Inspiring Encouragement for Illness

For any of you who are facing illness - this should raise your spirits! 

The person who originally compiled these quotes 

was able to use this practice and modern medicine 

to overcome breast cancer completely. 

Please feel free to forward a link to this blogpost 

to anyone who is suffering from illness. 

From President Ikeda's Lecture series "The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin: On Prolonging One's Life Span - Faith for Leading a Long and healthy Life" in the July-August 08 Living Buddhism. (Thank you to my friend Melissa Bradford for compiling these great quotes!)


“Suffering from illness is a means by which you can eradicate your negative karma.”  
President Toda, as quoted by President Ikeda. - pg 70 

“To see illness as an opportunity to transform our karma – this strong spirit and resolve can break through all obstacles and devilish functions and open wide the path to happiness.  Like a rocket blasting out of the earth’s atmosphere, the passionate conviction of faith that comes from viewing illness as an opportunity to transform our karma can become a powerful engine propelling us forward not only in this existence but throughout eternity, enabling us to freely savor everlasting happiness.”  Pg 74

Power Prayer for Today's Full Moon

Today's Moonrise over the Lake, 

posted by my friend Mojo in Louisiana.

March 27th Daily Guidance from Daisaku Ikeda from For Today and Tomorrow:

"While controlling your mind, 
which is at once both extremely subtle 
and solemnly profound, 
you should strive to elevate your faith 
with freshness and vigor. 
When you do so, 
both your life and your surroundings 
will open wide before you 
and every action you take 
will become a source of benefit. 
Understanding the subtle workings of one's mind 
is the key to faith 
and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime."

And how do we do this? How do we understand the subtle workings of our mind? 
We are so fortunate to have discovered the key of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. We can chant to understand the subtle workings of our mind. We can chant to see our minds in action. We can chant for the realizations that will keep leading us to victory in our lives, and enable us to help others become happy right alongside us. These prayers alone refresh our faith.

Tips for Beginning Chanting ~

(Periodically I post this passage about chanting for the first time. If you're new to the practice I welcome you with open arms. If you're strengthening your own practice I congratulate you, and if you are forwarding the post to someone who wants to try chanting, that is awesome.) 

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 fresh 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. So don't worry about your current desires. Chanting is progressive, both you and your desires will evolve. I know people who began a very rewarding practice chanting for things others might consider wrong or strange. One of my friends chanted for a month to prove to his wife that this practice doesn't work. More than 40 years later he is still practicing. In Nichiren Buddhism your desires ARE enlightenment. It is okay to desire whatever you desire, whether it's money, the happiness of someone else, a relationship, a job, or peace of mind and contentment.

Turn "Why me? to "YES ME!"

Each one of us is a Boddhisatva of the earth. We are the ones here on earth proving the power of the law. 

We can take each one of our challenges and realize that it is our mission, our sacred beautiful mission to change our karma. Because we are interconnected with all of life (dependent origination), whenever we break through, we break through for our families, friends, for the web of life itself. 

When we can take our problems and elevate them to being our mission we have more power and strength. 

We can turn our lives from  "Why me? to YES ME!" and use or faith, and power in our daimoku to open the door through which many will flow after us. 

We are Boddhisatvas of the earth or we would not be chanting Daimoku. How lucky we are! But the minute we start saying "Why me?" and feeling sorry for ourselves we erode our strength and our life force drains our lives.

The next time you are wondering "Why me?" turn it into a "YES ME!" Embrace your challenges. You would not have them if you couldn't change them. 

In the February 15th World Tribune there was a message to the women and young women from SGI Honorary Women's Leader Kaneko Ikeda called "Precious Flowers Blooming in the Garden of Kosen Rufu." 

Kaneko Ikeda states: 

"Times of suffering are times when our faith is put to the test. Our Buddhist practice enables us to face such difficult and painful times with wisdom and fortitude and, supported by the warm encouragement of our fellow members, to move in a positive direction, a direction of hope and fresh growth. 

In his writings, the Daishonin teaches that we can lessen our karmic retribution through our efforts in faith to spread the Mystic Law. It can be said, therefore, that whatever daunting hardships and karmic trials may befall us, they appear precisely because we have the power to transform them. 

From the perpective of Buddhism, everything that happens in our life has a profound meaning. Based on the law of cause and effect, the greater the efforts we make for kosen-rufu, the greater our future happiness. This is something that will become clearly apparent when we look back later." 

(Page C, February 15th World Tribune") 

So today, see if you can turn every "Why me?" Into a "YES ME!" and appreciate and embrace your karma and unique challenges. Make a firm determination that you CAN change anything in your life, and lead others to happiness through your example. 

Appreciation Power Prayer

I am on a roll of chanting in Appreciation. 

Power Prayer of Appreciation:

Thank you life! I appreciate all the wonderful people, opportunities, money, love, fun, and treasured moments that are flowing into my life right now. I feel every cell in my body vibrating and radiating happiness. My whole being shimmers in happiness and contentment as I let my light shine. Thank you life, thank you, thank you! 

I'll bet you can write a great appreciation power prayer for your own life. 

Every time I sit down to chant I focus on appreciation and feel my heart swelling in happiness...a feeling of peace comes over me.

I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the name of the rhythm of life itself, and I feel the rhythm within myself and in all of life. Everyone who chants these words can have this experience. This is not something reserved for an elite few.

Creating A Powerful Practice

TO create a Powerful Buddhist practice and a powerful life, remember that you are not chanting to something outside your life....you are chanting to your very life itself...
and the life of the entire universe.  

Through chanting Daimoku 
you have the keys to access the power of the universe. There is no need to beg. 

There is a need to VOW, and DETERMINE...and to clearly tell your life that you want results from your chanting NOW!!!


That's the power of chanting Daimoku. And please, do not chant under your breath! Chant as if you mean it! You are speaking to the universe...be strong. Take deep breaths, remember to breathe. Breathe from your belly...feel the energy surging through your body. SIT UP STRAIGHT! Be STRONG! You're chanting!

What you Focus on Increases

It is so easy to think of all the things we want to change in our lives. It is so easy to focus on what we don't want, rather than concentrating on all of the good things, in our lives and in ourselves. I received some positive feedback this week about one of the blogs postings. 

A reader wrote me to tell me that she'd made a sign for her Butsudan that says: 

What you focus on increases. 

It is true. 

When I give my talk "Change Your Words, Change Your Life" I begin by telling this story: