Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a pivotal leader of the American civil rights movement, followed in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent struggle for human rights. He declared: “The days ahead are difficult, but I have not lost hope. This is the only thing that keeps me going.”

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

Transforming people’s hearts is a leader’s job. Just because people are gathered does not mean that they will necessarily be united in spirit. Rather, their minds are likely to be oriented in different directions, resulting in confusion and disorder. It is the leader’s task to direct everyone’s focus toward a common goal, unite them in purpose and inspire them to advance toward its realization. It falls to the leader to forge unity among people who are in disagreement, to encourage those who are overwhelmed by fear, and to instill confidence in those racked by a sense of powerlessness. This is the kind of leadership that people seek.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

To stand alone means to draw forth hope from within and develop an unshakable self. This is the basic prerequisite for a leader. Only when the wellspring of hope brims vibrantly in our lives can we continue to give hope to others who work and struggle alongside us. Imparting hope is a fundamental mission of a leader.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

Courage fuses our lives with the fundamental life force. It also translates into innate hope that is never defeated, no matter how bleak or desperate the situation; it is the power to live resolutely to the very end. When the shadows of death, destiny, persecution, adversity, illness, failure or destruction loom, people tend to succumb to fear, trepidation, cowardice, anguish, anxiety, doubt and anger. It is the power of inner-generated hope that dispels such darkness.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

The key [To have the heart if a lion king] is courage and, at the same time, the fundamental life force that wells forth in our lives when we summon courage. More simply, it is the latent strength we possess within us. When we bravely struggle to protect the Law the power of our courage dispels the mist of fundamental delusion that shrouds our hearts and allows the limitless power of the Law to flow from our lives. We reveal the life-state of Buddhahood that is one with the Mystic Law. 

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application