The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - Offer Prayers Based on the Conviction for Absolute Victory

Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other. “All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out.” These golden words will never prove false. The heart of strategy and swordsmanship derives from the Mystic Law. Have profound faith. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered.

(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p1,001)

This letter was written from Minobu on the 23rd day of the 10th month in 1279 to Shijo Kingo, a leading disciple in Kamakura.

Around the time when Nichiren Daishonin began living in Mount Minobu in 1274 after his pardon from Sado exile, Shijo Kingo fell out of favour with his lord Ema because of his faith in the Daihonin’s teaching.

Envious fellow retainers had also slandered him to his lord, and with the added devious plotting of Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple, the situation eventually reached the point where Kingo was asked to submit a written pledge to discard his faith in the Lotus Sutra.

Despite these hardships, Kingo did not give up. He continued to seek guidance from the Daishonin and remained true to his faith. Eventually, around 1278, he regained the trust of his lord and was even awarded an estate three times larger than the one he had before.

However, this enhanced the hatred his jealous colleagues harboured against him and they resolved to get rid of him.

The Daishonin wrote this letter in response to Kingo’s report that he had been ambushed by enemies among his fellow samurais, but had managed to escape unharmed.

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Life is a series of intense, unceasing struggle that requires one to either win or lose in every challenge. Such is the intrinsic nature of life. How should we confront and overcome each trial that comes attacking us, one after another, without any pause?

In this writing, Nichiren Daishonin taught, “Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutrs before any other.” This means take on every challenge that we confront based on faith.

Put another way, it means to summon forth courage and wisdom from the depths of our lives with prayers based on absolute conviction as the driving force and to exert ourselves to the fullest.

The Daishonin continued in this passage, “The heart of strategy and swordsmanship derives from the Mystic Law.” The inherent potential and power that lies deep within each human life is boundless. It is way beyond human comprehension.

“Strategy” and “swordsmanship” can be said to be partial revelation of a universal Law that can help tap this boundless potential from within one’s life.

In contrast, the Mystic Law is the ultimate Law of the life and the entire universe. For this reason, when one’s life is connected to the Mystic Law through one’s profound faith, the immense potential and power that exist in the depths of one’s life is unleashed.

On top of this, the Daishonin reminded, “Have profound faith. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered.” The greatest enemy that obstructs one from unleashing the tremendous power within is none other than one’s “cowardice” which resides in one’s heart.

Only by winning over one’s “cowardice” and with absolute faith in the Mystic Law can one unleash the limitless power that lies dormant in one’s life. Faith is a challenge to have complete and absolute belief in one’s own inherent potential.

It is the three successive presidents of the Soka Gakkai who revived the “strategy of the Lotus Sutra” taught by the Daishonin in the modern age by remaining undefeated in the face of unceasing intense persecutions and achieving ultimate victory in the struggle for human happiness and lasting global peace.

SGI President Ikeda said, “No matter what hardships we may encounter, there is no greater strategy than the Lotus Sutra. Let us embrace this conviction as we lead our lives with lion-like dignity and composure. Nothing can compare to the power of daimoku. By chanting daimoku, we can move everything in the best possible direction, change everything into joy.”

Lets base our lives on profound prayers to achieve absolute victory and deeply committed prayers infused in the spirit of the oneness of mentor and disciple and boldly achieve victories in all aspects of our lives.

Translated and adapted from the June 2009 issue of The Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

Concerning the Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha Fashioned by Nichigen-nyo - Earnest Prayers Change Our Environment

When you shake your head, your hair sways; when your mind begins to work, your body moves. When a strong wind blows, the grass and trees can no longer remain still; when the earth shakes, the seas atremble. Thus, if one can move Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, can the grass and trees fail to respond, can the water remain calm?

(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 2, p811)

This letter was written in the second month of 1279 at Mount Minobu to Nichigen-nyo, the wife of Shijo Kingo in Kamakura.

In this passage, the Daishonin used the analogies of one’s head and hair, strong wind, grass and trees to illustrate the fact that when one moves the root of something, everything else will move in accord.

In other words, the Daishonin taught us that when one prays to the Gohonzon with single-minded determination, one could certainly positively transform the harsh reality one is confronting.

In his discussion on “The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra”, SGI President Ikeda said the following with regards to one’s attitude when offering prayers, “The Gohonzon doesn’t respond to indulgent, abstract prayer. When we pray to the Gohonzon with our entire life, there is no way that a path forward will not be opened.”

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Mrs Kazuko Miyamoto is a Women Division zone leader in Nanki-taiko, Wakayama Prefecture. She took up faith with her mother at the age of four in 1954. Her father had already passed away, leaving a huge amount of debt on the shoulders of her mother.

Her mother became the first person in Nanki area to take up faith and she traveled throughout the region to introduce Buddhism to the people there with fervent wish to become happy and to overcome their extreme poverty.

As the area was still shrouded in conservative feudalism, the moment the people heard the name “Soka Gakkai”, they would either criticize or chase her away. Nevertheless, her mother persevered.

Their poor living conditions did not improve immediately. However, her mother continued to strive with devoted efforts for the happiness of others no matter how adverse the circumstances. Till today, Mrs Miyamoto remembers how her mother worked for the well-being of others. Mrs Miyamoto joined in the YWD activities when she was 19.

Her family’s financial condition was still very tight and most of her income went to the family. The amount left for her use was barely enough to cover the travelling expenses to attend Gakkai activities.

Everyday, Mrs Miyamoto exerted herself joyously in the same clothes for she didn’t have any other clothing to wear. Recalling those days of her youth, Mrs Miyamoto said, “To me, I was very much contented. That was more than enough. As long as I could strive together with my mentor in life, nothing else matter and there was no other joy.” Savouring the joy of having a wonderful mentor in life, Mrs Miyamoto continued to strive in the frontlines of kosen-rufu.

In September 1976, she had the opportunity to meet her beloved mentor in Kansai. On that occasion, President Ikeda encouraged her to strive to transform her life (living conditions) and to enjoy greater spiritual composure and gave her a Japanese doll as a gift.

Cherishing this wonderful encounter in her life, Mrs Miyamoto strove even harder to transform her life. After her marriage, she had another opportunity to meet her mentor in June 1984 when she was fulfilling her role as a duty personnel working behind the scene.

President Ikeda warmly encouraged her, “I am fully aware of what you are going through. I also have experiences when I was so poor that I did not have enough to eat.”

At this point in time, her husband was running a business but his income was not stable and regular. Upon meeting her mentor, she felt extremely refreshed – as if her life had been cleansed completely of negative karma.

Thereafter, her husband’s business picked up momentum and she now lives in a newly constructed bungalow that comes with a complete view of the Pacific Ocean. Her four sons are actively fulfilling their missions in the YMD.

Mrs Miyamoto had actually been chanting three hours of daimoku everyday without fail since her YWD days. Today, she continues to work for the well-being of others with a brilliant smile and deep gratitude.

There are countless dramas of such members in Wakayama who had blazed a path of unsurpassed unhappiness after encountering their mentor in life.

The prime point for the “ever-victorious” spirit of Wakayama was the Wakayama Leaders Meeting held in December 1969.

On that occasion, President Ikeda continued to pour his entire being into encouraging the pioneering members in Wakayama despite his terrible physical condition – high fever and severe cough.

He taught us through his powerful leading of the song what it means to stand up resolutely against adverse winds in our lives. He described that scene in his novel, The New Human Revolution, “Fierce Winds” chapter in this manner:

“The Wakayama members were deeply moved by Shin’ichi’s powerful leading of the song, and many had tears in their eyes. At the same time, some of them, worried about Shin’ichi’s poor health condition, suppressed the urge to cry out for him to stop. Everyone present engraved the scene in their hearts, vowing: “I’ll do my best too! I will win!” And they clapped with all their might and sang along at the top of their voices.”

Thereafter, we exerted to our utmost in response to our mentor’s call and make the impossible possible. We shall continue to strive to achieve complete victory based on fervent prayers that will activate the workings of the Buddhist gods (protective functions of the universe).

Translated and adapted from an article written by Shoko Ota, Women Division Study Chief for Wakayama Prefecture, published on the June 2007 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

The One Hundred and Six Comparisons - Propagation Efforts Entail Personal Contacts and Dialogues

The Law does not spread by itself. Because people propagate it, both the people and the Law are respectworthy.

(Gosho Zenshu, p856)

This letter is considered as one of the transfer documents that Nichiren Daishonin handed to his successor, Nikko Shonin, in January 1280 when the Daishonin was 59 years old.

The Daishonin taught in this passage that those who propagate Buddhism are the driving force of the kosen-rufu movement and that those who propagate the Mystic Law are of utmost nobility.

Buddhism is a great teaching that benefits all people. However, if there is no one to transmit its teachings correctly, it will not spread anywhere nor benefit anyone. If we all remain silent and not take any actions, our kosen-rufu movement will not advance – not even by one millimeter.

For this reason, all SGI members who are exerting themselves in propagation activities, working for the betterment of others are most respectworthy.

It was more than 50 years ago in October 1956 that SGI President Ikeda first set foot on the soils of Shimono-seki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Although Yamaguchi was the cradle in the creation of contemporary Japanese history, giving birth to many prime ministers, the Soka Gakkai membership was much backward when compared to other local areas of Japan.

Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda was extremely concerned about this delayed development of the kosen-rufu movement in Yamaguchi and immediately dispatched the youthful President Ikeda to secure an important foothold in this area. This marked the beginning of the historic “Yamaguchi campaign”.

The Yamaguchi campaign unfolded over a three-month period with President Ikeda physically taking the lead there for only 22 days. Just within the short span of three months, the membership in Yamaguchi increased tenfold to more than 4,000 households.

During the campaign, President Ikeda demonstrated through his action, a role model on how to take leadership in our propagation movement. This was what he did – he met directly with members and spoke to them; personally visited with members and listened to their problems; personally reached out to members and encouraged them; met up with members and gave them guidance; met with members and chanted together with them and studied the Gosho. This was how President achieved this remarkable development in Yamaguchi in such a short span in time. This achievement in turn became an impetus for the entire Soka Gakkai to achieve a breakthrough in propagation efforts to realize the 750,000 member households, a goal set by President Toda, one year later.

Through the Yamaguchi campaign, President Ikeda taught us the importance of aligning our hearts with our mentor’s.

In addition, with regards to our propagation efforts, President Ikeda said the following in his guidance: “Assert the validity of Buddhism with courage and confidence. Don’t be overly concern or sensitive to the kind of response expressed by the person you are speaking to. The important thing here is to help establish a connection between his or her life and the Mystic Law.

“First and foremost, you must destroy the cowardice, the weakness within your own life. Only after doing so will you be able to conduct a dialogue of Buddhism with courage, composure and joy.

“As long as you speak with compassion, tenacity, courage and earnest resolve that ‘No matter what, I’m going to lead this person to happiness’, anyone will be deeply touched by your sincerity. There is no doubt about that.”

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Mrs Sadako Nakamura a WD assistant zone leader in Shimono-seki City, is one who has been living out her life in the spirit of propagation.

Mrs Nakamura was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism in 1960 by a relative who took up faith during the Yamaguchi campaign. The first benefit she received was being able to go back to work as a nurse, thus stabilizing her livelihood.

However, shortly after starting work, her husband, Kazuma met with a traffic accident and was seriously injured. He was in a coma for a period of time due to brain contusion and his life was in danger. However, with the strong support and encouragement from fellow members, Mrs Nakamura chanted daimoku with the single-minded resolve that “I’m going to make sure that my husband recovers.” Subsequently, her husband’s condition began to improve gradually and he was discharged after three months. He did not suffer any side-effects and was given a clean bill of health by the doctor.

Through this experience, Mrs Nakamura deepened her coniction in the immense power of the Mystic Law and with a profound sense of gratitude; she threw her entire being into propagation activities. Her propagation efforts continue today and the total number of households she had converted single-handedly has surpassed 50. Mrs Nakamura regards this as her greatest pride and treasure in her life.

Together with her husband, Mrs Nakamura actively contributes her part for the betterment of her community. Her husband has been serving as the chairman of the residential committee for years and together with Mrs Nakamura, he also serves as a committee member in the town’s health promotion committee.

In the course of serving the people in her community, Mrs Nakamura often shares Buddhism with fellow residents. She even managed to convert a Men Division member who was deeply troubled over his bed-ridden mother through tenacious encouragement.

According to Mrs Nakamura, sharing Buddhism with others has become such a natural part of her life that she can speak to anyone, anywhere, whenever she hears how troubled that individual is.

In the summer of 2007, Mrs Nakamura’s resolve was further enhanced when she learnt how hard President and Mrs Ikeda have been working ceaselessly despite the scorching summer heat to encourage fellow members through the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily paper.

She told herself, “The only thing I can do for my mentor is to propagate this wonderful teaching of Buddhism. My victories in propagation efforts will certainly be the source of greatest joy for President and Mrs Ikeda.” Since then, she listed out the names of all her unconverted friends and initiated a personal daimoku campaign to chant at least three hours of daimoku everyday.

Mrs Nakamura then shared the Daishonin’s teachings with the wife of her former patient whom she had been keeping in contact over the past 30 years. She was deeply touched by Mrs Nakamura’s unchanging sincerity and warmth and finally decided to take up faith that year.

Over the last three years, Mrs Nakamura successfully converted 10 of her friends and brought back six friends who had gone astray back to the correct path of faith.

President Ikeda said, “The SGI is a noble body of believers who are thriving in propagation activities. The flowers of fulfillment and happiness blossoms in one’s life in proportion to one’s efforts in engaging in sincere and courageous dialogues on Buddhism.”

Today, Mrs Nakamura is already 79 years old. She continues to enjoy excellent health and drives around everyday to do her kosen-rufu activities. She is enjoying life to the fullest now. She is also a correspondent student of the Soka University Faculty of Education and continues in her effort to pursue lifelong learning.

Mrs Nakamura’s greatest joy is to be able to contribute her home as a venue for kosen-rufu activities in her community and to receive fellow members in high spirits everyday.

Cherishing great pride as disciples of the essential phase of kosen-rufu, let us double and triple our efforts to share the great teachings of Buddhism with as many people as possible.

Key points of the Gosho passage:
1. The Mystic Law or the Gohonzon is truly great. But no matter how great it is, it cannot spread by itself. Therefore, if we do not introduce Nichiren Buddhism to others, the great power of the Gohonzon cannot help people overcome their suffering or become happy. If we know people who are suffering, but we choose to remain silent, then it is as good as if we are stopping that person from becoming happy.

2. If we do not take actions to propagate Nichiren Buddhism, kosen-rufu (peace and happiness for all people) will not advance.

3. That is why Nichiren Daishonin said that the people who propagate the Law are most respectworthy. Because they help others overcome sufferings and gain happiness, people who propagate Nichiren Buddhism are able to receive great benefits in their own lives. This is in accord with the principle that every good cause creates a good effect.

Translated and adapted from an article written by Kumiko Furukawa, Women Division Study Chief for Yamaguchi Prefecture, published on the December 2007 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - Adversity is the Greatest Chance to Transform One's Karma

Devadatta was the foremost good friend to the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one’s allies but one’s powerful enemies who assist one’s progress.

(Passage from “The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p770)

This letter was written in March 1276 from Mount Minobu when Nichiren Daishonin was 55 years old and addressed to the lay nun Konichi, a widow who lived in Awa (present day Chiba Prefecture).

Also known as sage Konichi, she was converted together with her husband to the Daishonin’s teachings through her son, who had become a disciple of the Daishonin earlier.

Although she lost both her husband and son one after another sometime after her conversion, she overcame her deep sorrows through the constant and wholehearted encouragement from Nichiren Daishonin, and remained a sincere believer to the end of her life.

This letter gives an autobiographical account covering the events if an important period in Nichiren Daishonin’s life spanning over nine years (1268 to 1276) – from the time shortly before the Tatsunokuchi Persecution through his two-and-a-half-year exile on Sado Island and to his eventual retirement to Mount Minobu. In the course of his struggles over this period of nine years, the Daishonin overcame major consecutive persecutions and waged a fierce battle against the three powerful enemies, thereby fulfilling the predictions in the Lotus Sutra concerning its votary and establishing him as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, in both word and deed.

The above passage is the portion where the Daishonin stated that Devadatta, who persecuted Shakyamuni Buddha time and again, was the foremost good friend to Shakyamuni as it was he who proved the genuine greatness of Shakyamuni. If we look at our secular world today, we would find that in most cases, it is one’s enemy rather than one’s ally who would help one grow and develop as an individual. Thus, the Daishonin taught that powerful enemies who pose as great obstacles ultimately are one’s good friends.

SGI President Ikeda once said in his guidance, “Because we encounter unexpected trials and tribulations in life, we can grow as individual human beings. Only when one emerge victorious against a powerful enemy can one develop inner strength. No matter what adversities happen in our lives, lets challenge them all with inner strength, telling ourselves, ‘Yes! This is my chance to transform my karma!’ As long as we confront obstacles in life positively, we have much to gain from this experience and establish a life of greater value creation.”

Just as President Ikeda said, no matter what happens in life, let us regard them all as our foremost good friend (positive influence) and courageously challenge and overcome them all. Only by doing so can we enjoy a life of genuine happiness and victory.

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Mrs Fukiko Nakagoshi, a WD assistant zone leader in Kochi Prefecture, is one who has been dedicating her entire life for the happiness of others. Her sincerity has moved many and has earned her the trust of the people in her community.

Her husband, who ran a business in the timber industry, was converted to Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism first. Mrs Nakagoshi was converted after him in 1966.

As the couple lived in a conservative village, they were criticized and verbally abused about their practice of faith. However, they continued to persevere in their practice amidst such harsh circumstances. During the initial stages of their practice, her husband’s business was not doing well. On top of this, he had to shoulder a huge amount of debt by acting as a guarantor to a friend who failed to pay off a loan. Their livelihood was at stake as their financial situation worsened with the passage of time.

Amidst such circumstances, Mrs Nakagoshi told herself, “I must never run away from this problem. I’ll be a loser if I do so. I must continue living with pride as a member of the Soka Gakkai. I must win the trust of the people in my community through overcoming this difficulty.” Based on this resolve, she chanted daimoku earnestly and strove even more vigorously with the sincere prayer to transform her family karma and to contribute to the widespread propagation of the Daishonin’s Buddhism in her community.

As a Women Division chapter leader, she devoted her entire being in promoting propagation activities and the subscription of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily organ paper. At the same time, she actively contributed whenever she could to non-Gakkai activities organized by the town councils in her community. Her husband would rush down to help solve any problems for anyone they knew; regardless of whether they were Soka Gakkai members. In the meantime, the couple continued to offer sincere prayers.

Their contributions to the community were eventually recognized and they were both selected to become health promotion committee members in their town council.

Mrs Nakagoshi served as chairperson of the Women’s Association over a period of eight years, and actively contributed with her chapter members as volunteers to bring great cheer and vigour to the community. As the community’s trust in Mrs Nakagoshi grew, the number of people subscribing to the Seikyo Shimbun increased.

She regarded each and everyone in her community as her foremost good friend, whether they were friendly or hostile to her.

In recent years, more than 100 friends would travel all the way from distant mountains and valleys to attend the Women Division General Meeting organized by her district. It has become an annual affair and the general meeting never failed to serve as a platform to enhance understanding towards the SGI and to establish ties of goodwill and friendship.

In July 2006, Mrs Nakagoshi celebrated her 40th anniversary of her conversion by renovating her home to be used for SGI activities. With well-established facilities and a large area for meeting purposes, video screening of President Ikeda’s guidance at the monthly SGI headquarter leaders meeting began at her home through Internet distribution from September 2006 onwards.

Many friends who came for the screening were deeply impressed. Mrs Nakagoshi was overwhelmed by emotions, recollecting how she had struggled through the most difficult pioneering days.

For many years, the couple had been struggling to pay back the huge amount of debt and finally, in 2003, they managed to clear the debt completely. All her children are actively striving in the organization.

Her eldest son is working in a newspaper company, her younger son is a secondary school teacher while her eldest daughter is running a beauty salon. Mrs Nakagoshi has certainly welcomed the “spring” in her life by regarding everything that happened in her life as her foremost good friends.

Key points of the Gosho passage:
1. Buddhism defines good friends as good influences that assist us in strengthening our faith and bringing forth our state of Buddhahood. Ironically, when we ask ourselves what it is that help us the most in deepening our faith, we find that it is bad circumstances and people. Because they give us so much troubles and worries, they actually motivate us to chant lots of daimoku and help us in our human revolution. That is why the Daishonin stated that Devadatta was Shakyamuni’s good friend and he referred to powerful enemies as our good friends.

2. Conversely, when circumstances become too good or comfortable, they can make us lazy and complacent and cause us to relax in our practice and weaken our faith.

3. We can make anything, even our sufferings and enemies, into our good friends provided we have strong faith to win over them. So no matter what happens in life, lets us regard them as our foremost good friends and courageously challenge and overcome them by telling ourselves, “I will deepen my faith even more”.

Translated and adapted from an article written by Kumiko Kondo, Women Division Study Chief for Kochi Prefecture, published in the March 2007 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

The Three Kinds of Treasure - Living with Honour Means to Dedicate One's Life for the Well-Being of Others

It is rare to be born a human being. The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail. Life as a human being is hard to sustain – as hard as it is for the dew to remain on the grass. But it is better to live a single day with honour than to live to 120 and die in disgrace.

(Passage from “The Three Kinds of Treasure”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p851)

This letter was written by Nichiren Daishonin at Minobu in the ninth month of 1277 and addressed to Shijo Kingo.

Sometime around 1274, Shijo Kingo had begun making efforts to convert his lord, Ema, to the Daishonin’s teachings, and as a result, incurred the wrath of his lord. Kingo’s colleagues also took the opportunity to spread slanderous reports about him. Lord Ema gave Kingo an ultimatum – discard faith in the Lotus Sutra or face dire consequences. Despite these trying times, Kingo maintained strong faith in the Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Subsequently, Lord Ema fell ill and Kingo, applying his medical skills, helped to cure him. The lord was most grateful and Kingo regained his trust.

This letter was written in response to Kingo’s report that he had achieved great victory over his adversity.

In it, the Daishonin expressed his concern that Ema’s renewed trust in Kingo might invite greater jealousy from his colleagues and endanger Kingo’s life. The Daishonin advised him in great details, cautioning Kingo to curb his short-tempered nature and not to act thoughtlessly.

In this passage, Nichiren Daishonin spoke on the transient nature of human existence. On top of this, the Daishonin reminded us that within our limited life span, it is important to live a single day with honour.

Here, by teaching us “to live with honour”, the Daishonin does not mean to encourage us to strive to gain secular fame and status. Rather, he urged us to lead an honourable life as a human being. It means to polish ourselves and live a life of value-creation that is dedicated to the well-being of the society.

Quoting this passage from the Gosho, SGI President Ikeda once said:

“Of course, we all wish to live as long as possible, but even more significant is what we accomplish in the limited amount of time we have. What kind of contribution have we left behind? How many people have we helped become happy? How much have we elevated our life? With each passing year, I continue to work hard for the sake of kosen-rufu and my precious fellow members, striving to accomplish a week’s or a month’s worth of effort each day.”

The value of one’s life is not determined by its length. One who dedicates one’s life for the lofty cause of kosen-rufu based on the spirit of “oneness of mentor and disciple” can be said to be leading a golden life of supreme nobility.

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The life experience of Mrs Sayoko Asai, a WD assistance prefectural leader in Gunma Prefecture, is a living testament of this Gosho passage.

In 1959, Mrs Asai gave birth to a son but her joy was short lived. Soon after his birth, her son was diagnosed to be suffering from cerebral infantile paralysis. She felt as if her whole world had fallen apart.

With the single-minded prayer to cure her son’s illness, she decided to take up faith when she was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism. Everyday, she chanted hours and hours of daimoku fervently and carrying her son on her back, she attended Gakkai meetings and carried out propagation activities sincerely.

When her son was two, he passed away peacefully as if he had fallen asleep. Witnessing how his son had lived out his life to the fullest, her husband who had all along been against her practice, decided to take up faith. Even though her son’s life was a short one, he had led his entire family to the Daishonin’s Buddhism, the loftiest teachings.

With deep gratitude to her son, Mrs Asai continued to exert herself in kosen-rufu activities. One year after her son’s passing, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and deepened her conviction in her practice even more.

Since her conversion to the Daishonin’s teachings, her relatives had been openly expressing their objections to her practice. Some persistently asked her why she had joined the Soka Gakkai while others yelled furiously at her. Even her sister refused to communicate with her and she was told by her relatives “not to appear” at their weddings.

Even though she was treated with such intense discrimination and verbal abuse, she gritted her teeth and persevered throughout her ordeal based on daimoku.

She also put in great effort to enable the people around her to understand the truth about the Soka Gakkai through her own actual proofs. She actively participated in activities in her community and was well-liked by the people around her as she was always cheerful and kind to others.

She was even recommended to be a committee member in the PTA board, the chairperson of a women group, staff member of the traffic safety association, the volunteer group leader for the old folks home and board member for another old folks home. In this way, she did whatever she can to contribute to the welfare and good of her community.

Many people, including renowned figures in her community and her relatives who were once so strongly against her practice, are now subscribers and avid readers of the Seikyo Shimbun and they attended events organized by the Soka Gakkai with joy and enthusiasm.

Furthermore, her younger son, who had overcome cancer two times, is now a chef at a national nursing home while her eldest and third daughters are managing their own companies in Tokyo. Her second daughter is striving hard as the women division prefectural chief in Gunma.

The fact that Mrs Asai had been able to overcome all her family karma and show actual proof of victories can be attributed to her single-minded determination to chant daimoku until her prayers are answered. Till today, at the age of 77, she wakes up at 4.30am everyday to chant daimoku with deep gratitude and cheerfully engage herself in Gakkai activities.

Having encountered the lofty teachings of the Mystic Law and a great mentor in life, Mrs Asai has dedicated her entire life to the happiness of others about her community. There is no doubt that she had demonstrated with her life what it truly means “to live a single day with honour” as taught by Nichiren Daishonin.

Key points of the Gosho passage:
1. To be born human is itself a great good fortune if we considered the fact that we could be born among the countless types of non-human living beings. Only as a human being, can we live a life of absolute happiness by actively striving to attain the state of Buddhahood.

2. The life span of a human being is relatively short and is dependent on one’s karma. Since life as a human being is so rare and precious and we do not know how long one could live, it is important that we cherish each day of our life and makes it as happy and full of value and honour as possible. The Daishonin taught that when we dedicate ourselves to practicing and propagating the Mystic Law, creating happiness for others and ourselves, we would definitely develop a life of great honour.

3. The Daishonin stated, “But it is better to live a single day with honour than to live to 120 and die in disgrace.” To use an anology, to live with a single day with honour is like 1 x 1,000,000 (worth of value) = 1,000,000 and to live to 120 and die in disgrace is like 120 x 365 x 0 (worth of value) = 0.

Translated and adapted from an article written by Mieko Onozato, Women Division Study Chief for Gunma Prefecture, published in the April 2007 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra - Encouragement Enhances the Momentum of Advancement

The more gold is heated in the flames, the brighter will be its colour; the more a sword is whetted, the sharper it will become. And the more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one’s own blessings will increase.

(Passage from “The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p673)

This letter was written by Nichiren Daishonin at Minobu on the fifth day of the third month of 1276 and addressed to the Honourable Myomitsu.

The Honourable Myomitsu was a disciple of Nichiren Daishonin who lived at Kuwagayatsu in Kamakura. While detailed information about Myomitsu is not available, it appears that he and his wife were earnest and sincere practitioners of faith.

The passage we are studying this month constitutes the concluding portion of this letter. The Daishonin stated here that when gold is heated in the flames, its colour will become brighter and the more a sword is whetted, the sharper it will become. In the same way, the more we praise the blessings of the Lotus Sutra (that is, the Gohonzon), the more our benefits and good fortune will increase.

Similarly, praising and cherishing fellow members who are striving for kosen-rufu in the forefront of our movement is equivalent to praising the Lotus Sutra and the benefits one accrues from doing so will be unimaginable.

In one of his guidance, SGI President Ikeda said, “The more one praises the wonderful power of the Mystic Law, the more one’s benefits will increase. In the same way, leaders of kosen-rufu must sincerely praise, thank and encourage fellow members who are working hard to propagate the Mystic Law.

The benefits and good fortune one receives will be in direct proportion to the efforts one put in for this endeavour. Nichiren Daishonin’s writings are themselves words of encouragement.

Offering continuous encouragement is the key in the realm of human beings – be it in families, schools, organizations and societies, development will stop the moment encouragement cease to exist. The momentum for advancement arises from encouragement. One’s sense of purpose to be born as a human being expands and enhances through encouragement.”

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Mrs Kimiko Oyama, a women division district leader living in Kumamoto city lost her beloved husband in a traffic accident 11 years ago. Just as she was wondering how she was going to continue living her life together with her three young children, she received a heartwarming poem from President Ikeda.

It read:
“Live out your life
As a great mother
While cherishing your noble husband
Deep in your heart
And achieve ultimate victory
No matter what.”

Mrs Oyama was so touched and grateful that President Ikeda would go to this extent to encourage one individual member that tears flow uncontrollably down her cheeks. At the same time, boundless courage began surging forth from the depth of her life. Deeply engraving the last phrase of the poem, “Achieve ultimate victory no matter what”, in her life, she stood up courageously with the pledge, “I’m definitely going to foster my three children into capable leaders of kosen-rufu.”

In order to raise her three children, Mrs Oyama decided to continue teaching at a secondary school. In 2003, she was assigned to be the form teacher of a class in which students were facing various problems, including student K who was on a rampage lately due to frequent clashes with his family, while there was another who refused to attend school.

Mrs Oyama decided to write down the names of all her students and sent daimoku to each and every one of them daily. She also resolved to make this class onto one in which everyone can feel the warmth and comfort of being among good friends who cherish both oneself and others.

However, things did not go as smoothly as she thought. There were many challenges as she met one obstacle after another. As she continued chanting for her students, she suddenly thought of an idea – why not ask her students to start writing a diary about good things that happened in their lives. She wanted to give her students an opportunity to look for “good things” – no matter how insignificant – that happens in their otherwise problem-filled lives. On other words, the students will record the “small happiness” they manage to discover into their diaries.

Initially, items recorded were really trivial, such as “today’s lunch was delicious”. However, Mrs Oyama persevered. Everyday, she took home 35 copies of the diaries from her students, read and wrote comments on every diary as she journeyed home on the subway train. She continued this over a period of 100 days till the students graduated. It was through this diary that Mrs Oyama got to know that student K has lost self-confidence and suffered from inferiority complex because his parents kept comparing him with his siblings.

Mrs Oyama tried to restore the self-confidence in student K by looking for different good points about K and wrote them as praises of him in the diary everyday. She also suggested to student K to do a research on his family business as a class project. Through this, student K had more opportunity to communicate with his father and his father was also able to understand K better.

Ultimately, student K even received an award for his class project. This boosted his self-confidence immensely and his relationship with his family members improved trememdously.

Each student began to change their attitude towards life when they could discover joy and appreciation in the small little things in life that others may take fro granted. Through this, Mrs Oyama was able to transform her class into one that was filled with a wonderful sense of joy, confidence and harmony.

This experience deepened Mrs Oyama’s conviction that praising others will never fail to instill hope and confidence in their lives.

She applied this principle to her members in her district. All fellow members who are striving for kosen-rufu are “children of the Buddha” without a single exception. Mrs Oyama wrote down the names of all the “children of the Buddha” in her district and prayed for their happiness each and every day. No matter what others may said, she was never swayed and continued to look for the good points of every individual member and praised them for it. She practiced this through and through.

Just as what President Ikeda wrote 11 years ago, Mrs Oyama achieved ultimate victory. Her three children, who are now in the primary and secondary schools, are growing well as members of the Future Division of the Soka Gakkai.

When one sincerely respects and praises others, one will in turn be able to earn the respect and praise from others and the Buddhist gods, the protective functions of the universe.

Establishing an enriching life state where one is able to rejoice at the happiness of one’s friends is equivalent to savouring supreme happiness ourselves.

Lets continue polishing our lives through faith based on the spirit of oneness of mentor and disciple and become individuals shining with humanism who can offer encouragement and praises to anyone we come into contact with.


Key points of the Gosho passage:
1. Karma is created through thoughts, words and deeds. Firstly, when we praise Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or the Gohonzon, our words are extolling the greatness of the Gohonzon. Secondly, our thoughts are also filled with deep appreciation and reverence for the Gohonzon. Thirdly, praising the Gohonzon is a deed that encourages others who hear our praises to take faith in the Gohonzon. That is why praising the Gohonzon can create such great good fortune.

2. How do we praise the Gohonzon? When we strive to introduce and convince others to practise Nichiren Buddhism, we are praising the Gohonzon. When we relate our testimonies at discussion meetings, we are praising the Gohonzon. When we do our human revolution by overcoming difficulties with our courage and determination, our victories themselves are like raises about the wonderful power of the Gohonzon within our life.

3. President Ikeda further adds that praising, thanking and encouraging fellow members who are striving for kosen-rufu is equivalent to praising the Gohonzon. In short, when we practise this principle of praising the Gohonzon and praising those who strive for kosen-rufu, we will receive the greatest good fortune in our lives.

Translated and adapted from an article written by Kazuko Manabu, Women Division Study Chief for Kumamoto Prefecture, published in the October 2006 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - Living Out Our Lives on the Lofty Path of Mentor and Disciple Accrues Supreme Good Fortune

It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasures certainly realized this truth. The sutra’s statement, “Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers”, cannot be false in any way.

(Passage from “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p217)

This letter, dated the eleventh day of the second month in 1272, was sent by Nichiren Daishonin from his dwelling in Tsukahara on Sado Island to Sairen-bo Nichijo, a former Tendai priest who, for reasons that are unclear, was also living in exile on Sado Island.

Amidst the storm of harsh persecutions such as the Tatsunokuchi Persecution (where Nichiren Daishonin was nearly beheaded), and his exile to the remote island of Sado, many of Daishonin’s disciples in Kamakura discarded faith as described by the Daishonin in his writings: “… in Kamakura, 999 out of 1,000 people… gave up their faith.” (WND-1, p469)

Exile to Sado during the Daishonin’s time was equivalent to a death sentence. Yet, the Daishonin declared in this Gosho, “Nichiren has been trying to awaken all the people of Japan to faith in the Lotus Sutra so that they too can share the heritage and attain Buddhahood.” (WND-1, p217) Inspired by the profound compassion of the Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day, genuine disciples pledging to uphold the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism in the spirit of un-begrudging faith appeared one after another. Sairen-bo was one of them.

The passage that we are going to study this month is where the Daishonin taught that the karmic bond shared by mentor and disciple who had vowed to live out their lives for kosen-rufu is eternal, transcending the three existences of past, present and future.

The Daishonin taught that the profound pledge that links mentor and disciple is not a coincidental connection that is limited to this lifetime. Instead, it is a karmic relationship from past existences. It is because of the pledge established in our lives that “we will strive together with our mentor for all eternity spanning the three existences of past, present and future” that we have been born together with, encountered and re-established the bond with our mentor. This will be the same in our future existences. No matter which land we are going to dwell in, we will constantly be reborn in the company of our mentor.

What then, is the profound pledge established in the distant past that links the disciples to the mentor? It is none other than the vow “to lead all people to happiness”. From the Buddhist perspective that Buddhahood exists in one’s life, everyone possesses this determination in their lives no matter who they are. It is the mentor that helps one to recall and awaken to this deepest human wish inherent in one’s life.

In the eternal flow of time, one cannot fathom the immense good fortune of being able to forge a strong bond with our mentor, that has enabled us to be born together in the same time as SGI President Ikeda, and strive in unity with him to lay an everlasting foundation for the worldwide propagation of the Mystic Law in the Latter Day of the Law into eternity. When we ponder over the fact that the relationship between mentor and disciple is karmic in nature and that it transcends the three existences, one cannot help but realize the profound mission, which we are born in.

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In the spring of 2000, something completely unexpected happened in my family.

My eldest son, who had just started his tertiary education at Soka University after graduating from Soka High School, suddenly decided to quit school. It was totally beyond my means to comprehend what led him to do so. When he was young, President Ikeda told him, “I will be waiting for you at Soka University when you grow up.”

Since then, I had been earnestly praying day and night for him to advance along the path of a successor of Soka as President Ikeda’s genuine disciple. That was my one and only prayer for my son and I thought I had fostered him to become such an individual.

As such, when my son made this decision, my heart was completely shattered. On top of this, other unforeseen problems appeared one after another around the same time.

In autumn that year, the members of Kyushu were able to welcome President and Mrs Ikeda to our prefecture in the midst of great joy. I was pleasantly taken aback when I was given the opportunity to have a dialogue with Mrs Ikeda.

“No matter what happens, you must resolutely maintain courageous faith. If you waiver, the devils will rejoice. As long as you continue offering earnest prayers for your son, your prayers will surely be answered even though your prayer may seem to have taken a long way round before it is answered.”

As I listened to these words of warm encouragement from Mrs Ikeda, I felt immense courage and hope welling forth from the depths of my life.

Shortly after this, I received a waka poem that President Ikeda had specially composed for me. It read:
“Do not fear
Do not feel anguished
If your family uphold justice
Courageously stand strong
To wage a relentless struggle
For the kosen-rufu of Kyushu.”

I felt as if President and Mrs Ikeda had helped meto break free from the shallow life state and weak state of mind I was in, where I felt completely tied down by my own world of problems.

I truly felt how wonderful it is to have such a wonderful mentor in life and I was filled with deep gratitude. When I pondered over the great adversities that President and Mrs Ikeda had to overcome in order to blaze the path of kosen-rufu, I was absolutely convinced that as a disciple, there is no problem that I cannot overcome. When I was able to establish this resolve, I felt that a path had clearly opened before my eyes. I was no longer overwhelmed by fear or a sense of insecurity. Instead, a sense of profound gratitude filled my heart.

As I continued chanting daimoku, a surge of absolute conviction began to well forth from my life – I heard my inner voice saying: “I have been praying for this child to become a capable leader for kosen-rufu since he was in my stomach. There is no doubt that he is born as President Ikeda’s disciple who shares a profound karmic bond with him. He must have a unique mission to fulfill in that capacity.”

Eight years has passed since then and today, my three children are all contributing their part for kosen-rufu. My eldest daughter is a leader of the young married women group in Shizuoka prefecture while my younger daughter is an YWD Ward Chief in Tokyo. As for my eldest son, he eventually enrolled himself with the correspondence division of Soka University, completed the course and passed the national examination to qualify as a primary school teacher. He has fulfilled his long-cherished dream to teach at a primary school in Ota Ward, a land that is imbued with the profound bond of mentor and disciple. He is also fulfilling his mission as an YMD district leader.

President Ikeda always reminds us through citing the Gosho: “It is the heart that is important.” (WND-1, p 1,000)

I have realized that the moment my heart changed from one filled with anguish into one filled with conviction, everything was geared towards a positive direction.

The path of mentor and disciple is a path of gratitude. I pledged to continue living out my life on this path of Soka with this conviction.


Key points to the Gosho passage:
1. The ultimate purpose of our Buddhist practice is to attain enlightenment and achieve absolute happiness. The supreme life condition of Buddhahood can only be developed as we experience and win over various difficulties.

2. Along this difficult journey, we will encounter periods when we feel lost, depressed and defeated. At such times, even though we may have the Gohonzon and the Gosho, we may feel so discouraged that we harbour thoughts of giving up our faith. At such important junctures, it is the strong bond that we have with our mentor and his words of encouragement and concern that can revile our faith and fighting spirit, as we recall the indomitable spirit of our mentor.

3. Therefore, to be able to be born at a time when we can meet a great mentor in life is one’s greatest good fortune. To ensure that we will continue to have this great good fortune to be reborn again and again with our mentor, we must make the pledge that no matter what happens, we will strive un-begrudgingly with our mentor to realize kosen-rufu. This is the only and surest way to ensure that we can attain Buddhahood and enjoy absolute happiness.

Translated and adapted from an article written by Sanae Yamamoto, Women Division Study Chief for Fukuoka Prefecture, published in the May 2008 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.