3 Ways to Generate Appreciation Right Now!

Everyone knows that Appreciation is a sure path to happiness, right? And we should generate appreciation every day. It is one of the keys to happiness and longevity and fulfillment. I'm researching Blue Zones, the areas where people live the longest and most fulfilling lives, and appreciation is a certain thread running through them all. 
Sometimes we need some ideas for generating appreciation. Enjoy!   

3 keys to Generating Appreciation 

Right Now, on this Very Fine Day. 

By Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com 

1 

Write your own 

Rampage of Appreciation.

  
Take out your journal or a notepad. 

At the top of each page write these headlines (and any more that occur to you):

What I appreciate about:

My body
My heart
My mind
My practice of Buddhism
My friends
My work
My "things"
My Family
My country, city, home
My relationship(s)
......etc.

And under each category write everything you appreciate (or everything you CAN appreciate) about these aspects of you life. 

2

CHANT 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 

...the name of the rhythm of life itself, with your heart full of appreciation. Take note of what arises from your chanting about actions you might want to take to express your appreciation. 

3

 EXPRESS 

YOUR APPRECIATION

Write at least ONE heartfelt thank you note to someone you appreciate, and bring it to them. Write as many as you can, and send or deliver. I recommend hand-delivering them. In "Flourish", by Martin Seligman, he writes that people who hand deliver notes of appreciation experience a glow of happiness that can last for months. 

Look at us ~ spreading the joy! 

Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you have comments about how this worked for you. 

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday

12th March

FAITH is not for anyone but yourself – it is all for you. Working to spread the Daishonin's teachings, devoting yourself to chanting daimoku, and studying doctrine while you are young are all tasks that will transform your life into a garden of blessings and merits.


BRINGING forth one's wisdom and breaking through deadlocks in difficult or trying times is precisely the kind of challenges that allows us to cultivate strong conviction and depth of character. In a life of nothing but fair skies and tranquil seas, we cannot hope to forge great conviction or outstanding strength of character.


HAVING intense emotions enables you to understand the feelings of others. It is not a bad thing to be passionate, but if it is driven by egotism and hurts others, it can be dangerous. The point is, you must have self discipline. And that comes from chanting daimoku, from developing a strong life force.


THERE are many paths in life. Paths leading to celebrity. Paths leading to fame. Paths leading to high social standing. And the list goes on. But where do we find the path to attaining Buddhahood? It is found only in efforts to expand the flow of kosen-rufu.


IT is vital that those in positions of responsibilities proportionately deepen their faith; love and protect and guide others; and strive to progress one step further in their personal development. Remember that because you have seniors, you were able to open your eyes to faith yourself.

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

NICHIREN DAISHONIN stated in the Gosho, "Neither the pure land and
hell exists outside ourselves; both lie within our own hearts." (MW2,
p 239) Everything depends upon one's inner life, or ichinen.
Therefore, what is important is one's heart. No matter how
unfavourable the situation, it can be transformed into "the pure land"
if you courageously address the problem by deciding that it is your
Buddhist practice to develop yourself.


YOU must always maintain a seeking spirit. "Seeking the way" in
Buddhism is an attitude that leads to profound happiness. Remember
that a spirit to always seek the Law for the sake of your daily
self-improvement is actual proof of your faith itself.


FAITH is the greatest of all treasures. Passing on correct faith to
your children is the surest way for both parent and child and for the
entire family as well, to walk the path of eternal happiness.


THE sun burns its own mass as fuel in order to illuminate the cosmic
darkness, bring its light to the moon and the planets. Similarly, the
courage of one individual who possesses a sprit that burns like the
sun will touch and inspire countless others. This is the unchanging
formula for achieving the spread of the Law, the most difficult of all
undertakings.


TO encounter persecution because of one's faith is in fact a wonderful
thing. It is precisely one struggles to overcome hardships that one is
able to create integrity. In an environment that is monotonous and
placid, stagnancy and degeneration may overtake vivacity. It is
because there are storms of great struggles that the blue sky of
existence opens up and fresh vigour wells forth in one's life.

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday
10th March
DETERMINED that "I will change my destiny" and that "I will have my
prayers fulfilled", please offer fresh prayers to the Gohonzon
everyday and adorn each page of your life with beautiful actual proof
of victory.


IT is in an individual's behaviour that the essence of Buddhism lies.
As you polish your character and personality through your faith, you
are expanding a circle of trust among the people around you. Please
remember that the development of kosen-rufu lies in the mundane
actions undertaken in one's immediate reality.


A person of courage views things calmly, and for this reason acquires
wisdom. A person of wisdom is able to discern future outcomes, and so
acquires courage. By the same process, we must strive to become people
of wisdom and courage.


BEING young means to possess the greatest wealth, even if one is
penniless. Hope, potential and limitless energy are the assets of
youth. You do not need to be in a hurry to own a nice home, or seek
status and position, or get rich quick. If you dedicate yourself
earnestly to your mission, everything you need for your life will come
to you naturally.


WHAT is important for leading a joyful life? Tolstoy constantly
stressed the importance of "correct faith". He said, "If you want to
be quiet and strong, work and improve your faith." Genuine faith is a
sword of belief and conviction that cuts through all sufferings; it is
a bright light of hope that illuminates darkness and confusion. None
led lives of greater strength and composure than you who base your
lives on faith dedicated to truth and justice.

Lastminutemanifestbuddhadotcom! Guest Post from Morag in the UK ~ Enjoy!

ok, this is how exciting and amazing this practice can be.  first you have a really rubbish start to the week where every possible financial obstacle arises like a krakon from the depths. you chant and fight off negativity, read a bit of study here and there; keep your spirits up no matter what. you scrape through with the bank for three hard days. (actually, you sit at your desk chanting while your non-believing partner runs around collecting everything that's owed on every job, but they all pay up..)  that leaves your own payment on the credit card due on friday; has to be cash and paid in direct.  you chant at all day your desk, you chant while walking about tidying the shop, you determine not to lose heart, determine to summon courage and conviction that everything will be ok.  you serve customers to the best of your ability, you even talk about how your practice has changed your life to a lady who asks how you keep so cheerful giving her a booklet and NMRK card....at 3:30 a customer walks in with an enquiry but leaves again. you decide that it might be best to go and do the measures a bit early, but in good heart for tomorrow is another day... the last customer comes back just as you are locking the door, and you both go back in and book out the job for which he pays cash, the exact amount you need.  it's 4:15 and I guess the S-Z must be screaming silently 'cos you think, does the bank open this late? you turn the van around and head back to town at 4:25, drive up to the bank which closes at 4.30  go up to the cashier with the biggest grin of all time on your face, and come out with 70p change.

THAT'S THE POWER OF NMRK!!                    Morag xx 

LETTING IT GO!

We all have huge problems from time to time...problems that are so all-encompassing that we seem to recede a little from the world, and it feels as if we have lost our friends and family because this problem has laid us SO low. 

We all know that Daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo)is bigger and more powerful than any problem, but sometimes, even when we are striving our hardest, getting guidance, studying, chanting, going to meetings, our problem still weighs so heavily on our hearts. 

Many of us have experienced deep loss, grief, sadness, that seems bigger than we are. 

Well, I have been going through one of these. I've been fighting hard, and my only victory has been to NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT. Even though I am taking every action I can think of for kosen rufu...every morning I've awakened into the problem and it has weighed on me all day. 

Well, yesterday, after reading the guidance I posted on this blog. I talked myself into setting new goals for myself. I decided I would take better care of myself. I decided to be better to myself. I got a massage. I took action to change some habits, and wrote a bunch of new goals before I chanted...among them was the goal to somehow regain my happiness. As my friend Kathy says: 

"Gohonzon some-kind-of-way this has to happen." 

And last night in the support group I go to for people who are also dealing with similar problems, they miraculously picked MY PROBLEM to workshop. We spent an hour as a group breaking it into parts, and hearing other's experiences and brainstorming solutions... and somehow I just came to terms with it. I came to a new understanding that, for now, I can't FIX it. I can only choose to stop suffering. I can LET IT GO. Just LET IT GO for now. And choose not to suffer. 

I will still chant to fix it with all my heart. But I am not going to suffer over it anymore! 

Thank you life! Thank you Gohonzon-my life itself! Today I am a new woman. And the sun is shining here in Chicago. Spring HAS TO be on its way. 

I am wishing YOU breakthroughs in happiness, breakthroughs in happiness. 

And I offer you, from this Month's Gosho The Pure and Far Reaching Voice:

"...voices infused with the prayer of the Mystic Law have the power to awaken the Buddha nature of those with whom we speak. Even though the effect might not be immediately apparent, please be assured that your voice will deeply permeate others' lives" 
Daisaku Ikeda, Living Buddhism, March 2014 p. 27

Very Interesting guidance

This is continued from the guidance I posted yesterday, and it is from the Facebook Page The Power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Guidance on prayers answered based on our Goals - Part 2
By SGI Vice President Kawai

There are 3 kinds of directions to drive our practice:

Forward "Gear"
Forward Gear practice consists of having a clear and specified target and determination to accomplish it through prayer and action, for example: I want a white cat. She must be of Persian species, 3 yrs old, with blue eyes, female. And I want her in 2 weeks. I will get it. In other words, doing a lot of activities and daimoku with no targets and clear goals is no use, as it will not produce any changes in your life.

Neutral "Gear"
Neutral Gear Practice is chanting out of duty, with no joy. A habitual practice. E.g.I am a leader, I have responsibilities, so I'm doing activities. But there is no effect. Its like the car analogy... the engine is full and ready to go... but nothing happens.

Reverse "Gear"
Reverse Gear Practice is when the more activities and daimoku one is doing, one is still going backwards, rather than forward in one's life. In other words, one may be making a lot of seemingly good causes, but one is also complaining. There is slander and grudges against others. Or one might be Complaining about ones' own situation on not seeing immediate results. This is dangerous practice.

Just like in automatic transmission car, there is very little difference between Forward and Reverse Gears, from outward appearance it is difficult to tell where one's ichinen is. But one's life will ultimately clearly manifest it.

Slander
Even if you commit slander without realizing it, it is still slander. One should never criticize leaders. Right or wrong, one should not complain at all. Instead, one can chant for them to grow and one will benefit from that too. Similarly, never do "onshitsu" in your family. That is do not complain, criticize or carry a negative feeling towards husband /wife, children or parents. This is your karma. You chose your spouse/partner children.Chant for their growth. Further, do not depend / rely on others. Do not complain that they don't do this or that. Criticism will bring no benefit. But it will certainly bring negative effects.

In conclusion
We must eradicate the following types of prayer:

Ø Out of habit or ritual (that is without any target or determination)
Ø Out of delusion (that is while chanting, trying to find solutions to your problems)
Ø Out of disbelief (that is thinking that this is impossible and will not happen / change)

Instead, pray with your entire heart, your entire being that I am going to build a bridge towards my happiness and those of others by myself, by using the Supreme wisdom of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. One needs to have the experience of benefits / breakthroughs, so as to encourage others. "I have so many benefits through this practice... what about you?" Especially, senior members must receive many benefits. Buddhism is reason. Otherwise what is the use of practicing this faith? If they don't witness changes/ benefits then their faith has become habitual.We need to experience benefits through faith and prayer to show power of Gohonzon and encourage others.

President Toda and President Ikeda said there are 10 reasons why no change or benefits occur in senior leaders' lives, even though they have been practicing for a long time.

Ø Unclear Determination
Ø No concrete targets in faith
Ø Doing regular Gongyo but no Concrete Prayer
Ø Passive Gongyo and activities from a sense of obligation
Ø A complaining and begrudging Attitude about Faith
Ø Seeking spirit for senior leaders/ guidance has become weaker
Ø Not working hard in office or home
Ø Depressed because of various sufferings in life
Ø Weak of sense of mission for Kosen Rufu
Ø Sense of responsibility as leader is weaker

Even if one of the above is missing, then faith has become habitual and there is no benefit. We must have dreams, which lead to hope and finally become reality when we chant! Therefore, we must have big dreams!

Experience
The President of a Fisheries Co was very concerned about the drop in catch of fish as it was affecting his sales, so he went for guidance. The leader asked him "You say that you can't get lots of salmon fish. Does this mean that there is no salmon or are you unable to catch them?" "I can't get any," he replied. "Why can't you call them to your net? Did you pray like that?" The leader encouraged. "No I didn't"."There is no natural boundary in the ocean. So why don't you pray like that?" The leader encouraged. So he did. His catch went up from 20 fish to 300 in one day. His company went from deficit to surplus. This is no miracle. This is the Law. This is reason.

What is amazing is when you don't get benefits even though you do chant.

Mr. Kawai's guidance in faith, conveyed by Mr. Noro, based on President Ikeda's guidance