10 Million Dollars Jim Carrey and the Law of Attraction

Have you heard the story about the 10 million dollars Jim Carrey and the Law of Attraction?

I wondered if this was just a made up rumor or if it actually happened. So, what was this rumor? To begin, you may know Jim Carrey as the slapstick comedian, for such laugh fests as Dumb and Dumber and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

However, while still an unknown, he used to drive to the Hollywood sign every day and imagine the life he wanted to live. Once there, he’d visualize producers and directors calling him to give him parts in their movies.

An ancient Buddhist chant similar to the Law of Attraction

Since the Law of Attraction says that “Like attracts Like,” the following Buddhist chant addresses the concept by referring to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect. I learned about this chant on the Thanking the Spoon blog site, which is about Nichiren Buddhism. I like that the Law of Attraction, which seems to be so new because of the Secret movie and book, is actually quite ancient.

Thanking the Spoon says that:

A deeper and more complete concept of the LOA is in fact at the core of the philosophy of Nichiren Daishonin, who in 13^th century Japan first chanted the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, where the words ‘Myoho Renge’ mean (amongst other things)‘Mystic Law of Cause and Effect’. Nichiren explains: “It is called the Mystic Law because it reveals the principle of the mutually inclusive relationship of a single moment of life and all phenomena.”

OK, what does that mean, you may ask? I love this explanation from the novel The Buddha Geoff and Me, where author Edward Canfor-Dumas eloquently describes this Mystic Law as the “mystical, invisible thread between the churning, inner reality of my life and the great outdoors of the rest of the world.”

The Secret and the Law of Attraction – good stuff but Buddhism says they’re only half the story…

Karma and the Law of Attraction

Another way that Buddhism differs from the Law of Attraction is that Buddhism includes Karma–that difficulties in this lifetime may be the result of actions and decisions in past lives.  The colorful image below is a 19th century painting showing the 10 avatars or incarnations of Vishnu, one of which was Buddha. Vishnu is the supreme god in the ancient Hindu Vedic sacred texts.

Vishnu with his 10 avatars (incarnations): Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, Dwarf, Rama with the Ax, King Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalkin. Painting from Jaipur, India, 19th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. From Wikipedia Commons

According to the Law of Attraction, as popularized in such books at The Secret by Rhonda S. Byrne and The Key by Joe Vitale, difficulties are supposed to result from wrong thought. If a person sustains positive thoughts and visualizes good results that lead to happiness, the person will attract good things in their life.

Some people say that when the Law of Attraction doesn’t work, it is because the person did not visualize properly, or they did not believe enough, or they were not positive enough. Unfortunately, sometime when people do not get the results they were promised, they feel like they are greater failures than before they tried the Law of Attraction.

On the other hand, Buddhism does not promise quick results. Instead, to quote an excerpt from the Talking Spoon blog site:

In my experience of 28 years as a Buddhist, to become truly and deeply happy is indeed a matter of faith, blood, sweat, patience and tears. Of confronting head-on the harsh realities of daily life and creating value and beauty from them. We call this process ‘Human Revolution’ in Nichiren Buddhism and when you’re changing a really deep aspect of karma (for example mental health, career or relationships) it can feel like every day produces new and bigger obstacles. Nichiren himself said that obstacles are an inevitable sign of progress and that when faced with challenges, “The wise rejoice and the foolish retreat.”

The Secret and the Law of Attraction–good stuff but Buddhism says they’re only half the story…

Now, that sounds encouraging! And, it also makes sense–that it would take more than a positive thought and visualization to change long-standing beliefs, especially those carried forward from previous lives.

Buddhism and the Law of Attraction

Gautama Buddha in Sarnath Museum (Dhammajak Mutra), India. Wikipedia Commons

Nichiren Buddhism was founded by Nicheren Daishonin, the son of a lowly fisherman, in 1220. This form of Buddhism is based on the Lotus Sutra, developed by the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in India 3,000 years ago.

The principles of Nichiren Buddha are similar to the Law of Attraction, in that:

“…the events (good and bad) that we attract into our lives reflect our inner reality.”

The Secret and the Law of Attraction – good stuff but Buddhism says they’re only half the story…

However, an online article at the Thanking the Spoon blog site adds:

“Nichiren Buddhism includes other people’s happiness as well as your own.”

The Secret and the Law of Attraction – good stuff but Buddhism says they’re only half the story…

Well, well, well, that’s a new twist on the Law of Attraction, which recently gained prominence in many products associated with the widely popular The Secret. The book and movie show you how to gain health and wealth using the Law of Attraction, but, maybe I missed it, I don’t remember seeing anything about the happiness of others.