Monday, October 22, 2012

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

Daily Guidance Sat 10/20



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