---- 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."
"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)
(Snow and Lacquer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 2, page 675)
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