Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
December 31, 2023
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
December 31, 2023
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
December 31, 2023
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 (12 October 1957) p.342
Took the 1:30 p.m. express from Tokyo Station to the head temple. Sensei, Division Chief I., Chapter Chief T., my wife and me. My thoughts turned to the Dai-Gohonzon "bestowed upon the entire world" enshrined in the Hoan-den, on this, the anniversary of its inscription. When, conjectured Sensei, will the day come that it will be enshrined in the Sho-Hondo, completing the first step in securing the foundation for kosen-rufu?
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Ushitora gongyo was conducted at 2:00 a.m. Joyfully participated. Was received by the retired high priest, Nissho, in the afternoon. A high priest of magnificent virtue. He has treated me with great fondness, and my visit with him will be my lifelong joy.
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