Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 July 2012 - The Year of Developing a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, July 31, 2012   What is the secret to victory? Mr. Toda once described that in a certain sense life is a gamble. "If you are lucky, you will win," he said. "But if you are unlucky, then sometimes no matter how hard you try you lose. This is a hard fact." That is why, in addition to ability, good fortune is essential. The key to creating good fortune is found in faith and daimoku. I hope that you will all act in accord with the fundamental Law of Buddhism and lead victorious lives filled with unsurpassed good fortune.     From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Tuesday, July 31, 2012   Even a wise man cannot become a Buddha through the other sutras, but with the Lotus Sutra, even fools can plant the seeds that lead to Buddhahood. As the sutra passage I have quoted earlier puts it, "Although they do not seek emancipation, emancipation will come of itself."   The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 283 The Opening of the Eyes Written to Shijo Kingo in February 1272     Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, July 31, 2012   What is the purpose of life? It is happiness. But there are two kinds of happiness: relative and absolute. Relative happiness comes in a wide variety of forms. The purpose of Buddhism is to attain Buddhahood. In modern terms, this could be explained as realizing absolute happiness - a state of happiness that can never be destroyed or defeated.     Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (1957) p.333   In the afternoon, Z., Hiromasa and I went to see the Japan International Trade Fair.  Surprised at the large number of people.  Science is rapidly increasing its importance in society.  People must not fall behind.  To know the times, to live with the times and to create the times – forgetting this will lead to grave problems.  Sense the arrival of the "Age of Automation" more keenly than ever before.  Reported what we saw at the fair to Sensei.  A scientist himself, he listened with apparent interest.  "We must think about science and religion" were his only words of guidance.