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
Shakyamuni’s attainment of enlightenment under the bodhi tree in ancient India and Nichiren Daishonin’s act of casting off his transient status and revealing his true identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law at the time of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution are both expressions of the highest state of humanity. Neither Shakyamuni nor … …
To choose dialogue is itself a victory for peace and a triumph of our humanity. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 464