Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, April 3, 2015
From one perspective, gongyo and daimoku are lyrics and songs. They are an ode to life. I hope, therefore, that your gongyo and daimoku will be such that even people who are not practicing will be favourably impressed by the sonorous and invigorating sound of your voices. That too will contribute to the spread of kosen-rufu.
From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Friday, April 3, 2015
If one doubts the strength of the Buddha when he says, "I am the only person who can rescue and protect others," if one is suspicious of the rope held out by the Lotus Sutra when its teachings declare that one can "gain entrance though faith alone," if one fails to chant the Mystic Law which guarantees that "such a person assuredly and without doubt [will attain the Buddha way]," then the Buddha's power cannot reach one, and it will be impossible to scale the embankment of enlightenment.
Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra
Recipient unknown; written in March 1263
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, April 3, 2015
A life lived without purpose or value, the kind in which one doesn't know the reason why one was born, is joyless and lacks lustre. To just live, eat and die without any real sense of purpose surely represents a life pervaded by the life-state of animals. On the other hand, to do, create or contribute something that benefits others, society and ourselves and to dedicate ourselves as long as we live up to that challenge - that is a life of true satisfaction, a life of value. It is a humanistic and lofty way to live.
Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (29 December 1959) p.453
This year is almost over. A year of worries, development, effort and earnestness.
I miss Sensei. Every year, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I was moved by Sensei's encouraging words, which were like those of a parent appreciating his child's efforts.
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