Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

 

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

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

 

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

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (02 April 1958) p.391

 

A serious conference followed immediately.

 

Prayed that Sensei's intent will continue to flow like a pure stream until kosen-rufu is accomplished. Admonished myself to be strong.

 

The directors and top youth division leaders immediately rushed to the room at  Japan   University   Hospital .

 

Infinitely moved by his tranquil countenance and smile. My tears flowed ceaselessly.

 

Oh – April 2. This day will be recorded forever in the history of the Gakkai, in the history of my life and the lives of his disciples.

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 29 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, December 29, 2014

 

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

Monday, December 29, 2014

 

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

Monday, December 29, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (01 April 1958) p.390

 

Sensei's fatigue and his critical condition were apparent in his face. Heart-rending. Ah, would this be the world's greatest man's last return to the capital? Could only chant daimoku in my heart. Could only pray for his full recovery…

 

Warm all day. But none of Sensei's disciples can escape the dark cloud that shrouds their hearts.

 

We should strive further to polish our faith. We must develop ourselves. The day passed with countless verses coming and going through my mind.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 27 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, December 27, 2014

 

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

Saturday, December 27, 2014

 

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

Saturday, December 27, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (31 March 1958) p.389

 

To Sensei's home in the morning. Immediately took a taxi with Sensei's wife to the Japan University Hospitality in Surugadai. The room was not very good. Negotiated again and again. Earnestly requested the best room possible, but to no avail. Truly regrettable. Dr. H. also asked for our understanding, calling it only temporary. An unavoidable choice. But sincerely urged the hospital to provide its best possible treatment.

 

Went back to the head temple… Immediately reported to the board of directors and the general director.

 

Sensei's condition is quickly worsening.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 26 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Friday, December 26, 2014

 

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

Friday, December 26, 2014

 

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

Friday, December 26, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (30 March 1958) p.389

 

Stayed at Sensei's home until after 7:00 taking pains to prepare for his hospitalization. Tired. Exhausted, spiritually and physically.

Home after a long absence.

Pondered my destiny to live on the battlefield and struggle for the Law.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 25 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

 Thursday, December 25, 2014

 

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

 Thursday, December 25, 2014

 

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

 Thursday, December 25, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (30 March 1958) p.388

 

Discussed Sensei's hospitalization with his son. His wife said, "I want him to come home." But the son suggested hospital care. We also recommended Sensei check into a hospital. In my heart, though, I hesitated about whether I should be responsible to honor Sensei's wish to "return to the headquarters."

 

Feel as if I am falling into a bottomless abyss. Lament my lack of strength as a disciple. Ah… will I gain it in this lifetime? Must take a strict look at myself. To make up for this, I have no choice but to carry through with Sensei's spirit throughout my life.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 24 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

 

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

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

 

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

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (19 March 1958) p.388

 

Nerves and body truly fatigued from overseeing transportation for the month-long pilgrimage commemorating the Grand Lecture Hall completion. For the remaining ten days, want to fulfill my mission honorably, with renewed resolution and without regret. My life's most noble work is to sincerely guide those awakened to the True Law…

Must seriously consider the Gakkai's future and how I will contribute. Yes – after all, there is no other way than to chant to and entrust everything to the Gohonzon.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 23 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

 

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

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

 

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

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (13 February 1958) p.386

 

A corps flags exchange ceremony at the Toshima Civic Hall at 7:00…

Visited Sensei's home to report late at night. Received guidance on:

 

1. Developing the youth division's potential for the future.

2. Principles Gakkai leaders should adopt.

3. Buddhism and its view of society.

4. The ultimate mission of the Gakkai.

 

Home at 11:50. Had many thoughts. My wife cautioned me that my complexion is pale. Feel a slight fever.

 

Made a clean copy of the notes of Sensei's guidance until late.

The bathtub is leaking. The whole family cannot take a bath.

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 22 December 2014 - Year of Opening a New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, December 22, 2014

 

Our lives are infinitely precious. To not attain a state of absolute happiness in this life time is a great loss. Our Buddhist practice exists so that we can attain indestructible happiness. We must fight to the fullest right now, not some time in the future.

 

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Monday, December 22, 2014

 

Since we are now living in the latter age when people are shallow in wisdom and puffed up with pride, it is unlikely that anyone will heed the points I have made in the discussion above. But when a sage or worthy appears, then the full truth of the matter will no doubt become clear. Because I care about you, I have written this letter as a guide. I hope you will study it when you have time.

 

Letter to Shomitsu-bo

This letter was written at Minobu 1277 and addressed to Shomitsu-bo, thought to be one of Nichiren Daishonin's disciples living at Seicho-ji temple in the  province  of  Awa  .

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, December 22, 2014

 

Even if you are born into the most affluent of circumstances or enjoy a spectacular marriage that is the envy of others, there is no guarantee that you will be happy. Happiness does not depend on wealth or personal appearance, nor does it hinge on fame or recognition. If your heart is empty, you cannot build genuine happiness.

There is an expansive life-state of profound, secure happiness that transcends any material or social advantage. It is called faith; it is called the life-state of Buddhahood.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (12 February 1958) p.385/386

 

In the morning, visited Sensei's home to express my appreciation for last night. In bed upstairs, Sensei was pleased to see me. To sum up, received guidance regarding:

 

1. The appointment of the next corps chief in Chubu.

2. Ways to recognize capable individuals.

3. Studying the materialistic conception of history.

4. Being fully aware of the movement of labor unions.

 

Sensei's complexion was pale. But his attitude was resolute, and his words were powerful.