Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, December 31, 2011  

 

To lead a life in which we are inspired and can inspire others, our hearts have to be alive; they have to be filled with passion and enthusiasm. To achieve that, as President Toda also said, we need the courage to "live true to ourselves." And to live true to ourselves, we need the strength of mind not to be swayed by our environment or be obsessed with vanity and superficial appearances. Rather than borrowing from or imitating others, we need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action from our own sense of responsibility.  

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Saturday, December 31, 2011  

 

I, Nichiren, am the richest man in all of present-day Japan . I have dedicated my life to the Lotus Sutra, and my name will be handed down in ages to come.

 

The Opening of the Eyes

This treatise is one of Nichiren Daishonin's five most important writings, in which he reveals his identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law who possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent.In the year 1272, still in exile under harsh conditions on Sado Island, the Daishonin completed this work in two volumes and addressed it to Shijo Kingo, one of his leading disciples in Kamakura  

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Saturday, December 31, 2011  

 

Buddhism enables us to tap from within the depths of our beings the greatest courage and strongest life force there is. Buddhas are not destined for unhappiness or defeat. Those who practice Buddhism can definitely transform all adversity into something positive, irrespective of the troubled time in which they live, their personal circumstances or the hardships that befall them.  

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.141

 

… Strictly reflected that I, alone, am responsible for Sensei's anger.

Faith will change everything.  The power of faith is the only way to a solution and further advancement.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 30 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, December 30, 2011 

 

Taking good care of our health is most important. In particular, it is vital for those who are advanced in years to get sufficient rest to avoid becoming fatigued. Sleep is the best medicine. I also hope you will put your wisdom to work and find various ways to improve and maintain your health.

  

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Friday, December 30, 2011 

 

In the yard around the hut the snow piled deeper and deeper. No one came to see me; my only visitor was the piercing wind. Great Concentration and Insight and the Lotus Sutra lay open before my eyes, and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo flowed from my lips. My evenings passed in discourse to the moon and stars on the fallacies of the various schools and the profound meaning of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, one year gave way to the next. 

 

The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

This work is an autobiographical account covering the events of an important period in Nichiren Daishonin's life— from the time shortly before the Tatsunokuchi Persecution through his two-and-a-half-year exile on Sado Island to his eventual retirement to Mount Minobu.This letter was written in the year 1276 and addressed to the lay nun Konichi, a widow who lived in Awa, the Daishonin's native province.  

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, December 30, 2011 

 

Defeat for a Buddhist lies not in encountering difficulties but rather in not challenging them. Difficulties only truly become our destiny if we run away from them. We must fight as long as we live.  

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.141

 

Completely exhausted, both physically and spiritually…

In the evening, attended Musashino District's general meeting.  No spirit whatsoever.  It's a shame.

Lately I feel my mind becoming dull.  No other fundamental solution than to "substitute faith for wisdom."

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 29 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Thursday, December 29, 2011 

 

Who is truly great? I hope you can develop the ability to discern true human greatness. A great person is someone who forges unity among human beings through sincere dialogue, armed with a solid philosophy, feet firmly planted on the ground. A great person is one who lives among the people and earns their unshakable trust. Fickle popularity and temporary fads are nothing but illusions.  

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Thursday, December 29, 2011 

 

To hope to attain Buddhahood without speaking out against slander is as futile as trying to find water in the midst of fire or fire in the midst of water. No matter how sincerely one believes in the Lotus Sutra, if one is guilty of failing to rebuke slander of the Law, one will surely fall into hell, just a single crab leg will ruin a thousand pots of lacquer. This is the meaning of the passage in the sutra, "Because the poison has penetrated deeply and their minds no longer function as before."

 

The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood

This letter is addressed to Soya, a lay follower who lived in  Soya   Village  in  Shimosa   Province  in the year 1276.  

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Thursday, December 29, 2011 

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes: "And so of cheerfulness, or a good temper, the more it is spent, the more of it remains." Cheerfulness is not the same as frivolousness. Cheerfulness is born of a fighting spirit. Frivolousness is the reverse side of cowardly escape. Emerson also said that "power dwells with cheerfulness; hope puts us in a working mood." Without cheerfulness there is no strength. Strive to advance still more brightly and cheerfully.

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.140

 

To listen to Mr. Toda's excellent lecture and hear his conviction makes me truly happy.

My health steadily gets worse.  It's really pitiful.  Met over dinner with K. and some associates at the  I.  restaurant at 9:00.  I have no vitality. It's agonizing.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 28 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 

 

Kosen-rufu is a very long struggle. It is a march that will continue over the 10,000 years of the Latter Day of the Law. Therefore, let us advance joyfully and unhurriedly. Activities must not be conducted in such a way that people suffer and become exhausted. Meetings should be short and not too numerous and conducted so that they are valuable and productive for all concerned.  

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 

 

In the next life you should use this sword as your staff. The Lotus Sutra is the staff that helps all the Buddhas of the three existences as they set their minds on enlightenment. However, you should rely upon Nichiren as your staff and pillar. When one uses a staff, he will not fall on treacherous mountain paths or rough roads, and when led by the hand, he will never stumble.

 

The Swords of Good and Evil

This letter was written to Hojo Yagenta, a lay believer in  Kamakura ,although no year is indicated, it is believed to be 1274. 

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 

 

Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn. Nor have we ever heard of a believer in the Lotus Sutra who turned into an ordinary person. The sutra reads, "If there are those who hear the Law, then not one will fail to attain Buddhahood" - Nichiren  

 

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.139

 

The world is changing acutely.  To the rest of the world, the Gakkai may still seem as insignificant as a particle of dust.  But look at us ten, twenty, or rather thirty years from now!  There is no doubt the Daishonin's great philosophy will shine brilliantly throughout the world.  Until then, we must fight.  Until then, we must advance, we who possess a sense of responsibility and mission.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 27 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 

 

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.  

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 

 

Your own offerings were not made to me, Nichiren, but to the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, we must leave it to Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions [to fathom the greatness of] the resulting benefits.

 

Roots of Good Fortune

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu in 1281 to the lay nun of Kubo, thanking her for the offerings that she had sent him.  

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 

 

Religious strife must be avoided at all cost; under no circumstance should it be allowed. People may hold different religious beliefs, but the bottom line is that we are all human beings. We all seek happiness and desire peace. Religion should bring people together. It should unite the potential for good in people‚'s hearts toward benefiting society and humanity and creating a better future.  

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.139

 

Gakkai leaders must protect and encourage from the bottom of their hearts those who show promise for the future as well as those who are alone and those who are sincere. 

Will deeply self-reflect.  Must never be conceited.  Must never lose the spirit of construction, training, effort and study throughout my life.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 26 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Monday, December 26, 2011 

 

Good health equals Buddhism. Daily life equals faith. Taking care to avoid traffic accidents and making efforts to stay in good health, therefore, are all part of our Buddhist practice. It is important that we live wisely, striving with the awareness each day that all the actions and activities we undertake for the sake of faith contribute to our good health and well-being.

  

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Monday, December 26, 2011 

 

In addition, we live today in a time of trouble, when there is little that ordinary people can do. And yet, busy as you are, in your sincerity of heart you have sent me thick-stemmed bamboo shoots of the moso variety as offerings to the Lotus Sutra here in the mountains. Surely you are sowing good seeds in a field of fortune. My tears flow when I think of it.

 

The Bodies and Minds of Ordinary Beings

The opening and concluding portions of this letter have been lost, so its date and recipient are both unknown 

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Monday, December 26, 2011 

 

It is foolish to ignore or deny the contribution of medicine. Otherwise, faith descends into fanaticism. We must use medical resources wisely in fighting illness. Buddhism gives us the wisdom to use medicine properly. Wisdom is the basic ingredient to health, to long life, and to happiness. The new century of health, then, must be a new century of wisdom. 

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.139

 

A lecture for Study Department seniors at the headquarters.  Mr. Toda's strictness and the earnestness of those attending remind me of the severe training of master swordsmen.  Whenever I participate in a study meeting, I feel I have not studied enough.  Profoundly aware of the importance of study.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 25 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Sunday, December 25, 2011 

 

If a person is hungry, we should give them bread. When there is no bread, we can at least give words that nourish. To a person who looks ill or is physically frail, we can turn the conversation to some subject that will lift their spirits and fill them with the hope and determination to get better. Let us give something to each person we meet: joy, courage, hope, assurance, or philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always give something.

  

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Sunday, December 25, 2011 

 

And if we go by the words of the Lotus Sutra, you should also teach the sutra to the best of your ability. When the world makes you feel downcast, you should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, remembering that, although the sufferings of this life are painful, those in the next life could be much worse. And when you are happy, you should remember that your happiness in this life is nothing but a dream within a dream, and that the only true happiness is that found in the pure land of Eagle Peak, and with that thought in mind, chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

 

The Fourteen Slanders

Written near the end of 1276, this letter was a reply to the lay priest Matsuno Rokuro Saemon. Four in his family received letters from Nichiren Daishonin

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Sunday, December 25, 2011  

 

Buddhism does not ask "What religion does this person follow?" but "What is this person's state of life?" Buddhism exists to enable all people to cultivate and manifest the world of Buddhahood in their lives. Society is a realm of discrimination and distinctions. But Buddhism transcends all superficial differences and focuses directly on life.  

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.138

 

Heard President Toda is suffering from tonsillitis. Saw him in the office later in the day.  Hope he will take good care of his health.  To make this possible, we, his disciples, must mature all the more quickly.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 24 December 2011

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Saturday, December 24, 2011 

 

Many religions have demanded blind faith, taking away people's independence. President Makiguchi opposed such enslavement. What he called for instead was solidarity of awakened common people. To achieve this, he proposed a self-reliant way of life in which we advance on the path of our choice with a firm, independent character. He also stressed a contributive way of life in which we set our fundamental goal in life toward the realization of happiness for ourselves and others, casting aside arrogance and self-satisfaction to respect and benefit others.   

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Saturday, December 24, 2011 

 

Becoming a Buddha is nothing extraordinary. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will naturally become endowed with the Buddha's thirty-two features and eighty characteristics. As the sutra says, "hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us," you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni.

 

Letter to Niike

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter in 1280 to Niike Saemon-no-jo, an official in the Kamakura shogunate   

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Saturday, December 24, 2011 

 

Where is happiness to be found? The famous Roman philosopher - emperor Marcus Aurelius said, "A man's true delight is to do the things he was made for." Human happiness, he maintained, lies in doing those things only humans can: seeking the truth and acting to help those who are suffering. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, too, asserted that those who work cheerfully and take joy in the fruits of their labour are truly happy. These are the words of great thinkers, and as you can see they are in complete accord with the teachings of Buddhism.  

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.138

 

I pray that, from among the members of my corps, men of power and ability for kosen-rufu will appear in rapid succession.

Members of my corps! I pray you will each develop into men who surpass me in capability.

Members of my corps! I pray that not one of you will discard your faith.

These days I deeply sense the tremendous mercy of the Gohonzon.

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 23 December 2011

 

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Friday, December 23, 2011 

 

Leo Tolstoy concluded that the only way to bring about a fundamental change in society is to realize a change in public opinion, a change in people's minds. Then how can we change public opinion? Tolstoy asserted: "It is only necessary for people to say what they really think or at least to refrain from saying what they do not think." It is vital, in other words, not to be swayed by others' opinions or past ways of thinking or doing. Instead each of us must become wise, possessing our own firm convictions.  

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Friday, December 23, 2011 

 

In view of all this, your sincerity in sending a gift of five strings of blue-duck coins whenever the opportunity arises truly entitles you to be known as one who propagates the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra in  Japan . As first one person, then two persons, then a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand and then all the people throughout the country come to chant the daimoku, before you know it their blessings will accrue to you.

 

The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra

This letter was written at Minobu in 1276 and addressed to Myomitsu, a believer who lived at Kuwagayatsu in  Kamakura .

  

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, December 23, 2011  

 

Peace and culture are one. A genuinely cultured nation is a peaceful nation, and vice versa. When conflicts multiply, culture wanes and nations fall into a hellish existence. The history of the human race is a contrast between culture and barbarity. Only culture is a force strong enough to put an end to conflict and lead humanity in the direction of peace.  

 

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Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1953) p.137

 

Began to study Nichikan's "Commentary on 'The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind.'"

 

1. Must exert myself in study

2. Must approach it in a scholarly manner.

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