Daily Guidance

5th April 2013

Friday

MEETINGS between people are very important in life. In a sense, life is a succession of meetings with many individuals. Some meetings will be forgotten as time passes, but some can instantly become an impetus to change your life. Therefore, we should always try to attach the utmost importance when meeting with people.

ONLY when you thoroughly polish your life does your true self become manifest, and the diamond of individuality shine forth from the depths of your being. This "flowering of humanity" is certainly not something that can be attained on the level of politics or economics; even education has certain limitations. Herein lies the profound significance of your practice of faith, which cultivates and polishes our life itself.

WHEN you yourself stand with deep and invincible faith, you will be able to overcome everything, no matter what situation you may find yourself in. You can be victorious in all things when you yourself change, grow, and take on responsibility. Everything boils down to you yourself.

FAITH enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we can enjoy everything in our lives. As Nichiren Daishonin said, faith in the Mystic Law is the "greatest of all joys". (Gosho Zenshu, p 788)

IT is an illusion to think that we can find happiness by going to some other place, far away from our present reality. Our happiness is determined by our mindset. If we resolve that the place where we are right now is the perfect place for carrying out our Buddhist practice, and if we challenge ourselves there, then that place will become the "Capital of Eternally Tranquil Light". It will shine as a bright citadel of happiness.

Taken from:http://dailyguidance.blogspot.com 
Pic:www.brainyquote.com

Daily Encouragement

4th April 2013

There is no means other than faith by which to open our lives and our inner state of Buddhahood. Faith is the most "open" state of mind of all. Infinite clusters of good fortune spill forth from this unbarred treasure house of life.

Taken from:http://www.sgi.org/sgi-president/daily-encouragement.html

Daily Guidance

4th April 2013

Thursday

WE of the SGI who propagates the Mystic Law are the emissaries of the Buddha and the emanations of the Daishonin. Consequently, no matter how tumultuous the times, we who are equals of the Buddha will never be unhappy or defeated by hardship. That is why I hope, whatever happens, you will always keep pressing forward, ever forward, in high spirits.

AGE is not an excuse for giving up. If you allow yourself to grow passive and draw back, it is a sign of personal defeat. There may be a retirement age at work, but there is no retirement age in life. How, then, could there be any "going into retirement" in the world of faith? The Mystic Law is eternal, spanning across the three existences of past, present and future, and one of the benefits of faith is perennial youth and eternal life.

WHEN viewed from the long perspective of a whole lifetime, or from the eternity of the three existences of past, present and future, the prayers we make based on faith in the Gohonzon will all be answered without the slightest doubt. Our earnest ichinen of faith will definitely bring forth clear results. That is precisely why faith is of such fundamental importance in all things.

I would like to say that you should each strive to become the foremost person in some field of endeavour. To contribute to kosen-rufu, a person must have some kind of special ability at his/her disposal for that purpose. You must train yourself and develop your ability to the degree, that you can become a person whose contribution is essential to the advance of kosen-rufu.

JEALOUSY is one of the ugliest of emotions; it causes people to deviate from the correct course of action and leads them to destruction.

Taken from:http://dailyguidance.blogspot.com
Pic from: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jealousy%20quotes

Daily Encouragement

3rd April 2013

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 favorably impressed by the sonorous and invigorating sound of your voices. That too will contribute to the spread of kosen-rufu.

Taken from:http://www.sgi.org/sgi-president/daily-encouragement.html

Daily Guidance

3rd April 2013

Wednesday

SOMEONE with good fortune will climb the ladder of success in life just as a kite filled with wind vigourously rises into the sky. However, once one’s good fortune becomes exhausted, one will begin to tumble down the slope of misfortune. Correct faith is the driving force that enables you to accumulate unlimited fortune and benefit.

BY making efforts now, out of a sense of responsibility to accomplish kosen-rufu, to win the understanding of others and advance towards victory, refined wisdom will well forth in your life. I hope that, by developing the power and cogency of expression that enable you to touch the heart of many friends, you will create waves of fresh wisdom in society and amid the realities of your daily life.

BUDDHISM expounds that this world in which we live is a place where we must endure various sufferings. It is therefore vital to persevere tenaciously despite the many problems we are sure to encounter in the course of our life, continuing to carry out gongyo and chant daimoku with persistence no matter what. What a wonderful thing it is to possess such faith! Faith has nothing to do with formality or ritual; it depends on one’s heart, one's mind. It depends on one's conviction.

WE are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth. As such, the Buddha and bodhisattvas throughout the 10 directions and the three existence of past, present and future - all the protective functions of the universe - will support us and keep us from harm cheering us on and applauding our efforts. Let us continue to advance boldly together down this eternal path of glory.

THERE may be people who appear to have higher social status or seem to be happier than you, but the person who believes in and propagates the Mystic Law is already the happiest person in the world and a great leader. Why? Because the Mystic Law is the path to absolute happiness. It is a teaching that awakens us to the truth that all living beings are Buddhas. Nothing surpasses the Mystic Law - this is the truth conveyed in Nichiren Daishonin's writings.

Taken from:http://dailyguidance.blogspot.com/ 
Pic; life.drprem.com

Daily Encouragement

2nd April 2013

Why are human beings born? This question has posed a great challenge. President Toda lucidly set forward his conclusion. Namely, that this world is a place for people to, as the Lotus Sutra states, enjoy themselves at ease." We were born here in order to thoroughly savor the joys of life. Faith in Nichiren Buddhism is what enables us to bring forth the great life force we need to lead such an existence.

Taken from:http://www.sgi.org/sgi-president/daily-encouragement.html

Daily Guidance

2nd April 2013

Tuesday

PRESIDENT TODA once said to me, "Nothing is more frightening than human jealousy. Nothing is more fearful than the evil and destructive forces that reside in the human heart. For that reason, you must become strong. You must live with such conviction that you have no regrets!" I would like to present these words to the members of the Youth Division, whom I cherish deeply. I call on you, "Uphold the banner of truth and justice! Always be courageous!"

FAME, social status, material wealth, knowledge - all are ephemeral and powerless in the face of death's inexorable reality. When we believe in the Mystic Law, we can make the final moment a majestic conclusion to a wonderful life and at the same time a fresh departure for our next wonderful existence, without death being a cause of suffering.

BENEFIT rapidly accumulates in the lives of those who possess a mind of faith that sincerely yearns for kosen-rufu, as if retained in a seamless vessel fashioned of gold. If one does not have a firm mind of faith, however, no matter what efforts one makes, all of one’s good fortune will trickle away, as if in a vessel filled with holes.

THE time changes quickly, and what has hitherto passes for common sense soon becomes absolute. Therefore, in promoting kosen-rufu, the wisdom to continually create new value is indispensable. At the same time, you must acquire the wisdom to use fresh and vivid expressions, and make Buddhism live in the context of society.

FOR a person who embraces the Mystic Law, confronting and overcoming great difficulties causes his/her bad karma to manifest and then be eliminated. We should have absolute confidence in the great power of the Gohonzon which enables us to definitely overcome whatever obstacle we may encounter.

Taken from:http://dailyguidance.blogspot.com
Pic:www.lushquotes.com