Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 28 August 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, August 28, 2011    Success is not a matter of accumulating more of this or that, it is not measured in quantity. It means changing the quality of your life. Wealth, power, fame and knowledge alone cannot make you happy, no matter how much of these you acquire. Nor can you take them with you when you die. But by improving the quality of your life you will at last approach true happiness.      From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Sunday, August 28, 2011   Everyone in Japan, from the sovereign on down to the common people, without exception has tried to do me harm, but I have survived until this day. You should realize that this is because, although I am alone, I have firm faith.   The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 614 The Supremacy of the Law Written to Oto and her mother, Nichimyo, on August 4, 1275      Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, August 28, 2011   Anger is fundamentally an arrogant state of life. People in the state of anger are attached to the illusory assumption that they are better than others and direct their energy toward sustaining and enhancing this image. To ensure that others think of them in similarly glowing terms, they can never reveal their true feelings. Instead, they act obsequiously while a burning desire to surpass all others is their exclusive focus. With their inner feelings and their outward appearance out of accord, they don't speak from the heart. Buddhism teaches that the heart is most important. Of two people making comparable efforts, the results will differ greatly if one person is motivated by a value that transcends the self-good, beauty, the well-being of others - while the other is motivated by ego.     Sensei on Life - Human Relationships    It is important to keep the promises made to friends. This is the true meaning of friendship. To become people who can do so, however, we must first learn to keep the promises we have made to ourselves.