Sensei's Daily Encouragement - March 26 2024 - Year of Fresh Departure for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
March 26, 2024

Of foremost importance are the people - not celebrities, the powerful, the rich, scholars or others whom society deems great or praiseworthy. The purpose of all things must be the happiness of the people. Everything else should be but a means to that end. Those who fail to recognize this fundamental point and look down on the people and exploit them are thoroughly vile and contemptible, they are a hindrance to people's happiness.
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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
March 26, 2024

The Buddha explained how difficult it is for a one-eyed turtle to find a floating sandalwood log with a suitable hollow, even after immeasurable, boundless kalpas . He employed this analogy to illustrate the rarity of encountering the Lotus Sutra. One should be aware, however, that, even if one should encounter the floating sandalwood log of the Lotus Sutra, it is rarer still to find the hollow of the Mystic Law of the daimoku, which is difficult to chant.

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 958
The One-eyed Turtle and the Floating Log
Written to the widow of the lay priest Matsuno on March 26, 1279
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
March 26, 2024

When experiencing failures and disappointments, frustrations or illness, people tend to lose confidence and let fear overtake them. At such times, however, we need to make a conscious effort to move forward with strength and courage. When you say to yourself, "Next time I'll succeed!" or "I'm going to get better and make it through this!" you have already won.
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Daisaku Ikeda – A Youthful Diary (18 December 1951) p.122

The Gakkai is pure. It will never compromise with authority, financial power, or evil or diabolical influences. The function of a devil is to deplete one's life of Buddhahood.

Will protect President Toda to the best of my ability - as long as I live. I have but one reason. That is to protect President Toda is to protect the spread of faith in the Gohonzon. In the way of mentor and disciple, the two must be of one mind. I have only to advance straight ahead along this highest path.
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