Sensei's Daily Encouragement - October 31 2023 - Year of Youth and Triumph

    

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
October 31, 2023

It is only natural that sometimes we fall sick. But we must see that sickness as a sickness that originally exists in life, based on the principle of the Mystic Law. In other words, there is no reason to allow yourself to be controlled by illness, for it to fill your life with suffering and distress. From the standpoint of eternal life through the three existences, your fundamentally happy self is incontrovertibly established.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
October 31, 2023

Question: Is it possible, without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo once a day, once a month, or simply once a year, once a decade, or once in a lifetime, to avoid being drawn into trivial or serious acts of evil, to escape falling into the four evil paths, and instead to eventually reach the stage of non-regression? Answer: Yes, it is.

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 141
The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra
Recipient unknown; written on January 6, 1266
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
October 31, 2023

Death does not discriminate; it strips of us everything. Fame, wealth and power are all useless in the unadorned reality of the final moments of life. When the time comes, we will have only ourselves to rely on. This is a solemn confrontation that we must face armed only with our raw humanity, the actual record of what we have done, how we have chosen to live our lives, asking, "Have I lived true to myself? What have I contributed to the world? What are my satisfactions or regrets?"
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (24 January 1956) p.288

Roused my tired body out of bed and left the house. Late for the morning lecture. Can only bow my head at Sensei's earnest attitude in waiting for me before beginning. How long can I live with Sensei, like parent and child, mentor and disciple? Things suddenly come to mind. Our precious bond is like a drama, joyous. Ultimately, it is my own fortune, my own ability, my sense of mission and conviction that matter.
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