Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

 

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

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

 

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

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

 

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 (9 June 1951) p. 115/116

 

It is now mid-1951.  How quickly the time has gone!  How will I, the company and society change in the next ten years?  No one can know.

Those who can continue to advance boldly, according to their own convictions, without being swayed by others, are great.  Without being stubborn or narrow-minded, they must have firm conviction in the fundamental truth.

Many appear to be great individuals.  But looking more closely, they lack compassion.  For myself,  all that remains is to follow Mr. Toda.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 30 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, December 30, 2013

 

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

Monday, December 30, 2013

 

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

Monday, December 30, 2013

 

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 (8 June 1951) p. 115

 

1.      Write a poem titled "Forward, White Horse!"

2.      Reflect on myself for not compiling President Toda's guidance.

3.      Strictly and seriously refrain from overestimating myself.

4.      Be clear about what I do and don't know.

5.      Take people's good qualities to heart and make them a model for myself.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 29 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Sunday, December 29, 2013

 

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

Sunday, December 29, 2013

 

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

Sunday, December 29, 2013

 

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 (31 May 1951) p.114

 

Awoke at 6:50.  Did gongyo, feeling refreshed both in body and spirit. 

Not to be filled with vitality and burning with passion during the precious years of youth would be a waste.  Advancement – what a youthful word, filled with possibilities for the future.  I will, throughout my life, use and practice this word both in name and in reality.  Advancement – this word implies growth, hope, courage, youth and justice.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 28 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, December 28, 2013

 

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

Saturday, December 28, 2013

 

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

Saturday, December 28, 2013

 

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 (31 May 1951) p.114

 

The greater the hardships we encounter, the more courageous and passionate we must become.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 27 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Friday, December 27, 2013

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

Friday, December 27, 2013

 

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

Friday, December 27, 2013

 

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 (30 May 1951) p.114

 

More and more like summer every day.

 

First, believe in the Gohonzon

First, never doubt the Gohonzon

First, continue to pray to the Gohonzon

First, never leave the Gohonzon

First, proclaim the greatness of the Gohonzon.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 25 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

 Wednesday, December 25, 2013

 

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

 Wednesday, December 25, 2013

 

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

 Wednesday, December 25, 2013

 

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 (26 May 1951) p.113

 

My district has many points that need improvement.  U. and T. came by late in the evening. Inwardly, I feel some Gakkai members could use a little more common sense. Spontaneity deserves respect.  Nonetheless, it should be appropriate. Actions that cause trouble for others can in no way be called spontaneity.  Rather, we could conclude that those who act in such a way are taking advantage of Buddhism.

Qualities like courtesy and common sense should serve to enhance spontaneity. They should not exist merely for their own sake.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 24 December 2013 - Year of Victory for a Youthful SGI

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

 

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

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

 

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

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

 

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 (25 May 1951) p.113

 

Regret that I cannot progress as I desire. Some days I feel so miserable I want to cry. I keep worrying about Omori District. Will pray to the Gohonzon for it to become a perfect district.

Why are youth's minds always changing?  Inspiration, despair, joy, suffering, the desire for improvement, dejection, high spirit, worry, optimism, caution… In any event, I must be youthful. Must live as befits a young man.