Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Thursday, December 31, 2015

 

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

Thursday, December 31, 2015

 

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

Thursday, December 31, 2015

 

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 (22 January 1951) p.81

 

Physical condition very poor. The cold wind penetrates my entire body. Went out on business in the afternoon. Spent nearly two hours at Y.'s house, where I could rest, but my fever didn't subside.

Returned to the office in the evening and received strict guidance and a scolding from Mr. Toda on various matters...

Rested alone in my four-and-a-half tatami-mat room. Tomorrow will probably be cold again. The thought chills both my body and my mind.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 30 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

 

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

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

 

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

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

 

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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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (21 January 1951) p.80/81

 

Mr. Toda lectured on "The True Aspect of All Phenomena" at the Gakkai headquarters. He thoroughly explained the Gakkai's mission and the correct manner of propagation.

Worried about my teacher's health.

As one close to Mr. Toda, I reflected seriously on my past careless remarks.

 

1. Make the way of mentor and disciple the eternal way of the Gakkai.

 

2. In the next three years, perfect the Soka Gakkai's foundation and our company's as well.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 29 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

 

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

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

 

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

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

 

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 (20 January 1951) p.80

 

Today Mr. Toda scolded me for letting myself become too exhausted. He sternly warned me not to let my resolve for construction be shaken. Spent the night thinking deeply about my teacher, Mr. Toda - More so than ever before. Lecture tomorrow.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 26 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, December 26, 2015

 

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

Saturday, December 26, 2015

 

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

Saturday, December 26, 2015

 

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 (17 January 1951) p.78

 

The sun is warm today, but my physical condition is particularly poor. Worked all morning trying to catch up with work I missed yesterday...

 

Mr. Toda has begun to hold lectures for Gakkai members on "On establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land". My youthful heart soars even higher.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 25 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

 Friday, December 25, 2015

 

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

 Friday, December 25, 2015

 

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

 Friday, December 25, 2015

 

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 (16 January 1951) p.78

 

Took the day off of work because of illness - the first time I've done so. When I think of Mr. Toda working so hard, I feel miserable. Laying in bed, I tried to reflect on my activities and practice over the past year. I also contemplated my goals and objectives in practice for the coming year.

 

re: Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 24 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Thursday, December 24, 2015

 

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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

 

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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

 

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 (15 January 1951) p.77

 

Extremely cold.

Feeling exhausted since yesterday. Heavy feeling - not well.

Remained in bed until 11:00 a.m. Out of tea. Out of food. Out of clothing.

I don't mind that no one has come to call.

In the afternoon I visited the homes of S. and W. and later, around 4:00 p.m., called on Y.

Home at 10:30.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 23 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

 

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

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

 

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

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

 

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 ( 31 December 1950) p.70

 

Next year, I want to go to night school again.

Next year, I want to study to my heart's content.

I cannot foresee what turn my destiny will take next year.

Next year, too, my whole life will be to act as my teacher guides me.

The twenty-second year of my youth is ending, etching in my heart its history and memories in the workings of cause and effect.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 22 December 2015 - Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

 

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

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

 

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

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

 

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 (28 December 1950) p.69

 

I wish to adorn the finale of my battle with splendid efforts that are truly worthy of me. Whether I win or lose is secondary. I must make it my first priority, however, to display ability, power of action, firmness and responsibility in this struggle.

 

Napoleon won in battle, and then, after a crushing defeat, won again, but in the end, he was a defeated hero.

Pestalozzi's fifty-year struggle seemed a total defeat, yet in the end, he emerged victoriously as a great educator.

 

The important issue for me now is how to strive, how to crown my life's finale with victory.

Ultimately, there is no other way but to base one's life to the end upon daimoku.