The World Youth Media Summit Campaign Launches Today You can be a part of it!

A special note from our dear friend:

You Can Help the International Youth Media Summit being held at Soka University this summer. 

Much of the wisdom you read at chantforhappiness.com can be owed to my dearest friend Kate Randolph. She introduced me to this practice almost 30 years ago, and I have shared her thoughts and essays with you over the years. She has been involved in a great movement for youth. Here is a letter to you from her. This year's Youth Media Summit will take place at Soka University in California. Please contribute what you can! This is not a official SGI function, but it does fit into what we are all about! 

A note to you from Kate Randolph:

I have traveled to Serbia the past 3 summers to support the INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MEDIA SUMMIT and its mission to bring young people together to dialogue about, and find solutions for, some of the world's most urgent social issues.  Then they choose an issue they would like to focus on and in small teams they make short films about each of the Summit issues: violence, discrimination, poverty, health the environment, women's rights and youth empowerment. They also make declarations of actions that they will take on these issues upon their return to their country. 

This summer, for the first time since the Summit was born, it is coming back to the USA, to be held on the gorgeous campus of Soka University!  But the difficulty with that is that it is nearly impossible for many young people to travel here because of the huge expense.  (We already have applicants from Liberia, Algeria, Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Palestine, Israel, Iran and Afghanistan and about 12 more countries! )  Sooo, today we are launching an online crowd-funding campaign to raise scholarship money for students who live in countries where the annual income is less than the cost of airfare to the US. 

We hope to make history by being the first of this type of online fundraiser to raise half of our goal on the FIRST day of our campaign, which is Today, THURSDAY, JAN 9TH. That's $50,000 in one day.  If you can jump onto this link and contribute just 10 bucks, you will help us tremendously.  10 bucks contributed by hundreds of folks can help us make history for a fabulous cause. 

Do what you can, or feel comfortable with.  But take a minute to click on the link and see what the Summit is all about! Even just posting a comment of support helps us move further up to the front of the website!

Warmest wishes for a fantastic 2014.

Kate Randolph

http://igg.me/at/IYMS2014

We Are Brightly Illuminating the Future of the World!

LIVING BUDDHISM - JANUARY 2014 - Pp.12 & 13
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's Message- 1st Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting of the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Brightly Illuminating the Future of the World

Declaring "there is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," the Daishonin urges us: "Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens." (Happiness in this World. 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin', vol1, p 681)

No matter what bitter adversity we may face, we will never be defeated. Through the power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can transform even the most painful sorrow--transmuting it into the compassion to encourage and help others who are suffering--and keep moving forward joyfully and positively.

You and I are linked in the depths of our lives by the daimoku we chant to realize the vow for kosen-rufu. As such, we are always together.

Friendship

Thank you all for your friendship! I'm home! 

Great Quote by Daisaku Ikeda

I'm home! Thank you for all your daimoku!

The quote in the picture above says:

"Life is about scaling one mountain 
then facing the next one, 
and the one after that. 
Those who persevere finally succeed 
in conquering the highest of mountains. 
On the other hand, 
those who avoid such challenges by taking the easy route 
will only descend into the valleys."

Daisaku Ikeda  

PowerPrayer to End Depression and Anxiety

Chicago's Deep Freeze

This week I have proven once again, that that this prayer to end depression and anxiety works, and that karma change is permanent, no matter what the circumstances. I am in the middle of a very long dilemma...trying to get back home to Chicago after a winter storm. And through it all I have been calm...even with several sleepless nights. I don't feel anxiety. It will all work out. It is the middle of the night and I just found out my flight was cancelled again. I am in Asheville, North Carolina and there is a tiny airport here...and my flights keep being cancelled. I've spent 4 hours in line at the airport on 2 different days, and now this flight was canceled!  Thankfully, I was just able to get through to the airline and get booked on a plane that will take me through Charlotte, provided these flights don't get cancelled. I don't usually ask this, but if you have a chance could you please chant for me? I start my new job on Thursday (I was supposed to start on Monday) and I would really like to get home! 

This post is in answer to a question I got from a reader recently. 

She asked if I ever feel despair or anxiety, and what do I do when I sink into that feeling?

And yes, even Buddhas (like you and I), who have been chanting for many years still get occasional moments of despair!  Every time I feel a moment of sadness I think of all of you, and my district members, and I make a new VOW to overcome my karma (and propensity toward depression) once and for all by ripping it out at the roots. This is Human Revolution...never giving up. I must pave the way for others, just as you are paving the way for others through every one of your fresh determinations.

As Sensei says, the important thing is to keep chanting. 

There are several steps I recommend for when you are battling to WIN over your own despair ~
1. Chant ~ go to an SGI meeting
2. Call your friends in faith to encourage you 
and read Daisaku Ikeda's writings and Nichiren Daishonin's letters to his followers (the Gosho).
3. Make a fresh determination and a new vow
4. Chant again and win! 

I will pass along some wise words from my dear friend Kate who overcame her lifelong depression: 

She says that when you are making huge causes for Kosen Rufu it is natural to get obstacles in the form of emotions, and that once again your karma has shown itself to you anew so that you can once again determine to root it out forever. 

She also said at the core of our suffering is the fact that many aspects of our environment reflect our own deep seated feelings of self doubt and of not being good enough...but our perseverance changes this. 

Kate said sometimes our environment does not yet truly reflect the amazing and wonderfully shining, worthy people we are. And she attributes that to our deep seated doubts somewhere in our lives. (karma, of course). 

We have been suffering over some of the same things for our entire lives, haven't we?  She said:

Human Revolution is HARD 
because you have to break the ties 
to your own unhappiness. 
Those grooves are familiar, and hard to break. 

But if you greet your life in front of the Gohonzon and EVERY DAY say, "NO WAY! I am going to defeat this fundamental darkness forever!" you can break through. Kate did it. I did it. You can too. 

The following is a PowerPrayer...some powerful words to keep in mind from time to time while you are chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo...a suggested attitude to WIN!

Out of Kate's wise words I wrote this 

PowerPrayer to Defeat Despair:
Written by Jamie Lee Silver, from the blog ChantforHappiness.com

No way Unhappiness! You will NOT WIN TODAY!
No way anxiety~I am the Buddha!
I don't CARE how many times I have to chant to defeat you. I WILL WIN! For Myself and for all! 
I am a noble, brilliant Buddha! 
I DEMAND a life free from sadness and fear! 
I root the karmic cause of my sadness and fear
right out of my life now!   
I DEMAND that my environment 
reflect who I really am, 
not my fears or doubts of who I am. 
I DEMAND that I have the courage 
to do Human Revolution 
and to FOREVER break 
those ties to my own unhappiness. 
I am determined to stop making causes 
that bring me pain! 
I am determined to make causes 
that bring me happiness! 
Not just for me, but for everyone!
I MUST succeed 
LIFE 
No matter what! 
I choose to be happy!
I choose happiness now!  

Our Glorious Mission = Our Glorious Life!

Awareness of Our Glorious Mission

Equals 

Awareness of Our Glorious Lives!

I do not say this lightly! In my opinion, the more aware I am of my mission, the more energy I feel towards winning over every aspect of my life...because I am determined to overcome my problems not just for me, but as an inspiration to others. When we can truly feel this way, our problems become opportunities, not burdens. How is this possible? 

I remember a time talking to Kate (she introduced me to this practice and is my dear friend and SGI mentor)  about my challenges. She said "Raise your problems to realize your noble mission. You are not facing them just for yourself, but for all the people you will help. The most important thing is to chant to strengthen your life, because that is the key to everything. A strong life equals a happy life. Appreciate your problems and win over them!" 

Wise words! 

I'm here in Asheville, North Carolina, one of the most beautiful and interesting places on earth. I had intended to come here from Chicago for a two day stay but the huge storm that just raged across America changed my plans. I spent almost three hours in line at the airport yesterday and was able to get a ticket back for Wednesday night. I met some nice people in line.  Today is the coldest day in Chicago in 40 years - it's -13, negative 13 but the wind chill factor makes it feel like it's negative 40. They are calling Chicago Chiberia. Funny. Many schools and businesses are closed. I am not missing anything by being here is Asheville, and I have the morning to answer emails, chant and write. 

Our friend Morag in the UK has been thinking about the recent posts about fulfilling our vow for kosen-rufu, and found this is the New Human Revolution, by Daisaku Ikeda, Volume 17 on page 232:

Shin'ichi then went on to introduce four guidelines for carrying out ones mission for kosen-rufu: 

1) Have strong unwavering faith in the Gohonzon and firmly believe in you ability to share Buddhism with others;

2) Study the Daishonin's teachings;

3) Take courageous action with composure and resolve 

4) Strive to grasp the Soka Gakkai spirit and posses a strong sense of awareness as a capable person dedicated to kosen-rufu. 

Thank you Morag! 

We can all win in our lives. Whatever we are dealing with...it is our opportunity to change it. It is our gift to the world. I overcame my depression and anxiety and now can help others to do the same thing. We each will help others by winning over what is right in front of us. 

The key is to not give up, not feel sorry for ourselves, but to elevate our problems into our mission. We can do this!

I am answering some emails this morning. I'm a little behind. Please keep studying President Ikeda's words and reading the Gosho with your life! Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

Daily guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda:

WHEN we chant and exert ourselves for kosen-rufu, we can block
negative, destructive forces from entering our lives and allow the
positive, protective forces of the universe to enter instead. Please
chant with strong conviction, as if calling, "Brahma, Shakra, the gods
of the Sun and the Moon, enter my life and put your power to work!"


BY dedicating ourselves to Buddhism, we transform our lives into
"gold". Inept and unworthy though we may think we are, our lives come
to shine with supreme brilliance and will remain so eternally. That is
why Nichiren Daishonin urges us to strive earnestly in our practice of
faith.


HAPPINESS is ultimately determined by oneself alone, not by others. To
base one's happiness on how one appears to the world is to live in a
"provisional" way, only chasing after illusions. In contrast, to live
in accord with the "true" or "essential" way of life is to determine
by oneself: "I did my best. I am satisfied. I have won." These two
ways of life are as different as heaven and earth, and water and fire.


LIFE without philosophy, without belief, is indeed both vulnerable and
fleeting. Swept along in the current of times, such a life drifts
aimlessly. One's soul knows no rest, preoccupied with the immediate
and the transience of other people's opinions.


NO one can avoid the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death.
It is the Mystic Law that is capable of eliminating suffering equally
from the lives of all people. For this reason, it is our
responsibility to teach all mankind the power and benefit of the
Gohonzon which embodies the Mystic Law.