I was nineteen when I attended that discussion meeting. Mr. Toda, my mentor, awaited me like a kindly father. Our encounter was a solemn, timeless moment in the eternal flow of past, present, and future. On that day, I vowed to become his disciple and dedicate my life to kosen-rufu. From The Wisdom for Creating … …
Buddhist practice is filled with difficult challenges, but it enables us to experience the great joy of human revolution, which would never be possible from a life of complete ease. That’s why the Daishonin sternly warns us not to forget at a crucial moment the promises we have made in faith. From The Wisdom for … …
Both introducing others and offering personal guidance constitute the work of cultivating the spirit through dialogue. Cultivation in general requires courage and perseverance to take on difficulty. But that challenging work develops and opens up the potential in people’s lives and enables them to enjoy the fruit of happiness. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness … …
Our destiny does not come from somewhere outside us; it is shaped within our own hearts, day by day. If we find life boring, it might be because we’ve let ourselves become boring. If life seems empty, it might be because we’ve allowed ourselves to grow empty and shallow. If we feel fed up with … …
Valuing each individual—this is the spirit of the Soka Gakkai. As long as we keep that tradition vibrantly alive, the Soka Gakkai will grow and develop forever. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 96
Say, for example, you visit and encourage one of your members who has stopped coming to meetings. It is unlikely that they will be inspired to make a fresh determination in faith after only one visit. You need to call on them from time to time and patiently continue to encourage them. Eventually, your sincerity … …
When the sun rises, it illuminates everything on earth. When a single lighthouse shines out to sea at night, countless vessels can navigate safely. When a family has one person who acts as a strong pillar, all of its members can lead secure, tranquil lives. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, … …
The formula for the eternal expansion of kosen-rufu is found in ceaseless, steady efforts to benefit others and engage in dialogue, efforts that spread from one person to another. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 96
Chanting about challenges in our life and chanting for kosen-rufu, the aspiration to help all people become happy, are essentially one and indivisible. Both propel us forward. Our personal victories are actual proof of kosen-rufu. When we chant strongly for the development of the Soka Gakkai, which is advancing kosen-rufu, we forge invincible inner strength … …
A single individual who encounters and awakens to the true, great Law goes on to courageously engage in altruistic action, meeting with another and telling them about Buddhism. Never forget that this ripple effect from one person to another is the source of the limitless expansion of kosen-rufu and that through such steady efforts, the … …