The true great benefit of faith is this fundamental inner transformation and human revolution. According to the principle of the oneness of life and its environment, when our life state changes, we are able to change our environment as well and thereby resolve all of our problems. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, … …
The lives of Soka Gakkai members, who pray wholeheartedly for the happiness of their friends and earnestly share the Daishonin’s teachings with others, brim with joy, courage, and hope. Though we may be struggling with various health, financial, or other problems, we can overcome them confidently, like an accomplished surfer who enjoys riding big waves. … …
The obstacles in question are the three obstacles and four devils. We cannot attain enlightenment without struggling against them. We cannot become Buddhas without experiencing and overcoming difficulties—just as we cannot graduate from university without taking examinations and passing them. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 136
Happiness for the individual alone is impossible, and peace in terms of the environment alone is impossible. There can be no happiness exclusively for the self, nor unhappiness exclusively for others. The happier we make others, the happier we are, and as long as a single miserable person exists, our own happiness cannot be complete. … …
The SGI has always been a movement committed to empowerment—of the people, by the people, and for the people—through a process we describe as human revolution.The essence of empowerment is to fully unleash the boundless potential inherent in every human being based on the Buddhist understanding that our own happiness is inextricably linked to the … …
This is our belief and conviction: That all people on earth have the right to happiness. That all people inherently possess the capacity for lasting happiness. That it is through fulfilling their unique and noble purpose in life that each person may realize maximum happiness both for themselves and for others. From The Wisdom for … …
Only a human being can foster another human being. It takes a person of genuine humanity to raise a person of genuine humanity. For teachers, of course, but also for every one of you, earnestly striving to foster people is the noblest task you can undertake in this life, one that has lasting value. From … …
Everything I say and do is based on his [Mr. Toda’s] spirit. Buddhism comes to life only when the hearts of mentor and disciple are united as one. Upholding the mentor’s teachings is the mark of a genuine disciple. This is the heart of the mentor-disciple relationship. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, … …
One can liken the unity of “many in body, one in mind” to a bamboo grove. Each bamboo stalk sprouts up independently, yet underground, their roots are intertwined. The world of faith is the same. Because we share the same “roots,” because we share a common spirit and purpose, each one of us can grow … …
Buddhist practice is not something we can carry out on our own. For, as the Daishonin says, “The winds of fame and profit blow violently, and the lamp of Buddhist practice is easily extinguished” (WND-1, 1027). It is vital that we encourage and support one another as we make our way forward. We need to … …