Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 05 January 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

 

Faith is light. The hearts of those with strong faith are filled with light. A radiance envelops their lives. People with unshakable conviction in faith enjoy a happiness that is as luminous as the full moon on a dark night, as dazzling as the sun on a clear day.

 

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

 

First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1137

New Year's Gosho

Written to the wife of Omosu on January 5, year unknown

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

 

One of the epithets of a Buddha is, "Hero of the World." A Buddha is a valiant and noble champion who has conquered the sufferings of life in the real world. Nichiren writes: "Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow when the body bends, so does the shadow." People can not live apart from society. But to be constantly at the mercy of society's ups and downs is a miserable existence. It is crucial for us to be strong and wise. The "body" Nichiren refers to is, on the personal level, our faith.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (29 January 1951) p.83/84

 

Felt tired from the time I awoke - perhaps because of nightmares. It was warm and pleasant all day.

Received strict guidance from Mr. Toda. I've nearly come to understand the weak points of my own faith.

Propagation!... I will pour my whole life into working vigorously for kosen-rufu. Mere ideology or speculation is fruitless. For Youth, life should be based on nothing but practice and action.