CategoryTo My Friends

As my mentor’s representative, I felt that now was the time to actualize this great declaration of a global religious movement. My heart blazed with the determination to beckon forth Bodhisattvas of the Earth everywhere I went. November 2019 Living Buddhism, p. 4

When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, hope and the strength to always live positively surge within us. Buddhism teaches that earthly desires—deluded impulses that are a cause of suffering—can be a springboard to enlightenment. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 3

The more challenges we face, the more joyfully we should move forward and the more determinedly we should tackle them—this is the essence of Nichiren Buddhism and the most valuable way to lead our lives. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 179

The ultimate and most wonderful of human relationships is that shared by successors to a lofty spiritual legacy. Even animals have relationships similar to those we have between parent and child, siblings, spouses, partners, and friends. However, the relationship of mentor and disciple, of spiritual successors, exists only among human beings. From The Wisdom for

It is also important that we establish clear and concrete goals for what we hope to achieve each day and then pray and challenge ourselves to achieve each of them. This earnest determination gives rise to wisdom and resourcefulness, thereby leading to success. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition,

Enduring peace cannot be achieved solely through political and economic measures. The impurities of the three poisons, which could be considered a sickness inherent within life, must be eliminated. In other words, the sure way to lasting peace is the purification and transformation of individual human lives. That is the teaching of Buddhism and the

We can use the suffering of illness as fuel to strengthen our faith and also to develop a deeper and more expansive state of life. In the light of the Mystic Law and viewed from the perspective of eternity, the struggle against illness is a test to enable us to attain happiness and victory. From

From a certain perspective, Nichiren Daishonin’s struggle can be seen as a struggle to humanize Buddhism. He sought to return Buddhism, which had grown divorced from people’s actual lives, to the people, teaching it as a practical way to live. His message is that the Buddha is an ordinary human being, and we ordinary human

When we make efforts on our own initiative and challenge our goals cheerfully, we will be filled with joy and an upsurge of energy. Let’s challenge ourselves joyfully. Those who advance with joy accumulate good fortune. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 203

A writer once remarked, “Whether seen by others or not, still I will bloom.” 2 The Gohonzon is aware of all our actions. It is important to live in our own unique way, always embraced by the Mystic Law, whether or not anyone is watching. This is what the principle of cherry, plum, peach, and

Although physical resources are finite, human potential is infinite, as is our capacity to create value. The real significance of sustainability is, in my view, as a dynamic concept in which there is a striving or competition to generate positive value and share it with the world and with the future. From The Wisdom for

In the course of life, you are bound to face all kinds of difficulties. At times, you may become stuck. That is when you need to strengthen your faith and chant daimoku in earnest. Difficult as it might be, once you surmount the steep mountain of your karma, a new horizon will open wide before

The poetic spirit has the power to “retune” and reconnect a discordant, divided world. True poets stand firm, rooted in life’s complex, conflicted, and fissured reality. Harm done to anyone, anywhere, causes agony in the poet’s heart. Yet the poet intrepidly steps forward to offer people words of courage and hope, seeking to share a

To read the Daishonin’s writings with one’s life means to read them not as something that concerns others or as an account of something that happened long ago but as something that directly relates to us and the present, and to apply it to the challenges we face in our own lives. This is the

Mr. Toda taught me an important leadership lesson: “You cannot become a powerful driving force for our movement unless you always remember to be strict with yourself and generous and accepting of others.” From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 296

Though we are practicing Nichiren Buddhism to become happy, why then do we have to overcome obstacles? The reason is that we need to undergo the trials of difficulty to forge and strengthen within us the diamond-like and indestructible “self” of Buddhahood. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p.

Kosen-rufu is a long journey, extending into the distant future. There is no need to rush or be impatient. The important thing now is to foster capable individuals one by one and build an unshakable foundation. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 166

Trying your hardest now, even if it’s a struggle, is the very best way to repay your debt of gratitude to your parents. Such a sincere attitude will also make the spirit of mentor and disciple shine in your lives. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 362-63

Ordinary people are the foundation of the world. When the music of peace reverberates among people far and wide, the light of goodness and beauty will envelop society and, indeed, the entire world. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 496

Compassion isn’t about someone taking pity on the less fortunate from a position of superiority. It is egalitarian, not hierarchical. It is a feeling of empathy for another, equal human being. Its foundation is respect. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 245