How Does Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Work? What's this Practice all about?

The following is a Passage from Julia Landis' and Jamie Lee Silver's upcoming book, The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting Your Way to Absolute Happiness:

As Nichiren (SGI) Buddhists we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to summon up our fathomless wisdom while steering our life-craft in the direction of our innermost desires. We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again. We call this chanting Daimoku 

(Die-MOH-Koo). Daimoku means title and the title of the Lotus Sutra is  Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  The founder of this practice, Nichiren Daishonin, added to Myoho-renge-kyo  the syllable Nam which means “I devote my life to.” 

So, a brief translation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is, 

“I devote my life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration,” or, “I am one with the very rhythm of life.”

“Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the ultimate mystic truth, and Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo  is the name of the life state of Buddhas who embody and reveal this truth.” 

p.28 On Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

It actually becomes very natural over time to focus on a personal PowerPrayer while chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  It is nothing more than putting your deepest fundamental wish into action. By chanting and focusing on our most cherished desire, we come to steer our lives with confidence in the direction of Buddhahood. Our lives become lives of immense creativity, wisdom and value, and most of all Love. For as we chant, rhythmically and powerfully, we exude into our environment a music that evokes our deepest, innermost  capacity and transforms any manner of poison (problem) into a medicine (benefit), and further, into a nectar (deep and absolute happiness). 

Love's Got to do with it

A PowerPrayer is infused with love. That's the source of its power. When we chant for what we really want it comes from a real love for ourselves. All love begins with self love. However, you don't have to come to this practice in a state of self-love. This practice will take you there. Chanting Daimoku will itself bring about this state in your life. As the well known writer in the personal growth movement, Louise Hay, has said at the age eighty-two, “self love is the most important thing of all.” When you love yourself, everything in your environment loves you back. Your environment is a reflection of your own state of life and connection to the source of all happiness. 

Sadly, in general, Human beings tend to project this source outside of themselves. In fact, we are most comfortable, it seems in today's spiritual culture, when we project both the source of our mystical power and, also, its recipient outside of our lives. (Everyone seems to be praying to a power outside of themselves for a person who isn't them!) A great majority of souls, and you, yourself, we imagine, have prayed with love in your heart for the happiness of someone else, invoking a power that you have come to believe is “higher” than your own life. It has become commonplace.

But how often have you prayed with immense love...

for your own life, 

for your own happiness, 

for your own well-being? 

And more importantly, how often have you prayed...

from your own life

to your own life 

for the very best things 

and experiences for you

in short, for your own happiness?

We have found that, as it has been written, if we intone our voice with Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can summon up great love, the kind of love that is required of us if we want to awaken to our true potential. And that is another name for Buddhas: Beings who have realized their infinitely positive wise and loving potentials.

It is our PowerPrayer that as you are reading, these words are activating within you the curiosity and courage it will take to sustain you on this journey. For the Lotus won't give its seed if one's hand is not open. It is our prayer that you open your hand in such a way that you open your mind, heart, and Life, as well. And you chant! 

Listen to the secret we whisper into your ear:

You are the Buddha of Infinite Potential. Yes, YOU are the Buddha. Your life story is one of awakening. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you will be able to solve your problems and awaken to your own Buddhahood that has always been your birthright. 

The above passage is part of the preface to the book Julia and I have been writing for you. It is almost finished and is packed with PowerPrayers to strengthen your life and your practice. 

On this blog I have written many posts for people who are interested in chanting, and I invite your questions and comments. You may email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 

What Can You Accomplish Through Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo?

What can you accomplish through chanting? 

Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo will help you solve any problem. 
There was an experience in a recent World Tribune. (Publication of the SGI-USA, Soka Gakkai USA)

A girl with a very heavy heart and lots of troubles went to her first SGI meeting. A member who had been chanting for many years had this young girl hold up her baby finger, and she told her "Right now all your troubles seem bigger than the room we are standing in right now. But when You tart chanting you will see that all your troubles are really tiny as your baby finger compared to the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo." And that's the truth! 

What are some examples of the things I have personally seen change for people? 

I'll start with my own benefits for you.

There are three categories of "treasures" in Buddhism -

THe Treasure of the Heart
The Treasure of the Body
The Treasure of the Storehouse 


Here are some Benefits of developing the treasure of the heart:

I have cured in my own life:

Hopelessness
Depression
Anxiety
Sadness
Fear! 
Loneliness - I went from having very few friends to having many friends, and to being happier on my own too. 
I have resolved every conflict in the workplace and in my personal life very quickly
I have no more need to be eating all the time
I have alleviated the endless hunger for everything, that constant longing for what I cannot have for whatever reason. 
I've lost 50 pounds and feel younger and stronger than ever.
I am working on publishing a book that will help many people learn to chant. This, along with the blog you are reading now is my greatest passion....helping people alleviate their suffering. 
I have peace of mind!

Other treasures of the heart:

One of my members stopped his pattern of constant worrying and never worries anymore.
One member overcame her deep dark depression, and many members in my district have greatly alleviated their anxiety.
They face their problems head-on and together we break through them! 

I've seen many members get the jobs of their dreams...overcome fear of public speaking...overcome many fears. 

The list goes on and on.....

There are also treasures of the storehouse...and things that people want to have and accomplish.

I remember chanting for my first car. I chanted for a reliable car for Kosen Rufu (world peace) so that I could drive people to meetings in San Francisco. 
I chanted for a beautiful house to hold Buddhist meetings in...one that would inspire people that anything was possible!
 I'll never forget the looks on the mover's faces when they arrived at my beautiful kosen rufu home on the hill with the gorgeous view! It was such a contrast from my tiny little apartment on lower Nob Hill (Upper Tenderloin for those in the know) in San Francisco! 
And I've chanted for financial benefits. We need money to live and to give us opportunities. 

Oh there are soooo many things... feeling...experiences that you can chant for. And the biggest benefit of all is that as you are chanting for these things you are developing a stronger sense of self...a stronger inner core...a strength so powerful that NO PROBLEM CAN DEFEAT YOU. EVER. That is truly the best benefit. 
And remember that when you chant you are not asking anyone for anything...you are drawing power from your own precious life! Go YOU!

PowerPrayer for Loving Your Body Into Its Perfect Shape (for women)

I'm continuing on a theme today 
to help those of you who have written me 
saying you are dealing with body image and weight issues. 
I chanted with the sentiments of this PowerPrayer in my mind 
and had strong determination to have a body I loved. 
It worked for me it can work for you. 
The way to use PowerPrayer is to read the words before your daily chanting, and throughout the day whenever you want to refresh your determination. 
Then, when you are chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you can focus your mind on absolutely winning in the area of your relationship with your body. 
Don't give up! 
From Julia and Jamie, (who have both achieved success in this area) from our upcoming book, The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting Your Way to happiness, we offer you:

PowerPrayer for Loving My Body into its Perfect Shape (for women)

When you practice this PowerPrayer you will be receiving what we call “inconspicuous benefit.” You may not see its effects right away, but you will build strength over time and these words will become true. 

My body feels great!

I am the perfect shape!

I easily cross my legs, 

I am smaller than all my clothes,

I fit in all sorts of beautiful, sexy clothes!

For the first time, I am not hungry for the wrong foods. 

I can eat anything I want - and I want what’s BEST for me. 

I love my food and enjoy it! 

I love my beautiful, sexy body!

I have a smooth, non-bloated tummy. 

My belly is stronger and happier than ever. 

My face shines with health and vibrancy. 

I do not miss the unhealthy food I used to eat. 

I have energy, 

                    spark 

                            and a light in my eye!

I work out. 

I breathe. 

I am in the best physical shape of my entire life. 

I look and feel much younger than my age. 

My posture is improving daily because my self-esteem is rising

I am grateful to my own life

for having the courage, 

                                    fortitude, 

                                                vision 

                                                 and determination 

to live my life HEALTHY. 

Oh  -  Thank You!

PowerPrayer for Overcoming Constant Hunger and for Permanent Weight Loss

I have gotten lots of feedback from the before and after pictures of myself I posted on Sunday. I know there are many who have tried over and over to lose weight, only to be discouraged in the end. Without going into detail here about living overweight in a society that sees overweight people as legitimate targets for scorn and shame, let me just say that I have experienced the pain that goes along with this my whole life. 

It all changed for me when I really accepted and embraced the fact that if I had this problem, well, then it truly HAD to be my mission to change it and to help others. That's what problems are FOR, after all, when you're a practicing Buddhist. But, as many of you know, some problems go away quickly when you chant about them. Some do not. Some take extraordinary perseverance and determination. 
For me, weight loss was one of these problems. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the clear determination to overcome this problem ~ and Not ever giving up ~ was the key!

It still amazes me that I am FREE of this suffering. I am no longer hungry all the time. I don't hunger in the same way for anything. I have absolutely raised my life condition, enjoy shopping for clothes and am happy with the way I look. I'm always improving my health and strength, but it's fun, not a chore. I have DONE the impossible. 

Julia, my writing partner and I both have a shared karma around this subject. We have different experiences but they stem from the same core longing. We wrote this PowerPrayer for you, and for the book. At some point we will be offering personal weight loss coaching and other tools as well. 

As always, I am very interested to hear your results. And believe me, there is noting I would rather do than help be a catalyst for YOU to overcome this suffering once and for all. If I can do it, so can YOU!

PowerPrayer for Overcoming Constant Hunger 

and for Permanent Weight Loss

I am determined to grip this karma 

of insatiable hunger for food by its root, 

yank it out of my life and throw it away forever. 

Everything I need to make this happen 

comes to me right now 
with each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant.

I am now filling the space within me 

with the fulfillment my soul needs. 

I nourish my body with the best possible foods for me 

and I nourish my soul by doing the things I love:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

I’m too busy enjoying my life 

to think about food the way I used to. 

I find comfort in so many things besides food. 

I’m strong enough to turn to my spiritual practice 

in the most effective way, 

and turn my hunger into the hunger for enlightenment. 

I am really proud of myself 

and I reward myself in many deeply satisfying ways:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

I turn my thoughts 

to all the things I appreciate about my body 

and about me:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

I now experience the enlightened state of hunger: 

I hunger for the happiness of all people.

I happily embrace the challenge 

of transforming my body

for the sake of sharing the power of this practice 

with everyone I know! 

Thank YOU for all Your messages!

Thank You so MUCH! 

I appreciate all your kind words, 

your experiences 

and knowing that you are passing along 

chantforhappiness.com to others. 

My goal is to bring the readership 

from 20k to 50k by November 18th 2013. 

Thank you so much for joining me 

in creating a world of 

ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS for ALL!

Whatever You do, Don't Give Up!

The caption of this picture says: 

"When everything seems to be going against you, 

remember that 

the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." 

Henry Ford

Yesterday I posted before and after pictures of myself. 

How did I finally lose so much weight and keep it off? 

I did not give up.

Yes, that's it, that's really it. Did I lose the weight and gain it back? More times than I can count. Did I give up? No. I fought for my victory. I fought to be able to live life free of the endless hunger. Over and over I chanted with this prayer that I got from my dear mentor Kate Randolph:

"I don't care how many times I have to come back here and chant for this victory. 
I don't CARE that it still feels impossible. 
I will WIN! 
I am the Buddha
I AM Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
I will win not just for me, 
but for the sake of others who are suffering. 
I will win. I will win. I will win." 

And I took massive action. I tried diet after diet, scheme after scheme, exercise after exercise. And I will continue every day improving how I look and feel in my body. It is the only one I have. And I concluded that it must be my MISSION to use my victory to help others. 

What karma do you have that you could turn into your mission? Once you make the change in your determination you will open the door to fresh energy and enthusiasm. You will not bemoan your fate but see it as the gift it it. 

And every day we get the chance to begin anew. 

"No matter what the circumstances, 
you should never concede defeat. 
Never conclude that you've reached a dead end, 
that everything is finished. 

You possess a glorious future. 

Precisely because of that, 
you must persevere and study. 
Life is eternal. 
We need to focus on the two existences 
of the present and the future 
and not get caught up in worry about the past. 
We must always 
have the spirit to begin anew 
"from this moment," 
to initiate a new struggle each day. 

Daisaku Ikeda
From Faith in Action Page 466. 

You Can Make the Impossible Possible...and Help Others to do the Same!

That's me in the middle with my aunt and my Mom. This was taken right after I moved back to the Chicago area to help my Mom take care of my blind aunt. I do believe weight is genetic, yes? But that doesn't mean you can't make the impossible possible! (I still equate losing weight as the hardest thing I have ever done - and only those of us who have experienced this personally would know what I mean) 

Me with my sister around 2003

Here's a more recent picture of me. I am loving my life! 

The reason I write this blog is very simple. 

I have accomplished the impossible in my life, and I live every moment to help you see that you can accomplish the impossible in your life too. 

What is impossible? I think "the impossible" is different for every person according to their karma. And the beautiful thing about this practice is that you can change that impossible karma, no matter what it is, and make the impossible possible. 

What was impossible for me? Two things come immediately to mind. Depression and Weight. That's right. I suffered from depression and hopelessness my entire life. And fear. As far as I can tell, I was just born with these tendencies. I may have even chosen, before I came into this lifetime, to have these exact problems, so that once I overcame them I could help others overcome them too. I've often felt that way about the weight too. Being an overweight woman in America is a type of prison sentence. And I was overweight all my life until a few years ago.

I searched for many years for the spiritual solution to these problems. And I kept coming up with dead ends until I found THIS Buddhism. 
I mean I searched with my whole life. During High School and College I was on this spiritual search. All I wanted to study were religions, philosophies, spiritual studies. You name a spiritual study and I probably have spent some time researching it. And I did get some good information that I still use and helped to create the concept of PowerPrayers. My appreciation is immense to Catherine Ponder of the Unity School and the wise and wonderful Louise Hay. Tony Robbins' work was invaluable to me, and for quite some time Werner Erhard also had an impact in my ability to live life fully. 

But I really wanted a spiritual PRACTICE that would work for me CONSISTENTLY. Meaning, I wanted a practice that could enable me to make the impossible possible - help me lose the weight and end the depression. 
All the spiritual practices I found told me something I disagreed with: 

I just could not accept the concept that my own desires were the cause of my suffering.
I had to move to San Francisco to find this wonderful SGI Buddhism that said my desires were enlightenment and that through chanting for them them I could be happy. YES. That worked for me! Chant for what you WANT? Exactly! 

So I've spent the rest of my life helping others who are also searching for their personal guide to happiness. That's why I started this blog and am writing my book. We have so much more technology today to help people. 

I know there are people sitting at their computes all over the world and thinking: "I KNOW the key to happiness must be in here somewhere!" And it IS! 
Please help us all to spread the word about chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by forwarding this blog's url to your friends and "liking" the Facebook page Chant for Happiness, and sharing your favorite posts. 
There are still so many who are sad, or abused, or unhappy! We can help them together. You, and me and our wonderful SGI family are ready to show others the way out of misery. It is our greatest joy and the fastest way to change our karma. Isn't that great? We do both at the same time! 

And, I can tell you my weight problems are gone. And, after being depressed and on anti-depressants for years I know longer take any medications and am truly, truly happy. 

And there are a few impossible things I am chanting for right now, true love and my work spreading the word about this practice to increase. Including having the book I'm writing with Julia Landis be an overwhelming success so that we can help more people learn about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I am absolutely confident that I will make the impossible possible in those areas too! Absolutely confident. 

Please be confident in your own ability to make the impossible possible!