Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Incredible Buddhist Quotes for Overcoming Illness - Please share




Inspiring Quotes for Overcoming Illness

(The person who originally compiled these quotes was able to use the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo  - meaning: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration and modern medicine to overcome breast cancer completely. She now lives in total health!) 

To learn more about the practice of Practical Buddhism you can click on the SGI link to the right. There are practitioners in 193 countries who would love to help you! 

From Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com

Quotes from President Ikeda's Lecture series "The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin: On Prolonging One's Life Span - Faith for Leading a Long and healthy Life" in the July-August 08 Living Buddhism. 

“Suffering from illness is a means by which you can eradicate your negative karma.”  
President Toda, as quoted by President Ikeda. - pg 70 

“To see illness as an opportunity to transform our karma – this strong spirit and resolve can break through all obstacles and devilish functions and open wide the path to happiness. Like a rocket blasting out of the earth’s atmosphere, the passionate conviction of faith that comes from viewing illness as an opportunity to transform our karma can become a powerful engine propelling us forward not only in this existence but throughout eternity, enabling us to freely savor everlasting happiness.”  Pg 74

“Becoming ill in itself is certainly not a sign of defeat.  Even the Buddha, who is said to have ‘few ills and few worries’ (LS, 214), struggles with sickness from time to time.  Accordingly, there will be times when we are confronted with illness.  The important point above all is not to be defeated mentally or emotionally by the prospect of being ill.  Faith is the source of the fighting spirit to stand up to illness.  Therefore, as we noted earlier, Nichiren Daishonin first of all talks about the ‘treasure of faith’.  Pg 77

“As Nichiren says, ‘Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way’ (The Good Medicine for All Ills, WND-1, 937).  If a practitioner who upholds faith in the Mystic Law becomes ill, it definitely has some profound meaning.  It could be said that confronting illness is one route to awakening to the eternity of life.  President Toda often said, ‘A person who has overcome a major illness knows how to deeply savor life.’” Pg78

From Matilda Buck’s guidance, World Tribune 4/27/01 pg 10 “When We Face Disappointment” – regarding SGI leaders who overcame cancer and chanted this way:  

Through this experience, 
I will become someone 
who does not doubt the Gohonzon (my life), 
no matter what happens.
As a Bodhisattva of the Earth, 
I have the mission to experience this, 
and as a Bodhisattva of the Earth, 
I have the mission to create a victory.
I will share the power of Buddhism with others, 
even as I grapple with this experience.
I won’t let my spirits stay down.  
I won’t make a place in my life for negativity to settle!

From The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Volume 6:  “Praying with doubt is like trying to keep water in a bathtub with the plug pulled.  Our good fortune and benefit will drain away.  A passage from the ‘Perceiver of the World’s Sounds’ chapter reads, ‘from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!’  A confident prayer will reverberate powerfully throughout the entire universe.”  Pg 88

From Buddhism Day by Day:

“Buddhism views illness as an opportunity to attain a higher, nobler state of life.  It teaches that, instead of agonizing over a serious disease, or despairing of ever overcoming it, we should use illness as a means to build a strong, compassionate self, which in turn will make it possible for us to be truly victorious.”  pg 300

“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.  
And 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 the past.  
We must always have the spirit to begin anew 
‘from this moment,’ 
to initiate a new struggle each day.” Pg. 315

“The air around us 
is filled with radio waves of various frequencies.  
While these are invisible, 
a television set can collect them 
and turn them into visible images.  
The practice of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo 
aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe.  
it ‘tunes’ our lives, so to speak, 
so that we can manifest 
the power of Buddhahood in our very beings.”  Pg 314

From For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda:

Sept 20 pg. 288:  

When your determination changes, 
everything else will begin to move 
in the direction you desire.  
The moment you resolve to be victorious, 
every nerve and fiber in your being 
will immediately orient itself toward your success.  
On the other hand, 
if you think 
“This is never going to work out,” 
then at that instant 
every cell in your being will be deflated 
and give up the fight, 
and then everything really will 
move in the direction of failure.

Aug 15 pg. 249:  

The first thing is to pray.  
From the moment we begin to pray, 
things start moving.  
The darker the night, 
the closer the dawn.  
From the moment we chant daimoku 
with a deep and powerful resolve, 
the sun begins to rise in our hearts.  
Hope – prayer is the sun of hope.  
To chant daimoku each time we face a problem, overcoming it 
and elevating our life-condition as a result – 
this is the path of 
“changing earthly desires into enlightenment,” 
taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Thank you so much my friends. Thank you for your emails and your Daimoku! I am here having a quiet week as I heal from my hernia surgery. I am determined that from this moment forth I am more healthy, more vibrant, more energetic and focused than ever before. But for today...I am slow...I am quiet...I am in the process of healing. 
I plan on writing a series of posts to commemorate this blog's 5th anniversary. (This week) Would you like to contribute? I'd like to have a section from readers about how something you read at chanforhappiness.com led you to take action in your practice or your life...email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com as always. 



Monday, July 28, 2014

4 Ways to Strengthen our Practice and our Lives


Flowers in Gratitude for you!

Thank you so much. I am healing very nicely, and just basking in the glow of all the Daimoku you are chanting for me. No surgery is really fun, but I feel like I will heal in no time because of you. Here I share with you a popular post from a few months ago: 

"First you must be strong. There is no hope of winning in this chaotic world if you are weak. No matter what others do or say, it is important to develop your ability and put that ability to use. Strong faith, of course, is the best means for drawing out one's inner strength. You each have a very important mission and I hope you will awaken to it and take pride in that mission." 
Daisaku Ikeda, Faith in Action, page 139

I received a letters from a reader recently. She wrote that she chants consistently for one week, and then stops chanting for a week and her anxiety and depression immediately comes back. Every other week she forces herself to chant again, and then stops. She said she was struggling and not overcoming her problems. 

Chanting inconsistently is a very difficult way to practice. It is much easier to establish a twice a day practice and stick with it. But how do we do this? 

How can we reinforce our determination to practice twice a day every day, strengthen our lives and create unshakable benefit? 

The benefits of consistent practice are many. 
For one, it's easier. Once you establish the practice you just greet your life twice a day in front of the Gohonzon without having to force yourself to do it. It just becomes part of your life. With consistent practice we strengthen our lives and raise our life conditions. 

With consistent practice chanting is easier, life is easier, benefits flow more consistently, and we change our karma, embrace our challenges and win over any challenge we face. With consistent practice we change our lives for the better. This is the way it works. 

Positive Psychologists talk about something called "Activation Energy." 
It is the energy to get something new up and running. 

We can compare the launching our consistent practice to an airplane taking off. Each airplane has to advance down the runway with engines firing. Once the plane gets in the air it switches to a steady maintenance energy, but it HAS to fire those rockets to get off the ground. 

How do you fire your own rockets? 

Three ways to Strengthen Your Practice:

1. Be active in the SGI

Being a part of the SGI, attending meetings and practicing with your friends in faith is essential. (You can click on the SGI Portal to the right to find your local SGI, if you're not connected yet. Remember there are no dues or rules or priests. The SGI is an organization of people working together for their own happiness and the sake of others.) 

The friends you make in the SGI are friends who will help you get those engines firing and help you lift into the air. And the beautiful thing is, as another is helping YOU, they are also helping themselves. That is just the way it works. And you can be this friend for others and help them chant too. TO join, use the link at the right or go to SGI-USA.org


"The mind of faith is invisible. Those who advance together with the organization dedicated to Kosen-rufu will evolve the correct mind of faith that matches the time. With this mind of faith, you can fill the canvas of your lives with portraits of happiness in which all your wishes are fulfilled."
Daisaku Ikeda, Faith in Action, Page. 138

2. Chant as often as possible 
with your Friends in Faith

When I was first chanting my SGI friend and mentor came to my house every morning for a few weeks to help me generate "activation energy" for my practice, and establish a consistent practice. I liked the feeling of doing gongyo consistently, and was able to keep my plane in the air after that. 

Only those who practice twice a day know how great it is ~ 
My dear "Baby Buddha" (the nickname she chose for herself) heard me tell her for two years to chant every morning and evening, and she replied that she doesn't do ANYTHING consistently and wasn't going to do this. No way. I kept chanting for her and inviting her to chant. And one day, she just made the decision to try chanting twice a day to see how it felt. She couldn't believe how different she felt. She also realized a deep desire and began to chant for it to happen. Now she lives in Colorado - she got what she was chanting for! THIS is why we practice. Our desires are worth chanting for! 

3. Chant with Others Even if You're Not Together

When I began this blog and my two-hour a day chanting campaign, my friend Melissa and I would text each other twice a day when we began chanting. She lived far away so we only chanted together about once a week, but just knowing we were chanting at the same time really helped. Sometimes we would call each other before we chanted and tell each other what we were focusing on for that hour so we could chant specifically for each other's desires. 

5. Chant to Strengthen your Practice and Your Life!
Having a strong prayer to strengthen your practice will really help!


You may have other ways of creating and maintaining your consistent practice. Please share them with me and I'll share them with the other readers of this blog. Email me at chantforhappiness.com with your ideas, questions, suggestions, victories and challenges. 


Sunday, July 27, 2014

10 Positivity Essentials!



We all have them! Many challenges!
Here are ten of my favorite tips for sailing through difficult times!

As so many of you know, this blog is based on a practice that is new to this country and new to the world. The practice of ordinary people chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo  - and thus tapping into the universe within themselves with no intermediary - has its origins as the Title of the Buddha's highest teaching, The Lotus Sutra. But most people did not begin the chanting of this title until the Soka Gakkai SGI was founded by the educator Tsunesaburu Makiguchi in war-time Japan in 1930. He later died in prison for refusing to support the war efforts of Japan. His follower, Josei Toda accompanied him to prison, and lived to be released to lay the great foundation for kosen-rufu (world peace). Our living mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, was Josei Toda's disciple, and has dedicated his entire life to us, and to the many future generations who will look back upon this historical time in respect and wonder. These three men, and all of us chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo today, are ALL pioneers of a great movement for peace. We chant for our desires, we chant for other people's desires, we chant for wisdom for ourselves and for the world. 
I highly recommend the new book "Waking the Buddha" by Clark Strand, available on Amazon.com for a really enlightening chronicle of our revolutionary new form of Buddhism.

What follows is a blog post going out to the 35,000 readers of Chantforhappiness.com. I invite you to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this post. I am looking for a web guru who can help me convert this blog into a more flexible format...probably wordpress. Would you like to help? Please email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you'd like to submit your ideas and/or expertise. As always, I do not officially represent the SGI although I am an enthusiastic member in the Chicago area, and owe my strong practice to ALL my wonderful mentors who have helped me along the way, including many readers!

10 Positivity Essentials!

1. Realize you are a Boddhisatva of the earth. You are important. You deserve every happiness.

2. Make a list of what you want, or write out a narrative of how your life could be. I write my narrative in the present tense, and rewrite it whenever I feel like I need a refresher.

3. Assemble your team of friends in faith. Chant to break through in deepening your relationships with fellow members. We are all the most wonderful family. We need to appreciate each other! 

4. Assemble your team of inspiring people who do mot practice. Some of my friends are healers, poets, writers who do not practice but with whom I still share a great bond. 

5. Establish the strongest practice EVER!
Set a minumum level of daimoku a day - I chant at least an hour. When people ask me how can I do that the answer is simple. I HAVE to do it because my happiness is important to me and everyone I touch. Being in rhythm makes me happy. Helping others become happier is my raison d'etre - (reason to be alive!) There are days I chant more than an hour a day - as often as I can. Are there days I chant less? Yes, occasionally, but I get back on the hour a day as soon as I can because I can feel the difference. I tend to go to bed early and wake up three hours before I need to leave the house so I can chant an hour, write for you for an hour and get ready for the day.

6. Chant with people often!

7. Study, study, study the works of Daisaku Ikeda and the Gosho. Get your local SGI publication

8. Watch your mind. Guard against negativity.

9. Watch Your WORDS. Oh so important!

10. Always be learning

I'm here on my patio and it's a lovely morning. I just have to assume my surgery went well, and that I am healing correctly. I'm in a lot of pain, but only when I move. My son Aaron is here with me. And I'm writing to you. 
Good morning, and once again, thank you with all my heart for your emails and daimoku!

Friday, July 25, 2014

At Home Resting ~ Let the Healing Begin

Sending love!
I'm sitting on my patio enjoying the nice evening.
I can feel all your Daimoku!

Surgery Today ~ Thank you for Chanting!



I will be brief, because I want to chant for an hour before I go to Elmhurst Hospital for surgery to repair a tear in my abdominal wall that is not causing me any trouble, but the experts say could get worse if I do not fix it. 

All day yesterday I heard from you. And my appreciation is boundless. Knowing you are chanting for me, and hearing about how my words ~ my heart ~ has touched your lives is warming my soul. One day, I hope to write the story of this blog, (which is about to celebrate its 5th year!) and include YOU because you are why I write. I am saving all your letters and emails and one day you may be in it, my friends. 

It is 6:10am ~ my sister picks me up at 7:10 and the surgery should be around 9:00 if all goes well. Then, they sew me up and send me home.  

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion, what sickness could therefore be an obstacle? 

Going off to roar now!

You can email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com, or at Jamie Lee Silver 17W702 Butterfield Rd, #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 USA

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Going into Surgery with Strength

Hi, tomorrow I go in for surgery.

All week I have been going from emotion to emotion about this. Yesterday I had some acupuncture done and have felt much calmer since then. 

Last night we had a great meeting here on the nature of absolute happiness. Happiness is not things. It is not status. There is no end to wanting those things. I have a friend who has everything, family, nice home, you name it...and he once lamented about the Bentley car a neighbor had. There is no end to the search for happiness derived from fleeting things of this world. 

That is why I concentrate on chanting for strength. When you have strength life itself is a joy. Life Itself is a joy. In this month's Living Buddhism on page 33, in the New Human Revolution Volume 26, chapter 2, installments 30-42 Daisaku Ikeda writes:

"Strong people can be said to have a firm sense of purpose in life, or deeply held convictions or true friends. We, in the Soka Gakkai, have all three. We have the lofty purpose of realizing kosen-rufu and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. And we have the unshakable conviction that in upholding Nichiren Buddhism we can achieve indestructible happiness for ourselves and others. Finally, we have trusted comrades in faith and a Soka family united in a network of friendship, where we mutually encourage and support one another."

So I enter into surgery tomorrow in a high life state. I will be chanting for some time later...and focusing on showing actual proof through my life, and focusing on having a little bit of time to accomplish some goals as I am healing. It is hernia surgery...not related to any illness...just a repair that needs to be fixed. This will happen tomorrow the 25th, not sure what time yet. 

Thanks for your Daimoku!

Thank you for your notes of encouragement! 
My heart is with all of YOU! 

Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com, Or, if you'd like to send a written note my address is 17W702 Butterfield, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. USA

Saturday, July 19, 2014

"I Summoned This Storm!" PowerPrayer to move from Victim to Victor! The most important realization you will ever have.



According to Daisaku Ikeda, we summon the exact set of obstacles we need to springboard our lives to the next level of practice and happiness. 
We will be better off for them!  
We summoned these storms. 
Realizing THIS takes our lives from Victim to Victory! This simple change in perspective brings incredible power to our Daimoku. When we are chanting we can address our lives and roar like the lions (Buddhas!) we are. What follows is a powerprayer I offer you to reclaim your life and move from Victim to Victor. As always, I offer you my writings from my heart, not as an official SGI representative, although I love the organization and encourage everyone to participate - if you are not yet a member please use this link to connect: sgi-usa.org 

PowerPrayer 
For Reclaiming My Own Life 
and Moving 
From Victim to VICTOR 
Read this before you chant 
and hold its spirit in your heart and mind - that's what a PowerPrayer - A Fresh Determination is...
by Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com. Excerpt from the soon to be published book PowerPrayers for Chanting Your Way to Absolute Happiness and Success:

LIFE !! 
I get it! 
I SUMMONED THIS STORM and I can VANQUISH IT! 
I summoned this storm and I will WIN over it !
Shoten Zenjin (protective forces of the universe within all life) 
I now command you to fulfill these prayers!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I am a precious Votary of the Lotus Sutra 
and I vow to PROVE the POWER of the MYSTIC LAW 
through my own victories - 
so I can encourage everyone that 
the IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE!
I will NOW raise my life condition to a level I have never before experienced. 

I see through the eyes of the Buddha, 
I feel with the heart of the Buddha
I AM the Buddha! 
The universe exists within ME! 
I am CLAIMING power over my own life. 
No more complaining for me! 
No More "Woe is me!" 
NO! 
Starting today ~ with this Daimoku ~ 
I bring forth all the wisdom I need
                             to know what I need to do - 
All the courage I need ~ 
                             to take the right action 
All the perfect timing I need ~ 
                             to accomplish what I want
And the People and Resources I need ~ 
                             ALL appear right now! 
I am a powerful being waging a powerful war against the fundamental darkness inherent in all of life and I will WIN. 
Starting today 
I will win in:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This PowerPrayer has been inspired by the Gosho Study that permanently changed my life from the August of 2013 Living Buddhism "The Three Obstacles and Four Devils" written in November 1277 to the youngest Ikegami brother, Munenega, after his brother had been disowned by his father for his faith in Nichiren Buddhism. 

President Ikeda's lecture from the August Living Buddhism on this Gosho includes these words: 

"Though we speak of the "three obstacles and four devils" appearing, no one wishes to have to face adversity. 
That is surely a natural human reaction. 
But Nichiren says that 
the appearance of the three obstacles and four devils 
is a source of JOY. 
How could that be? 
It doesn't seem possible. 
But it is, in fact, 
by overcoming the steep hills and inclines of obstacles 
we can forge our lives 
and ascend the summit of Buddhahood, 
where we can savor the sublime vista of 
eternity, happiness, true self and purity."

He goes on to say:

"We need to "own" them (our obstacles) as something we ourselves have summoned up...we are in charge, we are the protagonists...the struggle against the three obstacles and four devils is indeed a great joy."

President Ikeda goes on to say:
"As Nichiren Daishonin writes: "When a tiger roars, gales blow; when a dragon intones, clouds gather" (The Workings of Brahma and Shakra," WND-1, 799) When we adopt this attitude ~ "I summoned this storm!~ our hearts will be filled with the bright sense of hope and purpose." (All quotes from the 2013 August Living Buddhism, pages 21, 22) 

Write me your victories at Chantforhappiness@gmail.com!