Quote from Sensei

From Daisaku Ikeda:

BUDDHISM elucidates three types of filial piety or natural obligations to parents. Giving one’s parents material goods such as clothing and food is the lowest type of filial piety. Respecting the desires of one’s parents is the middle type. And leading one’s parents to Buddhahood with the Mystic Law is the highest type.
PLEASE do not forget your mother’s love and the hardship she has endured for you. I am convinced that while a person keeps memory of his mother’s loving face alive in his mind, he will never go far astray. Similarly, as long as we bear in mind the Daishonin’s profound compassion and live in deep appreciation of it, our lives will be illuminated brightly by the light of Buddhahood.
In faith, one’s heart is of the utmost importance. A rainbow of beauty and hope shines splendidly in the lives of people who advance harmoniously for the betterment of society with a pure heart.
Social rules and common sense should be followed. We should abide by the laws and rules of society, and as believers in true Buddhism, we should never break such rules.
We must face each issue that crops up, without flinching, solve it, overcome it and move on to the next. That is what human life is really about. That is what it is to be alive. When you triumph over your sufferings, they will all be transformed into joy. And you yourself will grow and expand your life state.

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. 

Kansai Culture Festival in the Rain

Daisaku Ikeda, our mentor in life

This weekend I was at the Chicago Buddhist Center on Saturday and Sunday and saw the film of the Kansai Culture Festival in the rain in 1966 twice. I found a link on youtube for you. It's in Japanese and the quality isn't so great but you might want to see it. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lk-2bvPm0E
or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vjQQo1PZIY

Imagine 22,000 people in the stands being a human billboard and creating countless works of art with colored boards...imagine over 1,000 young men dressed in white laying down in huge puddles of mud as part of their performance. It was really incredible to see how people can be even more galvanized and determined through the power of the mystic law. Their faces shown with the victory of determination. The young women were dressed all in white in beautiful ballet dresses, and they also had mud all over their faces, dresses, arms...

It was as if the rain came just to help these determined members prove the power of the law. 

The reverberations of the Kansai spirit continue today. Their efforts may be one of the reasons we are all practicing today. So inspiring. 

A few years ago there was a Santa Monica parade in the cold rain of February. The film of that day is also truly amazing. All the young people performing and smiling in the cold California rain...and I lived in California, I KNOW how cold it can get! But their shining faces inspired EVERYONE. 

We are so fortunate to be a part of this organization...a group of lay believers with one inspiring mentor and many devoted and committed members. 

I hope you are all part of our warm Gakkai family. If you haven't started going to meetings in your area I really encourage you to connect! The SGI link to the right will help you. If you have any challenges connecting write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com and I will do what I can to help. 

Happy Monday  Everyone! 

Conspicuous and Inconspicuous Benefit - what we see, and what is revealed later

"There are two kinds of benefit 
that derive from faith in the Gohonzon: 
conspicuous and inconspicuous. 
Conspicuous benefit is the obvious, 
visible benefit of being protected 
or being quickly able 
to surmount a problem when it arises, 
be it an illness 
or a conflict in a personal relationship. 
Inconspicuous benefit 
is good fortune accumulated slowly but steadily, 
like the growth of a tree 
or the rising of the tide, 
which results in the forging 
of a rich and expansive state of life. 
We might not discern any change from day to day, 
but as the years pass, 
it will be clear that we've become happy, 
that we've grown as individuals. "

Persistence Can be Frustrating! I KNOW~ But it is the only way ~

As Soka Gakkai members who base their lives on the mystic law, we are changing ourselves, and the world, through our prayers, and I know, we all know, that some prayers are just harder to manifest, right? And they seem to be different things for different people. Some people fall in love and marry their soulmate and are happy for life...others search and search and chant and chant and still have to persevere to find the love of their lives. Some are born healthy and stay healthy and others fight for their health over and over...some have great careers...you get the picture. 

But it all comes down to one thing, our karma. 
If we really do persevere, and TELL our lives what we want we will eventually achieve it. 

My co-leader Kathy was out of work for over a year, then she got a job that did not turn out to be the right job for her and she was laid off again. This time she said - 

"No way! I am changing this karma forever and I will find the job that I deserve so that I can encourage others for Kosen Rufu" 
- and she began chanting 3 hours a day. 

She only had to do that for a few months and now she has a job where she feels really appreciated and she's learning all kinds of new things. 
If we want to succeed we have to dig in and wrestle our karma to the ground. It's August 2nd, what new determination can you create within your life for you? 

En-Courage-Ment

Yes! We must Plant the seeds of courage. 
Courage is so important. 
Without courage we are just alive, 
but not 
living...with all the full force of our being. 
With courage we strive. 
With courage we move. 
With courage we inspire others just by who we are. 
Courage and strength are essential to our happiness, 
and to kosen-rufu. 

How do we "get" courage? 
We are so fortunate, you know. As daily practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, we strengthen our lives and add to our bank of courage every time we chant. Over time we build a reservoir of courage by chanting every single day. I think it takes courage to chant...to sit in front of the mirror of our inner lives, and tune ourselves through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every morning and evening. 

And we have the added benefit of being able to connect with our fellow practitioners to gain strength and courage when we feel lacking. Last night we had a small meeting and we talked about how wonderful it is to not have any priesthood telling us what to do. We all learn from each other. One moment I am teaching and inspiring people, the next moment a fellow member is teaching and inspiring me. 

I learn from all of you, too!

Thank you for your notes of thanks. Thank you for sending your inspiring experiences. Thank you for emailing me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. And thank you for sharing these posts with your friends. We had 22,500 hits last month! I appreciate YOU! 

A Note to Us All from Sensei ~ Daisaku Ikeda

"One should not fall into the trap 
thinking that just by praying alone, 
everything will be all right. 
The true power of prayer is only manifested 
to its fullest extent 
when it is accompanied by action. 
Buddhism is a teaching of reason.
Your constant practice for yourself and for others 
will enable you to lead a true sense of fulfillment 
in the depths of your life. 
At the same time, 
you will greatly develop your life-condition. 
Such efforts in practice 
will also allow you to accumulate immeasurable benefits while setting your life on a course towards happiness. Please keep this in mind.
TO actively promote young people of outstanding ability 
to positions of responsibility, 
and allow them to give free rein to their potential, 
accords with the spirit of Buddhism. 
It is also the spirit of the... SGI, 
and it ought to be the spirit of each member-organization. The reason for this is that 
the dynamic activities of young people 
are the fundamental driving force for fresh development.
Having faith in the Gohonzon is important. 
When we as common mortals 
chant daimoku with sincere faith, 
our lives are naturally polished 
and come to emit the brilliance of Buddhahood. 
This brilliance is manifested 
outwardly 
in our daily lives 
in the form of benefits and good fortune, 
and inwardly 
as refreshing humanity, 
rich wisdom and 
vigorous life force.
LIFE is making practical efforts. 
It is challenging ourselves. 
It is advancing. 
Your youth will never come again. 
Please leave behind some achievement; 
please create something, 
as a record of your existence in this world.
By Daisaku Ikeda