Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"I’d like to share with you some words of the great Chinese military strategist Zhuge Liang (181-234), who is portrayed in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
"'Though you may be treated with deference, never become conceited.' This is a lesson that top leaders, in particular, must reflect on every day.
"'Though you may be entrusted with authority, never become dictatorial.' In other words, you must always seek out the counsel and opinions of others, and not become autocratic and overbearing.
"'Never try to hide the help you receive from others.' And likewise, never forget to have appreciation for those who lend you their support and assistance.
"There have been many times when a single young women's or women's division member has protected the Soka Gakkai. I'll never forget the profound debt we owe to these precious individuals."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Thoughtful persons should therefore realise that I have met these trials for their sake. If they were people who understood their obligations or were capable of reason, then out of two blows that fall on me, they would receive one in my stead. But far from it -- rather, they arouse hatred towards me, which is something I cannot understand."
(Reply to Yasaburo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 828)

Daily Guidance

--- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ---

Our "Mothers of Kosen-rufu" are the very pride of the SGI. It is because of their selfless dedication that the SGI has been able to develop so outstandingly. Let's make sure to show our utmost respect and appreciation to our Women's Division members whose spirit is to uphold justice and to encourage us all to work together in harmony.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring."
(Winter Always Turns to Spring - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1,page 536)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The first thing Mr. Makiguchi did on arriving at the meeting place was to greet the host family with a warm smile and sincerely thank them for opening their homes. When we're making use of someone's precious home, it's only natural that we show them the greatest courtesy. We must be sure to show our appreciation in tangible ways. Despite various personal circumstances and situations, these families are kindly allowing us to use their homes for meetings.... We need to behave with the utmost respect and courtesy so that members will be glad to welcome us into their homes. We should also offer to tidy up after the meeting, being more careful and particular than if it were at our own home."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact."
(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 1, page 599)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Mr. Toda declared: 'If you summon the immense power of faith and generate the tremendous power of practise in your chanting and efforts to share Buddhism with others, the supreme power of the Buddha and power of the Law cannot fail to appear.'"

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"In these circumstances, your letter was particularly welcome. It seemed almost like a message from Shakyamuni Buddha or from my departed parents, and I cannot tell you how grateful I was."
(The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of NichirenDaishonin, Vol. 1, page 779)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"As the Japanese entrepreneur and diplomat Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931) said: 'Treating others with sincerity and honesty has the miraculous abilityto inspire them.' Sincerity has the power to move people's hearts."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"When one comes to the end of one's good fortune, no strategy whatsoever avails. When one's karmic rewards are exhausted, even one's retainers no longer follow one."
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1000)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Mr. Toda said: 'Kosen-rufu doesn't advance through organisational power, but through the power of individuals with strong faith.'"

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!"
(The Three Kinds of Treasure - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1,page 851)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"First Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi said of Buddhist faith :'Religion can only be understood through experience.' And: 'In order to learn to swim, you have to jump into the water. You can't learn to swim by paddling on the floor of your room, no matter how long you practise. You need to have the courage to actually try it out.'"

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching."
(Letter to Brothers - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 501)

Daily Guidance

----- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Encouraging others in faith requires an earnest, all-out effort. It entails a powerful interaction on the dimension of life itself, invoking the dynamics of the 'three thousand realms in a single life-moment' of each person. It is a dedicated challenge in which we polish our own lives so that we can consolidate our Buddhahood, while seeking to elevate the lives of our friends so they may do the same."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"One never in any way disobeys a parent; is always mindful of providing a parent with all manner of good things, and if this happens to be impossible, in the course of a day one at least smiles twice or thrice in their direction."
(The Four Virtues and the Four Debts of Gratitude - The Writings of NichirenDaishonin, Vol. 2, page 636)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The Great Teacher Dengyo of Japan defined the true meaning of 'a treasureof the nation' at the start of his Regulations for Students of the Mountain School, a writing that he presented to the imperial court. The famous passage reads: 'What is the treasure of the nation? A mind that seeks the way is a treasure; those who possess this seeking mind are the treasure of the nation.'
"'Seeking mind' here means a seeking spirit towards the Buddha way, the Mahayana bodhisattva spirit of dedicating oneself to the welfare of all people. In other words, such things as the wealth, social position, or power a person possesses are not true treasures; the ultimate treasure is the spirit to take action for others out of a desire for their happiness."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"And I may add that, although parents may give birth to a child who is endowed with both sight and hearing, if there is no teacher to instruct that child, then its eyes and ears will be no better than those of an animal."
(An Outline of the "Entrustment" and Other Chapters - The Writings ofNichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 914)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Shinichi's feelings were perfectly reflected in the words of the French author Victor Hugo (1802-85): 'We who believe, what can we fear? There is no backward flow of ideas any more than of rivers.'"

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Aside from these people, there are also those who appeared to believe in me, but began doubting when they saw me persecuted. They not only have forsaken the Lotus Sutra, but also actually think themselves wise enough to instruct me."
(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 306)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Believing in the Gohonzon means believing that the supremely noble state of life manifested by the Daishonin also exists within our own lives. This means persevering in faith and practise as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, just as the Daishonin did. Only by striving in faith with the same spirit that he teaches can we vanquish the ignorance or darkness that clouds our lives."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Those who uphold this sutra should be prepared to meet difficulties."
(The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 1, page 471)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Naturally, 'in one's present form' doesn't mean attaining Buddhahood while wallowing in suffering or surrendering to indolence. A struggle to transform the moment-to-moment focus of our minds is required. Nichiren Daishonin revealed the Gohonzon, the object of devotion, so that anyone can undertakethis struggle.
"The Daishonin gave expression to the supreme state of life he had attained, by inscribing it in the form of the Gohonzon. Those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in this Gohonzon can break through the darkness or ignorance that shrouds their lives and bring forth from within the state of Buddhahood that is one with the Mystic Law."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"There are three categories of people that all human beings should respect. They are the sovereign, the teacher, and the parent."
(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page220)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"...the important thing is faith. The more we deepen our faith, the more ourl ives will be dyed with the hues of Buddhahood. To illustrate this, the Daishonin cites the words of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China: 'From the indigo, an even deeper blue.'
"The leaves of the indigo plant are a green colour with a faint bluish tint. But if something is soaked many times in the dye extracted from these leaves, it will become a deep, vibrant blue. Our practise for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is the same. The Lotus Sutra that expounds this principle can be likened to the leaves of the indigo plant, while practising the Daishonin's Buddhism can be likened to being repeatedly soaked in the dye produced from these leaves. In other words, in the Daishonin's Buddhism, when we deepen our faith through hearing the teachings and strive ever harder in our Buddhist practise, we can manifest our Buddhahood in our actual lives and attain enlightenment in this existence.
"The purpose of studying the Daishonin's writings is not only to understand the Daishonin's spirit and deepen our own faith, but, by learning about the profound principles of Buddhism, to gain the solid conviction that hope and peace reside within our hearts, and to strive earnestly for the happiness of ourselves and others. It is also to summon the courage to challenge difficulties by learning from the example of the Daishonin who triumphed over enormous trials and obstacles. This is the key to practical Buddhist study -- study that we can apply to our daily lives. Let us always bear this deeply in mind."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Snow is the ultimate in whiteness; no dyeing will make it any other colour. Lacquer is the ultimate in blackness; it will never become white."
(Snow and Lacquer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 2, page 675)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Attaining Buddhahood in one's present form is not about acquiring some kind of special, super human qualities, but rather it means achieving as ordinary human beings an eternal and boundless state of life characterised by the virtues of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity.
"The benefits and blessings of the Mystic Law are immeasurable. All life --no matter in which of the Ten Worlds it may reside -- is originally an entity of the Mystic Law. Therefore, even if at present we are in a state of Hell, by changing our mind-set or focus at that moment, we can immediately manifest our pure and highest state of life as entities of the Mystic Law. This is what it means to attain Buddhahood in one's present form."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"It is the heart that is important."
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1000)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"'Strive even more earnestly in faith,' says the Daishonin to the lay nun Ueno. 'One who... makes even greater efforts in faith is a true seeker of the way' (WND-1, 457)."
The Daishonin explains such profound principles as 'attaining Buddhahood in one's present form' and 'hell is itself the Land of Tranquil Light' to help his disciples deepen their faith. Buddhism is not a game of words or concepts."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Many hear about and accept this sutra, but when great obstacles arise, just as they were told would happen, few remember it and bear it firmly in mind. To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith."
(The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 1, page 471)

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Daily Guidance

--- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ---

It is not "someone else" that will do it!
It's up to us to open up a path.
It's up to us to raise and foster capable people.
Through chanting daimoku earnestly with a profound sense of responsibility, we will most certainly be able to find the great ability, wisdom and strength necessary to do such things.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle? It is written that those who embrace the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra will be protected by the Mother of Demon Children and by the ten demon daughters."
(Reply to Kyo'o- The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 412)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Mr. Makiguchi stressed that the organisation must be driven from the bottom up. For the growth and progress of the Gakkai, people working on the frontlines should feel free to voice their opinions and share new ideas with those in leadership positions. This is going to be increasingly important in the future."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"When great evil occurs, great good follows.'"
(Great Evil and Great Good - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1,page 1119)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"If we only have a half-hearted commitment, we cannot truly safeguard this noble citadel of the people. In that respect, I hope you will base yourselves on the spirit of mentor and disciple, and be on constant guard against arrogance and inertia taking root in your hearts. Please lead our organisation with a sense of solemn responsibility to firmly protect it."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"I am as concerned about the illness of your wife, the lay nun Toki, as though it were I myself who is ailing, and day and night I pray to the heavenly gods that she will recover.'"
(Prayer for the Lay Nun's Recovery - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 2, page 666)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"'In Reply to a Believer,' the Daishonin writes: 'Regard your service to your lord as the practise of the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by "No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality"'(WND-1, 905). What this means in contemporary terms is that we should regard our work as our 'practice of the Lotus Sutra' and apply ourselves to it earnestly. This passage represents an eternal guideline.
"When the Daishonin wrote this letter, it appeared that he might be exiled for yet a third time, following his exiles to Izu and Sado. The Daishonin, however, viewed these persecutions as an honour, saying that they brought him 'a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater good fortune'(WND-1, 905). And he sought to impart the courage of a lion king to his disciples, urging them to consider the places where they worked as decisive spiritual battle grounds in their lives and to win certain victory there."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"The place where the person upholds and honours the Lotus Sutra is the'place of place' to which the person proceeds. It is not that he leaves his present place and goes to some other place."
(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 781, The Record of the Orally TransmittedTeachings, page 192)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Shakyamuni Buddha said that the wise recognise as a sage one who leads and paves the way forwards. Be a pioneer. Take the initiative. That, the Buddha says, is the mark of a true sage."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sunrise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered."
(On Prayer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 345)