From Sensei’s Study Lecture:
The Trials of Winter Bring Forth Flowers of Victory
The important point here is that the joy of spring is made real by the winter that precedes it.
Only by overcoming the trials of winter with the power of faith can we come to savor a springtime of victory.
Let us take the example of cherry (sakura) trees that bloom in spring.
The flower buds first form in the summer, and then enter a period of dormancy in autumn.
These buds must go through the cold of winter before thay can begin their full-fledged growth towards blossoming -- a period known as “breaking dormancy.”
The chill of winter is necessary for the buds’ development.
The buds, once awakened from their slumber, begin to swell further with the rising temperatures of spring and eventually flower.
Winter can function to awaken inherent power and latent potential -- this principle applies to both life and buddhist practice.
All living beings possess the seed of Buddhahood, otherwise known as the Buddha nature.
This seed contains potential as vast and boundless as the universe itself.
It is awakened from dormancy and brought to fruition by faith in the Lotus Sutra, which enables us to surmount the trials of winter.
In other words, it is achieved through our struggles against the obstacles that arise in the course of our Buddhist practice -- namely, against the three obstacles and four devils, and the three powerful enemies.
We can bring brilliant flowers of victory to bloom in our lives when we weather the hardships of winter and emerge triumphant based on our practice of the Mystic Law.
If, however, in the midst of life’s winters, we refrain from the struggle of progressing in faith, if we doubt the power of faith and slacken in our Buddhist practice, we will end up with incomplete results at best.
Even for cherry trees, it is said, if the period of winter chill required for breaking dormancy is insufficient, the flowering of the buds will be delayed and the blossoms will be irregular.
The key to victory in our lives lies in how hard we struggle when we are in winter, how wisely we use that time, and how meaningfully we will live each day confident that spring will definitely come.
Faith in the Lotus Sutra means bravely making our way through the winters of adversity.
By taking on the arduous task of changing our karma, we are able to greet the spring and build happiness and good fortune in our lives.
Therefore, we must not avoid the trials of winter.
If we have the courage to face winter’s challenges, then we can advance boundlessly towards the wonderful springtime of attaining Buddhahood and achieving kosen-rufu.
The Lotus Sutra teaches the importance of surmounting life’s winters.
And the Daishonin assures us: “Winter always turns to spring.”
Our continuous effort to transform winter into spring is the fundamental path for achieving unsurpassed fulfillment and growth in our lives.
By advancing with all our might on this path, we can open the way to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime and enjoy a glorious, spring-like state of being that will shine with immeasurable good fortune and benefit across the three existences of past, present, and future.
