Chanting to become a Woman of Unlimited Self-esteem

Danny Nagashima

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Chanting to become a woman of unlimited self-esteem - is the best medicine. When Amy chanted that way, everything in her life changed.

You can analyze your situation all you want . . . you have to get to the root of why you don't believe in the greatness of our own life. You have to grab the 'doubt of your greatness' by the root, and yank it out of your life. You must chant to awaken to your greatness. Chant to appreciate and value your own life. The answer is probably simple. But, since we over-analyze our situation, it gets complicated and the solution seems farther away. When Amy followed Danny's guidance, it was unbelievable what she felt inside. Your mission as a Buddhist is to be happy – not master suffering. We have the negative part of us, and the positive part of us. There's a part of us that believes we can do it, and then the negative part says, 'Who are you kidding?'

You have to fight to not give into your negativity. This is not just about your being a writer, a doctor, a secretary, or whatever your profession maybe. It is about you becoming the woman you always wanted to become - a woman who really values your life. This is an amazing opportunity. THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE ARE THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS. Those feelings of self-doubt, chase those feelings away -- 'I'm just a scam artist, doctor, lawyer, etc., a failure. – Those feelings you have to face and then chase them away. How you feel about yourself -- that feeling of self-loathing, of not being good enough, of not answering the phone, because it may be someone you are accountable to professionally - those are feelings you have to face and then chase them away.

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Your talent is not the question. It's how you feel about yourself. This is karma. You need to value your own life, appreciate your own life . This has nothing to do with someone validating you. Amy said she followed her heart. She followed her Buddhahood and the effect from that, the benefit from that was MASSIVE. You have to follow your heart and truly treasure your life. When you sit in front of the Gohonzon, chant to have the most reverence for your life. The Gohonzon is the embodiment of your enlightened life. Your life deserves that kind of reverence. When Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, he was chanting Daimoku already (out of the greatness of his own wisdom he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon for all humanity) so everyone could relieve their own suffering.

IF YOU CAN CHANT FOR 2-WEEKS TO REALLY BE A WOMAN OF UNLIMITED SELF-ESTEEM, AND TO REALLY TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR LIFE, YOUR FLAWS, YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, YOUR DEFEATS, YOUR LOSSES, YOUR VICTORIES, WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED, APPRECIATE YOUR TALENT - FOR 2 WEEKS—THEN EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE.

FORGET about all the past suffering in your life. That will just make you feel more impotent. Put it away. From now on, really chant about being a woman of unlimited self-esteem. Really appreciate everything from your life. – All the things about you, that make you incredibly unique and wonderful. And, remember that all the negative feelings – the heartaches—you will be able to use to inspire and help others. This is the suffering you need to share your experience and help others change. Focus on really, awakening your greatness. This is the opportunity you needed to go through, so that you can become outrageously successful. So you can fulfill your dreams. If you focus on this – really valuing your life now, then everything will fall into place. And, in a much bigger way—self worth and self-respect will emerge . And it is something no one can give you. The universe is showing you what you need to tackle.

When you first chant this way, a lot of negativity may come out of your life. Awful feelings may surface. Let it pass through you, like the flu. Transform the darkness. See the enlightened side of your fear. We always bring into our lives what matches our life condition, so don't fear it. Chant to feel incredible joy about your worth. When you get yourself to a place where you can absolutely see the miracle of your own life, the greatness of your own life, everything in your life will completely transform. We have to believe in our own Buddha nature. When we face the Gohonzon, we should say, 'I am going to praise my own wonderful life.'

It is important to awaken to our own greatness. Now is the time for you to start over. Your life is the Gohonzon! When you pray to a deity, your prayers are passive. Our lives are the Mystic Law. You must appreciate and value your own life. The Gohonzon is not outside of you. When you receive a benefit, it was you who created it. This is active prayer. You must awaken to your greatness. Believe in the greatness, in the magnificence of your own life. The Gohonzon is the manifestation of Nichiren Daishonin's enlightenment. Just as a beautiful piece of art elicits a response, or a great book touches your life in a certain way, we must elicit the Buddha nature from our own lives. It is right there. The Gohonzon is the perfect vehicle to bring out our greatest potential.

So, when you display your Buddhahood, bring out that strength, joy, that vibrant life condition, then you take that to the world and change the environment. We're not necessarily chanting for the house, the car, and the relationship . . . but we are chanting to elevate our life condition to attract that happiness . The results we see in our own lives are a reflection of our life condition. Every day, chant to manifest your Buddha nature consistently. Chant to rise above your basic tendency (I think mine is anger).

Chant with the expectation 'I WILL MANIFEST MY BUDDHAHOOD!' And that's what will arise. I create my own fortune. I am a Buddha, and I will manifest it everyday. I have to believe I deserve boundless happiness. The Buddha is who I really am. Every day I must manifest my Buddhahood and rise above the belief that I am a mere common mortal who does not deserve fortune in her life. Don't negate your life when you are in front of the Gohonzon. Don't beg, scream and don't berate the Gohonzon or your own life. The Gohonzon is the tool we need to bring out our Buddhahood. My life is the Gohonzon . Don't slander your life. I will fulfill every one of my dreams, for ME. We already possess something incredible – our Buddha nature, the Gohonzon. But sometimes we don't believe it.

But, we have everything we need to get us out of poverty, to transform our lives. But if I don't believe that the billion dollars (figure of speech for GREAT benefit) is mine, I won't be able to enjoy it. It is time to CASH THE CHEQUE. TRUST THAT THE GOHONZON IS THE ABSOLUTE MEANS FOR YOU TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE. TRUST IS THE KEY WORD. CHANT WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT EVERY ONE OF YOUR WILDEST DREAMS WILL BE FULFILLED BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. CHANT TO BELIEVE IN YOUR BUDDHAHOOD. TRUST IN THE GREATNESS OF YOUR LIFE.

In 'On Attaining Buddhahood' Nichiren Daishonin makes the primary point – to free ourselves from the sufferings of birth and death we have endured in lifetime after lifetime and to attain absolute happiness we must awaken to the mystic truth that has always been within our lives – that truth is Nam-Myoho-Renge- Kyo. That truth is that I am a BUDDHA.

Amy got guidance to chant for the right man to come into her life for her happiness. It seemed too easy, she said. She questioned the guidance ''what if he is a midget? What if he is poor?'' But that day she met her husband. Trust the power of your Daimoku. Your life will be HUGE! Put your life first. Trust that ''billion-dollar check''(you are afraid to cash) does exist. Trust that you have EVERYTHING you need for your happiness – it is in the Gohonzon – it is in your life!

When you look at the Gohonzon know that you have exactly what you need to fulfill every prayer and become wildly, extraordinary happy!




Positive Discussion Points on Becoming Women of Unlimited Self Esteem

Ø Believe we can do it
Ø Fight to not give into negativity
Ø Become the woman you want to be
Ø Value your life
Ø Appreciate your life including your flaws
Ø Treasure your life
Ø Have reverence for your life
Ø Forget about the past sufferings in your life
Ø Believe that you are incredibly unique and wonderful
Ø Become outrageously successful at fulfilling your dreams
Ø Praise your own wonderful life
Ø Create your own benefit in your life
Ø Bring out our strength, joy and vibrant-life condition
Ø Believe in your own Buddha nature
Ø Realize that your life is the Gohonzon
Ø Manifest your extraordinary side
Ø Fulfill all of your dreams
Ø You have everything you need to transform your life

Negative discussion points on becoming Women of Unlimited self-esteem

Ø Not believing in our greatness
Ø Who are we kidding - we can't do it
Ø Feelings of self doubt
Ø Believing we are not good enough
Ø Self loathing
Ø Needing the validation of others
Ø I am a mere mortal who does not deserve fortune in my life
Ø Begging to, screaming to, or berating the Gohonzon/our own life
Ø I can't do it
Ø Holding on to past sufferings in our lives

Prayers to Enhance Becoming Women of Unlimited Self Esteem
Ø Chant to awaken to my greatness, my magnificence
Ø Chant to appreciate the value of my life
Ø Chant to be happy
Ø Chant to appreciate my talent
Ø Chant to feel incredible joy about my worth
Ø Chant to manifest my Buddha nature consistently
Ø Chant to rise about my basic negative tendency
Ø Chant to forget about the past garbage in my life
Ø Believe in my own Buddha nature
Ø Realize that my life is the Gohonzon
Ø Trust that the Gohonzon is the means to transform my life


Chant to become a woman of unlimited self-esteem

Every time you decide to put Love first it affects the energy of everyone and everything in your stratosphere. Hold a vision of Love with one-pointed concentration, and all that you've feared and resisted will change before you.

How to Create Happiness

 

Psychological research has identified various external circumstances ( living in a wealthy democracy, being married or in a romantic relationship, having a rich social network, being religious or spiritual, avoiding negative events and emotions) and internal cognitive, motivational and personality processes that contribute to establishing happiness. Several happiness researchers' have found that the following external circumstances support the condition of happiness:

• Having a rich social network of close, supportive relationships (including intimate friendships, a satisfying marriage or romantic relationship)

• Being part of a faith community that provides connection, purpose and hope.

• Experiencing flow-through work or leisure activities that produce an optimal state of absorption in which one's skills are engaged to the point where consciousness of self and time greatly recede

• Having a mentor

 The SGI organization has been found to provide three of the four external circumstances associated with happiness. This rich supportive community of believers-with the SGI being noted as the most ethnically and racially diverse sangha of all American Buddhist schools- represents a unique strength of the SGI.  Another distinctive feature lies in its commitment to achieving world peace. Lastly, having a mentor forms the essence of Buddhist practice. 

(ed note- The only thing that I take a different stance on is using the term mentor-disciple. For me personally, President Ikeda is an example of what is possible, but he is not better than any of us. We are all Bodhisattvas. We may follow the teachings but I believe Ikeda also learns from us.

The same studies that determined the four external circumstances that support happiness point to the following internal traits that support the building of a happy self and life:

• Positive view of the past (gratitude for all events)
• Optimism about the future (includes hope, faith, trust)
• Self-esteem (or esteem from others in collectivist cultures)
• Sense of control over one's circumstances
• Commitment to good character (traits such as wisdom, courage, humaity, justice, temperance, kindness)
• Contributions to a higher purpose (transcending self-centeredness)

While embracing the internal positive traits identified by psychologists, Nichiren Buddhism goes beyond the mere structural components to articulate a more encompassing view of the processes involved; it defines what happiness is and how to create it.

• the indestructible life-condition of Buddhahood. As stated in the Lotus Sutra, Buddhahood is a potential within all people, a state of life " where living beings enjoy themselves at ease" (The Lotus Sutra, p.230). In his letter "Happiness in this World" (WND-1,681), Nichiren speaks of the "boundless joy of the law," which springs from the innermost place in life, a state of happiness nothing can disturb.

•  a state of complete by freedom and fulfillment and the ability to truly enjoy living, free of control by craving and delusion.

•  knowing that we possess the power to manifest our innate Buddhahood through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, studying the Buddhist teachings so that we can make them manifest in daily life, and courageously and compassionately sharing them with others.

• the profound joy that comes from never being defeated by problems, instead using the challenges we face as a catalyst to strengthen our faith in ourselves and our wisdom to overcome our circumstances (also known as changing poison into medicine.

• not having a problem-existence. Avoiding difficulties is not possible. The important thing is how we face our problems.

• not a quick fix attained overnight; rather it results from sustained committed, daily efforts to manifest life's highest potentials-wisdom, compassion, courage and vitality.

• the ability to live life with a deeper and stronger sense of confidence, appreciation and hope

• knowing that we have the power to take charge of our own destiny and become a source for positive change in our family, community and society.

How do we create this kind of happiness?

It already exists within our lives; it is our inherent potential for Buddhahood, achieved by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, studying to apply the teachings in oir daily lives and teaching others to the best of our ability. To achieve such happiness, we have to focus more on the internal factors that contribute to it rather than the external ones.

(Source: Living Buddhism- What is Happiness, May-June 2008, pg 21-24;tumblr,Loflo)