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Brief Guidances

Summoning the Heart of a Lion King

Words of Encouragement From Ikeda Sensei

When an evil ruler in consort with priests of erroneous teachings tries to destroy the correct teaching [of Buddhism] and do away with a man of wisdom, those with the heart of a lion king are sure to attain Buddhahood. Like Nichiren, for example.

“Letter from Sado,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol.1, p. 302


Throughout the history of our movement, the mentors and disciples of Soka have battled the three powerful enemies of Buddhism in exact accord with the spirit described in this passage.

Only by summoning the heart of a lion king can we defeat the devilish nature of arrogance that denigrates people and seeks to mislead them. Herein lies the path to realizing the Daishonin’s ideal of “establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land” and to attaining Buddhahood.

Let’s bring forth invincible courage with the lion’s roar of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and confidently share the humanistic principles of Nichiren Buddhism with those around us, to create an age of human dignity and victory for all.

Translated from the July 8, 2019, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper

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