Sensei's Daily Encouragement - 04 February 2021 - Year of Hope and Victory



Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

February 4, 2021 

Please never turn your back on your faith. Courage is crucial. There is no room for faintheartedness in faith. The timid doom themselves to ridicule - from their partners, from their children, from their friends, from the world at large. The Daishonin declares that there is no place for cowards among his disciples. President Toda said the same.

 

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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

February 4, 2021 

The Buddha taught that the blessings of a single offering to the votary of this sutra are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those of offering countless treasures to Shakyamuni for eighty million kalpas. When one encounters this sutra, one will overflow with happiness and shed tears of joy. It seems impossible to repay one's debt to Shakyamuni. But by your frequent offerings to me deep in these mountains you will repay the merciful kindness of both the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha. 

 The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1027

Letter to Niike

Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February 1280

 

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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda

February 4, 2021 

You mustn't allow yourselves to grow old before your time. Please live with a youthful spirit. That is what Buddhism teaches us to do, and it is how life ought to be lived. If you make a commitment to work for the sake of others, you will be rejuvenated. If you devote your life to helping others, you'll stay young. The power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo guarantees that.

 

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Excerpt from Daisaku Ikeda - A Youthful Diary (18 December 1957) p.365 

An early evening chapter administrators meeting at my house. A serious conference attended by the chapter chief.

Tired. Truly exhausted.

1. Discussed the basic direction for the coming year.

2. To be a leader means to have confidence.

3. The mysterious nature of life, which is in a constant state of flux.

4. The necessity of the Gakkai accomplishing great change in this seventh year since Sensei assumed the presidency. 

Discussed the above topics openly and frankly. All are good and precious members.