Sensei's Daily Encouragement - November 17 2022 - The year of Youth and Dynamic Progress



    

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
November 17, 2022

Only if you challenge your human revolution in a manner that is true to yourself will the people around you naturally begin to trust and respect you. That in itself is the greatest way of laying the groundwork for the spread of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
November 17, 2022

The same is true of your attaining Buddhahood. No matter what grave offenses you might have committed, because you did not turn against the Lotus Sutra, but showed your devotion by accompanying me, you will surely become a Buddha. Yours is like the case of King Possessor of Virtue, who gave his life to save the monk Realization of Virtue and became Shakyamuni Buddha. Faith in the Lotus Sutra acts as a prayer [to attain Buddhahood]. Strengthen your resolve to seek the way all the more and achieve Buddhahood in this lifetime.

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 946
The Receipt of New Fiefs
Written to Shijo Kingo in October 1278
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
November 17, 2022

The Lotus Sutra, which explains that all people can attain Buddhahood and that all people are Buddhas, embodies a spirit of supreme respect for human beings. By contrast, those teachings and ideas that seek to turn people into objects to be exploited embody ultimate disrespect for human beings. Such disrespect is an expression of fundamental darkness. On the level of the individual, practicing the Lotus Sutra means confronting the fundamental darkness in one's own life.
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (04 December 1956) p.306

Once again pondered Ieyasu's admonition: "A person faces three turning points in life that one should bear well in mind. The first is around the age of seventeen or eighteen when one may become tainted through the bad influence of friends. The second is around thirty when one may become arrogant about things, failing to show respect even to venerable seniors. Then, around forty, one may grow bored with life and be given to reminiscing about the past, thus growing weak at heart."

I should thoroughly self-reflect. In any event, these words are very interesting.

Tokugawa Ieyasu (January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.
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