[PassTheDoobie]

"“Nichiren Daishonin writes: ‘Evil friends will employ enticing words, deception and flattery and speak in a clever manner, thereby gaining control over the minds of ignorant and uninformed people and destroying the good minds that are in them’ (WND-2, 221). ‘Evil friends’ means corrupt or negative individuals who seek to obstruct our Buddhist practice and lead us to veer from the path to happiness. These evil friends ‘employ enticing words, deception and flattery’ to get close to us and gain our trust, and then try to persuade us to stop practising.

“'That’s why it’s so important to see such negative influences for what they are and stand firm against them. Good cannot prevail unless we combat evil. Defeating negative forces is also a form of compassion.'

"Founding Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi left the following important words of guidance: 'Unless you have the courage to be an enemy of those who are evil, you cannot be a friend to the good.'"[1]

SGI Newsletter No. 8727, The New Human Revolution––Vol. 26: Chap. 1, Atsuta 59, translated 25th Feb. 2013

[1] Translated from Japanese. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Makiguchi Tsunesaburo Zenshu (Collected Works of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi) (Tokyo: Daisanbunmei-sha, 1983), vol. 6, p. 71.

[PassTheDoobie]

"Learning is a right and a pleasure. Nothing is more enjoyable.

"The brutality of war, however, robbed the young people of my age of that right and joy. I was determined that the next generation should not experience the same deprivation, and I have fought all my life for peace.

"That’s why I would like to share with you these words of the German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), whom I read avidly in my youth: 'What a world of delight lies in learning!'[1]

"When you throw yourself wholeheartedly into the world of learning, you’ll make many new and exciting discoveries. It was this joy that pulsed vibrantly in Goethe’s life.

"Goethe—a poet, novelist, playwright, naturalist, and political leader—continued studying and learning throughout his life.

"I am presently engaged in a dialogue about Goethe with Dr. Manfred Osten, advisory board member of the Goethe Society in Weimar, Germany.[2] At the start of our dialogue, Dr. Osten spoke of Goethe’s conviction that no one can take away what you have learned through arduous effort—it is yours forever.

"Human beings are born to learn. Life is an ongoing learning process.

"Even if we sometimes forget the exact content of what we have learned, the desire to learn forever adorns our lives."

SGI Newsletter No. 8709, Dialogue for the Future: Traveling the Path of Victory Together with You, A dialogue series addressing members of the junior high school division and high school division. [5] Those Who Continue Learning Are Victors in Life, from the 1st Sep., 2012, issue of the Mirai [Future] Journal, the Soka Gakkai monthly newspaper for the junior high school and senior high school divisions, translated 24th Jan. 2013

[1] Translated from German. Goethes Gespräche: Gesamtausgabe (Goethe’s Conversations: Complete Compilation), compiled by Woldemar Frhr. von Biedermann and edited by Flodoard Frhr. von Biedermann (Leipzig: F. W. v. Biedermann, 1909), vol. 2, p. 10.
[2] The dialogue is being serialized in the Soka Gakkai–affiliated Ushio (Tide) monthly magazine.

[PassTheDoobie]

The Daishonin encourages us to
"move about without fear like the lion king."*
The heart of Buddhism is all about being "courageous".
So now, courageously and enthusiastically,
let's take action to realise the great ideal of kosen-rufu!

Daisaku Ikeda

*"Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her; she will move about without fear like the lion king. ... A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith." - "Reply to Kyo'o", WND-I, page 412

[PassTheDoobie]

"Only those who have the firm resolve to give their very lives for the sake of Buddhism can carry out the struggle for kosen-rufu."

SGI Newsletter No. 8667, The New Human Revolution––Volume 26: Chapter 1, Atsuta 20, translated 12th Nov. 2012

[PassTheDoobie]

"Nichiren's disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly."

(The Teaching, Practice, and Proof - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 481)
Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, November 16th, 2012

[PassTheDoobie]

"Nichiren Daishonin writes to his youthful disciple Nanjo Tokimitsu: 'My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow' (WND-1, 1003). Here, to make a great vow means to dedicate our life to the Mystic Law and the realisation of kosen-rufu. The Daishonin likens this to 'a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth' (cf. WND-1, 1003). Though our life may seem fragile and evanescent like a drop of dew, when we fuse it with vast ocean of the universe, we can gain a boundless state of being. Though we may seem as small and insignificant as a speck of dust, when we firmly ground ourselves in the great earth of life, we can become an immense source of support for others and a wellspring of infinite creativity.

"You who uphold the Mystic Law are the hope and dream of humanity. If you dedicate your lives to the dream of bringing peace to our planet, the world will move closer to peace.

"When we have a dream, we can grow without end. Dreams are the key that enables us to manifest our fullest potential and unlock a brilliant future."

SGI Newsletter No. 8663, Dialogue for the Future: Traveling the Path of Victory Together with You, [4] Dreams Are the Key to Unlock a Brilliant Future, from the Aug. 1st, 2012, issue of the Mirai [Future] Journal, translated 6th Nov. 2012

[PassTheDoobie]

Thoughts on Friendship

Friendship is the most beautiful, most powerful, and most valuable treasure in life. It is your true wealth. No matter how much status a person may gain or how rich one may become, a life without friends is indeed sad and lonely; it also leads to an unbalanced, self-centered existence.

You were born in this vast universe on the tiny planet Earth, and in the same era as the people around you. Yet, it is extremely rare to find, among the billions of people on this planet, genuine, unconditional friends with whom you can totally be yourself and who will intuitively understand your thoughts and feelings without need for words.

It's important to understand that friendship depends on you, not on the other person. It all comes down to your own attitude and contribution. I hope you will not be a fair-weather friend, only helping others when circumstances are good and leaving them high and dry when some problem occurs; instead, please become the kind of person who sticks by their friends with unchanging loyalty through thick and thin.

Our human relationships are like a mirror. So if you're thinking to yourself, "If only so-and-so were a little nicer to me, I could talk to them about anything," then that person is probably thinking, "If only such-and-such would open up to me, I would be nicer to them."

Therefore, you should make the first move to open the channels of communication. If despite these efforts you are still rebuffed, then the person you should feel sorry for is not yourself, but your friend.

The human heart is truly complex; we cannot read what's in another person's heart. People change. What should you do? My advice is that you hold fast to your own identity with the spirit--"Others may change, but I will stay who I am." If you should be snubbed or let down by others, have the strength of character to vow that you will never do the same to anyone.

The Buddhist scriptures clearly reveal that Shakyamuni Buddha was a person who initiated dialogue with others. You need to be strong to initiate a dialogue. You must remember that experiencing rejection and disappointment is an inevitable part of life.

If you feel hurt or betrayed by someone, isn't it better to make a new friend, rather than stop trusting people altogether? If you don't trust anyone, yes, certainly, you might avoid being hurt or let down, but you'll only end up leading a lonely, barren existence locked up in your own shell. The fact is only someone who has experienced pain and hardships can empathize with others and treat them with kindness. It's essential, therefore, that you become strong.

Be like the sun. For the sun shines on serenely even though not all of the stars will reflect back its light, and even though some of its brilliance seems to emanate only into empty space. You may find that those who reject the radiant light of your friendship will naturally fade out of your life. But the more you shine your light, the more brilliant your life will become.

No matter how other people are or what they do, it is important that you walk your own path, believing in yourself. If you remain constant and stay true to yourself, others will definitely come to understand your sincere intent one day.

More importantly, you have the power of daimoku behind you. I have heard many experiences in which people have recounted that they were victims of bullying, but after chanting sincere daimoku, they suddenly found one day that the bullying had ceased. By chanting about your problems, you will find yourself quite naturally overcoming all hardships and sufferings, almost without your even being aware of it. When you look back later, you will clearly appreciate this fact.

It is also important that you chant for your friends. This is a sign of true friendship.

You may have friends who are sick or are unable to attend school, or who are struggling to cope with problems at home. Whatever the case may be, the best thing you can do is to chant for them. Your prayers, like invisible radio waves, will definitely reach them.

And when you chant, you should do so sincerely and honestly, following the feelings in your heart without restraint, just as a baby instinctively seeks its mother's milk. There is no need to be stoically formal when you chant; there is no need for pretense. If you are suffering, then take that suffering to the Gohonzon; if you feel sad, then take your sadness to the Gohonzon.

It is also best to chant with clear determination, having a concrete goal in mind about how you want to grow or change or what you want to accomplish. It's also important to chant for those people whom you may not like, or find hard to deal with, or feel resentful toward. It may be difficult and perhaps even impossible for you to do so at first. But if you challenge yourself and chant for them, the wheels of change will definitely be set into motion. Either you will change or the other person will. Either way, you will be able to open a path leading in a positive direction. Many people have experienced this firsthand. Most importantly, your own transformation into a person able to chant for even those you harbor negative feelings toward will become your greatest fortune.

Sometimes your friends can have a stronger influence over you than your parents or anyone else. So if you make good friends--friends who are interested in improving and developing themselves--you will move in a positive direction as well.

Nothing is more beautiful than friendships developed among people challenging themselves and encouraging each other as they work toward the realization of a common goal.

People of conviction, people who stand alone, people who pursue their chosen path--not only are such people good and trustworthy friends themselves, but they can make genuine friends of others.

The bamboo groves of autumn are gorgeous. Each bamboo tree stands independently, growing straight and tall toward the sky. Yet in the ground, out of sight, their roots are interconnected.

In the same way, true friendship is not a relationship of dependence, but of independence. It is the enduring bond that connects self-reliant individuals, comrades who share the same commitment, on a spiritual dimension.

Friendship is also determined by the way we live our life.

If you always remain sincere in your interactions with others, you will one day naturally come to find yourself surrounded by good friends. And from among those people, I'm sure you'll forge lifelong friendships that are as strong and unshakable as a towering tree. Don't be impatient. Please work first on developing yourself. Rest assured that an infinite number of wonderful encounters await you in the future.

Excerpted from Discussions on Youth Vol. 1 (SGI-USA, 1998)

[PassTheDoobie]

"To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage."


(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 402) Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, February 28th, 2013

[PassTheDoobie]

"At times you may feel exhausted, lose your sense of joy, and feel as if you are just going through the motions. But if you let yourself grow passive, you will feel both powerless and unhappy.

“How you encourage yourself when that happens is in fact where the true challenge begins.

“To break out of inertia, it is important to remind yourself that our activities are all part of the noble endeavour of kosen-rufu and are honourable efforts undertaken as emissaries working on the Buddha’s behalf. In addition, they are a wonderful way to make a positive contribution to society."

SGI Newsletter No. 8727, The New Human Revolution––Vol. 26: Chap. 1, Atsuta 59, translated 25th Feb. 2013

[PassTheDoobie]

"I say this for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than ever."

(The Supremacy of the Law - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 614) Selection source: Buddhist teachings, Seikyo Shimbun, November 11th, 2012