Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 31 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

 

 Buddhism is about bringing happiness, joy and fulfillment to all. It enables us not only to become happy ourselves but to make causes for the enlightenment of our ancestors seven-plus generations back and for the happiness and prosperity of our children, grandchildren and descendants throughout future generations. This is the great benefit of Buddhism.

 

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 From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

 

 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 a one will fail to attain Buddhahood."

 

 The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 536

Winter Always Turns to Spring

Written to the lay nun Myoichi in May 1275

 

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 Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

 

 The poetic spirit encourages people in all ranks and places to return to their naked humanity. Neither sentimental nor fantastic, it embraces and affirms the whole world and all its inhabitants; it imparts the will to remain optimistic and unbending in the face of all hardships. As a believer in innate human goodness, I am certain that the concentrated power of good can overcome the greatest forces of evil. The poetic spirit helps us control the greed-dominated self. It helps us handle the actual while keeping our eyes turned toward the ideal.

 

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Daisaku Ikeda - A

Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (12 February 1954) p.157

 

I don't feel so well. Very tired. Angry seniors, jealous friends and those who are full of hostility. A person with a goal and a mission will forge directly ahead, facing any difficulty with a smile.

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 30 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, May 30, 2016

 

Those who make many friends have greater opportunities for growth and self-development; as such they make society a better place and lead happy, satisfying lives. In every situation, human relations, communication and personal interaction are vital. We need to initiate and nurture friendships and contacts with many people, both within the organization and in society at large. Our lives will open and be enriched to the extent that we do so.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Monday, May 30, 2016

 

But your faith alone will determine all these things. A sword will be useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 412

Reply to Kyo'o

Written to Kyo'o and her parents, Shijo Kingo and Nichigen-nyo, on August 15, 1273

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, May 30, 2016

 

All children are gems, full of precious potential. There is hope in every child since life itself is full of hope. Should the hopes of children be stifled or broken, that would be our responsibility as adults. It pains my heart to see what goes on in today's society. I do not want to see the eyes of children darkened with fear and clouded with tears of sorrow. Society must be absolutely transformed. Children are mirrors that reflect adult society. When adults are ailing and their vision clouded, children will also suffer. Let us wipe away the tears of sorrow from the face of each child! We must protect children and give them courage, strength and vitality. It is parents who nurture children, the hope of humanity. How noble parents are! What a great mission and responsibility they fulfill.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (11 February 1954) p.156

 

Must burn with a youthful passion to learn. Must advance with a seeking spirit, like one truly seeking the Way. This is the most important requisite for becoming an excellent leader.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 29 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Sunday, May 29, 2016

 

We who embrace the Mystic Law will not suffer on account of old age or death. As long as we keep the flame of faith alive, the fire of life force will forever burn brightly within us; we can live with great confidence transcending birth and death. Faith is the engine that enables us to live with hope throughout our lives.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Sunday, May 29, 2016

 

When one carries out the single practice of exercising faith in Myoho-renge-kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on one's behalf. It is like the case of a fishing net: though the net is composed of innumerable small meshes, when one pulls on the main cord of the net, there are no meshes that do not move. Or it is like a garment: though the garment is composed of countless tiny threads, when one pulls on a corner of the garment, there are no threads that are not drawn along.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 133

Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man

Recipient unknown; written in 1265

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Sunday, May 29, 2016

 

Shakyamuni proclaims, "People who are vigilant do not die; people who are negligent are as if dead." This is definitely true. Unremitting diligence in our Buddhist practice - brave and vigorous exertion - infuses our lives with the great life force of the eternal Buddha. In contrast, people who try to get by in life through cunning and deception enact a living death.

 

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (11 February 1954) p.156

 

Today is President Toda's fifty-fourth birthday.

In the morning, I gave him a white shirt and necktie as a gift. He seemed quite fatigued.

At 2:00, I helped administer the Study Department oral examination, along with Secretary Y. About forty candidates took the exam. Ashamed about my own lack of ability. Must study. Must not be defeated.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 28 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, May 28, 2016

 

What is true joy in life? This is a difficult question and one which has occupied a great many thinkers and philosophers. Joy can quickly give way to suffering. Joy is short and suffering long. Also what passes for joy in society is superficial. It cannot compare with the joy deriving from the Mystic Law. The key then lies in cultivating a state of mind where we can declare without reservation that life itself is a joy. This is the purpose of our Buddhist practice.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Saturday, May 28, 2016

 

"Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha" may be read as follows: single-mindedly observing the Buddha, concentrating one's mind on seeing the Buddha, and when looking at one's own mind, perceiving that it is the Buddha.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 389

Letter to Gijo-bo

Written to Gijo-bo on May 28, 1273

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday, May 28, 2016

 

The belief taught in the Lotus Sutra provides no easy answers, no escape route from the difficulties of human life. In fact, it rejects such easy answers; instead it implores us to take up the two tools for exploring life, belief and understanding, and use them to continually challenge and work to perfect ourselves. And it also provides us the energy to do just that.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (10 February 1954) p.156

 

Saw President Toda in his office at 1:30. Reported on various matters. Greatly appreciate Sensei's passion to instruct me in many areas, as ignorant as I am.

Gave a lecture in Ikebukuro this evening. Visited President Toda again afterwards, bringing him two boxes of strawberries. He was extremely happy. Received guidance for an hour together with H. Truly amazed at his life force and boundless wisdom.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 27 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Friday, May 27, 2016

 

Forward! Always forward! This is a basic spirit of Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin's teaching is the Buddhism of true cause. We live with our gaze fixed on the future, not hung up on the past. To advance eternally - this is the essence of life and the essence of what it means to be a practitioner of the Daishonin's Buddhism.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Friday, May 27, 2016

 

To accept, uphold, read, recite, take delight in, and protect all the eight volumes and twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra is called the comprehensive practice. To accept, uphold, and protect the "Expedient Means" chapter and the "Life Span" chapter is called the abbreviated practice. And simply to chant one four-phrase verse or the daimoku, and to protect those who do so, is called the essential practice. Hence, among these three kinds of practice, comprehensive, abbreviated, and essential, the daimoku is defined as the essential practice.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 143

The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

Recipient unknown; written on January 6, 1266

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Friday, May 27, 2016

 

Similar to the unifying and integrating self that Carl Jung perceived in the depths of the ego, the term greater self in Buddhism expresses the openness and expansiveness of character by which we can embrace all people's sufferings as our own. The greater self always seeks to alleviate pain and to augment the happiness of others here amid the realities of everyday life. Furthermore, the dynamic, vital awakening of the greater self enables each individual to experience both life and death with equal delight.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (09 February 1954) p.156

 

Yesterday evening, President Toda had a bout of ill health. Heard that his condition is extremely poor. There is no excuse for my absence at such a crucial time. When I heard that he called out my name two or three times my heart ached. I wonder what he was thinking. He seems a little better today. My only hope is that he lives long. I am not the only one repeatedly amazed by his tremendous life force, which resurges like a great immortal Phoenix...

Met with Sensei in the president's office at 10:30. He is completely unshaken by yesterday's episode. My noble mentor! "Study! Study!" he told me.

 

Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 26 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Thursday, May 26, 2016

 

In Buddhism, we either win or lose - there is no middle ground. Now and in the future, let us advance, determined to win in every sphere of our lives. By winning in our lives, we are advancing kosen-rufu; and by advancing kosen-rufu, we win in our lives.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Thursday, May 26, 2016

 

Because Buddhism has gradually been turned upside down, the secular world also has been plunged into corruption and chaos. Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow. When the body bends, so does the shadow. How fortunate that all of my disciples who follow the Buddha's true intention will naturally flow into the ocean of comprehensive wisdom!

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1039

A Comparison of the Lotus and Other Sutras

Written to Toki Jonin on May 26, 1280

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Thursday, May 26, 2016

 

There is a saying that "Speech is silver, silence is golden." But when you are engaged in a struggle, the opposite is true. Then, speaking out is golden and silence is defeat.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (14 January 1954) p.154

 

Covered a fair amount of ground in the morning Japanese history lecture. My heart feels as vast as the boundless blue sky. Continuing to proofread the Gosho a little each day.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 23 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, May 23, 2016

 

We need to cultivate the spirit to live with self-assurance, to make our way joyously through life. We practice this faith precisely to forge such a strong and vibrant inner resolve.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Monday, May 23, 2016

 

Ch'ung-hua and Y were the children of commoners, but both were extremely filial. Hearing of this, King Yao and King Shun summoned Ch'ung-hua and Y, and abdicated their thrones to them. Commoners became royalty in a day. Just as a commoner can become a king in this present life, so can an ordinary person become a Buddha instantly. This is the heart of the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,page 323

Letter to the Sage Nichimyo

Written to Nichimyo on May 25, 1272

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Monday, May 23, 2016

 

I believe that whether we can live a truly satisfying life to the end depends to a considerable extent on how we view death. Sadly, many older people are anxious and fearful about death. But, as a Buddhist, I find it helpful to compare the cycles of life and death to the daily rhythms of waking and sleeping. Just as we look forward to the rest sleep brings after the efforts and exertions of the day, death can be seen as a welcome period of rest and re-energizing in preparation for a new round of active life. And just as we enjoy the best sleep after a day in which we have done our very best, a calm and easy death can only follow a life lived to the fullest without any regrets.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (9 January 1954) p.153/54

 

Must deepen my study of Buddhism... The reason is that study is unquestionably the Gakkai's cornerstone. It is therefore a leader's most essential qualification. Enthusiasm and practice are also vital. In this connection, study becomes all the more important.

 

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Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 22 May 2016 - ‘The Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu’

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Sunday, May 22, 2016

 

We need to cultivate a state of life where we can thoroughly enjoy ourselves at all times. We should have such joy that even at the time of death we can declare with a happy smile: "That was wonderful! Where shall I go next?" This is the state of mind of a person with strong faith. Such individuals will be reborn without delay and in a form and in a place exactly according with their desires. Faith enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we can enjoy everything in our lives.

 

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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

Sunday, May 22, 2016

 

When one has had the rare good fortune to be born a human being, and the further good fortune to encounter the teachings of Buddhism, how can one waste this opportunity? If one is going to take faith at all, then among all the various teachings of the Mahayana and the Hinayana, provisional and true doctrines, one should believe in the one vehicle, the true purpose for which the Buddhas come into this world and the direct path to attaining enlightenment for all living beings.

 

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 60

Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra

Recipient unknown; written in March 1263

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

Sunday, May 22, 2016

 

Only within the open space created by dialogue, whether conducted with our neighbours, with history, with nature or the cosmos, can human wholeness be sustained. We are not born human in any but a biological sense; we can only learn to know ourselves and others and thus be trained in the ways of being human. We do this by immersion in the ocean of language and dialogue fed by the springs of cultural tradition.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (9 January 1954) p.153

 

Worked on the second Gosho proofreading in Hatake, under the direction of Nichijun*, the retired high priest. A noble task. A sublime and important undertaking.

Must deepen my study of Buddhism. Must likewise strengthen my understanding of philosophy.

 

(*ref: p136-138 The Untold History of the Fuji School)