Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 25 July 2012 - The Year of Developing a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, July 25, 2012   Buddhism is, in a sense, an eternal struggle between the Buddha and demons; in other words, a contest between positive and negative forces. If we fail to be assailed by negative influences, we cannot be said to be truly practicing Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhist practice lies in bravely facing and overcoming adversity.     From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Wednesday, July 25, 2012   A bird's egg contains nothing but liquid, yet by itself this develops into a beak, two eyes, and all the other parts, and the bird soars into the sky. We, too, are the eggs of ignorance, which are pitiful things, but when nurtured by the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is like the warmth of the mother bird, we develop the beak of the thirty-two features and the feathers of the eighty characteristics and are free to soar into the skies of the true aspect of all phenomena and the reality of all things.   The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1030 Letter to Niike Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February 1280     Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, July 25, 2012   Many people talk about peace, but few really do anything about it. Very few are willing to fight the battle to the end. Josei Toda instilled in me the hard and fast rule that, even if we stand alone, we must never give up but must see the struggle through to its conclusion. The year before he died, he said something I have never forgotten for a minute: "If we don't fight, justice will be defeated. Because justice is on our side, we must not lose, we absolutely must win. That's why we fight. The lion is most lion like when he roars."     Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1957) p.328   The social standard for what constitutes good and bad people contains unresolved contradictions.  Must become one who can deeply and keenly perceive good and evil based upon the standard of the Mystic Law.  In leading people, it is important not to make mistakes.  Must fairly and objectively perceive and understand the strong points and shortcomings of people's characters, their hearts and minds and their actions.  Want to protect the disadvantaged.  Want to enable good people to arise.  Want to support people of justice and integrity… Toward the final victory.