Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 19 August 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Friday, August 19, 2011   Buddhism is wisdom. As long as we have wisdom, we can put all things to the best use, we can turn everything in the direction of happiness.     From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Friday, August 19, 2011   During [Sudatta's] last period of poverty, when all the people had fled or perished and only he and his wife remained, they had five measures of rice that would nourish them for five days. At that time, five people , Mahakashyapa, Shariputra, Ananda, Rahula and Shakyamuni Buddha  came one after another to beg for the five measures of rice, which Sudatta gave them. From that day on, Sudatta was the wealthiest man in all India, and he built the Jetavana Monastery. From this, you should understand all things.   The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1086 The Wealthy Man Sudatta Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on December 27, 1280     Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Friday, August 19, 2011   Ultimately, we are responsible for our own destiny. It may seem to us that our fate is predetermined, whether by our genes or by our environment. What really matters, however, is how we can improve ourselves from this moment forward, how we can change the circumstances that we find ourselves in. This enormous transformative force is what Buddhism is all about. In this struggle lies the source of never-ending youth and vitality.     Sensei on Nonviolence - Words of Wisdom "Nonviolence" does not merely mean to refrain from violence. Violence erupts when one person blames another for a problem or conflict. Conversely, nonviolence is a way of life in which one resolves; let me be the one to change first. If this spirit were to be embraced, how much more at peace would our families and society itself be.