Great Victory for My Sons

Aaron and Meg

Aaron and Meg (his wonderful girl friend) just completed their second year of Medical School here in Chicago at the Stritch Loyola School of Medicine and just took the most important test of their lives - their medical boards. 

This test determined their options for residency - the higher the score - the more options open to them in terms of types of medical practice they can do. 

Several years ago I shared Aaron's experience of getting into medical school...how he chanted every day for months and months to get into the right medical school for his life. 

All I can say is Stritch is a very special place, and he has had one wonderful experience after another ~ including meeting the incredible Meg, who came from California (where Aaron was born) to go to school here.

This year Aaron challenged the Boards test with all his might. He upped his level of Daimoku and made sure to chant every day. Several times we chanted an hour together. And he and Meg NAILED this test! ANY realm of medicine is open to them. Even the more competitive areas. They will spend the next year exploring what it's actually like to practice as they practice and work with various types of doctors. 

And my son Ben is doing well too! He is enjoying his life. The other day I called him and he was at Great America Amusement Park and had just gone on the Big Drop three times and was full of excitement and enthusiasm. Nothing could make me happier. Thank you to all of you who chanted for Ben during this difficult year. Thank you with all my heart! 

Inspiration Comes in While Chanting

Why do I chant an hour a day?  
Why would anyone do this? 

I like life to be easy...free...and to flow. 

I like going into the new week with a feeling of assurance and an absence of fear. I call it "walking on a pillow of Daimoku" and I have a certain level I need to chant to feel that way. Maybe everyone is different. I can't speak for other people...I can only report my own observations and results. 

This week is packed with speaking engagements, and I really want to make a difference in the lives I will be touching. As you may know, I work in the field of senior living. I believe that here in America we need to change the way we think about aging, and the words that we use to express this experience. Even the word "aging" is becoming unpopular...so what do we call it? I am doing my own personal survey. Do you have some ideas for me? I am fascinated by the way the baby boomers are changing the experience of growing older. I am continually inspired by stories of people achieving great things late in life, and seeing them glow with a youthful burning spirit. 

One community here in the Chicago area has redefined retirement as rePRIORment. I love this. I know many who will not retire, but will reprioritize their lives and continue moving forward. How will each of us change as we enter our later years. What new words will WE use to describe our experiences? 

When I look at our own mentor I am so inspired. In the June 2014 World Tribune President Ikeda writes that he has made it to the year 1978 in the writing of his memoir...his chronicle of kosen-rufu in action, and the growth of our movement. He is writing every day and not stopping for a minute in his work for kosen rufu. He's in his mid eighties.
And he'll never re"tire"!

Right after I wrote the above passage I chanted the about an hour and a half and new ideas for my speech came pouring into my head. I love this practice! 

Have a great day! 

What Does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Mean and Why do We Chant it?

What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean, 
and why do we chant it? 

The literal translation is 

"I fuse my life 

with the mystic law of cause and effect 

through sound vibration." 

It is the title of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha's highest teaching that declares that ALL people possess the Buddha Nature...all people ARE Buddhas...and we can access this nature by calling it forth in our lives using this phrase. 

I like to think of it as "I am one with the rhythm of all life." It is the rhythm that exists within all of life...the reason for the turning of the tides...the reason for the seasons...the atoms that exist within every single cell...from an elephant to a spec of dust. Everything possesses this connectedness...this rhythm.  It is all encompassing and contains the wisdom and energy of all of life itself...the whole universe. 

And when we chant we tap into that energy and access it for our lives...directed towards our desires. In this practice it's okay to have desires. We don't have to alleviate them. Desires make us who we are and cause us to chant. 

When we chant we harness the energy that is our birthright. And we chant twice a day, every single day, to get and keep our lives in rhythm. 

When we are in rhythm we are in the right place at the right time... to find out about the job...or to meet the man of our dreams...or to protect our child from danger. When we are in rhythm life isn't so much of a struggle as it is a joy...we see the beauty in everything and we feel our lives overflowing with appreciation. We chant for something and get it or something better. We get access to emotions and a level of internal happiness and strength that cannot be blown away by any event or obstacles. In fact we view obstacles themselves as benefits, as strange as that may sound....because obstacles make us chant more, and when we chant more we draw even higher life conditions and deeper satisfaction into our lives. 

What can we chant FOR? Anything. That's right, anything. We can chant for whatever our desire may be...even if it might not be the "right" desire for us. In the act of chanting we will change our karma and our desires themselves will naturally begin to shift. We will open our lives to the deeper wisdom within...the deeper yearning, the REAL desires that we have forgotten or given up on. We will grow. We will prosper and we will blossom. 

The challenge is...we have to DO it. We have to chant to bring all this rhythm and harmony about. And that's why we practice together as an organization, the SGI, The Soka Gakkai, our fellowship of friends who support each other, chant for each other, and create a new Soka family for each practitioner. We are so fortunate. 

I hear from people all over the world, and some have strong SGI groups in their towns and others are completely alone. I love that we can connect through the power of the internet. From the moment I began chanting almost 30 years ago I have had the deep desire to share this practice, this practice that WORKS, with everyone who is looking for the real, practical means of creating happiness and results in their lives. 

We are in this life together...sharing our challenges and our successes. If you are not yet connected to the SGI please go to sgi-usa.com and find your local members. You will be so glad you did. 

Some Powerful Quotes from Daisaku Ikeda:

THIS moment, this instant, is important, not some unknown time in the
future. Today, this very day is what matters. You must put your whole
being into the time that exists now. For future victory rests in the
present moment.

BUDDHISM holds that everything is in a constant state of flux. Thus,
the question is whether we are to accept change passively and be swept
away by it, or whether we are to take the lead and create positive
changes on our own initiative. While conservatism and self-protection
might be likened to winter, night and death, the spirit of pioneering
and attempting to realise the ideals evokes the images of spring,
morning and birth.


DO gongyo and chant daimoku with a fresh spirit. And, filled with
renewed vitality, build a history of accumulating fresh benefit.

Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. I am currently collecting stories from chantforhappiness.com readers who have been inspired by this blog to connect or reconnect to the SGI, or who have achieved victories and/or been inspired by these writings. You are all my awesome friends! We are all connected to each other. 

Perseverance = Strength = Happiness

This morning I sat down and said: 

"I am not leaving this spot until I have chanted more than an hour of Daimoku no matter what!" 

And I did it. I kept getting insights into what I wanted to share with you. I almost reached for my computer so many times, but I just forced myself to sit still, almost absolutely still, and keep chanting no matter what thoughts came into my mind of what else I could be doing. 

In a way, whenever we chant, we are just like the Buddha under the Bodhi tree, assailed by thoughts of why we must stop this right now and get on with our lives.
And our victory while chanting  - our perseverance - turns into our victory in life.

I just got back from a trip to the lovely town of Ojai in California and am getting back into my life here. 

You know how it is...unpacking...refocusing on "real life", and also, in my case, getting acclimated to the idea that I am going to have to have this surgery to repair a hole in my abdominal muscle by putting a patch on it - and as much as I am trying to muster the courageous spirit - yesterday, after meeting with the surgeon and setting the date, I was a little emotional. I hate pain. I am afraid of surgery, but they say it could get worse and I really have to do it. 

So last night I was feeling all these dark thoughts and I knew what was really wrong...since getting back, and in the last few days of my trip, I got thrown off my chanting rhythm. I didn't chant my full hour of Daimoku every morning, and the chanting I did do wasn't very deep. My life condition started to sag. 

How do I know when my life condition is sagging? I start to feel a little sad, lonely, scared...it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be...but I can feel it creeping up on me. And that's why I am so happy that I have this practice to reel it all back in. So this morning that's what I did. I used my practice to focus my life energy, boost my spirits, and make me feel more of myself...stronger.  

I'm sitting here now, after winning in my life this morning. For an hour and 15 minutes (I had to stop so I could write this blog), I poured my life into my prayer. As I was chanting I was wondering what to chant about...and I realized that, as Daisaku Ikeda says, chanting naturally in dialogue with your life is most important. 

I just spoke to my life, and listened to my life, and sat here in dialogue. I chanted to raise my life condition so that all my thoughts come in at a higher frequency. I chanted for wisdom and perspective...courage and strength...and to feel President Ikeda's heart and life force as my own.  And I chanted for you. I chanted to somehow be able to be an inspiration even when facing my own challenges. I chanted to take my focus off myself and my own life, and put my prayers in other directions. 

I chanted for the total success of tonight's opening ceremonies for the International Youth Media Summit at Soka University in Los Angeles. This is Kate Randolph's huge endeavor and youth are coming from all over the world. It is not, as of yet, an official SGI event, but Kate deeply feels it is fulfilling our mentor's vision of bringing youth together from all over the world to create peace. It is such a noble cause. I've written about it here a couple of times. As of last weekend Kate was still needing $50,000 for it. If any of you want to contribute, here is the link: 

http://www.iyms-usa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27&Itemid=156

So today, I leave you with this quote from For Today and Tomorrow by Daisaku Ikeda for July 9 (p. 209)

"Even in times of hardship, 

the important thing 

is for each of us to determine 

that we are the star, 

protagonist 

and hero of our lives 

and keep moving forward. 

Putting ourselves down 

and shrinking back 

from the obstacles looming before us 

spell certain defeat. 

Through making ourselves strong 

and developing our state of life, 

we can definitely find a way through. 

As long as we uphold the Mystic Law 

throughout our lives, 

we can break through any impasse 

and surmount any obstacle. 

We will also be able 

to lead all those who are suffering to happiness."

Daisaku Ikeda

I've gotten a little behind in my correspondence over the past few days. Some of you have written me such heartfelt letters about your lives, and I will be able to take the time to answer each one soon. If you have not heard from me by next week,  please send me a gentle reminder, it is possible that an email can slip through the cracks. 

Have a great day! 

PowerPrayer to Strengthen Our Practice

These flowers were sent by my reader/friend Ano. Thanks Ano!

I'm back in Chicago now, and it is another gloomy and rainy day. I miss my California sun! Instead of filling my heart with complaint, I chanted to raise my life condition and be the Buddha all day long, no matter what. Yesterday I wrote about doing morning and evening gongyo and I heard from some of you who made fresh determinations. Here's a PowerPrayer to further strengthen our practices. Happy Monday! 

PowerPrayer to Establish a Strong Practice 

for Chanting My Way to Absolute Happiness!

by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com 

Life! I love this practice! 

I love my life! 

I am determined to  chant every morning 

and every evening no matter what. 

My practice is for my life, for those around me and for kosen rufu (world peace) 

It is important! 

I no longer allow anything to stop me! 

I establish an unshakable practice at the core of my life. 

And I see the results immediately! 

I keep this promise 

to myself 

first and foremost 

and the rest of my life flows effortlessly!

With every Daimoku I love my life, 

and my deep, deep connection more and more. 

Every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo strengthens my life FORCE! 

With every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I feel Buddhahood Rising! 

I see through the eyes of the Buddha! 

I feel the Buddha's Heart. 

I am the Buddha! 

I am overflowing with wisdom, compassion and love for mySELF and others! 

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

I look forward to my chanting time 

dialoguing with my own life

and discovering who I really am. 

I feel the connection more deeply every time I chant. 

Every day I see positive changes! 

I feel myself becoming stronger in these ways: 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am determined to enjoy my time chanting 

and being with my fellow Gakkai members. 

I chant to bring my full self to every meeting, 

and to participate with joy. 

If there is something I don’t like about my meetings, 

I make a fresh determination to do my Human Revolution

so I can cheerfully make a difference in my own district! 

I am chanting specifically for these people and these results: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am deepening my understanding of what I study 

with every Daimoku I chant. 

My eyes are opening. 

My depth of understanding is growing! 

I love to study! I am Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I read the Gosho and President Ikeda’s Guidance every day, 

and chant to understand it with my life! 

Whenever I study I see the inner working of my life, 

and my prayer becomes deeper, and deeper and deeper! 

Gongyo Makes Our Lives Blossom!

Do you have any idea what this is? 

If you look closely, you can see that this is a flower blooming from an artichoke! I found this in Ojai. 
Now, who would ever think that inside an artichoke - which is already beautiful and unusual - that there is a purple flower waiting to burst forth if properly tended? I bet you can see where I'm going with this...

Our Buddha nature is just like this. It is already part of our life...we are already Buddhas, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo gives us the exact tools and prescription to bring it out and let it bloom. 

As Daisaku Ikeda writes in 
The Heart of the Lotus Sutra: 

"In general, every time we do gongyo 
and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, 
we praise the Buddha nature in our own lives. 
We also praise the Buddha nature 
in the lives of all others, 
and we commune 
with the Buddha nature of the universe. 
What a solemn ceremony this is! 
How fortunate we are 
to live according to the principle 
that faith expresses itself in daily life."

And we perform this sacred ceremony twice a day...every day. We are so incredibly fortunate to have encountered this amazing tool. 

I like the line above that says "faith expresses itself in daily life." To me, this means that when we exert ourselves in faith...when we chant twice a day, and continually work to improve our practice. When we study, encourage others, go to SGI meetings and do shakubuku we WILL, without fail, see the positive effects of this practice in our lives. 

I am in the LA airport about to board a plane to return to Chicago. And I am thinking about all of you. Every moment of this trip to California was amazing. EVERY DAY I felt the effects of this practice as I was entirely protected, lovingly welcomed, and greeting each moment as a benefit. 

I have a recommendation to make, 
one more time, 
from my heart. 
And that recommendation 
is to do Gongyo, 
twice a day, 
every day. 

If you set a goal to do this for 100 days I promise you, that the things that are looming as problems in your life will look very different VERY soon! 

Go ahead and make your list of what you want. 
Challenge yourself to do Gongyo twice a day, 
and YOUR LIFE WILL RESPOND. Just like this flower that bloomed from an artichoke ~ Your life will respond in a very positive way! 

Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

Time to board the plane! 

Everything is a Benefit! Everything!

Hello from Venice Beach! 

When we are practicing correctly ~

• Chanting at least an hour a day - or as much as we can - and connecting our own goals to the greater good - Kosen rufu - world peace (while we are chanting we are thinking LIFE! I MUST WIN! I must use my life as a shining example that this practice works. I must achieve _______so that I can encourage others to chant)

• Studying Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda's Writings to understand and feel the human expression of our own selves as Buddhas of the mystic law
• Going to SGI Meetings Soka Gakkai - see the link at the right
• Encouraging others
• Seeking out Encouragement
• Doing shakubuku - telling others about chanting and helping them learn. We can do this right now - 

We cannot lose!
When we are in this state of life we realize that everything is advancement and nothing is retreat. Every single thing we are doing at every moment is creating value for our lives. And we see it. We realize there is no room or reason for complaint. Even minor irritations (losing your keys etc.) turn into benefits. 

We see the greater picture! 
We don't complain. 
Everything is a benefit!!! 

A Great Shakubuku Experience~

Yesterday at Venice Beach, Hal (Kate's husband) and I were having lunch and we had this wonderful young girl as our waitress. We were having fun with her through the whole meal and we were laughing together. Towards the end of the meal I brought out my Nam-myoho-renge-kyo card and asked her if she'd ever heard of it. Her mouth opened when I gave her the card...and she knelt down by where I was sitting and took my hands. Tears welled in her eyes.  She said her mother had chanted. And her mother had died when she was 14 years old. She said there was a person she worked with who was inviting her to SGI meetings, and she was thinking of returning to her practice, and because of us - she was going to go! I asked her to email me how things go for her so we can keep in touch. Throughout the rest of the meal she continued to thank us profusely. 

Woohoo!!! 
Shakubuku is fun!