Many people seek success and importance in the eyes of the world, but few aspire to become truly great human beings. Many wish to be showered with praise and attention, but few strive to build an inner happiness that will remain undiminished until the moment of their death and extend throughout the three existences of … …
It is my belief that if we can foster, in the depths of each individual human life, the kind of active, independent basis for altruistic behavior exemplified in the bodhisattva’s vow, we can establish the fundamental foundation for an ethic of responsibility and commitment upon which a genuine culture of human rights can flourish. From … …
Religion has meaning only when it is dedicated to the welfare of individuals, the people, and society. To be satisfied merely with one’s own well-being or salvation, while ignoring the suffering of others, is not the mark of a genuine faith. Nichiren Buddhism is a teaching dedicated to realizing happiness and peace for all humanity … …
Refusing to allow our weaknesses to defeat us and triumphing in one activity after another is the way we train and strengthen ourselves; it is the path of human revolution for each of us to win over our negative tendencies. Soka Gakkai activities are the “place of practice” or “training ground” where we develop and … …
Let’s cast aside selfishness, be unswayed by others’ approval or disapproval, and work tirelessly for people’s happiness and a brighter future. That is the way to bring forth inner strength and to attain Buddhahood. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 50
A teacher or mentor in Buddhism is one who leads and connects people to the Law, teaching them that the Law on which they should depend exists within their own lives. The disciples in turn seek the mentor, who embodies and is one with the Law. Looking to the mentor as a model, they exert … …
Our Soka movement is dedicated to spreading the humanistic principles of Nichiren Buddhism for the peace and prosperity of all humanity. As such, it is engaged in a fearless struggle to change all poison into medicine, freely creating value out of everything for the sake of human happiness, protecting the sanctity of life and world … …
Each of you is also actively carrying out the practice of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth are born in the time and place where people are suffering and struggling the most. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 45
A life without struggle and challenge, a life free from hardship and difficulty, might seem pleasant and easy; but just as a child who is never exposed to the outside air grows up to be weak and frail, a life, a spirit, that is never tested or tempered cannot attain true happiness. Happiness can exist … …
Having intensively pondered the question of “What is a Buddha?” Mr. Toda arrived at the realization that it is none other than one’s own life and the great life of the universe itself and that those two things are one and the same. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, … …