Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 18 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

  

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
September 18, 2026
 
How can we create the greatest value in the short span of a lifetime? Those of us who embrace the Mystic Law know the answer. Our faith in and practice of the Daishonin's Buddhism enables us in this lifetime to solidify the world of Buddhahood in our lives and establish a state of eternal happiness. That is the purpose of faith in the Mystic Law, the purpose of our Buddhist practice.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
September 18, 2026
 
I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province.
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1117
The Properties of Rice
Written to the lay priest Takahashi, date unknown
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
September 18, 2026
 
You have been able to accept, uphold, read, recite and ponder this sutra and to preach it for others. The good fortune you gain thereby is immeasurable and boundless. It cannot be burned by fire or washed away by water. Your benefits are such that a thousand Buddhas speaking all together could never finish describing them. Now you have been able to destroy all devils and thieves, to annihilate the army of birth and death, and all others who bore you enmity or malice have likewise been wiped out.
Good man, a hundred, a thousand Buddhas will employ their transcendental powers to join in guarding and protecting you. Among the heavenly and human beings of all the worlds, there will be no one like you. -The Lotus Sutra
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (18 May 1955) p.240
 
Read poetry by Walt Whitman.
 
Of the progress of the souls of men and women along the grand roads
of the universe, all other progress is the needed emblem and
sustenance.
Forever alive, forever forward,
Stately, solemn, sad, withdrawn, baffled, mad, turbulent, feeble,
dissatisfied,
Desperate, proud, fond, sick, accepted by men, rejected by men,
They go! they go! I know that they go, but I know not where they go,
But I know that they go toward the best - toward something great.
"Song of the Open Road," Leaves of Grass
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 17 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
 September 17, 2026

  Buddhism teaches, through the example of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, to never look down on anyone. This is the essence of Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin states that the "ultimate transmission" of Buddhism is to accord friends and fellow believers who are striving for kosen-rufu the same respect and reverence one would a Buddha.
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 From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
 September 17, 2026

 Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people's capacity.

 The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 302
 Letter to Sado
 Written to Toki Jonin on March 20, 1272
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 Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
 September 17, 2026

 Life can unfold unlimitedly as long as we have a heart of appreciation and an undefeated mind. Based on the Buddhist perspective of the eternity of life, we volunteered to be born in our current life-condition and chose to encounter the problems we have. If you can take this perspective, you should be able to overcome any difficulty with joy.
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 Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (04 May 1955) p.238

 My health has slightly improved. I envy others’ healthy vigor. My wife also seems tired from pushing herself beyond reason. Lately, she seems dispirited.

 Must become healthy. I have been causing everyone to worry and am not completing my own work. First, chant daimoku. Second, sleep well. Third, take care of my health. Must be especially careful, put these things into practice and have patience. After all, “Buddhism is common sense.”
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 16 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
September 16, 2026
 
A nurse who cared for many terminal patients has observed, "Ultimately, people only die as they have lived." To die happily is therefore extremely difficult. And since death is the final settlement of accounts for one's life, it is when our true self comes to the fore. We practice faith to live happily and also to die happily. One who has faith in the Mystic Law will not die an unhappy death.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
September 16, 2026
 
Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable destiny.
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 994
Letter to Jakunichi-bo
Written to Jakunichi-bo Nikke on September 16, 1279
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
September 16, 2026
 
One thing is certain: That is, that the power of belief, the power of thought, will move reality in the direction of what we believe and conceive of it. If you really believe you can do something, you can. That is a fact.
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (04 May 1955) p.238
 
Sensei also seems very tired. He told me that last night he had a vomiting bout. Sensei’s efforts over the last several years would equal hundreds of years of effort by the average man. Like a human projectile, he has thrown himself into the lead for kosen-rufu and for developing disciples. Meanwhile, other society leaders amuse themselves by playing golf, mah-jongg, or relaxing at the hot springs. The average person may think a leader like President Toda is crazy while the others are wise.
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 15 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
September 15, 2026
 
I hope that each of you will realize success in your respective fields, fully recognizing that success means not giving up halfway but resolutely pursuing the path you have chosen. To this end, it is also important that you realize that the place where you work is a place for forging your character and growing as a human being. By extension, therefore, it is a place for your Buddhist practice, a place for practicing and deepening your faith. When you view things from this angle, all your complaints will disappear. No one is more pathetic than someone who is constantly complaining.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
September 15, 2026
 
The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream. All sutras other than the Lotus Sutra have shallow roots and short streams, while the Lotus Sutra has deep roots and a distant source. That is why the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai stated that the Lotus Sutra would survive and spread even in the evil latter age.
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 940
The Father the Source, the Longer the Stream
Written to Shijo Kingo on September 15, 1278
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
September 15, 2026
 
When one is deluded, it is as if one were dreaming. And when one is enlightened, it is as if one had awakened - Nichiren
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (02 May 1955) p.237
 
My health has been growing steadily worse. Feel my life gradually coming to an end. How sad. How vexing.
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The sky is dark; my heart, too, is in the shadows. If my health deteriorates any more, I feel I am destined to fall into an abyss.
Entering a struggle with the devil of illness, a battle with the demon of death. The end equals a beginning. Must summon up my determination in faith like a raging blaze, and rely only on the Gohonzon.
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 14 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
September 14, 2026
 
One's true worth as a human being is not a matter of outward appearance or title but derives rather from the breadth of one's spirit. Everything comes down to faith and conviction. It is what is in one's heart and the substance of one's actions that count.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
September 14, 2026
 
The government's persecution of me has clearly demonstrated my faith in the Lotus Sutra. There is no doubt that the moon wanes and waxes and that the tide ebbs and flows. In my case, too, since punishment has already occurred, benefit must be forthcoming. What is there to lament?"
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 194
Letter from Echi
Written to Toki Jonin on September 14, 1271
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
September 14, 2026
 
The Buddha does not look down on living beings from on high. He lifts them up to the same level as himself. He teaches them that they are all equally treasure towers worthy of supreme respect. This is the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's spirit. It is true humanism.
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (11 April 1955) p.236
 
Chanted daimoku for a long time. Never retreat. Persevere with valiant and untiring faith.
Afterwards, stopped by the home of I., an election campaign headquarters. Told them not to be overly optimistic. Seems like everyone has become serious. Was told everyone has been noisily exchanging opinions, and they have yet to reach a conclusion. President Toda also seemed extremely concerned. I said the key to final victory is unity.
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 13 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
 September 13, 2026
 
The functions of both the "devil" and the "Buddha" exist within our lives. Ultimately, our battle is with ourselves. Whether in our Buddhist practice or in activities in society, or whether in historical, political or economic developments, everything essentially boils down to a struggle between positive and negative forces.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
 September 13, 2026
 
Now Nichiren's lifelong prayer and desire will be achieved in an instant. And this fits the Buddha's prediction regarding the fifth five hundred years, just as one half of a tally matches the other.
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 901
Reply to the Followers
Written to followers in Kamakura on March 21, 1278
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
 September 13, 2026
 
Exerting yourself by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo each day amounts to what might be called a spiritual workout. It purifies and cleanses your life, gets your motors running and puts you on the right course for the day. It gets your body and mind working smoothly and puts you in rhythm, in sync, with the universe.
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (10 April 1955) p.236
 
The Gakkai’s cultural and social battle has begun…
Have many strong feelings about this election campaign, being held to promote the Gakkai’s fusion of Buddhism with society. People of faith, people of ability, people who sincerely care about the common people, in other words, the purest, most capable people will be sent into society through this election. Must be strongly on guard against those who are conceited or self-serving or those who desire recognition. My responsibility is heavy.
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Sensei's Daily Encouragement -September 12 2026- Year of Vibrant Growth for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
September 12, 2026
 
I hope you members of the youth division will, in the spirit of Shijo Kingo, advance with the Daishonin and also with Mr. Makiguchi, Mr. Toda and myself. This spirit of joint struggle shared by mentor and disciple is the very heart of the SGI. It represents a solidarity in which people are linked by a true unity of purpose and commitment. May each one of you lead the most valuable, meaningful youth. The age belongs to you.
Events
1271 Tatsunokuchi Persecution. The Daishonin, who is about to be beheaded by government troops, is saved when a flash of light in the night sky frightens the executioners away. The government later decides to exile him to Sado Island.
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From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
September 12, 2026
 
A brilliant orb as bright as the moon burst forth from the direction of Enoshima, shooting across the sky from southeast to northwest. It was shortly before dawn and still too dark to see anyone's face, but the radiant object clearly illuminated everyone like bright moonlight. The executioner fell on his face, his eyes blinded. The soldiers were filled with panic. Some ran off into the distance, some jumped down from their horses and huddled on the ground, while others crouched in their saddles. I called out, "Here, why do you shrink from this vile prisoner? Come closer! Come closer!" But no one would approach me.
 
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 767
The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra
Written to the lay nun Konichi in 1276
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
September 12, 2026
 
Buddhism teaches that all people are inherently Buddhas. I believe that this Buddhist view of humanity embodies a fundamental principle for world peace. You are a Buddha and I am a Buddha. That's why we must not fight each other. That's why we must respect each other.
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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (10 June 1950) p.32
 
More tired than ever. My health grows worse and worse. My family held a memorial service in their home tonight for my older brother. More than five years already since he was killed in the war. How tragic to die unmarried at twenty-six Will send him my most sincere prayers from here in my room.
...
Out of all the billions of years past and the hundreds of billions to come, how are people joined together in the present moment as mentor and disciple or as parent and child? It awes me to think about it.
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