"At That Time" Our Determination Changes Everything!

Deciding to "Stand Up and Fight" Changes Everything!

The beginning of the "Expedient Means" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which we recite during morning and evening Gongyo begins with the phrase "At that time the World Honored One calmly arose from his samadhi and addressed Shariputra"

In "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra" Daisaku Ikeda states: 

"In terms of our practice, therefore, I would like to stress that "that time" exists only when we pray to the Gohonzon and manifest determination and awareness of our mission for kosen-rufu. (World peace through our own human revolution - using our problems to FUEL our happiness and light the way of inspiration for all by showing the impossible is possible through our lives, notes mine, js) 

We have to make a determination, 
pray and take action. 
Unless we do so, 
our environment will not change in the least, 
though five or ten years may pass, 
that time" will never arrive.

Our single minded determination for kosen rufu, 
(a world of respect for all beings ~ JS) 
and that alone, 
creates the "time." 
"That time" is 
when we set our lives in motion, 
when we stand up 
of our own volition and by our own will and strength. "That time" 
is when we summon forth strong faith 
and take our place on the grand stage of kosen-rufu.

Goethe writes, 
"The moment alone is decisive; 
Fixes the life of man, 
and his further destiny settles." 
"That time" is the moment you resolve 
from the depths of your heart: 
"Now I will stand up and fight!" 
From that moment, 
your destiny changes. 
Your life develops. 
History begins. "

(note from Jamie: When I sit in front of my Gohonzon, and look into the mirror of my life... I chant in appreciation for my problems and VOW to show actual proof to others that the impossible is possible, and that each one of my problems leads us closer to a world of happiness for all...because one more woman stood up and said "NO WAY!" "I will WIN!" I picture the outcome already secure and chant in happiness.) 

Do You Have A Dream? Great Quote by Daisaku Ikeda

….Sensei Says - Do You Have A Dream….

“Many of us have some problems 

that we avoid chanting about, 

because we are afraid to look at them directly 

and prefer not to think about them. 

Others may have dreams locked up in their hearts 

that they are afraid to admit even to themselves let alone chant for, because they feel they do not deserve to be happy, 

or because they are afraid of being disappointed 

should they not succeed in attaining their goal.

Nichiren Daishonin teaches us 

that the power of the Gohonzon has no limit. 

It is we who impose limits on it with our doubts and fears. 

How tragic it would be if, 

having encountered the Mystic Law, 

we could not fully enjoy its benefit 

because we lacked the courage to pray with all our hearts 

for what we truly wanted.

Surely nothing would be more bitter 

than to have to look back over one's life and feel, 

'I never accomplished what I really wanted to.'

Nichiren Daishonin, out of his compassion, 

teaches us how to live so that we will have no regrets. 

Since we have been fortunate enough to meet the Gohonzon, 

why don't we place our full trust in it, 

pray courageously for what we desire 

and fulfill all our dreams in this lifetime.”

Daisaku Ikeda

I love that phrase: 

Pray with all our hearts! Pray with ALL our hearts! I still get emails almost every day from people who don't know if they can pray for what they really want. Please do! You will either get what you are praying for - or something even better. Our desires lead us to our Human Revolution and to Kosen Rufu - a world of respect for all life through our own transformation. Let's pray for what we want. Praying for what we want strengthens our prayers. Let's not doubt our own hearts. 

4 Great Quotes by to Fuel Your Day by Daisaku Ikeda

We practice Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism...chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (meaning: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) every morning and evening and growing our lives, our happiness, our fulfillment by tapping into our greatest powerful selves! Here are some quotes from Daisaku Ikeda, the third president of the Soka Gakkai: 

1. EVERYTHING is contained in the single word, faith. 
It encompasses 
truth, 
courage, 
wisdom 
and good fortune. 
It includes compassion and humanity 
as well as peace, culture and happiness. 
Faith is eternal hope; 
it is the secret to limitless self-development. 
Faith is the most basic principle for growth.
2. THIS is the age of self-indulgence. 
Therefore, those who lack a clear direction in life inadvertently drift towards merrymaking 
and pleasure-seeking. 
The organization of kosen-rufu and SGI activities 
direct one towards self-improvement 
and towards realizing true fulfillment in life. 
No action taken based on faith is wasted. 
In every respect, 
such actions will come to take on the greatest significance.
3. OPTIMISTS are raised by good mothers. 
It is important for mothers to be optimistic 
and not brood over their troubles. 
Such cheerfulness, 
while not only being beneficial for the mother herself, 
will also become a source of strength for the children throughout their lives. 
If a mother is full of vitality, 
then her children will be also. 
Thus, she will enable the whole family 
and those around them to feel at ease 
to go about their activities full of hope.
4. THERE are innumerable types of suffering. 
What we should realize 
is that the times when we suffer severely 
are also when we challenge and change our karma, 
and unlock the door to great good fortune. 
True happiness means 
to establish a condition in which we can gladly face 
even the greatest suffering and overcome it.

This last quote speaks volumes to many of us. I am here in Ohio, and Ben's interview was moved to today. Yesterday my life-condition dipped and I felt angry and emotional. That's how we know our life condition is low - when everything makes us mad! I chanted last night and today I awakened very early, moved my body, and now I sit down to chant. There is no such thing as no hope! 
I am chanting for all of you, and that each one of you reads something here in these many blogposts that strengthens and fortifies your mind of faith so you can USE that muscle of faith and make whatever you want happen! 

12 Ways Nichiren (SGI) Buddhism is Different ~ Please share

Why do we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and what makes this practice different than any other form of Buddhism? 

Click on the SGI Portal to the right to find out more about our organization. 

You have happened upon a practice that is very unique indeed. Some of the ways this practice is different include these points:

1. You do not have to convert to Buddhism to chant. Anyone can chant. It's like meditation or yoga..it's a practice. 

2. The goal of this practice is RESULTS, also called actual proof, or benefits. In other words - you get what you chant for- or something better - as long as you do not give up. 

3. In this practice, each person is a Buddha and possesses the entire power of the universe within their own lives. This is the awakening that the original Buddha experienced under the Bodhi tree. 

We all possess the potential for bringing forth our own Buddhahood (happiness and strength) through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, right now, in this lifetime  ~ without having to focus on making other changes in our lives. 

4. We have a Living Mentor ~ 
Daisaku Ikeda is the President of the Soka Gakkai International. I write about him often. Several of the posts last week were on the mentor and disciple relationship. Daisaku Ikeda is an extraordinary human being that we connect  with through his writings, his speeches, his actions and through our own hearts. 

5.There are no lifestyle, diets, rules of behavior or “paths” to memorize or carefully trod. There is the keen awareness that life operates under the strict law of cause and effect, and at each moment WE are creating our lives, but most of us knew that already! 

6. Desire is not the enemy. Your desires lead you to chant...when you chant you change your karma. Each person chants for their desires from their heart. Alleviation of desire is not the goal of this practice. Neither is mindlessness. We focus when we chant.  

7. There are no clergy, no robes and no temples. YOU have direct access to the power of the universe, your own Buddha power within. No intermediaries are needed. We SGI members practice together because we grow and learn together. There are SGI (Soka Gakkai - Value Creating Organization) community centers, and many smaller meetings are held in people’s homes. We are all normal people in the world living extraordinarily happy lives.  

8. We are changing our karma every time we chant. We can change our karma. Karma is not immutable. Suffering is not "Noble", but it is part of life. The goal of chanting is HAPPINESS, not to learn to be better sufferers. 

9. We do not chant “to” anything outside of us. There is no Higher Power in this practice. When we are chanting we access our own wisdom and power as a the Buddha, or awakened one. We are chanting to our own lives. 

10. The main practice is reciting the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over. Everyone on earth recites the same phrase. It means: "I fuse my life with the mystic (unfathomable) law of cause and effect through sound vibration"

11. The SGI does not discriminate for any reason. All people...ALL people have the right to access the Mystic Law within their own lives. 

12. There is no guilt, there is only the awareness of the law of cause and effect. 

And it's easy to start chanting. You can start with only 5 minutes in the morning and 5 in the evening, and see results. If you click on the SGI Portal link to the right you can find members in your area. 

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