There is Always a Way

Oh the intelligence of nature...

the intelligence in all things. 

For today, just remember...

winter always turns into spring. 

And, there is always a way. 

And, the energy you put into your practice

comes back to you over and over, 

even if you don't see it today. 

All that chanting, all that persistence, all those prayers

are going deep within your life

to bloom and bloom and bloom. 

No Nam myoho renge kyo is EVER wasted, 

even if today, you can't see it. 

Above all, don't give up. 

Never give up.

Courage and Determination

"One who refuses to seek the advice of others 
will eventually be led to a path of ruin. 

A mentor helps you to perceive your own weaknesses 
and confront them with courage. 

The bond between mentor and protégé
enables us to stay true to our chosen path until the very end."

Daisaku Ikeda 

Yes, you can chant for ANYTHING

I know it is hard to believe, but this is actually a practice where you can chant for anything you desire. 

I still get emails asking if it's okay to chant for marriage, or  money, or anything...and the answer is a resounding YES! 

Chant for whatever you want. 

Earthly desires are enlightenment. 

Many of us know people who didn't chant for the most lofty goals when they first started chanting, but over time, through following their hearts, their goals turned more and more towards their happiness, and the happiness of others. 

But you have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is exactly where you are now. 

Please know that you are a noble child of the Buddha...in fact...YOU ARE THE BUDDHA and you deserve to chant for your desires. How can you believe in the power of the mystic law (chanting Nam myoho renge kyo) in your life if you do not see actual proof for yourself? 

Chant to have the kind of benefit that will make you see the power of this law. you need to encourage yourself! Chant for anything. When you encourage yourself you can definitely encourage others. 

Start with your own life and go from there. Your prayers will eventually turn to the happiness of others, and the best way to help others become happy is to become happy FIRST, then show by your example what is possible. 

That is why we chant to show actual proof of the law in our lives. When we show actual proof in our lives and do our own Human Revolution,  constantly improving ourselves,  others will see our results and be inspired. 

As I've said many times, there are people who decided to practice, people I deeply love, who decided to practice just by seeing the changes I made in my life. And my constant prayer has been to show actual vibrant proof of the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo so that others can be inspired to tap into that same power and become happy themselves. 

You can do it. Chant for anything. Money, cars, job, friendship...anything. 

Chant to show actual proof so you can inspire others. 

When I chanted for my house I chanted for a house to show actual proof, and for a place where I could have meetings. When I chanted for a car I chanted for a car to drive members to meetings. 

When you connect your prayer to the greater good it is that much more powerful. 

Chant for your desires. You deserve them, and the world deserves your happiness. Your happiness is contagious, important and worthwhile. And you have the ultimate key to making it happen...Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Go, you Buddha YOU.  

Challenge Everything with Confidence

"It all comes down to you. I hope you won't rely on others or wait for them to do something. 


Try to develop such a strong sense of responsibility that 


you can stand up to the fiercest storms, confidently proclaiming, 


"I'll do it. Just watch me!" Please confront reality, look it squarely in the face, 


and with guts, wisdom and strength, challenge everything that lies ahead of you." - 


Daisaku Ikeda

What if We Don't Know Exactly What We Want?

"What is youth?
The French philosopher Roher Gaurady suggests that while
most people believe a person is born young and then ages and dies,
in reality, acquiring youth in the deepest sense is a very long and challenging process.
The youth of which he speaks is the spiritual strength
not to stagnate or grow resistant to change
but to stay ever open to new possibilities.
It is the power of the spirit
that refuses to succumb to complacency and strives forward. "
Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow p. 71

I am often recommending that we all write and rewrite our lists of what we want in our lives, and continue to hone our desires so that we can achieve what we really want in life. 

Being specific is always a good idea...

But what if we don't know what we want? Does that mean our lives will not advance and that our happiness will always elude us? 
No. No. No. 
If we don't know exactly what we want, we can still activate a very powerful prayer on our own behalf. If we focus our prayer on using our lives for kosen-rufu (world peace) we can continue to advance our happiness even if we don't really know exactly what we want. 

Right now, as many of you know, I am looking at the next phase of my life and chanting about my next job/life endeavor. And I have an all-encompassing prayer, rather than a narrow and exact prayer. 

I chant to use every one of talents for kosen-rufu, fulfilling my real mission in life among people who inspire and delight me. I chant to be well-compensated and happy and fulfilled. 
That is enough. 

I don't have to have a clearer vision until I do have one. At some time I may have something specific that catches my eye, and chant for that. In the meantime this is still a powerful prayer.

We can adopt this idea for any prayer...to find love for kosen-rufu...to buy a new house for kosen-rufu, for anything you want for kosen-rufu. 
Basing our lives on kosen rufu will move our lives in the direction of our happiness. That us just the way it is. We can't go wrong. 
The prayer for kosen-rufu is a deep prayer for the happiness of all...the happiness of all beings. Basing our lives on everyone's happiness is a noble and beautiful way to live. Our happiness is assured when we have such a strong prayer. 

Happiness is Something Your Build for Yourself

Happiness
by Daisaku Ikeda

The purpose of life is to attain happiness.
Happiness is something you have to feel inside.
It is something you have to build for yourself.
It is something that lives within you.
That is why the state of your inner realm, your life,
is so crucial to your being happy.
Happiness is not in some far off place.
Happiness exists within your own life.
It is within a single thought in your mind.
You, yourself are the most precious of all.
You have no need to be envious of anyone
or to long for things far away.
Faith and one's single minded desire
to achieve Kosen Rufu (world peace)
are what makes this self of yours shine its brightest
and develop its highest potential;
they are what fill you with good fortune,
satisfaction and eternal joy.
This is the essence of true happiness,
A palace exists within your own life.
When you open that palace
you can be happy wherever you are.

Chanting for Happiness

Now is the time for all of us to shine. 

Yes, as yesterday's post says, there may be a time in each of our lives to mourn, to cry, and to wash away our sadness. 

But suffering and sadness and bearing our troubles is not the goal of Buddhism. "Our goal is not to master suffering," Daisaku Ikeda states. 

Our goal is to be happy.

Smile ~ it is a cause for your own happiness....smile as much as you can. Every smile of yours makes a difference through all the universe. Every smile of yours creates ripples in the energy of life. Your smiles are contagious. This has actually been proven in the field pf Positive Psychlogy. 

We can all become happy. 

Every one of us. 

We all deserve to be happy.

Today I'm suggesting we all chant to praise our lives, and to have the sun shine through our lives. Nichiren means Sun Lotus. How perfect. We all practice the Buddhism of the sun. We are the sun. 
Today on this SUNday, a sunny one here in Chicago, let's chant to light the sun inside each of our lives. 

Let's let our lives shine. We can all chant to be happy. Happiness is our birthright. We deserve to be happy. Go ahead and chant for it!