Saying "Thank You" Makes Our Hearts Sparkle ~*

Yesterday I read every word in the April Living Buddhism  ~  published by the Soka Gakkai. It's the monthly American publication available in the US by calling 310-260-8900. I am grateful for this publication and our wonderful SGI organization. Click on the link to the right to learn more and connect to your local members. 

In April's issue there is an article by Daisaku Ikeda called 

"The Power of Thank You.

Praise, gratitude and appreciation brings happiness." 

In this article, Daisaku Ikeda says that during all of his travels he always learned the local word for thank you ~ because it is the most important sentiment and word. 

"A person who can sincerely say thank you 
has a healthy, vital spirit, 
and each time we say it 
our hearts sparkle 
and our life force rises up powerfully 
from the depths of our being...

When we cannot say thank you, 
our personal growth stops. 
When we are growing 
we can see how wonderful others are, too. 
When we stop growing, 
all we see are other people's faults."

LIVING BUDDHISM APRIL 2014, P. 16

The spirit of gratitude generates the energy of life in our bodies and our hearts.

Right now, as many of you know,my son Ben is in the hospital. At 3:00 today he is interviewing to go into a program that might help him. I look at my life right now and all I can feel is gratitude for this wonderful son who makes me chant so much. My life has grown because of him! I am happier, stronger, healthier and wiser because of the Daimoku I have chanted for him. And I am deeply grateful that he is alive, and that I gave birth to this Buddha Boy. As I was chanting my hour this morning, my heart was overflowing with gratitude...to him...to my life...to Daisaku Ikeda...to you...and to all who have helped and supported me on this journey. I know Ben will win and encourage many people. He already has! 

Daisaku Ikeda is right! Gratitude brings Happiness. 
How many people can you thank today? 
How many gifts of heart can you bestow today? 
How many ways can you make your own heart sparkle by saying Thank You today? 

Who Says We Can Chant for Anything We Want? Sensei!

"In our lives, 
as we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and dedicate our lives to the mystic law, 
we transform delusion into enlightenment, 
and transform the chains of the suffering 
of birth, aging, sickness and death 
into a state of complete freedom 
imbued with the four noble virtues of 
eternity, 
happiness, 
true self and 
purity. 
There is surely no system of practice more dynamic, 
no philosophy that offers such unsurpassed hope."

Daisaku Ikeda

From the April Living Buddhism, page 31

I get emails from people asking me if they can chant for a man (or a goal) that people have told them not to chant for. 
As far as Daisaku Ikeda is concerned, when we chant for what we want, and work for the Mystic law (attend meetings, do shakubuku, study the Gosho) our prayers transform, and our desires and LIVES transform. Chant for what you want! 

I have chanted for things that some people would say I "shouldn't have been chanting for," and it strengthened my practice. I REALLY wanted these things. Over time, my desires transformed, but they were the entry way for chanting. I chanted harder, more focused. I know I strengthened my life and my practice. 

Chanting for what we want IS enlightenment!  

Daisaku Ikeda's Thoughts on May 3rd ~

I am setting determinations to achieve by May 3rd. Here's sensei's inspiration for all of us as we set our sights on this upcoming date. We have an opportunity to reach into our lives and make new determinations towards May 3rd. 

MAY 3 is our initial starting point, 
and simultaneously, 

the day we make 

our final declaration of complete victory. 

It is the grand anniversary which celebrates our efforts to realize a golden age of supreme spiritual triumph and glory. May 3 is invincible, unshaken by raging tempests. 

May 3 is filled with jubilation 

and ever-victorious hope. 

May 3 is the day which our friends around the world rejoice,
celebrate and deepen their determination to keep striving for
kosen-rufu. 

WHEN one dedicates himself/herself to the Gohonzon 
and advances in practice 
for the sake of his/her own enlightenment 
and for kosen-rufu, then, without doubt, 

he/she will become capable of truly loving others, 

and others in turn will say to themselves 

that there is something about him/her that shines.

BY arousing sincere faith 
in the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret
Laws inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin,
and striving to chant daimoku and propagate the Law, 
you can tap the power of the Buddha and the Law
inherent in the Gohonzon and 
transform the negative karma in your life. 
Everyone can thus attain Buddhahood.

COURAGE and effort are extremely important, 
for they lead to glory and victory. 
Life is like a marathon. 
Even if you should fall a little bit behind the others 
during the race, 
there is no need to be impatient;
as long as you win in the end. 
The person who breaks the tape at the finish line 
is the true victor.

ONLY after surviving the harsh trial of winter 
can seeds burst into fresh growth in the springtime. 
Similarly, only by surmounting hardships 
can we be victorious in life and savor real, lasting joy.
Conversely, if we shun difficulties 
and lose our challenging spirit,

then all we will be left with in the end is failure and regret. Therefore, please blaze a trail 

through the "forest of difficulty" 

we find ourselves in and 

let's work again energetically for

kosen-rufu.

Source: Daily guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

PowerPrayer for Overcoming our BIGGEST Problem

What do we do when we have a problem that looks like it is bigger than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the rhythm of life itself - learn more about chanting by clicking the SGI-USA link to the right) 
Have you ever had a problem like this ~

When you think to yourself...

"Oh well, all those other Buddhists, 
they've never seen THIS problem." 

And although you have seen results from your practice, somehow you think THIS problem is different. In your heart you know that nothing is more powerful than your prayer...but also, in your heart, you are struggling to summon absolute faith that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can overcome THIS one? 

What do you do? 

The answer to this question lies in our SGI organization. It is precisely for this reason, and many others, that we practice together. We study together. We encourage each other. 

As we know from our studies of the Gosho by Nichiren Daishonin:
"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
is like the roar of a lion. 
What sickness 
can therefore be an obstacle?"

I'm here in Ohio, preparing for the next phase of helping my son. He will stay in this hospital and we will return here every weekend for awhile. 

I have engraved in my life the words of one of my mentors in faith: 

"This is just another opportunity for your life to stand up and tell your fundamental darkness who is BOSS. This is just another WAVE, just another WAVE. You MUST stand up to it. You must chant with the conviction that there is no other way than your victory. You must summon that conviction from within your heart." 


PowerPrayer for 
Overcoming Our BIGGEST Problems
by Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

Read this before chanting and summon your inner conviction. These exact words are not important - the strength of your chanting and your heart IS important! 

Life~ !!!
Fundamental Darkness ~ doubt ~ fear ~ 
that exists in my life and in the lives of others
YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO
THIS Daimoku, 
right her, right now  
is obliterating my fundamental darkness 
and the world's fundamental darkness 
and clearing the path for ______________________. 
I claim my victory
I claim my life
I feel Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
flowing from within my life 
to all around me. 
I shine like the sun
I VOW to change the karma 
that reveals itself in this problem. 
I vow to change whatever it is, 
and to root the cause of this suffering 
out of my life forever. 
I show proof of this victory right now. 
I radiate love and hope to all I meet. 
I choose the best possible choice at every moment. 
I feel wisdom welling forth in my life. 
I will win over this problem 
and I use this experience to help others~!!!
Right here!
Right NOW
I VOW TO WIN~ No Matter what!  

Perseverance ~ Inner Strength ~ Some Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

Perseverance 

by Daisaku Ikeda:

"No matter what the circumstances, 
you should never concede defeat. 
Never conclude that you've reached a dead-end, 
that everything is finished. 

You possess a glorious future.

Precisely because of that, 
you must persevere and study. 

Life is eternal. 
We need to focus 
on the two existences of the present and the future 
and not get caught up in worry about the past. 
We must always have the spirit to begin anew 
"from this moment," 
to initiate a new struggle each day."  

From Faith in Action page 146. 

"We must put down strong roots, 
we must be strong. 
Inner strength is a prerequisite for happiness, 
a prerequisite for upholding justice and one's beliefs. 
One of the Buddha's titles is 

"He Who Can Forebear."

To courageously endure, 
persevere 
and overcome 
all difficulties 
~ the Buddha, 
is the ultimate embodiment of the virtue of forbearance. The power of faith 
gives us the strength 
to weather and survive any storm. 
Perseverance is the essence of a Buddha."

Faith in Action, by Daisaku Ikeda, page 147. 

Today I leave you with my favorite quote 
from Daisaku Ikeda:

"When one sun rises, 
everything is illuminated."

How Do Nichiren Buddhists Handle a Crisis?

How do Buddhas handle a crisis? 

What about a real crisis? Or an almost crisis? How do practicing Buddhists have an advantage? How can we use our practice to really benefit our lives, and the lives we touch at our most vulnerable times? How can I use the most challenging times in my life to continue to inspire you, whom I think about all the time? 

I am asking these questions because I'm here in a hotel room on the way to see my son Ben who has been struggling for two years with a very serious illness...one that the doctors don't really know how to cure...schizophrenia. For many it is fatal. The fear overcomes people and they can't take it anymore. Ben had a day like that yesterday. And he is alive and in a new hospital, where once again the doctors will have a chance to find the medicine combination that can help him. 

I have a few moments to write, then we will go the hospital. 

My daimoku today (chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) is one of appreciation. Ben (he's 22) is alive. I chant in appreciation fo his life. I chant in appreciation that I have a son who makes me chant so much. I chant to touch the lives of all the professionals I meet today. I have my Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards ready. But the most important thing is how I conduct myself. Who I AM when interacting with Ben and the professionals. I chant for wisdom and composure. And I chant to do my own human revolution...to root out the cause of this karma in my own life so that my son will not suffer anymore. I chant to turn poison into medicine! He was born to me for a reason. I am a Buddha. He is a Buddha.  

As I was chanting I was thinking about the nature of karma. I know there is a stream of new age thinking that says we need to "learn from our karma." I'm not sure I agree with that. I'm not as interested in learning from my karma as I am in changing it! Now. 

Last night, as I was preparing to get on the road to see Ben, I got a text that a shakubuku of mine was receiving Gohonzon. Last night! 
In December, I met this person briefly as part of my job...and I could feel a longing, a searching in her life. I told her about chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and she was immediately grateful. She lives close to the Chicago Culture Center and I met her there to chant and introduced her to the leaders close by. We met again for New Year's Gongyo...and last night, on the day Ben again gave up all hope, she received Gohonzon. So mystic! We never know when the seeds we planted are going to sprout!

And driving here, with the moon in the window, the beautiful almost full moon, I felt Nichiren Daishonin coming with me on this journey to the hospital to see my son...

And I feel you all...achieving your dreams...writing to me about your accomplishments and expressing your appreciation, asking your questions, and I feel your hearts. Chantforhappiness's readership last month was almost 50k people...we are united in heart. Thank you all so much. 

Ben will win. I will win. YOU will win. We will all win together. 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!  

PowerPrayer to Make it Happen NOW! Roooaaarrr!

Roarrrrr!

As practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, we chant the Mystic Law every single day. Intoning Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (which means: I fuse my life with the Mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) is a noble cause. It elevates our life condition, and the life condition and vibration of all of life. 
We chant for ourselves. 
We chant for others. 
We chant for this life and this world. 
We change our karma 
for the sake of changing the whole world's karma.  
We are the noble Boddhisatvas of the earth 
and Votaries of the Lotus Sutra. 
When we chant we TELL our lives what we want. 
We do not ask for favors from a force outside of our lives. 
We ARE Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 
We know that the goal of our practice is to have faith like flowing water...so we chant every day, twice a day...we study...we encourage each other, introduce others and attend our SGI meetings. (Click on the link to the right to find out more about the SGI)

And....Sometimes it seems like it is taking quite a while for a benefit to arrive, or an obstacle to go away, doesn't it? Even though we KNOW the answer lies within our own karma, and in doing our human revolution, sometimes we just have to get mad at our own life and wake those Shoten Zenjin UP! 

In the February 2014 Living Buddhism Magazine
(published by the SGI-USA and available by calling 800-835-4558) one of my favorite Gosho passages appeared. In this Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin has been persecuted by the government and is being taken away to Tatsunokuchi Beach to be beheaded. On the way, he sees a statue of Hachiman, one of the Buddhist deities (which represent functions within our own lives). 

He makes the entourage stop so he can address the statue of Hachiman. (The full Gosho quote is below)

What I love about this moment in the Gosho is that he basically yells at the Buddhist God and says "you had better show your support to me RIGHT NOW because that is the pledge you made. If I die I will report you! Get to work!" Of course, after he yells at the statue, when Nichiren is taken to the beach to be beheaded, a huge orb comes out of the sky lighting up the faces of his would-be assassins, they all run scared, and he is saved from death. 

Nichiren's indignant attitude when he addresses the statue shows us we can summon our power and direct it at the forces within our life. We can all pray in front of our own Gohonzons with fury and with fire. 

PowerPrayer to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com

"Gohonzon! 
Shoten Zenjin! 
Life! 
SOME KIND OF WAY 
this HAS TO CHANGE NOW!!! 
I Don't know HOW to make it happen. 
I just know it HAS TO!!
Some Kind of Way! 
It is time for me to see results in these areas. 
NOW!
 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

We can all summon this fiery attitude at the crucial moment - we are ALL dignified votaries of the Lotus Sutra, we can all command the fundamental forces that are within our lives and represented on the Gohonzon. 

Here is the Gosho passage: 

Nichiren stops at the statue and shouts: 

'Great Boddhisatva Hachiman, are you truly a god?...Now I, Nichiren, and the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in all of Japan, and am entirely without guilt. I have expounded the doctrine to save all the people of Japan from falling into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering for slandering the Lotus Sutra....When Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha and the Buddhas and Boddhisatvas of the ten-directions gathered, shining like so many suns and moons, stars and mirrors. In the presence of the countless heavenly gods as well as the benevolent deities and sages of India, China and Japan. Shakyamuni Buddha urged each one to submit a written pledge to protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra at all times. Each and every one of you gods made this pledge. I should not have to remind you. Why do you not appear at once to fulfill your solemn oath? ....If I am executed tonight and go to the pure land of Eagle Peak, I will dare to report to Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, that the Sun Goddess and Great Boddhisatva Hachiman are the deities who have broken their oath to him. If you feel this will go hard with you, you had better do something about it right away!' (WND - 1, 766-67)