You can Overcome ALL Your Problems! Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo WORKS!

I know I say it over and over, and Daisaku Ikeda, and all of us KNOW that we are the Buddha...but how often do we chant in the sublime recongnition of being the Buddha and seeing through the Buddha's eyes? 

In our daily lives sometimes it seems there is just so much to chant for that we don't know where to start. Whenever I feel this way it is a signal to me to chant to see through the eyes of the Buddha and realize I am the Buddha at every moment. I also focus on chanting for others, kosen-rufu and elevating my life condition. 
If we have this perspectice on our lives it puts all of our problems into perspective. 

When I first began chanting almost 30 years ago in San Francisco I would ask my leaders "I am chanting every day, I am doing shakubuku with every breath I take, and I just bought a car so I can drive my beloved YWD to meetings...WHY am I having these personal problems?" 

And some of you have written me with similar questions. 

I was given this answer: "You are a leader for kosen-rufu...(world peace) one day, your members will come to you with problems just like you have now, and you will REALLY know how they feel, and you will know exactly how to encourage people." And they also told me that whatever I was going through, I was expiating karma for my life, and for my children's lives as well...seven generations back, and seven generations in the future. I learned to focus on the big picture...not just on all my problems, but on chanting for kosen-rufu and the happiness of my district members and all members...and not just members, but the whole world. Every day I would ask in my prayers while chanting "What is my mission in life? What is my mission in life?" and I knew the answer even as I was chanting...I knew I wanted to help people who were suffering like I was before I began chanting, and to help them find out about this practice and try it. 
Whoever you are - reading these words right now ~ I want you to know you HAVE found the solution, and you can use this practice to overcome suffering of ANY kind. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, practicing with the SGI, studying and introducing others to this practice is the formula for incredible happiness and strength. One day, you will look back on the hard times and realize they were golden moments that strengthened your life and your practice! 

My life proves it. 
Your life will prove it too. 
We Soka Gakkai members are proving the power of the law with our lives. 
As many of you know I've faced a tremendous challenge with the illness of one of my children. And every day I have used this practice to remain strong and to persevere and to WIN. I have chanted to be a better person, and to bring out my inner wisdom, and to work together with the health professionals to bring him back to wellness. Sometimes I have had to say difficult things. But every morning, with my focused prayer, I have set the course for a day filled with wisdom and power. I am steering the ship...even if I can't control everything, I can control myself and set goals. 

Now I have some peace! 
All week I've been side-by-side with my son who was recently released from the hospital and I've been cherishing every minute, every laugh, every experience.  The joy I feel in my heart just to be with him is immense. Every daimoku right now is filled with gratitude. I feel I have already won! 

Some Recent Comments from Readers

Thank you so much for writing to chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 
I love to hear what you think and receive your insights. you can email me with questions or comments or you can post directly on the blog. 

Comments from Readers:

"No matter what difficulties we encounter, it's important that we live with fortitude and strength. Everyone has problems and sufferings. We mustn't let them defeat us. We practise the Daishonin's Buddhism so as not to be defeated "When we strive wholeheartedly for kosen-rufu, the benefit we gain is immeasurable. "Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda always said: 'Have invincible courage! Have an indomitable fighting spirit! They are the driving force for realising happiness.'" on Inspiration from a new YWD member ~ Upsana Arora in Kolkata, India!

"Extremely happy to learn and absorb.. with and in such an easy way - how you've put it and explained with highlights. It's just the right right-up for me to read after all these times. I heard/read - "Nam-Myoho-Renge-kyo" for the very first time in my life earlier on 4 Nov 2012 in the evening through an sms (mobile long distance communication) from a very caring person who actually introduced me for the very first time in my life. Thank you so much for such a nice and concise piece for a beginner and always a learner like me. Please keep up the good work. Regards and respect, Kishalaya Namaram (Dodo) 24 Sept 2013 - 01:11:40 pm on Unique Buddhism! Some Facts about Practical (SGI) Buddhism to Share

"Hello, Today was my first time chanting. I don't have much of an altar, but it is my altar. I had not memorized the prayers yet, but I just read them. When it came to the fourth prayer, I became emotional. When I started blessing the deceased. I had 4 relatives die around the same time in the year 2006. It was a crazy time. I started out with my uncle, then my grandfather, and when I came to my grandmother I lost it. I started crying as I chimed the bells. Even right now I still miss my grandmother. She was my friend. I talked to her a lot. Chanting right now feels like I can talk to her. It feels like I can reach out to her and know that she is in a great place. I miss her terribly, and I know it is crazy after 7 years still feeling like this. I can't help it. I think I have found a way to release all of my internal stresses and things holding me back from enjoying life through these chants. So I just thought I'd share my experience. Peace be with you on Crying and feeling emotional while Chanting?

Hi Jamie. I read your blog nearly everyday. Starting going to an introduction course in Dublin, Ireland and have not missed out on one meeting and gathering since then. This is the most powerful following and I find such peace and joy and harmony and love and fulfillment when I am around Buddhists. I have even shared my experiences in the groups and I LOVE chanting and learning the Sutra and practice eachday. Looking forward to one day holding the biggest meeting in my home for Dublin. Keep up encouraging soooooo many people, you are wonderful. I hope your son is recovering. Take care and enjoy your desires. xxx on Four Reasons Practical Buddhists are so HappyRemove content | Delete | Spam

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo PowerPrayer for Absolute Happiness

What is absolute happiness? It is the strength to withstand anything. The courage to be unbowed in the face of any storm. No Matter What! 

Daisaku Ikeda states (from Ikedaquotes.org)

"It is vital to have a resilient spirit so that without complaints or feelings of disaffection, one is able to always look on the bright side of a situation and find in it a source of hope and happiness. Such wisdom makes it possible to lead a thoroughly fulfilled life."

"Relative happiness is happiness that depends on things outside ourselves, such as affluence or social standing. While the happiness such things bring us is certainly real, it shatters easily when external conditions alter. Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is something we must find within. It means establishing a state of life in which we are never defeated by difficulties, and where just being alive is a source of great joy"

Right now I am finding absolute happiness amidst the winds of life. This morning, as I was chanting, I had the words of this PowerPrayer in mind: 

PowerPrayer for Absolute Happiness 

(even in difficult times)

Gohonzon! Life! 

Today, all day,  I will see through the eyes of the Buddha that I am. 

Every cause I make, 

every thought I think, 

every word I speak 

is the best, most positive cause for my life 

and the lives of all others I touch. 

Life! Bring me the wisdom to know the right actions to take, the right words to say...all the wisdom is springing forth from my highest life-condition possible! 

I am determined to experience my brilliant Buddha-self. 

I am determined to raise my life condition. 

I am determined to develop a strong — strong 

core of life  

I am determined to strengthen my life from deep within 

and to radiate happiness wherever I go. 

16 Tips to Defeat Despair

If you're a frequent reader of this blog you know that I began writing it in a depressed state. It was my determination to rid my life of the deep sadness that had always been present in my life, and I decided to chant two hours a day and write this blog to prove it could be done, and inpire others that they could do it too. 

Through chanting I have succeeded in getting rid of my life-long depression. Here are some of the ways I did it as I chanted my two hours a day:

Jamie’s 16 tips to rid your life of Despair: (Excerpted from The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers foe Chanting Your Way to Absolute Happiness)

Please do not copy and paste this copywritten material. You can share it by referring people to this blog. Thanks! 

Tip #1

Study Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. 

There are a few quotes from the Gosho I've embedded in my life: 

"Suffer what there is to suffer and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and continue chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo no matter what happens...then you will experience boundless joy from the law."

From Happiness in This World, Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.

One of my favorite quotes from Daisaku Ikeda (from the book Learning from the writings. The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. Page 277:

"Seen from the perspective of Buddhism, 

everything has profound meaning. 

There is no need whatsoever to vacillate 

between elation and despair at each turn of events. 

There is no such thing as a storm that will 

continue blowing and wreaking havoc without end. 

In the same way, 

there is no hardship that will continue forever. 

There are clear days and there are rainy days. 

If we are swayed by our environment, 

rejoicing one moment and despairing the next 

amid ever-changing circumstances, 

then we will not be able to accomplish a true revolution in our state of life.

The important thing is to always believe in the mystic law 

and to enter the powerful orbit of faith, 

practice and study. 

Entering the orbit - the orbit of human revolution 

and of changing our karma - 

is the way to construct a life of good fortune and happiness 

that will endure throughout eternity. 

No matter what happens, 

we will enjoy the unerring protection of the Gohonzon. 

Instead of drawing conclusions about the world of faith 

from a superficial viewpoint, 

we need to calmly discern 

the true reality and significance of things 

and keep pressing forward. 

With the passage of time, 

it will definitely become clear

 that everything has unfolded in the best possible manner." 

Tip #2:

When I feel despair ~ I write. I write all the sadness out. Sometimes I write to my Mom who died several years ago. I just write what I am feeling and it makes me feel better. 

Tip #3:

I take plenty of Vitamin D. For me, sometimes I just need more Vitamin D. 

Also I drink a LOT of water! 

Tip #4:

Encourage someone else! Give a stranger a Nam-myoho-renge-kyo card. Talk to someone you know about past benefits you've had. Doing this will remind you of how you've broken through in the past, and you'll gain more hope for the present. 

Tip #5:

Take a bath with salt in it...the more salt the better! 

Tip #6: 

Clean your Butsudan and altar area. The altar in your home is a reflection of your own life. When you treat it with respect, your environment and all the people in it treat you with respect. If you do not yet have a Gohonzon you can still set up an altar where you chant with offerings to your life...fruit, water, a plant, candles, and incense if you like. 

Tip #7: 

Call a true friend. And if you don't have one, see the PowerPrayer for making friends. 

This is how I made so many friends. 

Tip #8: 

As soon as you can, get back in front of the altar to chant. And don't be afraid to cry in front of the Gohonzon or while you are chanting. heck, for the first couple of years I cried frequently when I chanted. It was as if my life had to release years and years of emotion. 

Tip #9: 

Move your body. Go for a walk! Get your energy and your blood flowing! Everyday!

Tip #10:

Study~

Read the Gosho or President Ikeda's writings. When you read these things - read them with your life. Choose a phrase or a passage and chant to realize its deeper meaning with your life. Chant to share the heart of Daisaku Ikeda. He has a heart beating with the fervent drum of Kosen Rufu (World Peace and the happiness of all beings). 

Tip #11: 

Ask someone to chant with you!

Get support! 

Tip #12:

Change “Why me?” to “Yes me!”

Change what you are saying to yourself, and the questions you are asking yourself in your mind. If your constant refrain is "Why me? How can this be happening to me again?" it is important to change that thought. Replace it with a more positive thought. You chose the negative thought, you have the power to choose a better one! How about "Things are getting better and better for me, I just know it...sometimes it is hard to see, but I am definitely on my way!" or "Don't give up (insert your name) it's always darkest before the dawn!" or "All the Best is coming to me now!"

Tip #13:

Breathe deeply. When we are feeling low we tend to breathe in a really shallow way, and it adds to our depression to breathe this way. Sit down and focus on your breathing. Fill your body with air. Picture that air as a bright light coming down from the top of your head...slowly moving down your body as your grey depressive mood seeps out your fingers and toes. Try this. It really does work! 

Tip #14:

Smile! Go look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Look in your eyes and smile. Did you know it is almost impossible to be depressed when you are smiling?

Tip #15: 

Look up! That's right, look up. Tony Robbins, the inspirational success coach and mentor says that looking down has been proven to actually bring people down, while looking up has the opposite effect. 

Tip #16:

Use the PowerPrayers ~ 

When you are chanting - direct your thoughts like this:

"Gohonzon (my life itself!)

 Now is the time for me to rise from these emotions 

so I can show actual proof of the power of this law. 

NOW is the time for me to vanquish these feelings of hopelessness. 

I will NO LONGER allow these feelings to run my life. 

NOW I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY! 

I am a precious child of the Buddha, 

I will not stand for these feelings anymore.

I vow to win in all aspects of my life. I vow to win!" 

Email me with your questions and comments at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 

As Long as One Has HOPE

Strengthening our Practice = Strengthening Our Lives...PowerPrayer to Strengthen our Practice and Our Lives

In For Today and Tomorrow Daisaku Ikeda says:

"Strength is Happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you may lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer ---
developing these is victory and the world of Buddhahood.

and ~ 

"Faith is Light.
The hearts of those with strong faith 
are filled with light. 
A radiance envelops their lives. 
People with unshakable conviction in faith 
enjoy a happiness
that is as luminous as the full moon on a dark night, 
as dazzling as the sun on a clear day."

Both quotes are from "For Today and Tomorrow, Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda.

How do we strengthen our practice? I believe it is in putting ourselves first...we put ourselves first by putting our practice first. When we put our practice first, the rest of our lives goes so much more smoothly. 

Stengthening our practice and putting our lives first is one of the primary keys to victory!

Please note: If you like this PowerPrayer do not just copy and paste it to share it! Please send links to chantforhappiness.com to share it. The buttons to do so are at the bottom of this post. Thanks! Jamie 

PowerPrayer to Establish a Strong Practice 

for Chanting My Way to Absolute Happiness! 

Life! 

I am determined to strengthen my practice and my LIFE 

I will chant every morning and every evening 
no matter what. 

I will no longer allow anything to stop me! 

My every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is 10,000 times more powerful starting NOW! 

I am establishing the strongest practice imaginable 

and I am raising my LIFE CONDITION! I am the Buddha!

Every day I fully commit to myself:

I keep my promise to chant twice a day every day!

I know I really love and help others 

when I myself am strong and love myself!

I love telling people about  Nam-myoho-renge-kyo because my life is overflowing with benefits!

The more I chant, the more I want to chant. 

I look forward to my time with myself 

dialoguing with my own life

and discovering who I really am. 

I feel the connection more deeply every time I chant. 
I AM the Buddha! I can FEEL it! 

I see actual proof that my life condition is rising:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nothing can stop me from getting to discussion meetings 

and studying SGI periodicals and books. 

I am deepening my understanding of what I study with every Daimoku I chant. I am open to learning! 

My eyes are opening. My depth of understanding is growing! 

Study helps me to see the connection between my chanting 

and what I see happening in my life. 

What a privilege! 

Inspiration from a new YWD member ~ Upsana Arora in Kolkata, India!

My name is Upasana Arora and I live in Kolkata, india. I'm 24, but will be a year older this November :)

I am presently doing a course in montessori training and will qualify to be a teacher next June. I've studied mass communication in my masters degree and was a student of english literature in my under grad :) 

I live with my mom and dad. My brother who's a 2nd year engineering student is in the University of Sheffield in the UK right now.

From Upsana ~
Hello Jamie! 

How are you? And how is Ben? I hope he is better now and is recovering well :) 

I just read your last post on the blog. It is so inspiring and so encouraging. Whenever I read Sensei's quote where he says that the person who gives others hope despite facing challenges himself is a true leader, you're the first person that comes to my mind. I am sure with your admirable qualities and Buddha nature you WILL surmount your hardship. I have friends here who are also facing various challenges, and some very difficult ones; but their deep rooted faith and daimoku is surely going to give them complete victory. :)

When I first came into the practice,  my prayers were based mainly on my desires.  Desire to get this, that, have so and so in my life, etc... and I did get all that I chanted for! This was what made my faith in this practice so strong.  Seeing benefits, and simultaneously attending the May 3 meeting changed my life and made me the practitioner I am today. 

Over time,  with more daimoku and study (which apart from the Gosho,  and Sensei's writings includes your blog as well) what has fundamentally changed in me is the way I pray. 

Now, instead of just focusing on what I want for myself,  I try and see how my prayer will benefit people at large. For example, I wish to be a successful montessori teacher, but now, not just for my satisfaction or any other material benefit, but also so that I can from a very early age imbibe good values in young minds so that they can grow to become Buddhas and fulfill their lives mission. 

I chant for a good partner... and I know exactly the kind of person I want. And I want it so that my relationship gives me happiness, and also can be a hope to many others that such wonderful things do happen and people can find their dream/kosen rufu partners. I chant for good health and happiness of my parents and brother,  and wish that like mom and me, they too will start chanting some day!  My brothet has started though, but he isn't very consistent. 

Chanting fills me with hope, with a renewed vigour. I do feel low at times and even feel lazy to chant.  But when I make myself come out of this low life state and do even 10 mins of daimoku I feel my worries are taken care of. I feel light and happy! 

Thank you for initiating the one million daimoku campaign. I am going a tad bit slow, but it is making me chant every day and has really helped in bringing discipline into my daily life. Also, meeting fellow members and participating In Gakkai activities makes me feel wonderful! I did a study 

(my very first study) with my fellow ywd and a very dear friend on our last Zadankai about the youth's opinion on world peace and I'm glad to share that our study was loved and appreciated by everyone present at the meeting!

I wrote to you today because I just wanted to share my experience with you about the practice which I got into 5 months ago. And also wanted to thank you yet again for being so instrumental in firming my belief in this life changing philosophy and also changing my life for the best! 

Lots of love

Upasana