Wintery December is upon us. Let's put the final touches to the year by starting each day with a powerful, vigorous gongyo and daimoku. Together, let's sing our joyful songs of victory!
Translation of "To My Friends" published in the Seikyo Shimbun, based on President Ikeda's recent guidance, with universal value and application
True encouragement is when you help to awaken in another person the desire for they themselves to challenge their circumstances. By chanting and taking action together let’s all scale those mountains of suffering. Just because we have hardships or problems it does not mean we are unhappy. On the contrary, happiness is a state that is achieved by never being defeated by the challenges we face. Let’s become people who can always win over ourselves! Where there is sincere “unseen virtue,” there is definitely brilliant “visible reward.”* There is no such thing as waste in our faith and practice. By cheerfully encouraging each other, let’s close out this year with great victories! To share Buddhism with others is the most sacred undertaking to activate and nurture the Buddha nature within both ourselves and others. With the passionate dream of achieving kosen-rufu always in our hearts, let’s reach out to our friends full of bright optimism! Having studied Buddhism itself, we have made the cause to accumulate immeasurable “treasures of the heart." Now more strongly and cheerfully than ever, let’s lead a life of the greatest joy and help our fellow members to do the same, without leaving anyone behind! Be careful about extreme swings in temperature, and make every possible effort to stay in the very best of good health! Leaders I’d like you to always be considerate and thoughtful about our elderly members’ participation in meetings and other activities. Instead of thinking “I can’t do it,” by keeping at it and using our creativity and ingenuity let’s approach whatever it is we face with “what do I need to do in order to succeed?” When we're able to win over our weakened spirit the road ahead definitely opens up! The stronger the bonds of trust within the neighbourhood the greater everyone’s sense of safety and hope grows. Let's deepen our heart-to-heart bonds as we make it a point to acknowledge each other with an invigorating greeting and a cheerful smile! Become the lighthouse that illuminates your community! The Gosho states: "the more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one's own blessings will increase.”* When we all praise and appreciate each other’s efforts, the abundant blossoming of flowers of good fortune and benefit naturally appear in our lives! Let’s really put our heart into taking care of each person and build a beautiful garden of fragrant harmony! |
For weekly guidances, We have specially selected some Sensei's guidance. Click here to read them.
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