Is it possible, without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo...

Daily Guidance Wed 10/31

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, October 31, 2012 It is only natural that sometimes we fall sick.  But we must see that sickness as a sickness that originally exists in life, based on the principle of the Mystic Law. In other words, there is no reason to allow yourself to be controlled by illness, for it to fill your life with suffering and distress.  From the standpoint of eternal life through the three existences, your fundamentally happy self is incontrovertibly established. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, October 31, 2012 Death does not discriminate; it strips of us everything. Fame, wealth and power are all useless in the unadorned reality of the final moments of life. When the time comes, we will have only ourselves to rely on. This is a solemn confrontation that we must face armed only with our raw humanity, the actual record of what we have done, how we have chosen to live our lives, asking, "Have I lived true to myself? What have I contributed to the world? What are my satisfactions or regrets?" Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Wednesday, October 31, 2012 Question: Is it possible, without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo once a day, once a month, or simply once a year, once a decade, or once in a lifetime, to avoid being drawn into trivial or serious acts of evil, to escape falling into the four evil paths, and instead to eventually reach the stage of non-regression? Answer: Yes, it is. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 141 The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra Recipient unknown; written on January 6, 1266

Only by remaining steadfast to the vows we have made in our youth can we shine as true victors in life

Daily Guidance Tue 10/30

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, October 30, 2012 The Gohonzon is the concrete manifestation of the very existence of Nichiren Daishonin, who taught kosen-rufu. Because of that, if you only practice gongyo and chant daimoku and don't take any other action for the sake of kosen-rufu or improving your own life, the Gohonzon will not have its true, full effect.  If, however, you take actions to achieve kosen-rufu, they will serve as that extra push for your own life and help you leap to higher and higher states of mind in your gongyo and chanting as well. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, October 30, 2012 If you allow the passing of time to let you forget the lofty vows of your youth, you stand to block the source of your own boundless good fortune and sever the roots of limitless prosperity for your family and loved ones as well. Please never let this happen. Only by remaining steadfast to the vows we have made in our youth can we shine as true victors in life. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Tuesday, October 30, 2012 Shakyamuni's practices and the virtues he consequently attained are all contained within the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo.  If we believe in these five characters, we will naturally be granted the same benefits as he was. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 365 The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the Fifth Five-Hundred-Year Period af the Thus Come One's Passing Written to Toki Jonin on April 25, 1273

Gongyo is a practice that converts sufferings into happiness.

Daily Guidance Mon 10/29

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Monday, October 29, 2012 Gongyo is a practice that calls forth and activates the infinite power that the microcosm inherently possesses.  It transforms your fate, breaks through any apparent dead ends and converts sufferings into happiness.  It creates a transformation, a revolution of the microcosm. It is a diagram in miniature of kosen-rufu in our lives. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Monday, October 29, 2012 As you meet various trials and difficulties, thus polishing all the many facets of the jewel which is life, you will learn to walk that supreme pathway of humanity.  Of this, I am confident, and I am confident too that those who embrace life's native creativity now stand and will continue to stand in the vanguard of history.  Bringing the creativity of life to its fullest flowering is the work of human revolution.  Carrying out this kind of human revolution is your mission now as it will be throughout your lives. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Monday, October 29, 2012 If a boat is handled by an unskilled steersman, it may capsize and drown everyone aboard.  Likewise, though someone may have great physical strength, if he lacks a resolute spirit, even his many abilities will be of no use. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 614 The Supremacy of the Law Written to Oto and her mother, Nichimyo, on August 4, 1275

Our lives grow to the degree that we give hope and courage to others

Daily Guidance Sun 10/21

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, October 21, 2012 The mentality of getting others to do the hard work while one sits back and takes it easy—that is bureaucratism at its worst; it is not faith.  The spirit of taking on the hard work oneself—that is faith, that is humanism. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, October 21, 2012 Our lives grow to the degree that we give hope and courage to others and enable them to develop their lives.  Therefore, while we speak of practicing Buddhism for others, it is we ourselves who ultimately benefit.  With this understanding comes the ability to take action with a sense of appreciation. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Sunday, October 21, 2012 The mighty warrior General Li Kuang, whose mother had been devoured by a tiger, shot an arrow at the stone he believed was the tiger.  The arrow penetrated the stone all the way up to its feathers. But once he realized it was only a stone he was unable to pierce it again.  Later he came to be known as General Stone Tiger.  This story applies to you.  Though enemies lurk in wait for you, your resolute faith in the Lotus Sutra has forestalled great dangers before they could begin. Realizing this, you must strengthen your faith more than ever. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 953 General Stone Tiger Written to Shijo Kingo on October 22, 1278

Formality is conventional and therefore conservative, but substance provides the impetus for progress and development.

Daily Guidance Sat 10/20
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For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Saturday, October 20, 2012 President Toda detested formality.  And for this reason, as his disciple, I have tried to place foremost emphasis on substance.  Formalities are important in certain cases, but mere formality without substance is evil. Formalities in and of themselves have no life; whereas substance is alive.  Formality is provisional and substance essential.  Formality is conventional and therefore conservative, but substance provides the impetus for progress and development. Mural painted by SGI Members @ ELA Community Center Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Saturday, October 20, 2012 We should all develop the mind to rejoice in, praise and share in the gift of those who have artistic talents and a richness of heart, whether they achieve wide recognition or not.  Cultivating such a beautiful mind is a very worthy effort. Culture and art are not just decorations.  They are not just accessories. What matters is whether culture enriches the essential substance of our lives. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Saturday, October 20, 2012 From here we are going to cross the sea to the island province of Sado, but at the moment the winds are not favorable, so I do not know when we will depart.  The hardships along the way were worse than I could have imagined, and indeed more than I can put down in writing.  I will leave you to surmise what I endured.  But I have been prepared for such difficulties from the outset, so there is no point in starting to complain about them now.  I shall accordingly say no more of the matter. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 206 Letter from Teradomari Written to Toki Jonin on October 22, 1271

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You can make a defeat the cause for future victory. You can also make victory the cause for future defeat.

Daily Guidance Sat 10/06

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Saturday, October 6, 2012 Mr. Toda once told me: "You can make a defeat the cause for future victory. You can also make victory the cause for future defeat." The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin is the Buddhism of the True Cause, the Buddhism of the present and future. We don't dwell on the past. We are always challenging ourselves from the present toward the future. "The whole future lies ahead of us! We have only just begun!"—because we advance with this spirit, we will never be deadlocked. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Saturday, October 6, 2012 If you summon your courage to challenge something, you'll never regret it.  How sad it would be to spend your life wishing, "If only I had a little more courage." Whatever the outcome, the important thing is to take a step forward on the path that you believe is right. There's no need to worry about what others may think. It's your life, after all. Be true to yourself. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Saturday, October 6, 2012 The Nirvana Sutra teaches the principle of lessening one's karmic retribution.  If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, one must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if one experiences extreme hardship in this life [because of the Lotus Sutra], the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly.  And when one dies, one will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles and the one vehicle. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 199 Lessening One's Karmic Retribution Written to Ota Saemon-no-jo, the lay priest Soya and the Dharma Bridge Kimbara on October 5, 1271

The important thing, therefore, is that we stand up and take action to achieve great objectives without allowing ourselves to be distracted or discouraged by immediate difficulties.

Daily Guidance Sun 10/07

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, October 7, 2012 What will the future be like?  No one knows the answer to that question.  All we know is that the effects that will appear in the future are all contained in the causes that are made in the present.  The important thing, therefore, is that we stand up and take action to achieve great objectives without allowing ourselves to be distracted or discouraged by immediate difficulties. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Sunday, October 7, 2012 If you remain sincere in your interactions with others, you will one day find yourself surrounded by good friends.  And among those people, your friendships will be as strong and unshakable as towering trees.  Don't be impatient.  Work first on developing yourself, and you can rest assured that an infinite number of wonderful encounters await you in the future. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Sunday, October 7, 2012 It seems to me that on the path to attain Buddhahood it may invariably be when one has done something like lay down one's life that one becomes a Buddha.  I think that perhaps it is encountering such difficulties as have already been explained in the sutra—being cursed, vilified, attacked with swords and staves, shards and rubble, and banished again and again—that is reading the Lotus Sutra with one's life.   My faith springs up all the more, and I am confident about my next existence. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 202 Banishment to Sado Written to Enjo-bo in October 1271

On human revolution...

Extracted from Experience by Dan Corkish

President Toda heartily and passionately expounded the ideal and the practice of kosen-rufu that filled his mind at every moment (p607).  In other words, every second of every day, President Toda wanted people everywhere to become happy.  How is that possible?  I thought.  I can't come even close to having the compassion to care for everyone all the time.

President Toda also stated: "Once you realize that complaining is useless, you can pray to the Gohonzon in earnest... Understanding something intellectually is not the way of Daishonin's.  Practice -- enduring practice -- is most important" (p579).

Chant -- determined to change my life by helping someone to begin practising Nichiren Buddhism.  Everyday from then on, I prayed deeply to introduce the practice to others with the conviction that nothing is more important or more fulfilling than helping someone become happy.

[CL-Oct-2012 page 16]

Buddhism urges us to accept, as our mission, compassionate behavior toward all beings

Daily Guidance Wed 10/03

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Never be shaken, no matter what happens or what others may say.  Never be flustered; never lose confidence. This is the way we should strive to live our lives.  Being able to do so is a sign of genuine character. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Buddhism teaches that self-awareness arises through our encounters with the eternal.  Buddhism urges us to be receptive to the most profound meaning of living, in the eternal process of cosmic evolution, and further urges that we accept, as our mission, compassionate behavior toward all beings.  Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Wednesday, October 3, 2012 One who, on hearing the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, makes even greater efforts in faith is a true seeker of the way. T'ien-t'ai states, "From the indigo, an even deeper blue."  This passage means that, if one dyes something repeatedly in indigo, it becomes even bluer than the indigo leaves.  The Lotus Sutra is like the indigo, and the strength of one's practice is like the deepening blue. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 457 Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu's mother on July 11, 1274

Please make every effort to find and raise capable people. My wish is that you construct a wonderful organization

Daily Guidance Tue 10/02

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Please make every effort to find and raise capable people. My wish is that you construct a wonderful organization, joyfully building growing spheres of friendship and a solidarity of people who cherish hope for life and the future. Please lead the most wonderful of lives. Events World Peace Day. 1960: President Ikeda lands in Hawaii on his first trip outside Japan, beginning his worldwide efforts for peace, culture and education based on Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Our individual circle of friendship is part of the global circle of friendship; it is one and the same.  A drop of rain from the sky, a drop of water from the river, or a drop of water from the ocean are all just that—a drop of water—until they accumulate.  The friends we make in our own small circle contribute to the spread of friendship around the world. Making one true friend is a step toward creating world peace. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Tuesday, October 2, 2012 At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others.  Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well.  Does this not signify "emerging from the earth"?  At the time when the Law has spread far and wide, the entire Japanese nation will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as surely as an arrow aimed at the earth cannot miss the target. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 385 The True Aspect of All Phenomena Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on May 17, 1273

Today's victory is linked to your eternal victory.

Daily Guidance Thur 10/04

For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Thursday, October 4, 2012 We are people of faith and faith is the ultimate conviction.  Nothing could be sadder nor more shortsighted, therefore, than complaining or giving up when we encounter some small obstacle in our path.  A genuine Buddhist is a person of wisdom and conviction. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Thursday, October 4, 2012 The expansive world lies not in some distant place; it exists right where you are. That is why you need to win where you are right now. Today's victory is linked to your eternal victory.  Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Thursday, October 4, 2012 In the light of the above points, this shows, my followers, that you had better cut short your sleep by night and curtail your leisure by day, and ponder this! You must not spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 622 The Problem to Be Pondered Nigh and Day Written to Toki Jonin on August 23, 1275

We must not get caught up in the past. We must always have the spirit to begin anew "from this moment," to initiate a new struggle each day

Daily Guidance Fri 10/05

Coit Tower San Francisco For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda Friday, October 5, 2012 Nichiren Daishonin said to one of his lay followers: "I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province. Because the seeds of Buddhahood sprout in response to the proper influence, one expounds the teaching of the one vehicle". Events SGI USA Day. 1960 President Ikeda arrives in San Francisco on his first trip to the continental United States, setting in motion the American movement to spread the Daishonin's Buddhism. At Coit Tower, in front of a statue of Christopher Columbus, President Ikeda declares that this day will one day be looked upon as a significant step forward for the Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda Friday, October 5, 2012 No matter what the circumstances, you should never concede defeat.  Never conclude that you've reached a dead end, that everything is finished.  You possess a glorious future.  And precisely because of that, you must persevere and study.  Life is eternal.  We need to focus on the two existences of the present and the future and not get caught up in the past.  We must always have the spirit to begin anew "from this moment," to initiate a new struggle each day. Daily Wisdom From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Friday, October 5, 2012 One may be letter-perfect in reciting the Lotus Sutra, but it is far more difficult to act as it teaches. The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 200 Lessening One's Karmic Retribution Written to Ota Saemon-no-jo, the lay priest Soya and the Dharma Bridge Kimbara on October 5, 1271