Daily Guidance

--- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ---

July, the month of youth is here!* You, our precious young members of the Youth Division, are without doubt, the invincible kings and queens of the mystic law. Succeed in constructing and protecting the palace of truth and justice based on the commitment between mentor and disciple, adorning it continually with victories!

* July is the traditional month of youth celebrated in the SGI. The formation of the Young Men's and Young Women's division took place on July 11th and July 19th respectively.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals, where as if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable."

(Many in Body, One in Mind - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 618)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The Daishonin writes: 'Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse' (WND-1, 303). Iron is tempered by fire to become steel, which can then be forged into a magnificent sword. The same is true of people. It is actually to our advantage to undergo hardship and struggles in life."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens."
(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 681)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The Czech playwright and novelist Karel Capek (1890-1938), who sounded a warning against Nazi Germany, said: 'As long as our spirit remains unbroken, it will not be dormant. A dormant spirit is like a river that does not flow. We call such a river a dry river.'
"Never hesitate to speak the truth, to speak out for what's right. Say what is on your mind. State your case clearly. Explain yourself at length so that your listener can really understand and relate to what you're saying. Never remain silent. At times, it may even be necessary to respond quickly and directly to confront malice or prejudice. Our voice is our power. Our voice is our weapon for truth."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province."
(The Properties of Rice - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 1117)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"I'd like to share some of President Kennedy's impassioned words for peace: 'It's never too early to try [to seek peaceful solutions]; and it's never too late to talk.' He also said: 'If that journey [for peace] is a thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step.'
"The time to act is now. By steadily advancing one step at a time, we can lead victorious lives of brilliant achievement."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbour doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life."
(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"No one should lightly choose death. The true brilliance of being human shines when we strive to live out our lives with all the vigour we can summon, no matter what adversity we face."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?"
(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Caring for others is the essence of humanism and the spirit of Soka."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Hence the character myo means to open. If there is a storehouse full of treasures but no key, then it cannot be opened, and if it cannot be opened, then the treasures inside cannot be seen."
(The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 145)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Both your voice and mine resounding powerfully to the far reaches of the universe, our lives shining.
"Shakyamuni Buddha was a person who initiated conversations. He didn't arrogantly wait for others to greet him, but was always the first to greet others in a bright, friendly manner, which made others open their hearts to him. He was never in the least bit haughty or self-important. This kind of warm, humanistic behaviour is the starting point of Buddhism as a living philosophy."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse."
(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol.1, page 303)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"We need to treasure those who are working hard to further our movement for kosen-rufu, those who are sincerely sharing the Daishonin's Buddhism with others and offering wholehearted encouragement and guidance in faith to fellow members.
"Criticizing or harassing those who are doing their best for positive aims cannot be described as humanistic behaviour. Such actions are unforgiveable. The arrogance of domineering individuals needs to be severely rebuked."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"The boy Snow Mountains gave his own body, and the ascetic Aspiration for the Law peeled off his own skin [in order to record the Buddha’s teachings]. Since nothing is more precious than life itself, one who dedicates one’s life to Buddhist practice is certain to attain Buddhahood."
(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 301)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"In the Daishonin's Buddhism, when we chant daimoku in earnest prayer, that prayer at the most fundamental level has already been answered. Confident in this great truth-- in the power of 'this wonderful single Law that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect' (WND-1, 421)--let's forge ahead together on the noble path of kosen-rufu."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Since childhood, I, Nichiren, have never prayed for the secular things of this life but have single-mindedly sought to become a Buddha. Of late, however, I have been ceaselessly praying for your sake to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the god of the sun, for I am convinced that you are a person who can inherit the soul of the Lotus Sutra."
(The Hero of the World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 839)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Mentors believe in their disciples. And it is precisely because of their immense faith and hope in their disciples that they don't go easy on them, that they train them thoroughly and are strict with them. Disciples who respond wholeheartedly to their mentor's belief in them can bring forth immeasurable power and ability. This is the rhythm of mentor and disciple. It is a symphony of victory."

--- 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 sun rise 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)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"In Mr. Toda's last editorial for the Soka Gakkai study magazine Daibyakurenge, published on April 1st, 1958-- the day before his death-- he wrote about the danger of confusing knowledge with wisdom: 'Basically, you have to understand that you can't attain true happiness unless you gain mastery over your own life; for this you need strong life-force and resilient wisdom."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"However great the good causes one may make, or even if one reads and copies the entirety of the Lotus Sutra a thousand or ten thousand times, or attains the way of perceiving three thousand realms in a single moment of life, if one fails to denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sutra, it will be impossible to attain the way."
(Encouragement to a Sick Person - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 78)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"Mr. Toda presented his beloved fellow members with what later came to be known as the 'three eternal guidelines of the Soka Gakkai.' They are:
(1) Faith for a harmonious family

(2) Faith for each person to become happy

(3) Faith for surmounting obstacles
"Each of these short guidelines succinctly encapsulates an important purpose of faith and the essential spirit with which we should pursue our Buddhist practice.
"... I knew that if we lost sight of the fundamental purpose of Buddhist practice that Mr. Toda had taught us, we would run the risk of being defeated by devilish functions, resulting in a pathy and stagnation and, ultimately, the disintegration of our faith. In 2003, after the start of the new century, I again reconfirmed the essence of Mr. Toda's guidelines, and added two new ones.
(4) Faith for health and long life

(5) Faith for absolute victory
"Together, they form five eternal guidelines-- guidelines that express the cherished hope and conviction of Mr. Toda and myself. Comprising the vital ingredients for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, these guidelines are infused with our prayer that members everywhere will dedicate their lives to kosen-rufu undefeated by any obstacle and achieve a state of absolute happiness.
"'Letter to the Brothers' is a writing that my mentor and I studied together as a crucial text for learning the correct attitude in faith. In it, Nichiren Daishonin teaches his followers to boldly triumph over all devilish functions-- whether they appear in the form of the three obstacles and four devils, or the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven --and attain Buddhahood. He urges them to do so by striving in faith with the same commitment as he, and uniting solidly with their fellow believers. This writing could indeed be called the basis or source of the five eternal guidelines of the Soka Gakkai.
"Unless we win in the struggle against devilish functions, we will not be able to achieve true harmony, happiness, health and longevity, or victory-- goals that form the heart of the five guidelines."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."
(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 4)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

" I know that you are forced to practise your faith under very trying circumstances... But a true champion is able to stand up alone. Please do that, developing yourselves, and win the respect and trust of all, offering proof of your personal victory where you are.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"This saha world is a land in which one gains the way through the faculty of hearing."
(The Doctrine of Three Thousand Realms - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 2, page 87)

Daily Guidance

--- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ---

Let's have the sort of conversations that help us to make good connections with others, heart to heart. Let's be open to interacting with the people that are in our immediate environment so that we can help them to establish a really good connection with Buddhism. And through such individual efforts, let us open up a grand, magnificentroadtowards rissho ankoku - The Establishment of the Peace and Security of the Land*!
* Rissho ankoku is the establishment of a peaceful society based upon true Buddhism.
* Rissho means to "establish true Buddhism" - in other words, to widely spread such humanistic Buddhist tenets as compassion and respect for the sanctity of life throughout society. This is the religious mission of those who practice Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. On an individual level, it means embarking on an inner human revolution, tapping and cultivating the compassion within our lives and firmly establishing humanism as our guiding principle.
If human life, the principle creative force, can thus be transformed, the repercussions of such a transformation will spread to society and to all spheres of human endeavour. As a result, not only will politics support the cause of human peace and happiness but so will education, culture and economics, thus leading to ankoku, "securing the peace of the land."
This process resembles how the waters of a great river irrigate the fields, enriching the soil and promoting luxuriant growth of grasses and trees. Buddhism is the great river and the people are the fields. The grasses and trees, meanwhile, correspond to peace and culture.(The New Human Revolution, Volume 2, Vanguard chapter, Page 37, June 1995 edition published by the SGI-USA)

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat."
(The Three Obstacles and Four Devils - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol. 1, page 637)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

Let's show our utmost respect and appreciation to all of our Women's Division members, who we admire as the world's greatest! Let's take the very best of care of our "mothers." And by making every possible effort we can to respond to their sincere prayers, let's crown them with magnificent crowns of victory!

--- 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 sun rise 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)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The concept of 'not begrudging one's life' appears in the 'Encouraging Devotion' (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, when the bodhisattvas make avow to selflessly spread the Mystic Law after the Buddha's passing (cf.LS13, 191). In 'The Selection of the Time,' the Daishonin elucidates the path of shared commitment of mentor and disciple, the path of refuting the erroneous and revealing the true, the path of attaining enlightenment in this lifetime -- at the heart of which lies the path of 'not begrudging one's life.' If we give our all unstintingly to our Buddhist practice, proof of victory will be forthcoming-- this is the unshakable conviction with which the Daishonin urges his disciples to 'try practising' (WND-1, 583)."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"The host, smiling, restrained his guest and said: Insects that live on smart weed forget how bitter it tastes; those who stay long in privies forget how foul the smell is. Here you listen to my good words and think them wicked, point to a slanderer of the Law and call him a sage, mistrust a correct teacher and take him for an evil priest. Your confusion is great indeed, and your offence anything but light. Listen to my explanation of how this confusion arose, and let us discuss the matter in detail."
(On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 16)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"When our attitude changes, our entire world changes. This is the formula for change in Buddhism."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"This life is like a dream. One cannot be sure that one will live until tomorrow. However wretched a beggar you might become, never disgrace the Lotus Sutra."
(A Warning against Begrudging One's Fief - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 824)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"I once asked my mentor Josei Toda why it was important to practise Buddhism 'without begrudging one's life.' His reply was very clear"
"'Call it humanity's karma, but society is complex and full of contradictions. No where can we find a fundamental path to happiness for all people. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, however, provides the means for transforming karma on the deepest level. It teaches the path of eternity, joy, true self, and purity-- of eternal fulfilment and satisfaction. There is no higher path in life than this. That's why, if you devote yourself wholeheartedly to your Buddhist practice, you will have no regrets.'
"More than 60 years have passed since I first became Mr. Toda's disciple. Everything is just as he said. Having striven selflessly for worldwide kosen-rufu exactly as my mentor instructed, my heart is filled with the joy of 'dedicating oneself to the Law without begrudging one's life.' Now I wish to pass on the unsurpassed way of this mission to the youth.
"The essence of the Daishonin's Buddhism is found in the spirit of not begrudging one's life, of selfless devotion to spreading the Law. It is found in unstinting efforts to realise kosen-rufu. The German poet Friedrichvon Schiller (1759-1805) once wrote: 'Who life would win, he must dare to die!' Giving our all for the sake of the Daishonin's Buddhism and for the sake of others is how we bring our lives to shine to their fullest splendour. This way of life taught in Buddhism in fact lays forth a very important guideline for living in today's world."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"But my life from the beginning has been based upon firm conviction. I have no intention now of reversing my course, nor will I ever reproach [those who persecuted me]."
(Why No Protection from the Heavenly Gods? - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 432)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

"The Lotus Sutra teaches the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect, the symbol of which is the lotus flower. Normally, flowers bear fruit after their blossoms fall but, as the Daishonin writes, 'the lotus is the only one that bears flowers and fruit simultaneously' (WND-1, 1099). In other words, the flowers and fruit grow at the same time. The causes we are creating right now in our commitment to pray and strive for kosen-rufu contain the brilliant effects, or fruit, of victory and happiness. It is vital, therefore, to take action-- action for a lofty goal-- and to go out and meet with people and to visit our fellow members.
"The noble life-state of Buddhahood manifests in those who chant and spread the Mystic Law. You, admirable practitioners of the Daishonin's Buddhism, are all entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. Just as flowers produce beautiful blossoms, may you bring forth the potential of your lives and realize wonderful achievements in the field of your mission."

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Though we may suffer for a while, ultimately delight awaits us."
(Protecting the Atsuhara Believers - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol.2, page 882)

Daily Guidance

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

Let's live out our lives boldly and with conviction. This is the very driving force for victory! Let's take action with confidence and talk to others about what indeed are the facts and the truth, without hesitation. Upholding justice does indeed take courage.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbour doubts and abandon their faith. Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes."
(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283)