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"Nichiren, therefore, counsels that rather than giving our lives—the most valuable possession of all—for "shallow, worldly matters," we should dedicate them to "the Buddha's precious teachings." We speak of not begrudging one's life, but Nichiren Buddhism is definitely not a teaching of reckless self-sacrifice or martyrdom. Mr. Makiguchi, Mr. Toda and I—the first three presidents of the Soka Gakkai—have taken action with the resolve to advance kosen-rufu in such a way that not one member is sacrificed, and we have willingly given our all toward that end. In the future, as well, this must remain the spirit of successive Soka Gakkai presidents. You absolutely must not throw away your precious lives. To our young men and women, I say: No matter what painful or difficult challenges you may be facing, you must never disrespect or harm your own lives or the lives of others. Each of you is endowed with the wondrous and supremely noble Buddha nature. In specific terms, how should we practice in order to dedicate this invaluable lifetime to "the Buddha's precious teachings"? In another writing, Nichiren says with regard to ordinary people attaining Buddhahood in the Latter Day of the Law: "As for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the words 'earnest resolve' and thereby become Buddhas" ("The Gift of Rice," WND-1, 1125). These words express the spirit of "not begrudging one's life" in its supreme and highest form. It is the Daishonin's emphatic declaration that ordinary people of this age can, without having to sacrifice their lives in the manner of the boy Snow Mountains, attain the same benefit that accrues to such selfless dedication through their "earnest resolve." As Nichiren writes, "It is the heart that is important" ("The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra," WND-1, 1000). It's a matter of exerting millions of kalpas of effort in a single moment of life for the sake of Buddhism, for the noble cause of kosen-rufu. For us, not begrudging our lives ultimately means steadfastly chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo without any fear and wholeheartedly dedicating ourselves to showing actual proof of faith—for the sake of the world, for the sake of the future and for the sake of others. President Makiguchi described this as "a selfless way of life of great good." Overcoming both selfishness and fear, and striving for the happiness of both oneself and others characterize such a way of life. He explained, "It is an ordinary way of life, a way of plain humanity—such that anyone who consciously experiences it and comes to realize that it is universally accessible will feel an overwhelming desire to embrace it, and, indeed, will feel compelled to do so."21" (from "The Teachings For Victory, Learning from Nichiren's Writings, Volume 1" by Daisaku Ikeda)
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