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Brief Guidances

Expressing Our Gratitude to Those in the Nursing Professions

Words of Encouragement From Ikeda Sensei

How can I thank you for your kindness in sending these things? I am so overjoyed that tears pour from my eyes.

“Reply to the Lay Nun, Mother of Ueno,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 973


Here, Nichiren Daishonin conveys his appreciation to the lay nun Ueno who, out of concern for his health, had sent sincere offerings, including rice and medicinal herbs. He says her kindness has moved him to tears. Gratitude is the foundation of our behavior as human beings.

Our members working in the nursing profession, not least the members of our Shirakaba-kai (the women’s division nurses group in Japan),[1] are striving tirelessly, day and night, to save and protect lives. Nichiren Daishonin is surely praising their devoted unseen efforts.

With deep appreciation for their hard work and selfless contributions, let’s all pray for their health, safety, happiness, and benefit.

Translated from the March 20, 2021 Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper.

References

  1. The Shirakaba-kai celebrates its 35th anniversary on March 21. ↩︎

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