be happy and make our dreams come true.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Dreams do Come True
This trip is actual proof.
We can be happy and make our dreams come true.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Be Happy Now! Root Suffering from your life.
Many of the world's religions say that there is something to be gained from suffering. Not Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.
Yes. Suffering is part of life, for sure. But it is not something to "be born" and we are not here to "master suffering." No. We are here to be happy. The purpose of life is happiness, and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo can tap into your happiness and bring it into reality.
When the original Buddha back in 500 B.C. was on his search for enlightenment, he tried living the ascetic life. He went around begging and was poor and cold and hungry. He realized this was not the way of Buddhism. Suffering is not innately virtuous, and he was no closer to enlightenment. When he sat under the Bodhi tree he realized he possessed the entire universe within. He had the realization of that fact. And he spent the rest of his life working to help others gain that experience. But he did not see suffering as an end in itself.
So...
If you are suffering.
Make a determination to change whatever it is that is making you suffer. This blog was born out of heartbreak more than three years ago. I determined to chant to CHANGE forever the suffering I was experiencing. I knew I could do it. And I did.
My Power Prayer was :
I am determined to experience my brilliant Buddha self. I am determined to raise my life condition. I am determined to develop a strong, strong core of life so that NOTHING will bring me to this state of unhappiness ever again. I am determined to strengthen my life from deep within and to shed happiness wherever I go. I don't CARE if the sadness keeps rearing its ugly face along the way. I WILL WIN and I will defeat it forever. I am determined to become happy so that I can inspire others to be happy. If I can become happy, anyone can become happy"
And I kept chanting that way. It did not change the first time I chanted that way. But I kept making the determination over and over again. Along the way I realized that I often felt sorry for myself..."Why me?" I would ask in my head. When I saw that tendency I decided to root it out of my life and never feel sorry for myself again. It came back again and again and every time it did I said in my head while I was chanting "Be gone with you! Sadness, feeling sorry for myself, BE GONE! My higher self will win. I will be incredibly happy and spend every waking moment helping other people realize that they can be happy too."
That is how this blog was born. Out of unhappiness into happiness. Today I may still have challenges of a different sort, and no one is ever going to be perfect. I am a Buddha and a human being, just like you. But I have an indestructible feeling, a solid sense of self and appreciation that flows from me at every moment for my wonderful life, this incredible practice, all of you readers, and for Daisaku Ikeda. I smile all day long and so can you.
I believe in you, and your strength and determination will make you shine!
Sunrise Here We Come!
Vacation Tomorrow
But not a vacation from chanting...
I know better than to stop chanting on vacation. Vacations are fun but they can also be challenging. It's still important to be connecting with the power within while vacationing.
My best vacations are ones where I maintain my level of Daimoku no matter what! Then everything flows like magic every single second!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo IS the rhythm of the universe.
On vacation it is really important to be in the right place at the right time. Especially on a cruise.
On the few occasions when I can't chant for a long time I tell my life while chanting "I am now tapping into the vast Daimoku bank I have accumulated through years of chanting. My Daimoku today is a MILLION times more powerful than it has ever been!"
There is so much that can go wrong. But it won't. That's my determination! My home will be protected while I'm away because I have a friend staying here. I'm traveling with my son Ben. And I am about to chant this morning's Gongyo.
I will be chanting for this blog and all its readers to continue to grow. I am always chanting to write meaningful posts and encourage and inspire each of you to return to your Gohonzons refreshed and excited to once again, commune with your universe within. I am chanting for more and more people to read chantforhappiness.com and chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and see their lives move int eh direction of happiness.
I am chanting for ease of travel, a great day today when I am packing and getting ready, perfect connections, incredibly warm weather and sun, for me to bring everything I need, to feel and look my best at all times, and to introduce as many people as possible to this incredible practice. I'll plant seeds as always. Yesterday I picked up my Nam Myoho Renge Kyo cards to give out.
I will be chanting for this blog and all its readers to continue to grow. I am always chanting to write meaningful posts and encourage and inspire each of you to return to your Gohonzons refreshed and excited to once again, commune with your universe within. I am chanting for more and more people to read chantforhappiness.com and chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and see their lives move int eh direction of happiness.
I am chanting for ease of travel, a great day today when I am packing and getting ready, perfect connections, incredibly warm weather and sun, for me to bring everything I need, to feel and look my best at all times, and to introduce as many people as possible to this incredible practice. I'll plant seeds as always. Yesterday I picked up my Nam Myoho Renge Kyo cards to give out.
I adore cruising. I adore hanging out with they sky and the sunset and the incredible blue water. I enjoy meeting new friends and dancing late at night and walking back to my room. I love ordering food and not getting a bill at the end. I love the live entertainment and getting dressed up for dinner. Yes, I adore cruising.
And I love the fact that Ben, my 20 year old son and I are going on this cruise together.
As you may know, the older your children get, the more time is at a premium. This is a golden moment for us. We'll be making music and laughing and exploring the world and making friends. Carnival "Legend" indeed.
Friday, December 14, 2012
My Power Prayer Poem for Today
Today the world is weeping
America is wondering
the world is wondering...
Why?
Why?
Why?
Once again I am determined that through my own connection to the power of the universe,
through the power that is truly my own,
and the power everyone possesses,
but may not know,
and may know,
but may not practice,
that I will raise my life condition every single moment
I will heartily chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
summoning the name of the rhythm of life itself,
and drawing forth the power of my soul
that
every single moment I will ascend to what is true, and right and just
and that as I do this, so shall we all
in our interconnected web
rise higher and higher and higher.
until finally, sooner, rather than later,
the urge to destroy,
the urge to hurt,
the urge to lash out
lifts.
Lifts and departs this fair planet,
and is replaced by the deeper yearning within all of our hearts
for fellowship,
for connection
for love.
May each moment be imbued with higher meaning.
Positive higher meaning.
A time for all of us to reach out to all we love,
and to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for all others,
no matter what.
I am determined through the strength of my own life force,
that is the life force within us ALL,
that every step I take, and every breath I breathe will lift us ALL higher.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
The name of the rhythm of life itself...
the sound we all rise up while chanting,
the vibration that unites and lifts us all.
Jamie Lee Silver
chantforhappiness.com
Power Prayers For a Great New Job!
I know I am not the only one looking for a job. Many of you are also looking, and have family members who are searching too. Here are some of the Power Prayers I am using right now. What is a Power Prayer? As most of you know, the THOUGHTS and DETERMINATIONs that our minds are focusing on when we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo are very important.
We chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (the name of the rhythm of the universe) with a purpose in mind. This purpose is contained in our directed thoughts. These directed thoughts are messages to our own lives.
Power Prayers:
All the Best is coming to me now.
I am confident that this layoff is creating the best job of my life to joyfully emerge.
I am a noble bodhisatva of the earth and votary of the Lotus Sutra.
I now attract all that I need to find the perfect job.
All the right people, resources, connections and opportunities are flowing my way now, at just the right time and I am ready for them!
I have confidence in my own life
I have confidence
I am confident,
I am determined to keep my spirits up.
I am determined to stop any negativity from coming into my mind.
All the info I need to find the job, and the job to find me emerges immediately.
I will find a job that uses all my favorite talents, and pays a great salary with benefits.
I am determined to be around people whom I appreciate and respect and who appreciate and respect me!
I am determined to show actual proof of the power of this practice through my own life!
I also have my list of specifics regarding my next job.
I have many other ways I am focusing my chanting as well.
I chant for my members and family and friends.
I am always chanting for people to discover this blog, and for it to touch everyone's heart and help them to really access the power within their own lives through chanting. I am also here to answer your questions and love to receive your emails at chantforhappiness.com.
I am writing a book to teach people the basics for beginning chanting and plan on writing many more. Thank you so much for passing along links to this blog. You can choose your favorite post and copy and paste the url into an email to send to someone. You never know when just the right words will make all the difference in someone's life. Your words mean the world to me!
Daisaku Ikeda's words on Parenting
I love to see the growth of young people, as they are straight and true, and full of promise. Their whole lives lie ahead of them. And it is they who are entrusted with the future. That’s why I take them very seriously.
I feel that “treasures of the heart” are the greatest possible gift from parents to their children. Some parents may wish to guarantee their children’s happiness by giving them material wealth. Yet, no matter how wealthy they are, without good health and physical strength, children will not be able to lead truly happy lives. And above all, I believe that it is the “treasures of the heart”—inner qualities such as spiritual strength, character and humanity—that will ensure the true happiness of a child.
I see childraising as a process of leading a young adult to develop the strength to stand and walk on his own feet. Every time I meet a child, I always offer my respect to him or her as an independent person. A child is an individual with a distinct personality, and even the bond between parent and child is ultimately a relationship between two individuals.
Some children are very considerate and always deep in thought. Others may be looking for someone to fight with. One child cannot resist scribbling on everything in sight. Another is always running to the kitchen for something to eat. There are a thousand different character types and each has different interests. Parents can try to anticipate the different directions in which a child’s individuality might lead them and then do everything possible to provide the environment best suited for their development.
Children are very sensitive; I always feel it is unkind to make comparisons among them. Buddhism teaches that just as cherry blossoms are cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms are plum blossoms, each person has a totally unique character. Children need to each grow at their own rate and in a way that is true to themselves.
Nothing encourages the growth of children more than knowing they are understood and trusted by their parents, as a story about the great French writer and poet Victor Hugo illustrates. The man who lived next door to the young Hugo’s family had a huge apple tree, and he decided to build a fence around it so that children couldn’t pick the apples. Hugo’s mother told him, “If you’re building that fence to keep my son away, you needn’t bother.” The man continued to watch, but the boy never came near the tree. I am impressed that Hugo’s mother knew her son’s character so well.
In order for a child to develop an independent self, it may be necessary at times to discipline him, while at other times the child needs to follow his own way.
I don’t think children are weak and fragile from the beginning. I believe that even a newborn baby possesses vast untapped potential. I’ve heard that a baby, even without any swimming lessons, can instinctively swim when put in water. Perhaps it is parents’ overprotectiveness that actually suppresses the potential of a child, making him or her feeble to the point where the child loses the once-possessed skill and strength needed to swim in the vast ocean called “life.”
Fearing their child may become wet from a small wave, some parents would make sure that she will not even go near the water, and others may try to shield and protect her by getting wet themselves. Imagine how shocked and helpless such a child may become when suddenly thrown into the vast ocean. What will happen to her after she grows up and is swept away by the crushing waves of life and finds that no one is there to intervene on her behalf?
Parenting, to me, means helping a child to develop his or her own strength to strive, to challenge and to live. “If you love your child, help him stand on his own feet and send him off on a journey of learning,” was a concept popular in old Japan. This is how parents back then educated their children. If the ability to face life’s difficulties is made the focus of their upbringing, there is no need to worry whether or not one’s children will handle their lives well.
Sadly, however, some parents try to use their children as a means to give expression to their own vanity and pride, trying to force them into some preconceived mold they consider desirable. This is not a pretty sight, and they run a grave risk of destroying the individuality of their child entirely. If a parent thinks not of the child’s dreams but of his or her own, the result will be something as artificial as the dwarfed trees in abonsai arrangement.
I feel it is crucial that parents understand the way children’s minds work. When he asks the all-important question, “Why?” and is scolded, or a nonsensical answer is made up to quiet him, a child’s purity of spirit will be sullied.
One of the most crucial aspects of childraising is how to answer this frequent question. In the beginning children expect their parents to teach them about everything. However, rather than responding immediately, maybe the mother or father can take the time to work out together with the child what the answer might be. This can help cultivate the child’s power of reasoning.
If parents can raise their children in a way that discourages self-absorption and fosters open-mindedness, such openness of spirit will naturally develop into a warmheartedness directed toward others, toward nature and toward the universe. And with such young people in it, I am confident that the world will become a better place.
I feel that “treasures of the heart” are the greatest possible gift from parents to their children. Some parents may wish to guarantee their children’s happiness by giving them material wealth. Yet, no matter how wealthy they are, without good health and physical strength, children will not be able to lead truly happy lives. And above all, I believe that it is the “treasures of the heart”—inner qualities such as spiritual strength, character and humanity—that will ensure the true happiness of a child.
I see childraising as a process of leading a young adult to develop the strength to stand and walk on his own feet. Every time I meet a child, I always offer my respect to him or her as an independent person. A child is an individual with a distinct personality, and even the bond between parent and child is ultimately a relationship between two individuals.
Some children are very considerate and always deep in thought. Others may be looking for someone to fight with. One child cannot resist scribbling on everything in sight. Another is always running to the kitchen for something to eat. There are a thousand different character types and each has different interests. Parents can try to anticipate the different directions in which a child’s individuality might lead them and then do everything possible to provide the environment best suited for their development.
Children are very sensitive; I always feel it is unkind to make comparisons among them. Buddhism teaches that just as cherry blossoms are cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms are plum blossoms, each person has a totally unique character. Children need to each grow at their own rate and in a way that is true to themselves.
Nothing encourages the growth of children more than knowing they are understood and trusted by their parents, as a story about the great French writer and poet Victor Hugo illustrates. The man who lived next door to the young Hugo’s family had a huge apple tree, and he decided to build a fence around it so that children couldn’t pick the apples. Hugo’s mother told him, “If you’re building that fence to keep my son away, you needn’t bother.” The man continued to watch, but the boy never came near the tree. I am impressed that Hugo’s mother knew her son’s character so well.
In order for a child to develop an independent self, it may be necessary at times to discipline him, while at other times the child needs to follow his own way.
I don’t think children are weak and fragile from the beginning. I believe that even a newborn baby possesses vast untapped potential. I’ve heard that a baby, even without any swimming lessons, can instinctively swim when put in water. Perhaps it is parents’ overprotectiveness that actually suppresses the potential of a child, making him or her feeble to the point where the child loses the once-possessed skill and strength needed to swim in the vast ocean called “life.”
Fearing their child may become wet from a small wave, some parents would make sure that she will not even go near the water, and others may try to shield and protect her by getting wet themselves. Imagine how shocked and helpless such a child may become when suddenly thrown into the vast ocean. What will happen to her after she grows up and is swept away by the crushing waves of life and finds that no one is there to intervene on her behalf?
Parenting, to me, means helping a child to develop his or her own strength to strive, to challenge and to live. “If you love your child, help him stand on his own feet and send him off on a journey of learning,” was a concept popular in old Japan. This is how parents back then educated their children. If the ability to face life’s difficulties is made the focus of their upbringing, there is no need to worry whether or not one’s children will handle their lives well.
Sadly, however, some parents try to use their children as a means to give expression to their own vanity and pride, trying to force them into some preconceived mold they consider desirable. This is not a pretty sight, and they run a grave risk of destroying the individuality of their child entirely. If a parent thinks not of the child’s dreams but of his or her own, the result will be something as artificial as the dwarfed trees in abonsai arrangement.
I feel it is crucial that parents understand the way children’s minds work. When he asks the all-important question, “Why?” and is scolded, or a nonsensical answer is made up to quiet him, a child’s purity of spirit will be sullied.
One of the most crucial aspects of childraising is how to answer this frequent question. In the beginning children expect their parents to teach them about everything. However, rather than responding immediately, maybe the mother or father can take the time to work out together with the child what the answer might be. This can help cultivate the child’s power of reasoning.
If parents can raise their children in a way that discourages self-absorption and fosters open-mindedness, such openness of spirit will naturally develop into a warmheartedness directed toward others, toward nature and toward the universe. And with such young people in it, I am confident that the world will become a better place.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Parenting Wisdom
This week my son Ben and I spent many hours together when I went to bring him home from college. He was filled with appreciation for me. His eyes are opening up to how much he appreciates having me as a Mom, and Paul as a Dad.
Buddhist parenting is such a joy! It is so reassuring to be able to use this practice to gain insight and wisdom in how to raise children. Like many parents, my two boys are the great loves of my life. I adore them, and it has been the most-fulfilling work of my life to have the honor of mentoring and protecting these two precious souls. I have many questions coming from readers about parenting, so I will be posting about parenting from time to time, and creating material for a book for you.
First - some basics:
What has been my goal in parenting?
My parenting goals - my children should :
Have a strong sense of self and know their own power
Be Happy
Be Fulfilled
Be Socially and academically successful
For them to have goals for their lives and follow their dreams
For them to KNOW they have the ultimate tool to solve their problems: Daimoku
Be Healthy
Be Filled with hope and vitality
Practice this Buddhism to create the life of their dreams
For them to believe in themselves!
First things first:
Before my first child was born I chanted a million daimoku to be financially successful enough to be able to spend time with him. I ended up having a substantial income and working only 4 days a week so I could have a "Mommy and Baby Day" every Wednesday.
I also chanted to be mature and have wisdom as a mother.
I chanted for their karma while they were in the womb.
I thought about all the suffering I had gone through as a child (I mentioned before that I didn't have many friends and was very lonely) and chanted for their karma to be changed by the time they were born.
I chanted for their health and for their dreams to come true.
After they were born the real fun began.
I loved having babies. And I loved them at every stage of growth. I was always on the floor playing with them whenever I could.
I knew this time was fleeting...I knew that before I knew it these two precious babies would be all grown. And in the blink of an eye they are now in their twenties. I was right.
They began chanting right away...just after they started talking.
One day they came to me saying they'd had bad dreams and I said "Oh that's easy! Let's sit down and chant about this and the bad dreams will go away immediately!" And the bad dreams vanished.
We had one important rule we always stuck by: "Stop Means Stop." The rule was just as it says...if you are playing with someone and they want you to stop doing something "stop means stop." They shouldn't have to plead or beg or fight. Stop means stop. This rule was perfect. It worked from the very beginning. My children learned respect for each other. Stop means stop!
I knew that I could never allow them to physically fight with each other. I saw families where physical fighting was the norm. Stop Means Stop was really helpful!
One day, they began to get into their first real fight over some toy. I stayed calm. I called them into the Gohonzon room and I said, "Common guys! We're going to sit down and chant to never fight again and to really love your brother." And I know this sounds almost impossible but they just said "Okay Mommy!" and sat down and chanted. And they never fought again. This is the truth. They have always been very close, and supported each other.
Throughout their High School years they were always saying "We don't know anyone as close to their brothers as we are."
I always look for the good in them. Always. My theory is that each child already thinks they are somehow inherently BAD. I know I felt that way. I had terrible self-esteem, and people were always picking on me, just like they pick on everyone it seems. So I felt it was my mission as a mother to reinforce how GOOD my boys were...to always comment on the good things they were doing, and to not focus on anything else. What you focus on increases. I increased the GOOD by saying "I am so proud of you. You ALWAYS know what is best for your life. You have so much wisdom inside you, just listen to your own heart. It knows what to do."
One time Ben made a bad decision. He followed his friends and took a key off a computer, and was caught. He felt such remorse, he was sobbing in sadness and so mad at himself. I brought him into a hug and told him about the time I was caught taking a flower from a woman's garden on the way to school. She called the school, and the Principle found me and I had to go apologize to the woman. It wasn't pleasant, but I did it. And it was over and done with. I reinforced to Ben that all people make mistakes from time to time, but that doesn't mean they are starting a downward spiral, and that doesn't mean he is BAD to the core. The very fact that he was upset was enough punishment. He did not keep doing bad things. And I continued to look for the good. The other day he mentioned this to me, and said it was just an amazing moment for him. I helped him to turn the whole incident around. I constantly reinforced his OWN wisdom.
There is so much more....every time they had challenges with friendships or anything else we headed to the Gohonzon.
I will write more about parenting.
In the meantime I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. Tonight I went to see my songbird sing in her High School Concert. Lovely!
Buddhist parenting is such a joy! It is so reassuring to be able to use this practice to gain insight and wisdom in how to raise children. Like many parents, my two boys are the great loves of my life. I adore them, and it has been the most-fulfilling work of my life to have the honor of mentoring and protecting these two precious souls. I have many questions coming from readers about parenting, so I will be posting about parenting from time to time, and creating material for a book for you.
First - some basics:
What has been my goal in parenting?
My parenting goals - my children should :
Have a strong sense of self and know their own power
Be Happy
Be Fulfilled
Be Socially and academically successful
For them to have goals for their lives and follow their dreams
For them to KNOW they have the ultimate tool to solve their problems: Daimoku
Be Healthy
Be Filled with hope and vitality
Practice this Buddhism to create the life of their dreams
For them to believe in themselves!
First things first:
Before my first child was born I chanted a million daimoku to be financially successful enough to be able to spend time with him. I ended up having a substantial income and working only 4 days a week so I could have a "Mommy and Baby Day" every Wednesday.
I also chanted to be mature and have wisdom as a mother.
I chanted for their karma while they were in the womb.
I thought about all the suffering I had gone through as a child (I mentioned before that I didn't have many friends and was very lonely) and chanted for their karma to be changed by the time they were born.
I chanted for their health and for their dreams to come true.
After they were born the real fun began.
I loved having babies. And I loved them at every stage of growth. I was always on the floor playing with them whenever I could.
I knew this time was fleeting...I knew that before I knew it these two precious babies would be all grown. And in the blink of an eye they are now in their twenties. I was right.
They began chanting right away...just after they started talking.
One day they came to me saying they'd had bad dreams and I said "Oh that's easy! Let's sit down and chant about this and the bad dreams will go away immediately!" And the bad dreams vanished.
We had one important rule we always stuck by: "Stop Means Stop." The rule was just as it says...if you are playing with someone and they want you to stop doing something "stop means stop." They shouldn't have to plead or beg or fight. Stop means stop. This rule was perfect. It worked from the very beginning. My children learned respect for each other. Stop means stop!
I knew that I could never allow them to physically fight with each other. I saw families where physical fighting was the norm. Stop Means Stop was really helpful!
One day, they began to get into their first real fight over some toy. I stayed calm. I called them into the Gohonzon room and I said, "Common guys! We're going to sit down and chant to never fight again and to really love your brother." And I know this sounds almost impossible but they just said "Okay Mommy!" and sat down and chanted. And they never fought again. This is the truth. They have always been very close, and supported each other.
Throughout their High School years they were always saying "We don't know anyone as close to their brothers as we are."
I always look for the good in them. Always. My theory is that each child already thinks they are somehow inherently BAD. I know I felt that way. I had terrible self-esteem, and people were always picking on me, just like they pick on everyone it seems. So I felt it was my mission as a mother to reinforce how GOOD my boys were...to always comment on the good things they were doing, and to not focus on anything else. What you focus on increases. I increased the GOOD by saying "I am so proud of you. You ALWAYS know what is best for your life. You have so much wisdom inside you, just listen to your own heart. It knows what to do."
One time Ben made a bad decision. He followed his friends and took a key off a computer, and was caught. He felt such remorse, he was sobbing in sadness and so mad at himself. I brought him into a hug and told him about the time I was caught taking a flower from a woman's garden on the way to school. She called the school, and the Principle found me and I had to go apologize to the woman. It wasn't pleasant, but I did it. And it was over and done with. I reinforced to Ben that all people make mistakes from time to time, but that doesn't mean they are starting a downward spiral, and that doesn't mean he is BAD to the core. The very fact that he was upset was enough punishment. He did not keep doing bad things. And I continued to look for the good. The other day he mentioned this to me, and said it was just an amazing moment for him. I helped him to turn the whole incident around. I constantly reinforced his OWN wisdom.
There is so much more....every time they had challenges with friendships or anything else we headed to the Gohonzon.
I will write more about parenting.
In the meantime I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. Tonight I went to see my songbird sing in her High School Concert. Lovely!
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