Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
April 3, 2024
From one perspective, gongyo and daimoku are lyrics and songs. They are an ode to life. I hope, therefore, that your gongyo and daimoku will be such that even people who are not practicing will be favourably impressed by the sonorous and invigorating sound of your voices. That too will contribute to the spread of kosen-rufu.
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From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
April 3, 2024
If one doubts the strength of the Buddha when he says, "I am the only person who can rescue and protect others," if one is suspicious of the rope held out by the Lotus Sutra when its teachings declare that one can "gain entrance though faith alone," if one fails to chant the Mystic Law which guarantees that "such a person assuredly and without doubt [will attain the Buddha way]," then the Buddha's power cannot reach one, and it will be impossible to scale the embankment of enlightenment.
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 59
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
April 3, 2024
A life lived without purpose or value, the kind in which one doesn't know the reason why one was born, is joyless and lacks lustre. To just live, eat and die without any real sense of purpose surely represents a life pervaded by the life-state of animals. On the other hand, to do, create or contribute something that benefits others, society and ourselves and to dedicate ourselves as long as we live up to that challenge - that is a life of true satisfaction, a life of value. It is a humanistic and lofty way to live.
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Daisaku Ikeda – A Youthful Diary (31 December 1951) p.126
At 4:00 we had a year-end company gathering. Everyone surrounded President Toda as he gave guidance to each individual, one by one. To some he was strict, while to others, he spoke of the next ten years to come. He also spoke of problems with the economy and foreign policy. Sometimes he would mention the importance of Buddhist study, while to others he spoke of his own childhood and youth. I ate until my stomach hurt.
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