What makes us admirable as practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism? Not background, social position, or inherent abilities but our tireless efforts to support our fellow members and help them become happy. That dedicated faith and humanity cannot be overlooked. Such a person is the noblest of all—a person who will attain Buddhahood. From The Wisdom for … …
I believe that any revolution that is genuine—that truly serves the needs of the people—will also clearly manifest itself in the family. Such a family-based revolution is the most fundamental and lasting kind of revolution; it will create an enduring groundswell and become the tide of the times that no one can hold back. From … …
Valuing each individual—this is an unbroken tradition of the Soka Gakkai. We focus on one suffering person, wholeheartedly engage them in dialogue, and do everything we can to encourage them. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 95
In Europe, there is an old saying: “A joyful heart is good medicine.” The German philosopher Immanuel Kant also noted that laughter has a positive effect on our health, functioning like a physician. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 295
In life and in the struggle for kosen-rufu, all our sufferings and earthly desires are fuel for our enlightenment. The tougher the challenges we face, the greater the joy and benefit and the higher the life condition we will ultimately savor. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 199
As we do our best for the welfare of others, we break out of our narrow lesser self that is focused only on personal concerns and gradually expand and elevate our life state. The commitment to others’ well-being is what propels us to transform our life state and carry out our human revolution. From The … …
Soka Gakkai discussion meetings are oases where ordinary people gather; they reverberate with a spirit of fresh resolve and gratitude, where suffering is transformed into courage, and exhaustion into a satisfying sense of fulfillment. These small gatherings are microcosms of human harmony. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, pp. … …
Discussion meetings are a great river, of which all our other activities are tributaries. Our activities to promote friendship and understanding, as well as the different kinds of meetings we hold, all merge into the great river of discussion meetings and flow toward the vast ocean of an age of the people. From The Wisdom … …
Mr. Toda sternly observed that the sense of happiness we feel in the final years of our life is what counts. It’s got nothing to do with how well things go in your youth. Similarly, no matter how many times you fail at something when you’re young, there’s plenty of time to recover and get … …
The power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is unfathomable. The “light” of the daimoku we chant reaches every corner of the universe, illuminating even those agonizing in the hell of incessant suffering after death and enabling them to attain Buddhahood directly, says the Daishonin. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. … …