Sensei's Daily Encouragement - March 29 2024 - Year of Fresh Departure for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide

    

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
March 29, 2024

 Molly Brown was on board the Titanic when it tragically sunk in 1912. Although she knew the ship was taking on water, she shouted to a panic-stricken fellow passenger: "There's no danger. It simply can't go down, because I'm on it and I'm unsinkable." Her bantering words, which rang out with the determination never to be defeated and never to give in to despair are said to have given courage to her fellow passengers. Those who stand up at a crucial moment demonstrate genuine greatness.
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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
March 29, 2024

Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in a next one. Ah, you should be ashamed of them! And you should fear them too!"

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 58
Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra
Recipient unknown, written in March 1263
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Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda
March 29, 2024

Nichiren spoke of earthly desires being used as fuel for the flame of wisdom. Buddhism teaches the converting of personal ambitions and desires, even base ones, into good traits like wisdom through altruistic living. A Buddhist doctrine that earthly desires are enlightenment indicates that greed, anger (violence) and egocentricism can be transformed into altruistic traits like compassion, trust and nonviolence. The underlying delusions that drive our desires - including the desire for the development of science and civilizations can be essentially transformed in a way that changes selfishness into altruism, violence into nonviolence and suspicion into trust.
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Daisaku Ikeda – A Youthful Diary (22 December 1952) p.124

Happiness is not to be found in material wealth alone, nor in the pursuit of fame or pleasure. Ultimately, it lies only in tapping the world of Buddhahood through faith. This is accomplished through ceaseless activity, practice and action.
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