Life contains the capacity, 
like flames that reach toward heaven, 
to transform suffering and pain 
into the energy of value-creation, 
the light that illuminates the dark. 
Like the wind traversing vast spaces unhindered, 
life has the power 
to uproot and overturn all obstacles and difficulties. 
Like clear flowing water, 
it can wash away all stains and impurities. 
And finally, life, 
like the great Earth that sustains plants and vegetation, 
impartially embraces all people 
with its compassionate, nurturing force.

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org

When You Chant Consistently The Mystic Law is "Righting" Your Life

Changes Might Not Happen Right Away, 

but they WILL COME if We Persevere

The important thing is to keep chanting until the changes DO happen.


As Daisaku Ikeda states:

"When we practice gongyo and chant daimoku 
in front of the Gohonzon, 
the good and evil capacities of our lives 
begin to function 
as exalted forms of fundamental existence. 
Lives that are full of the pain of Hell, 
lives that are in the state of Hunger, 
lives warped by the state of Anger ~ 
such lives, too, 
begin to move in the direction 
of creating personal happiness and value. 
Lives being pulled toward misfortune and unhappiness 
are redirected and pulled in the opposite direction, 
toward good, 
when they make the Mystic Law their basis."

Daisaku Ikeda, Faith in Action page 119.

A Great Human Revolution...

"A great human revolution 
in the life of one person 
can change the destiny of humankind and our planet. 
It is Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, 
that encourages 
and enables people 
to become aware of their great power, 
to draw it forth and use it. 
Buddhism gives people 
the means to develop themselves thoroughly 
and opens their eyes to the limitless power inherent in their lives."

Daisaku Ikeda, 
From Ikedaquotes.org

You ARE the Buddha ~ and Your Altar is Your "Home Within Your Home"

My altar

Daisaku Ikeda states:

"The Gohonzon is the clearest of al mirrors, which reflects the entire universe exactly as it is. When you chant to the Gohonzon, you can perceive the entity of your life and can tap the inexhaustible life force of Buddhahood."

from Faith in Action page 113

We are all the Buddha! 

You are the Buddha, and I am the Buddha, and everyone else is too. 

What does this mean to us, and to our Buddhist practice? 

It means that when we chant we are speaking TO the life of the Buddha, our eternal life, and we can demand the results we want. It is very important to realize that when we chant we are not asking favors from anyone, we are petitioning no gods and no forces outside of our lives. If, by any chance you have any idols or gods of any kind on your altar, it is a  good idea to take them down so that you are not confused on this point. 

What should the Buddhist altar contain? 
The Gohonzon (scroll representing our highest possible life condition that is within us - and we chant facing this scroll to act as a mirror for our inner selves and draw the life condition of the Buddha from within our lives), 
the Butsudan, (the box or cabinet that has doors that close to protect the scroll). Everything else on the altar is an offering to your highest self. I have fresh fruit, a bell, candles, a plant or greens or flowers and a light illuminating the Gohonzon. Some people like to burn incense. I can't do that ~ it makes me sneeze. And in the morning some Buddhists like to put fresh water on the altar that they drink at night. 

Occasionally I have photos of people on the altar, and I have bulletin boards filled with pictures of the people I am chanting for surrounding the altar. There should be nothing above the Butsudan and no window close by. This is your "home within your home" and it represents YOU. I have heard it said that the way you treat your altar is the way your life treats you, so I keep mine clean and dusted and everything fresh. If I go away on a trip I put some rice, or my favorite non-perishable food on the altar when I'm gone, and replace the fresh fruit when I return.  

And, as I mentioned earlier, I don't have any statues of the Buddha or any other gods on the altar or anywhere near. This is my altar to MY LIFE, and I only address my life here. 

Since you are chanting to YOUR LIFE, you can chant with a command in your heart. Go ahead. TELL YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU WANT. And if you don't know what you want, ASK your life in front of the Gohonzon. For several years I chanted to know what was my mission in life. And I go the answer. I have known my mission in life for years now, and if you're a reader of this blog you probably know what my mission is too, to inspire people with my life...to WIN in all areas of my life so that everyone can see that the impossible is possible if you don't give up! 

If you need some revived inspiration and focus,
I can now offer personal PowerPrayer creation by telephone or email. If you send me an email at chantforhappiness@gmail.com I will give you the details of how it works. 

Linda Kay's Experience ~

I am relatively new to chanting, having only been at it for about 3 months now. I was introduced to it during a time in my life when I was searching for a way to connect on a deeper level with what I call the “mystical.” Having meditated for years, I found myself looking for new and different ways to connect to the “powers” that exist deep inside me, and that are present in my daily life.

My first experience at a district meeting filled me with an energy and deep appreciation for the others in the room.  I found myself experiencing a similar “energy” or vibration when I chanted at home and over the recent month, have committed to chanting twice a day.

Back in March of this year, I lost my job at a clinic where I was a director. Desperate and fearful, I sent my resume out for every job that even “sounded” like a possibility. Then I was introduced to chanting. 

A new job quickly surfaced. Actually, several opportunities quickly surfaced, and I was called for interviews for the majority of them. One company contacted me, flew me out for an interview and made an offer within several days.  I was thrilled to be working again, and I chanted in deep appreciation and gratitude.

Within the first few weeks I began to feel something was terribly wrong with my job. First of all everyone was under such tight deadlines and pressure that they yelled at each other. The owner of the company was receiving chemo therapy for colon cancer during the day, but working till 2:00 am on projects once she got home. The company overpromised each and every client. 

I was under deep stress and found myself almost having an “out-of-body” experience just to cope. The stress and work never stopped. I would wake up at 6:00 am to do work before the day started, and work until 10:00 pm to get caught up. Finally, after working each weekend, I asked another employ on  Sunday about working weekends and was told that “we are expected to be on call 24/7 7 days a week.”

I began to panic and feel very sick. I began to chant earnestly for help, happiness and good health. I can remember coming to one of the meeting, feeling less-than human, but leaving feeling like my old self again. 

One day, barely a month into the new job, I was so stressed that I began to have heart palpations. I thought about calling my doctor but knew that she would want me to go to the emergency room. I had too much work to do, and could not make the time. 

The next day I was fired. 

I know that my chanting protected me. I believe that my job loss was a gift and I am now chanting in deep appreciation for the help, my happiness and good health. 

I have several new job opportunities, and am expected by end of day to commit to one of them. I don’t think that I will take it. I am chanting for something much more than just a job, I am chanting for my own legacy – and while this job will certainly pay my bills, it is nothing more than that, a job that will pay my bills. 

I have two other jobs in the “hopper”. Both of them are exciting and what I am trained and love to do! I think I will hold out for the full-deal, and I am chanting for strength and courage while these opportunities come forward. 

I hope that you learn something from me sharing my experience, I certainly have learned so much from each of you when you share yours. 

Four year Anniversary of my First Post on Chantforhappiness.com

Hello! At the end of July in 2009 I began this blog with a determination to chant 2 hours a day, solve several lifelong problems and take the world along with me - so that I could inspire others to chant. At the time, I was suffering from deep sadness, and I had a pain in my hip that had been bothering me for several years. I was scared  of surgery, and had been told I needed a hip replacement even though I am so young. (They think the cause of my hip problem stemmed from a scooter accident in San Francisco in 1988). I was still trying everything to avoid surgery...physical therapy, massage, energy healing, acupuncture...you name it. But the pain persisted. I was determined to change my deepest karma, and inspire others. 

Right after I began this blog, and my two-hour a day Daimoku Campaign I was asked to help lead the Downers Grove SGI District. Later that fall my blog readers followed my posts as my sweet Mommy died. Even though it was sad, it was also inspiring how we chanted her to her next journey. And in 2010 my Daimoku gave me the courage to have the surgery and walk pain free. I felt surrounded by protection. I have accomplished everything on my list from my determinations, but I am not stopping blogging! You are all a part of my life now. Every time I chant, I chant for all of you. I chant to be able to inspire you and for you to be able to use my blog to inspire others to chant. And together we are helping people become happy and changing the world. As you know, I love hearing from you, and hear from many of you often. Many mornings I wake up to your messages of thanks. I live a wonderful life ! 

I am now offering individual coaching by phone and by email. If you email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com I will explain how that works. 

I thought you might want to read the first blog I ever posted so I'm reprinting it here: 


July 30, 2009

Join me!
I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo 
(pronounced Nahm Meeyoho Raingay Kyo)
It means - I fuse my life with the law of cause and effect through sound vibration, or I am one with the flow of life, or I am the Buddha myself! Chanting these words has a profound and practical impact on my life....and it can on anyone's life.
When you chant these words you tap into the eternal universe that's already inside you...the one you know is there, that you've always known is there. Chanting these words allows you to tap the great power you have always had.
On October 20th of 2009 I will have been chanting these words every day...twice a day for 25 years! Between now and October 20th I will be chanting two hours every single day. By October 20th I will have chanted a million daimoku (pron: diemoku, and it means chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo over and over) with a goal to accomplish many dreams:

Here are my determinations:
I wish to inspire others through sharing my heart, my struggles and my successes.
I wish to share the heart of my mentor Daisaku Ikeda (President of the Soka Gakkai International) with the world.
I will release my life from the underlying sadness I have always felt...the sadness that has no name and no real cause. I believe I was born with this sadness, and that it is my mission in this life to free myself from it.
I will have a body that is pain free! I will be able to move in any way I want. For several years I have been battling with a painful right leg. I believe it is arthritis, but I keep thinking I can solve the pain through some other means than surgery. I have never had surgery and never want to have it!
I will be on the way to losing the rest of the weight I've been challenged with my entire life. (I've already lost 50 pounds).
I will naturally attract opportunities that delight me!
I will make lots of new friends and connections!
I will become a published author!

Turning Poison into Medicine, a quote from Daisaku Ikeda

"Never has there been a time 

when ties of mutual encouragement 

and support are more needed than now.

"As human beings, 

we all experience times of despair.

But if we can endure and overcome those 

difficult times, they can become an 

important source of nourishment 

for our own growth.

"In the long course of life, 

especially with regard to those of us 

who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, 

everything negative in our lives

is definitely transformed 

into something 

positive, 

in accord with the principle of "changing 

poison into medicine." 

Therefore, put your mind at ease 

and live out your lives to the fullest with 

strong faith, 

together with your fellow members."

~ Daisaku Ikeda ~
SGI Newsletter No. 8805, On Our Shared Journey for Kosen-rufu