CategoryDaily Life

Ikeda Sensei assures us that the secret to a long and happy life is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and keep advancing in high spirits, with a sense of mission toward a grand objective.  It is generally said that mental attitude has a vital influence on longevity. In that respect, I would like to share some attributes

The oldest surviving love poem was recorded 4,000 years ago on a cuneiform tablet titled “The Love Song of Shu-Sin” (recited by a bride to her Sumerian king). Today, some of the most relatable love poems are conveyed through song. By one estimate, 100 million songs have been recorded about love, capturing from every angle

1) Prayer Based On a Vow Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo based on a vow enables us to bring forth Buddhahood. Ikeda Sensei writes of this great vow: “The heart of the great vow for kosen-rufu and the life state of Buddhahood are one and the same. Therefore, when we dedicate our lives to this vow, we can

Courage is the way to lead a more profound and meaningful existence.

It’s 6 a.m. Your alarm goes off. Your first thought is a fleeting hope that you accidentally set your alarm for 3 and still have more time to sleep. Wishful thinking. It’s time to rise and shine! You have your district study meeting at 7 p.m., but not before you pick up your child from

SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda and Soka Gakkai future division leaders held a roundtable discussion on various topics related to raising our treasured future division members, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following are highlights of their discussion, which originally appeared in the July 29 and July 30, 2021, issues of the Soka Gakkai’s daily

Few things are harder than parting with loved ones; and yet, in life, nothing is more certain than death.

What Buddhism has to say about what drives us and how to truly enjoy our lives.

A Conversation With Kaneko Ikeda

A parenting meme had this recipe for iced coffee: have kids, make coffee, forget you made coffee, drink it cold. Parenting is hard enough. Add to that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has essentially turned our home into our office (or unemployment office), classroom, restaurant and gym, and even Maria von Trapp would be nonplussed. Kidding

What's holding you back? Buddhism's take on establishing absolute freedom.

J.R. Ewing. C. Montgomery Burns. Lucious Lyon. Pick your favorite ultrawealthy avatar. Society’s modern fascination with money has spawned TV shows, movies and lyrics that are embedded in our collective consciousness. (Is it really all about the Benjamins?) Perhaps we’ve even daydreamed a time or two about what we’d do if we received an unexpected

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the United States and around the world, SGI-USA members are “planting seeds of Buddhahood” by helping those around them form a connection to Nichiren Buddhism, a philosophy and practice of hope and self-empowerment. Ikeda Sensei says: Nichiren Daishonin writes, “Even one seed, when planted, multiplies” (“Cloth for a

The following points were adapted from Ikeda’s Sensei’s essay “Be Healthy in Body and Mind,” originally published in the Oct. 12, 2012, World Tribune, pp. 5 and 8. 1) Do An Invigorating Gongyo Morning and evening gongyo create the victorious rhythm for living each day in harmony with the fundamental Law of the universe. 2)

The American author Pearl S. Buck said that finding joy in work “is to discover the fountain of youth.” To be sure, we spend the majority of our waking day—and waking life—at work. According to one study, that adds up to an average of 90,000 hours, or a third of our lives, at work. Even

Masks. Quarantine. Social distancing. These words were not in our collective conscience before 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic altered our awareness in surprising and unforeseen ways. Shakyamuni Buddha realized that all people, no matter their circumstances, at some time in their lives face the suffering of illness, as well as the other universal sufferings of

In the Soka Gakkai, February is traditionally regarded as the month of sharing Buddhism. Let’s learn from Ikeda Sensei about the significance of this most important endeavor: sharing Buddhism with others. Benefitting Others: Inseparable Lives When we look after and care for others—that is, help others draw forth the strength to live—our own strength to

Need inspiration? Here are some excerpts from Ikeda Sensei’s guidance that can inspire us to develop ourselves and transform difficult relationships. Prayer It is … important to chant for those you don’t like, find hard to get along with or feel resentful toward. It may be difficult and perhaps even impossible for you to do

“We of the Soka Gakkai … are able to exert ourselves fully today, confident that our movement for kosen-rufu will show wonderful development 30 or 50 years from now. Why? Because we have successors, our future division members. Because we have you, my young friends, who will carry on the momentous task of building a

Human relationships. They can be the source of our greatest joys and, at times, our ultimate suffering. Add to that the unique circumstances of the past year, when the world found itself sheltering in place, sparking dramatic shifts in the way we interact with others and perhaps even spotlighting the difficult relationships in our lives.