16 Tips and a PowerPrayer for overcoming despair
It is possible to permanently change your basic state of life. I know. I did it. And I know countless other Buddhists who have. Occasionally I may still feel sad. But I never, ever experience the sadness I used to live with most of my life. And I am not on any medication. (Not that you should just stop taking yours. Buddhism is common sense. Please chant for the wisdom to know what to do, and work with your medical practitioner if you are on medications)
Jamie’s 16 tips to rid your life of Despair:
by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com
Tip #1
Chant as much as you can.
Ask someone to chant with you!
Get support!
Tip #2:
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
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 #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. For the first couple of years I cried a lot 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!
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:
Write! I write everything. It helps to clear my mind. I write fresh determinations. I write letters to my loved ones. I write poetry.
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 that 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!"
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 gray 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:
PowerPrayer to Rid your Life of Despair
by Jamie Lee Silver, Chantforhappiness.com
Read before chanting to fuel your mind!
"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!"
