SGI President Ikeda · 2020. 4. 27. · President Ikeda (2)” [36]: Sharing Bud-dhism with Courage and Confidence. happiness of oneself and others, and with this as our foundation,

1· FLOW 719

Nichiren Buddhism is the Buddhism of sowing. Sowing the seeds of the Mystic Lawin the troubled age of the Latter Day of the Law represents the unprecedented challenge of

shining a light on and reaching out even to those whose hearts may seem like barren wastelands where no seeds could take root.

— SGI President Ikeda

Persatuan Soka Gakkai Malaysia PublicationPP 6848/12/2012(031182) RM2.50 UNTUK AGAMA BUDDHA SAHAJA

719 MARCH 1-2020

2· FLOW 719

Nichiren Buddhism teaches that we can all equally attain a life-state of supreme happiness during this lifetime.

There are stormy days and days of bitter adversity. But just as a golden harvest awaits carefully tended rice plants that weather

In the case of rice plants, there are three types, those that ripen early in autumn, those that ripen in a middling time, and those

that ripen late, and yet all are ready to be harvested within a single year. In the same way, although persons fall into three

different categories of superior, middling, and inferior, all alike, within the space of a single lifetime, can come to the realisation

that they themselves are identical and in no way at variance with all the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones.

“On the Ten Factors” (WND-2, pg 79–80)

the harsh elements, the time will definitely come when a song of triumph resounds in our lives.

If we persevere with unwavering faith, we will achieve brilliant victory in life. This is the path to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, a state brimming with boundless joy.

Advancing with the Gosho: Words of Encouragement from SGI President Ikeda

From SGI Newsletter No. 9488 dated 14.11.2016

SGI President Ikeda’s Words of EncouragementPersevere with Unwavering Faith (35)

3· FLOW 719

C O N T E N T S

Discussion Meeting Gosho Study Material

2 Unyielding Efforts in Sowing the Seeds of Happiness

Questions and Answers from the Discussion Meeting

8 I often hear about the “mentor-disciple relationship”, but I find it difficult to understand.

Young Women’s Division Gosho Study

11 How do I connect more people to Buddhism and expand friendship?

Lions of Justice: Studying Soka Spirit

12 The Twenty-six Admonitions of Nikko (1) – Practising Faith in Accordance with

Nikko Shonin’s Example

Buddhist Fundamentals for Youth

14 One Person of Passionate Commitment Is Stronger than a Force of Untold Numbers

SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series

17 The Buddhism of the Sun — Illuminating the World (48)

To My Friends of Each Division Engaged in Our Shared Struggle (Part 3): The Many Treasures Group – Your Brilliant Contributions Will Shine in the History of Kosen-rufu

Buddhism in Life

31 The Noble Bodhisattvas Way of Soka

SGI President Ikeda’s Essay Series

35 Our Brilliant Human Revolution

The Power of Our Inspiring Soka Movement

Gosho Study

43 The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

Editor-in-ChiefKoh Sia Feai

EditorDinesh Chandren

Assistant EditorGoh Lim Erng

Material CompilationTay Biby

Art DirectorChew Meng Tatt

DesignerKoh Wei Chaw

DistributionChai Siew LinNg Shy Huh

Subscriptions enquiriesFor enquiries on subscriptions, please contact:

Email:[email protected]

Tel: 03-9075 6876 / 018-388 4997

Cover PhotoLeong Yeuu Siong


4· FLOW 719

Unyielding Efforts in Sowing the Seeds of Happiness

Background and Outline

This letter was written in the eighth month of 1276 (the second

year of Kenji) when Nichiren Daishonin was 55 years of age, from the land of Minobu. It was either addressed to Soya Kyoshin, a central follower in Shimosa Province (northern region of

present-day Chiba Prefecture), or to someone in the Soya family.

This letter teaches the essentials for attaining Buddhahood, as the title implies.

At the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin reveals that “The

Because I have expounded this teaching, I have been exiled and almost killed. As the saying goes, “Good advice grates on the ear.” But still I am not discouraged. The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, the Buddha like the sower, and the people like the field.

“The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood” (WND-1, pg 748)

way to Buddhahood lies within the two elements of reality and wisdom.”

“Reality” is the object to be observed, and “wisdom” is the wisdom to observe. “Reality” means the true nature of all phenomena, and “wisdom” means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. The “wisdom” expounded in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings is shallow, with “reality” and “wisdom” separated, and does not show the true awakening of the Buddha. It is in the Lotus Sutra that the true wisdom and


5· FLOW 719

awakening of the Buddha are shown, and attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form is possible through the fusion of reality and wisdom.

The Daishonin elaborates that the “two elements of reality and wisdom” expounded in the Lotus Sutra is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Next, the Daishonin teaches that it would be impossible to attain Buddhahood if one forgets the original teacher who expounded the Mystic Law, the fundamental Law for attaining Buddhahood or the seed of Buddhahood. And, in the light of the principles both of the world and of Buddhism, the Daishonin states that one should abandon a misguided teacher and follow a correct mentor.

The Daishonin further describes that priests in the Latter Day of the Law, in particular, are ignorant of the principles of Buddhism and are conceited, so they despise the correct teacher and fawn on patrons. And, he rebukes with ironclad certainty that “Both teacher and followers will surely fall into the hell of incessant suffering if they see enemies of the Lotus Sutra but disregard them and fail to reproach

them,” and, “To hope to attain Buddhahood without speaking out against slander is totally impossible.”

Finally, quoting sutra passages from the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin teaches again that the essential for attaining Buddhahood is to follow the original teacher.

In admonishing the people of the Latter Day of the Law who have forgotten the true intent of the Buddha, the Daishonin was exiled and almost killed. However, with such great compassion that "But still I am not discouraged," the Daishonin concludes this letter with the determination to fight for the salvation of the people without succumbing to any difficulties.

Unyielding Efforts in Sowing the Seeds of Happiness

This is the Gosho passage that describes the practice of kosen-rufu in which we plant the seed of Buddhahood, which is the Mystic Law, in the lives of people without relenting to difficulties and persecutions.

During the time of Nichiren Daishonin, most people worshipped Amida Buddha or the Thus Come One Mahavairochana, slighting Shakyamuni and


6· FLOW 719

slandering the Lotus Sutra.The Daishonin expounded

“this teaching” and strictly rebuked all the other sects for slandering the Law. “This teaching” refers to the Lotus Sutra, which is the true intent of the Buddha. It must not be mistaken who should be the original mentor. Therefore, just as the saying goes that “Good advice grates on the ears,” the Daishonin was hated violently by those who were attached to narrow views and heretical teachings, and encountered such persecutions as exile and near execution.

However, the Daishonin resolutely exclaimed, “But still I am not discouraged.” This declaration manifested the profound compassion within the life of the True Buddha to save all people, without ever retreating come what may.

With regards to such practice of kosen-rufu without begrudging one’s life, the Daishonin teaches that “The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, the Buddha like the sower, and the people like the field.”

This implies that the attainment of Buddhahood by all people is achieved through the practice of sowing the seeds of Buddhahood.

The essence of the Lotus Sutra is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the seed of Buddhahood for all people to attain enlightenment. The Buddha is the sower, who sows these seeds of attaining Buddhahood in the hearts of all people.

In the same manner, we call out and awaken the Buddha nature of those people we talk to about the Mystic Law.

SGI President Ikeda once wrote:

Nichiren Buddhism is the Buddhism of sowing. Our mission, therefore, is to sow the seeds of Buddhahood in people’s lives. Even if someone doesn’t start practising right away, the seeds we have planted in their life will someday definitely blossom. We can make that time come through the power of our prayer.

The more we speak to others about Buddhism with sincerity and conviction, the more we can help them form a connection to the Mystic Law, bringing good fortune and benefit to ourselves and others. Such efforts also forge ties of


7· FLOW 719

genuine and lasting trust.So again today, let us

reach out to others in dialogue with courage and confidence, and sow the seeds of happiness in their hearts!1

The shakubuku and propagation that we practise are none other than the actions of the Buddha in sowing the seeds of the Mystic Law in the hearts of our friends. Let us pray for the

1. From SGI Newsletter No. 10048 dated 03.10.2018: SGI President Ikeda’s Words of Encouragement, “Advancing with the Gosho: Words of Encouragement from SGI President Ikeda (2)” [36]: Sharing Bud-dhism with Courage and Confidence.

happiness of oneself and others, and with this as our foundation, expand our earnest and sincere dialogues in the community!

Translated by Wong Kang Ying from October 2019 issue of Jiao Xue Yan Xi,

the Taiwan Soka Association monthly study journal.

“ ‘The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, the Buddha like the sower, and the people like the field.’ This implies that the attainment of Buddhahood by all people is achieved through the practice of sowing the seeds of Buddhahood.”


8· FLOW 719

SGI President Ikeda’s Guidance Excerpts

Because we champion the cause of truth, devilish functions will assail us. Facing life-threatening persecution, Nichiren Daishonin endured all extremities to carry out his great struggle to “establish the correct teaching for the peace of the land” – a struggle for the peace and happiness of all humanity.

“Still I am not discouraged” – these words perfectly express the very heart of the Soka Gakkai spirit. Nothing can deter us. Let’s keep fighting boldly with invincible resolve that will dishearten and defeat all devilish functions.

FLOW No. 613 (01.10.2015) Cover 2.

a a a

Nichiren Buddhism is the Buddhism of sowing. Sowing the seeds of the Mystic Law in the troubled age of the Latter Day of the Law represents the unprecedented challenge of shining a light on and reaching out even to those whose hearts may seem like barren wastelands where no seeds could take root.

The Daishonin declares: “Only the seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are the seed for attaining Buddhahood.” (WND-2, pg 804) Everyone, no matter what their circumstances, can manifest the state of Buddhahood in their lives by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That is why we sow the seeds of the Mystic Law, the seeds of ultimate happiness. We continue to sow these seeds in our own hearts and those of others. We refuse to be shaken by even the harshest destiny, confidently proclaiming that faith in the Mystic Law assures us of attaining Buddhahood and urging our friends to walk the path to happiness alongside us.

My mentor, Soka Gakkai 2nd president Josei Toda, once warmly encouraged a sincere member who was concerned that his efforts to share Buddhism with others had not resulted


9· FLOW 719

in anyone deciding to start practising. Mr Toda said: “Don’t worry. The benefit you gain when you talk to someone about Buddhism, whether they start practising right away or not, is the same. The time will come when your efforts will bear fruit, so just keep on sowing seeds.”

The verse section of the “Life Span” (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that we recite every day in gongyo contains this passage: “Jewelled trees abound in flowers and fruit / where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.” (LSOC16, pg 272) Our movement for kosen-rufu is an unceasing endeavour to sow the seeds of the Mystic Law, foster the growth of jewelled trees of capable individuals, and spread rich and fertile fields of peace and peaceful coexistence, brimming with the joy of life, all across the globe.

COSMIC November 2015 issue, pg 62–63.

Photo: Wong Evon


10· FLOW 719

Q: I often hear about the “mentor-disciple relationship”,

but I find it difficult to understand.Discussion Meeting Question Time

The following is a dialogue between leaders and youth membersat a monthly discussion meeting.

Mr Cheng (District men’s division leader)

Mrs Lim(District women’s division leader)

Michael Tan(Young men’s division member)

Lee Yan (Young women’s division

member)

Characters featured inthis discussion meeting

Michael Tan: There is one thing I have been hesitant to ask.

Mrs Lim: Oh my, it’s unusual to see Michael being so reserved. (Laughter) Go ahead and ask.

Michael Tan: I often hear at meetings and other occasions about how important is the “mentor-disciple relationship,” but I don’t quite get the point. It’s difficult for me to understand.

Lee Yan: Indeed, youngsters nowadays hardly use such terms as “mentor and disciple,” and you may only hear this when entertainers are talking about their “mentors” on television.

Mrs Lim: You may be right. There was a time in my early days of Buddhist practice when I also used to think that the concept of mentor-disciple relationship is a bit difficult to understand. Anyway, that’s a very good question. Thank you for asking!


11· FLOW 719

Michael Tan: No, not at all. (Shyly

smiles)

Mr Cheng: Whether it’s in our studies, sports or the arts, if you seek to become an expert in a field, you will need a mentor to teach you after all, right? In the case of SGI members, we look to SGI President Daisaku Ikeda as our mentor in life. So as a human being, and as a practitioner, we are learning every day about how we should strive to live our lives.

Michael Tan: Regarding President Ikeda, the more I know about him, the more I feel he is too great a person that he seems so distant to me. Perhaps I’m not confident to say that “He is my mentor” or “I am his disciple.” This is where I find it hard to grasp.

Mrs Lim: Well, I can understand your feelings, but I wonder if it really is necessary to think too hard about it.

Lee Yan: Huh, why would you say so?

Mrs Lim: Because ultimately, it’s whether you decide that “My mentor is President Ikeda.” No matter what you have heard about

the mentor-disciple relationship, we have to decide for ourselves after serious thought, instead of coming to a decision based on what we’ve been told. Furthermore, what is important is the seeking spirit to learn from our mentor about how he has lived his life, such as “What are his thoughts right now?” or “How has he fought the battles in his life?”

Michael Tan: I see.

Mr Cheng: To those who study Buddhism, the existence of a mentor is extremely important. In the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin writes, “Those who follow evil teachers will fall into the evil paths in their very next rebirth.” (WND-1, pg 222) That is why Nichiren warned his disciples to consider carefully about who the true mentor is and exhorted them to “seek him out and make him our teacher.” (WND-1, pg 278)

Mrs Lim: President Ikeda learnt about Nichiren Buddhism and life from Soka Gakkai 2nd president Josei Toda. As Mr Toda’s disciple, President Ikeda has realised every vision of his mentor, hasn’t he? Moreover, he has also fulfilled Mr Toda’s final wish to open the path


12· FLOW 719

of worldwide kosen-rufu. Through his own life, President Ikeda demonstrates to us the example of a disciple succeeding his mentor's spiritual legacy.

Lee Yan: That’s true. It’s impressive!

Mrs Lim: That’s right? That’s why we regard President Ikeda as our mentor. I think there’s nothing more fulfilling than being able to strive alongside such a great mentor.

Michael Tan: I see it now! I am

determined to do my best, and be able to proudly say to anyone that “I am President Ikeda’s disciple!”

Mr Cheng: That’s right! Let’s do our best together in this spirit!

A: The mentor-disciple relationship exists when a disciple decides that “My mentor is President Ikeda.”

Translated by Chermaine Ooi from the September 2019 issue of the Daibyakurenge,

the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.

What is important is the seeking spirit to learn from our mentor about how he has lived his life, such has “What are his thoughts right now?” or “How has he fought the battles in his life?”

Photo: Seikyo Press

Young Women’s Division Gosho Study

13· FLOW 719

“…the seeds of Buddhahood sprout as a result of conditions...”

“The Properties of Rice” (WND-1, pg 1117)

How do I connect morepeople to Buddhism

and expand friendship?

The Gosho teaches: “… the seeds of Buddhahood sprout as a result of conditions…”

Encounters with other people can cause great transformation in a person’s heart. Open up your hearts and call out to the other person just as you are. From that moment on, your life and the other person’s will begin to change, and become stronger and more fulfilling.

I have met people at every possible opportunity. Through meeting people, I have expanded the allies of the Soka Gakkai and strengthened the organisation. I have met so many people, without taking a break, until it felt as if there were no one else to meet. Here lies the strength of Soka Gakkai. I want to cheerfully expand friendship and trust while

creating abundant memories.

Excerpt from “Encouragement of Four Seasons,” tentative translation from the

February 21, 2016 issue of the Seikyo Shimbun.

a a a

The endeavour of enabling other people to attain the eternal happiness of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime begins with planting the seeds of Buddhahood through dialogue. This is indeed the practical action for realising the Buddha’s vow.

What is crucial is that we ourselves awaken the life of the Buddha in others and create a powerful bond that inspires them.

Excerpt from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin and the Mentor-Disciple Relationship

(27): “The Expansion of Buddhist Bonds”, tentative translation from the September 24,

2009 issue of the Seikyo Shimbun.


14· FLOW 719

The Twenty-six Admonitions of Nikko (1)

– Practising Faith inAccordance with

Nikko Shonin’s Example

Introduction

Nichiren Daishonin once declared, “The varied sufferings that all living beings undergo – all these are Nichiren’s own sufferings.”

(OTT, pg 138) He regarded the sufferings of all humankind as his own and began the struggle for kosen-rufu. To ensure that the

Daishonin’s spirit will be transmitted correctly, Nikko Shonin wrotehis “Twenty-six Admonitions”, which serves as the standard of

practice for disciples in the future. During the summer training course of August 1960,

Shin’ichi Yamamoto uses “The Twenty-six Admonitions” as the study material to point out that the Soka Gakkai is the sole organisation

correctly practising the spirit of kosen-rufu exemplifiedby Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin.

SGM Soka Spirit department

On reflection, the [Soka] Gakkai had been carrying out faith precisely as these admonitions instructed.

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first president, had died in prison, selflessly devoting himself to the propagation of the Daishonin’s teachings and rigorously protecting the integrity of the True Law.

Inheriting his spiritual legacy, his disciple Josei Toda strove to make the Daishonin's decree to accomplish kosen rufu a reality by pledging solemnly to achieve a membership of 750,000 households – a dream brought to magnificent fruition.

These facts clearly show the Soka Gakkai as an organisation


15· FLOW 719

that has truly emerged in accord with the Buddha’s will and decree.

a a a

He [Shin’ichi] understood only too well the sentiments that had prompted the second high priest, Nikko Shonin, to leave behind a list of admonitions [“The Twenty-

six Admonitions”] to ensure that the Daishonin’s spirit was passed down unaltered to future generations.

Nikko Shonin had seen the deplorable way in which his colleagues, the other five senior priests, had behaved after the Daishonin’s death, even though they had all sworn together to achieve kosen-rufu as disciples of the Daishonin. Fearing oppression by the ruling authorities, these five cowardly priests proclaimed themselves to be disciples of T'ien-t’ai. They even obliterated the Daishonin’s writings by reprocessing the paper he had written on into fresh paper for their own use.

In this and other ways, they violated the integrity of the True Law.

In particular, one senior priest, Mimbu Niko, the chief instructor of priests at Mt Minobu, allowed

various slanderous acts by the local steward Hakiri Sanenaga to go uncensured.

Among his many offences, Hakiri commissioned a carving of Shakyamuni Buddha as an object of worship. Eventually, the growing hostility of Mimbu Niko forced Nikko Shonin to leave Mt Minobu. One can only guess how the Daishonin’s successor must have felt.

Through the generous support and sincere devotion of the eminent lay follower Nanjo Tokimitsu, Nikko Shonin constructed the head temple Taiseki-ji at Fuji in Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka

Prefecture) and thus protected the Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Nikko Shonin took into account, however, that even the pure flow of the Fuji School might one day cease, should faith be lost and the water allowed to become sullied. This could perhaps have been the reason why Nikko Shonin left these admonitions as eternal guidelines for faith.

Excerpts from The New Human Revolution, vol. 2, “Training” chapter.


16· FLOW 719

One Person of Passionate Commitment Is Stronger than

a Force of Untold Numbers

In August 53 years ago (in 1947), I became a disciple of Josei Toda. Soon after joining the Soka Gakkai, I read the Daishonin’s writing “On Practising the Buddha’s Teachings.” There is one passage that says:

Once you become a disciple or lay supporter of the votary who practices the true Lotus Sutra in accord with the Buddha’s teachings, you are bound to face the three types of enemies [arrogant lay

people, arrogant priests, and arrogant

false sages].1 Therefore, from the very day you listen to [and take faith in] this sutra, you should be fully prepared to face the great persecutions of the three types of

Introduction:

President Ikeda

expresses his firm belief

that his prayers and

efforts based on a vow

to protect his mentor

and fellow members by

taking on the brunt of

all persecutions opened

the way to worldwide

kosen-rufu.

From a speech delivered at a Japan-Italy representatives conference, Gunma Prefecture, August 11, 2000.

1. Three types of enemies: Also, three powerful enemies. Three types of arrogant people who persecute those who propagate the Lotus Sutra in the evil age after Shakyamuni Buddha’s death, described in the conclu-ding verse section of the “Encouraging Devotion” (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Great Teacher Miao-lo of China summarises them as arrogant lay people, arrogant priests, and arrogant false sages.


17· FLOW 719

enemies that are certain to be more horrible now after the Buddha’s passing. (WND-1, pg 391)

As a disciple who took Mr Toda’s spirit as my own, I made the following vow: “Let me alone bear the brunt of any persecutions. Allow me to protect my mentor Mr Toda and all the members of the Soka Gakkai.”

Over the last 53 years, I have constantly prayed and striven to fulfil that vow. It is my greatest personal pride that, while fighting fiercely against the three types of enemies predicted by the Lotus Sutra and the Daishonin’s writings, I have been able to open the way for worldwide kosen-rufu, extending our movement to 163 countries and territories,2 without a single person losing their life to persecution.

When the Daishonin was about to be executed at Tatsunokuchi, he exclaimed: “What greater joy could there be?” (WND-1, pg 767) And when he was exiled to Sado, he declared: “Because I view things this way, I feel immeasurable delight even though I am now an exile.” (WND-1, pg 386)

In life and in the struggle for kosen-rufu, all our sufferings and earthly desires are fuel for our enlightenment. The tougher the challenges we face, the greater the joy and benefit and the higher the life condition we will ultimately savour.

It’s important for leaders to resolve to work harder than anyone. They should also keep striving and live their lives cheerfully and confidently, determined to enjoy themselves more than anyone. People with such resolve are invincible; no one is a match for them. One person of passionate commitment is stronger than a force of untold numbers.

The outcome of a struggle is decided by the leaders’ determination, by their sense of responsibility.

The members in the early days of the Soka Gakkai rose up with a spirit of absolute determination to triumph and achieve kosen-rufu in their communities. If you have that determination, capable people will appear and join you in

2. The number has risen to 192 countries and territories as of 2017.


18· FLOW 719

realising that goal. Your resolve will also be communicated to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe, who will respond to your dedication. In other words, resolute prayer is the key. And just as the fields

It’s important for leaders to resolve towork harder than anyone ...

People with such resolve are invincible; no one is a match for them.

One person of passionate commitmentis stronger than a force of untold numbers.

burst into flower when spring comes, all of your efforts, too, will blossom without fail when the right time comes.

Adapted and edited by the SGM study department

Photo: Pang Yong Ren


19· FLOW 719

The Buddhism of the Sun — Illuminating the World (48)

To My Friends of Each Division Engaged in

Our Shared Struggle — Part 3

The Many Treasures Group – Your Brilliant Contributions Will Shine

in the History of Kosen-rufu

Nichiren Daishonin highly praised his disciples who fought, advanced, and overcame adversity alongside him from the early days of his struggle to spread the Mystic Law, writing: “Even if in the future other men and women become my believers, they will not replace you in my heart.” (WND-1, pg 502) Expressing gratitude for the earnest efforts of such disciples, he also stated: “In what lifetime could I possibly forget [your devotion]?” (WND-1,

pg 1069)

My mentor, Soka Gakkai 2nd president Josei Toda, often told me: “Always praise the members who have fought their hardest!” Honouring our dedicated members who have striven tirelessly for

kosen-rufu as “emissaries of the Buddha” is a tradition of the Soka Gakkai.

Our Pioneer Members Are the Eternal Treasures of Soka

I, too, will never forget the pioneer members with whom I have shared joys and hardships and together surmounted difficult struggles. I continue to pray, day after day and month after month, for the good health, long life, and happiness of these men and women who have made outstanding contributions that will shine in the history of kosen-rufu.

For many years, our pioneer members have practised Nichiren Buddhism steadfastly, praying and


20· FLOW 719

working for the happiness of each person around them, and exerting themselves wholeheartedly to create a peaceful and secure world for people everywhere. They are true treasures of Soka whose lives sparkle with jewel-like brilliance.

Imparting Hope to Generations to Come

Through their noble examples,

our pioneer members in the Many Treasures Group are imparting courage and conviction to our younger members, good fortune and benefit to their families and loved ones, and hope to future generations.

These champions of wisdom have advanced kosen-rufu while surmounting countless obstacles and changing karma into mission. There is no doubt that their lives

In SGM, the equivalent of the Many Treasures Group is the Golden Age Group. The members of the Golden Age Group are also always “exerting themselves wholeheartedly to create a peaceful and secure world for people everywhere. They are true treasures of Soka whose lives sparkle with jewel-like brilliance.”


21· FLOW 719

will shine eternally as “wonderful stories without compare.” (Cf.

WND-1, pg 499)

In this instalment, I would like to explore some passages from the Daishonin’s writings together with my friends of the Many Treasures Group, as if we were seated beneath a great cherry tree in glorious blossom, engaged in a conversation about kosen-rufu and life.

a a a

It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures – hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practising assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. You [Abutsu-

bo]1 may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself. You, yourself, are a Thus Come One [a

Buddha] who is originally

enlightened and endowed with the three bodies.2 You should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with this conviction. Then the place where you chant daimoku will become the dwelling place of the treasure tower. The [“Treasure Tower” (11th)

chapter of the Lotus Sutra]

reads, “If there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is preached, then my treasure tower will come forth and appear in that spot.” (Cf.

1. Abutsu-bo: A lay follower who lived in the province of Sado, an island in the Sea of Japan. When the Daishonin was exiled to Sado in late 1271, Abutsu-bo converted to his teaching together with his wife, Sennichi. The couple assisted the Daishonin during his exile, supplying him with food and other necessities for more than two years until he was pardoned and left the island in 1274. After the Daishonin went to live at Mt Minobu, Abutsu-bo made several journeys to visit him there.

2. Three bodies: Three kinds of body a Bud-dha may possess. They are the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Dharma body is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlight-ened. The reward body is the wisdom to perceive the Law and is called so because a Buddha’s wisdom is considered the reward derived from ceaseless effort and discipline. And the manifested body is the compas-sionate actions the Buddha carries out to lead people to happiness.


22· FLOW 719

LSOC11, pg 210]3 (“On the Treasure Tower”;

WND-1, pg 299–300)4

The Admirable Faith of Abutsu-bo and the Lay Nun Sennichi

The Daishonin sent the letter titled “On the Treasure Tower” to his disciple Abutsu-bo, a lay follower on Sado Island. In it, he reveals that Abutsu-bo’s life is a supremely noble treasure tower.

Soka Gakkai founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi underlined this passage in red in his personal copy of the Daishonin’s writings, indicating that he regarded this letter as extremely important.

In another letter, which the Daishonin sent some time later to Abutsu-bo’s wife, the lay nun Sennichi, he earnestly praises the couple for their sincere support during his exile on Sado, writing:

Every single steward and Nembutsu believer worthy of the name kept strict watch on my hut day and night, determined to prevent anyone from communicating with me. Never in any lifetime

will I forget how in those circumstances you [Sennichi], with Abutsu-bo carrying a wooden container of food on his back, came in the night again and again to bring me aid. It was just as if my deceased mother had suddenly been reborn in the province of Sado! (“The Sutra of True Requital”;

WND-1, pg 933)

The couple had admirably persevered in their Buddhist practice despite facing numerous obstacles, including being driven from their land, being fined, and having their house confiscated. (Cf. WND-1, pg 933)

Abutsu-bo and Sennichi’s unwavering efforts to seek and protect the Daishonin remind me of our pioneer members, who have

3. A rephrasing of the Lotus Sutra passage.

4. Nichiren Daishonin sent “On the Treasure Tower” to Abutsu-bo in March 1272 in reply to a question from him about the meaning of the treasure tower that is described in the Lotus Sutra. The Daishonin explains that the treasure tower refers to the Gohonzon, and that those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower and Thus Come One Many Treasures. He calls Abutsu-bo “a leader of this northern province [of Sado]” (WND-1, pg 300) and praises his deep faith.


23· FLOW 719

likewise stayed true to their faith through all manner of hardships since the early days of our movement.

The Light of Inner Transformation Adorns Our Lives

In the passage we are studying from “On the Treasure Tower,” the Daishonin begins by saying: “It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures – hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practising assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself.” (WND-1, pg 299)

Just what exactly is this treasure tower?

As Shakyamuni’s preaching of the Lotus Sutra proceeds into “The Emergence of the Treasure Tower” (11th) chapter, a tower suddenly rises out of the earth and stands suspended in the air. It is a colossal, magnificent tower adorned with seven kinds of precious materials, such as gold, silver, and lapis lazuli. Inside the tower is Many Treasures Buddha, who affirms that everything Shakyamuni Buddha has taught is true.

The passage just before the

part we are studying reveals that the treasure tower is the life of each person who upholds the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law. This can be seen in the Daishonin’s words: “Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself.” (WND-1, pg 299)

The treasure tower is nothing other than our own lives, and the seven precious materials such as gold, silver, and lapis lazuli mentioned in the sutra symbolise our own essential brilliance. These “seven kinds of treasures” represent the seven indispensable elements of Buddhist practice – hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practising assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. In terms of Nichiren Buddhism, they correspond to: hearing the teaching of the Mystic Law; believing in the Mystic Law; observing the precept of the Mystic Law [i.e., embracing

and upholding the Lotus Sutra

(the Gohonzon), (Cf. OTT, pg

37)]; focusing our mind on the Mystic Law [i.e., chanting to the Gohonzon]; exerting ourselves diligently in faith and practice; casting aside our self-centredness


24· FLOW 719

by putting faith first; and engaging in honest self-reflection while continually trying to improve ourselves day after day.

Today, these seven indispensable elements of Buddhist practice serve as guidelines for our human revolution – our inner transformation – and are all inherent in our daily Soka Gakkai activities.

Many Treasures Groups throughout Japan and around the World

Those members of our Many Treasures Group who have exerted themselves in faith and practice over long decades are especially commendable. Their lives shine with brilliant achievement and benefit.

The first Many Treasures Group was formed in November 1988, in trailblazing Kyushu (the

southernmost of Japan’s four main

islands). After that, similar groups were formed in Tokyo and Kansai, and then on the national level in Japan.

Watching these members serve as models for younger generations over the years has brought me tremendous joy and reassurance.

Now, wonderful Many

Treasures Groups have been established in countries all over the world, its members brimming with vigour and energy.

Rich Sources of Wisdom and Experience

It is my heartfelt wish that the members of the Many Treasures Group will continue to take action with a fresh spirit and live out their golden years triumphantly and without a single regret. At the same time, I see them as having the mission of demonstrating that an ageing society is a society imbued with happiness, and that a maturing society is a fulfilled society.

The American futurist Hazel Henderson, with whom I published a dialogue, said:

Viewed in another light, the ageing of society and stabilising population means the gradual maturing of society. Conventional wisdom has it that a slowing of population growth… is a terrible thing. But I do not agree. An ageing society with healthy life-expectancy is maturing and becoming


25· FLOW 719

broader so that it can provide leadership for the world in all kinds of ways.5

Dr Henderson sees an ageing society as an opportunity to create a more mature and tolerant society. She has also expressed her high hopes for the Soka Gakkai, calling our organisation an inspiring model for such a society.

The question is how to make the best use of the rich wisdom and experiences of our esteemed pioneer members, who have steadfastly overcome the challenges of turbulent times.

Respecting the Elderly Is the Key to a Flourishing Society

Shakyamuni taught that those who cherish the elderly attain an increase in life, beauty, happiness, and strength.6

The Daishonin also stresses the importance of respecting the elderly through a reflection on Chinese history, writing:

King Wen7 of the Chou dynasty was victorious in battle because he took care to provide for elderly people. During the thirty-seven reigns

spanning eight hundred years in which his descendants ruled, there were some incidents of misgovernment, but on the whole the Chou dynasty prospered due to that fundamental virtue. (“An Outline of the

‘Entrustment’ and Other

Chapters”; WND-1, pg 916)

This insight is even more significant in the context of today’s ageing society. Indeed, the lives of our elderly members, who have deeply internalised the Daishonin’s teachings, shine as beacons of a new philosophy illuminating humanity.

5. Hazel Henderson and Daisaku Ikeda, Pla-netary Citizenship: Your Values, Beliefs, and Actions Can Shape a Sustainable World (Santa Monica, California: Middleway Press, 2004), pg 159.

6. “For those who are always courteous and respectful of elders, four things increase: life, beauty, happiness, strength.” The Dhammapada: Sayings of the Buddha, translated by Thomas Cleary (New York: Bantam Books, 1995), pg 40.

7. King Wen (n.d.): The ruler who laid the basis for the founding and long prosperity of the Chou dynasty (c. 1100–256 B.C.E.), paving the way for the conquest of the Yin (Shang) dynasty by his son King Wu. King Wen governed with benevolence and was revered as a leader of outstanding virtue.


26· FLOW 719

“Treasures of the Heart” Are Indestructible

We are, of course, mortal beings, and as we age our bodies inevitably experience physical decline. Some of our elderly members are battling illness, while others have lost their life partners, or are living alone without much support from others.

As the Daishonin approached the age of 60, he highlighted the inescapable sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness, and death: “I have already undergone birth, and sixty years have now passed. And without doubt I have undergone ageing as well. All that is left for me are the two terms ‘sickness’ and ‘death.’” (WND-2, pg 683)

In society today, as the average life span increases, we are seeing a steady rise in the number of issues relating to ageing, sickness, and death. But regardless of circumstances, the “treasures of the heart” (WND-1, pg 851) that we have accumulated through connecting our lives with the Mystic Law and the realm of kosen-rufu can never be destroyed. They are forever indestructible.

In contrast, the “treasures of the storehouse” (material wealth) and “treasures of the body”

(physical health, practical abilities,

and social status) are benefits limited to this lifetime. (Cf.

WND-1, pg 851) The “treasures of the heart,” however, endure throughout the three existences of past, present, and future, adorning our lives in lifetime after lifetime.

Those who embrace the Mystic Law are guaranteed to be protected. Our members – shouldering the mission of lessening the karmic retribution8 and transforming the destiny of their families – are changing poison into medicine and accumulating good fortune that will flow on to their descendants for generations to come.

In the final chapter of our lives, our wealth in terms of “treasures of the heart” is unshakeable proof of our good fortune; it signals that we have

8. Lessening one’s karmic retribution: This term, which literally means, “transforming the heavy and receiving it lightly,” appears in the Nirvana Sutra. As a benefit of protecting the correct teaching of Buddhism, we can experience relatively light karmic retribution in this lifetime, thereby expiating heavy karma that ordinarily would adversely affect us not only in this lifetime, but over many lifetimes to come.


27· FLOW 719

established a state of genuine absolute happiness.

Conviction in the Nobility of Our Lives

The Daishonin tells Abutsu-bo: “You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself.” (WND-1, pg

299) This is because our life itself is the supremely noble treasure tower.

The Daishonin then goes on to highlight just how noble each person’s life is by revealing that each of us is the “Thus Come One who is originally enlightened and endowed with the three bodies.” (WND-

1, pg 300) In other words, we are fundamentally enlightened Buddhas endowed with the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body.9

“... regardless of circumstances, the ‘treasures of the heart’ that we have accumulated through connecting our lives with the Mystic Law and the realm of kosen-rufu can never be destroyed. They are forever indestructible.”

9. See footnote 2.


28· FLOW 719

In this way, the Daishonin is stressing the importance of each of us chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the deep conviction that we are the treasure tower, we are a Buddha.

Wherever We Are Is the “Dwelling Place of the Treasure Tower”

“The place where you chant daimoku [Nam-myoho-renge-kyo]

will become the dwelling place of the treasure tower,” (WND-

1, pg 300) writes the Daishonin. The treasure tower does not exist somewhere distant or far away from us. Furthermore, the place where we are right now is the treasure land, as the Daishonin indicates when he says: “It is not that [the Buddha] leaves his present place and goes to some other place.” (OTT, pg 192)

What’s important is that we continue taking action to realise the Daishonin’s ideal of “establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land.” Let us keep striving to positively transform our environment – in the spirit of “purifying the land three times” as described in the Lotus Sutra (Cf. LSOC11, pg

212–13) – firmly convinced that

the place where we are right now is the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light.10

a a a

Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets. For example, the journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop with only one day remaining, how can you admire the moon over the capital? No matter what, stay close to the priest who knows the heart of the Lotus Sutra, keep learning from him the principles of Buddhism, and continue your journey

10. Land of Eternally Tranquil Light: Also, Land of Tranquil Light. The Buddha land, which is free from impermanence and impurity. In many sutras, the actual saha world in which human beings dwell is described as an impure land filled with delusions and sufferings, while the Buddha land is described as a pure land free from these and far removed from this saha world. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra reveals the saha world to be the Buddha land, or the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light, and explains that the nature of a land is determined by the minds of its inhabitants.


29· FLOW 719

11. This letter was addressed to Niike Saemon-no-jo, a disciple who lived in Totomi Province (present-day western Shizuoka Prefecture). In it, the Daishonin writes of the joy of being born and propagating the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law. He further goes on to assert that faith in the Mystic Law is the key to attaining Bud-dhahood and stresses the importance of diligent practice.

12. Walt Whitman, “Old Age’s Ship & Crafty Death’s,” in Leaves of Grass (New York: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1968), pg 440.

of faith. (“Letter to Niike”;

WND-1, pg 1027)11

The Joy of Sharing the Law in the Latter Day

The Daishonin begins his “Letter to Niike” with the words: “What a joy it is for us to have been born in the Latter Day of the Law and to have shared in the propagation of the Lotus Sutra!” (WND-1, pg

1026)

He then goes on to say: “Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets.” (WND-1, pg 1027)

True faith means remaining steadfast in our Buddhist practice until the very end. We mustn’t reach a point where we feel that, just because we’ve practised wholeheartedly since our youth, we’ve done enough and can take a break in our “journey of faith.” And, more importantly, we must never abandon our faith altogether.

The spirit of the Buddha is to strive with unflagging determination to keep going to the last moment. With that spirit, each step we take will be a step towards triumph in the final accounting of

our lives.This year [2019] is the 200th

anniversary of the birth of the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–92). Towards the end of his life, Whitman wrote: “A battle-contest yet! bear lively there!”12 In other words, he still had a vigorous fighting spirit. Let us, too, remain active and energetic no matter what our age. Let’s continue to encourage and support each other, and cheer one another on. This will cause boundless joy, fulfilment, and good fortune to well forth in our lives.

Mr Makiguchi started practising Nichiren Buddhism at the age of 57, and he continued to energetically share the practice and proclaim its greatness to others well into his 60s and 70s.

In Mr Toda’s novel Human Revolution, there is a scene in


30· FLOW 719

which Mr Makiguchi and a senior diplomat are having a frank discussion on the former’s theory of value. As the novel’s hero, Gan – who represents Mr Toda himself – watches them discoursing passionately for over two hours, he reflects: “There are elderly people who, though their bodies have aged, still possess a youthful spirit, and there are those whose bodies are young, but who have lost their passion and inspiration and grown old of heart.”

It is just as the Daishonin describes: “You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate.” (WND-1, pg 464)

Let us strive to remain young at heart and continue to feel passion and excitement in our Soka Gakkai activities and our daily lives.

Continuing Our “Journey of Faith” Each and Every Day

In “Letter to Niike,” the Daishonin points out to his disciple Niike that if he ends the 12-day journey it takes to get from Kamakura to Kyoto a day early, he will not be able to reach his destination. He also encourages Niike to seek out a “good friend” who has gained a profound understanding of the Lotus Sutra and to continue his “journey

of faith.” (Cf. WND-1, pg 1027)We cannot carry out our

Buddhist practice in the fullest sense apart from the Soka Gakkai, the organisation advancing kosen-rufu in the real world just as the Daishonin teaches. In order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime and help others do the same, we need to strive wholeheartedly in faith while living out our lives together with the Soka Gakkai. The key is to continue seeking the way, challenging ourselves, and giving our all.

That’s why it’s essential that we practise with the spirit of striving even one more day. With pure and steadfast faith, we can bring our lives and our efforts for kosen-rufu to a magnificent completion.

The Sure Path of Eternity, Happiness, True Self, and Purity

Mr Toda burned with passion for kosen-rufu until his final moment. He declared: “The Soka Gakkai is my life. It must always remain an organisation of pure faith that exists to accomplish kosen-rufu,” and “President Makiguchi and the Soka Gakkai have faithfully kept the Daishonin’s Buddhism alive.” He also called out: “Fight adamantly against any corruption!” and “Never slacken in your


31· FLOW 719

struggle against evil!” With this spirit, he continued

to boldly take the lead in our movement for kosen-rufu and protect the realm of the Soka Gakkai, the harmonious community of practitioners dedicated to carrying out the Buddha’s intent.

Our Many Treasures Group members have inherited this faith of the lion king of Soka that brims with invincible fighting spirit. Maintaining the determination to strive today and every day assures us of having a “correct and steadfast mind at the moment of death.”13 We will be able to forge a path that will imbue our lives with the noble virtues of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity14 throughout the three existences of past, present, and future.

Steadily and Patiently Exerting Ourselves Day after Day

Achieving this, however, doesn’t require any special or unusual form of practice.

As the Daishonin states in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings: “Morning after morning we rise up with the Buddha, evening after evening we lie down with the Buddha.” (OTT, pg 83)

All we need to do is keep pressing ahead in our faith day after day, steadily and patiently, with confidence and good cheer. In this way, we will experience gratitude and the joy of faith amid our seemingly ordinary lives. Even if, as we age, we can’t get about as easily as we once could, we can encourage others over the phone or in writing. We can chant for their happiness and victory. As Many Treasures Group members, your very presence is a great source of inspiration.

As long as we continue chanting to the Gohonzon each day and practising alongside our

13. In “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life,” the Daishonin asserts that “one who summons up one’s faith and chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the profound insight that now is the last moment of one’s life” will savour immense inner peace and tran-quillity when they die, protected by a thou-sand Buddhas. (Cf. WND-1, pg 216) This is the meaning of a correct and steadfast mind at the moment of death. In other words, those who strive in faith with the spirit that now is one’s last moment are on the path of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

14. Eternity, happiness, true self, and purity are known as the four virtues. Describing the noble qualities of the Buddha’s life, the four are explained as follows: “eternity” means unchanging and eternal; “happi-ness” means tranquillity that transcends all suffering; “true self” means true and intrinsic nature; and “purity” means free of illusion or mistaken conduct.


32· FLOW 719

mentor and our fellow members, we will have no cause for anxiety or fear. We will reside in a realm of complete security and peace of mind.

The purpose of our Buddhist practice is to attain indestructible happiness, no matter what. It enables us to continue our eternal journey experiencing joy in both life and death.

Walking the Great Path of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime Together

The Mystic Law is “the great lantern that illuminates the long night of the sufferings of birth and death.” (WND-1, pg 1038)

Our efforts for kosen-rufu day after day guarantee us an unsurpassed life-state, true to the words that practitioners of the

Lotus Sutra will enjoy “peace and security in [our] present existence and good circumstances in future existences,” (Cf. LSOC5, pg 136)15 as well as “perpetual youth and eternal life.” (WND-1, pg 413)

They also assure that we will continue our mission for kosen-rufu, “constantly being reborn in various Buddha lands together with our mentor.” (Cf. LSOC7, pg 178)

In the golden years of our lives, let us keep moving ahead together, one step at a time, on the great path of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime!


In order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime and help others do the same, we need to strive

wholeheartedly in faith while living outour lives together with the Soka Gakkai.The key is to continue seeking the way,challenging ourselves, and giving our all.

That’s why it’s essential that we practise with the spirit of striving even one more day.

– President Ikeda

15. “The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs” (5th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra states: “Once these living beings have heard the Law, they will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.” (LSOC5, pg 136)

Buddhism in Life

33· FLOW 719

The Noble Bodhisattva Way of Soka

Nichiren Buddhism is a quintessentially humanistic religion. It teaches that the most important priority is helping those who are suffering right in front of us and guiding them towards happiness.

The true worth of religion is found in reaching out to help those who are suffering or struggling, in actions of compassionate service to others.

Core to our bodhisattva practice is practice for ourselves and practice for others. This en-compasses both Buddhist practice for our own human revolution as well as efforts to expand the movement of kosen-rufu.

Soka Gakkai founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi gave a lecture entitled, “Believers, Practitioners, and Scholars of the Lotus Sutra and Methods of Investigation” (November 1942).

In it, he urged: “We must clearly distinguish between believers and practitioners. While a person will surely gain benefit simply by having faith

and offering prayers, this alone does not constitute bodhisattva practice. There is no such thing as a self-centred Buddha who only accumulates personal benefit and does not work for the well-being of others. Unless we carry out bodhisattva practice, we cannot attain Buddhahood.”1

This short statement contains the essence of the faith of the Soka Gakkai.

It isn’t enough to simply have faith and be a believer. It isn’t enough just to study and be a scholar of Buddhism. We cannot truly understand Buddhism unless we are practitioners who take action for the happiness of others.

Mr Makiguchi declared that Soka Gakkai members are people of actual practice – in other words, they are practitioners of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law

1. Translated from Japanese. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Makiguchi Tsunesaburo Zenshu (Collected Writings of Tsunesaburo Makigu-chi), (Tokyo: Daisanbunmei-sha, 1987), vol. 10, pg 151.

Buddhism in Life

34· FLOW 719

and genuine Buddhists carrying out bodhisattva practice.

As Soka Gakkai members, we uphold faith in the Gohonzon and exert ourselves in Buddhist practice every day. This Buddhist practice consists of both practice for ourselves and practice for others. Such efforts enable us to reveal our inner Buddhahood and attain a state of absolute happiness, and to help others do the same.

Practice for ourselves means efforts for our personal benefit, and specifically refers to our daily practice of gongyo (reciting excerpts

of the Lotus Sutra and chanting

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo). Practice for others means efforts we make so that others can also receive benefit, and specifically refers to teaching others about Nichiren Buddhism and spreading the Mystic Law. All our various activities for kosen-rufu, no matter how modest, constitute practice for others.

As the Daishonin writes: “You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others.” (WND-1, pg 386) Our efforts for the happiness of ourselves and others, Mr Makiguchi taught, are crucial as practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.

The mission of practitioners of

the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law is to engage in practice for oneself and others in this evil age, making wholehearted efforts to lead one person after another to enlightenment.

Propagating Buddhism in the Latter Day of the Law is a great and noble undertaking to overcome the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness,2 and transform the destiny of humanity.

We are committed to sharing Buddhism with all those with whom we have a connection, in exact accord with the Daishonin’s instruction that we “spread the Lotus Sutra as he does.” (WND-1,

pg 994)

Having been born into this world, we dedicate ourselves to the happiness of others and lead contributive lives, earning the appreciation of countless people for our efforts to help them. This is the most worthwhile way of life

2. Three poisons of greed, anger, and foolish-ness: The fundamental evils inherent in life that give rise to human suffering. In the renowned Mahayana scholar Nagarjuna’s Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, the three poisons are regarded as the source of all illusions and earthly desires. The three poisons are so called because they pollute people’s lives and work to prevent them from turning their hearts and minds to goodness.

Buddhism in Life

35· FLOW 719

possible for a human being. Our efforts to sow the seeds of

Buddhahood sometimes produce quick results and sometimes require time before results appear, but the benefits are the same in either case. Whether or not those we talk with start practising immediately, the important thing is that we do our best to share

Buddhism with them, sincerely and confidently, and that we make persistent, wholehearted efforts to help them understand the teachings. If we can achieve that, the seeds of Buddhahood we sow in their hearts are certain to eventually sprout and grow.

In another writing, the Daishonin says: “Chant Nam-

“The mission of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law is to engage in practice for oneself and others in this evil age, making wholehearted efforts to lead one person after another to enlightenment.”

Buddhism in Life

36· FLOW 719

myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world.” (WND-1, pg 64) As these words indicate, practising ourselves and teaching others to do the same are actions that produce the greatest possible good.

Day after day, Soka Gakkai members chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon and engage in dialogue for the happiness of themselves and others. In this troubled age of the Latter Day, they uphold the great vow for kosen-rufu as they carry out bodhisattva practice all around the globe.

Mr Makiguchi declared that Buddhism is a teaching for daily life. It is a teaching that enables us to make the most of our lives. We are invigorating our lives and those of others every day through our efforts to share Buddhism. Through dialogue, which is the most basic means of engaging with others, we impart the light of hope and renewal to those who have lost their way in life and are in the depths of suffering, or unable to find any meaning in living. In the process, together with them, we elevate our appreciation for the meaning of life itself. This

is indeed the noble practice of contributing to a revolutionary transformation in the life-state of all humanity.

Spreading the Mystic Law, sharing it with others, spreads waves of joy.

Mr Toda said: “Sharing Buddhism shouldn’t be something painful or unpleasant. It should be done with joy.” Altruistic bodhisattva practice always brims with the joy of creating value based on our vow for kosen-rufu.

Our activities as Bodhisattvas of the Earth to encourage others and work for their happiness as well as our own are the ultimate form of bodhisattva practice. We, the members of the Soka family, are a magnificent force of Bodhisattvas of the Earth that will shine eternally in the history of the people.

With pride in pursuing the noble bodhisattva way of Soka, let’s strive diligently in our practice for ourselves and others, and together lead glorious, triumphant lives!

Excerpt from President Ikeda’s lecture series “The Buddhism of the Sun

– Illuminating the World” [18]: Faith, Practice, and Study:

The Basics of Nichiren Buddhism – Part 2, FLOW No. 673 (01.04.2018), pg 8–23.


37· FLOW 719

Our Brilliant Human Revolution

The Power of Our Inspiring Soka Movement

That day, that morning, in my beloved Okinawa, ever mindful of the mission entrusted to me by my mentor, I took the first step on what would be a marathon undertaking: I began writing my serialised novel The Human Revolution.

That was on December 2, 1964. I had chosen the 2nd specifically because it was the monthly memorial1 of Mr Toda’s death. That was also the reason I had embarked on my journey for worldwide kosen-rufu on October 2 in 1960, the year I was inaugurated as Soka Gakkai 3rd president.

My novel would continue on from where Mr Toda’s own novel Human Revolution – written under the pen name Myo Goku – had left off, so I decided to make my pen name Ho Goku.2 The novel in itself is the story of the disciple carrying on the mentor’s legacy in faith.

Always sensing my mentor’s

stern yet warm gaze, always asking myself what he would do, I waged a struggle of the pen.

a a a

The first chapter “Dawn,” which I began writing 55 years ago in a small Japanese-style room at the Soka Gakkai Okinawa headquarters (in Naha), is an inseparable part of my shared struggle with my

1. In addition to annual memorials for the deceased, monthly memorials are also often observed in Japan. Mr Toda passed away on April 2, 1958. His annual memo-rial is observed on April 2 each year, while his monthly memorial is observed on the second of each month.

2. In The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda writes: “Mr Toda used the pen name Myo Goku; I will use Ho Goku. Combining the first part of each name creates myoho, or Mystic Law. Goku means to awaken to the truth of non-substantiality. The myo of myoho refers to the world of Buddhahood, and ho refers to the other nine worlds. Myo is also awakening or enlightenment, while ho is fundamental darkness or delusion. Based on this principle we can say that myo corresponds to mentor and ho to disciple.” (Vol. 9, “A New Era” chapter.)


38· FLOW 719

beloved Okinawa members. At a district leaders meeting

on the eve of my new endeavour, I stressed to those present that the key to transforming our environment is human revolution, and assured them that they could transform Okinawa into a model society of peace and prosperity without fail.

I also copied out a poem composed by my mentor and presented it to an Okinawa youth division member who had lost both parents in World War II:

No matter how painful,

Do not lament, my friends!

Tomorrow we will see

A realm of true happiness

Of kosen-rufu.

The afternoon that I completed the first instalments of my novel, I exchanged firm handshakes with student division members who were at the Okinawa headquarters for a meeting. Many of those bright young students would play a central role 10 years later in the compilation of the first volume of the Soka Gakkai Youth Division Anti-war Publication series, War-torn Urumajima.3

Over the course of these 55 years of shared struggle, the

members of my sincere, warm-hearted Okinawa Soka family have challenged themselves in their human revolution. They have striven “with all their might and unswerving dedication”4 to build a realm of happiness and peace in Okinawa that will shine as a beacon of hope for all humanity.

Next year (2020) will mark the 60th anniversary of Okinawa Chapter. I am praying with all my heart that a brilliant new dawn – a dawn of kosen-rufu and lasting peace and happiness for all – will once again spread from Okinawa to the rest of the world.

a a a

Our members everywhere are advancing proudly towards the Soka Gakkai’s 90th anniversary(in 2020).

Trailblazing Kyushu and Ever-Victorious Kansai both recently held general meetings brimming with energy and joy. Throughout Japan, many enthusiastic new leaders are emerging. They are striving hard together with

3. Urumajima: Ancient name of the Okinawa Islands.

4. Lyrics from the Soka Gakkai song “Heroes of Okinawa.”


39· FLOW 719

dedicated veteran leaders and seniors-in-faith to carry out “the propagation of Buddhism in their province,” (Cf. WND-1, pg 1117)

the place entrusted to them by the Daishonin. Nothing is more reassuring.

How happy Mr Toda would surely be to see this, having declared in his last years, “I don’t need anything else – all I hope for are capable people!”

There is a famous passage that Mr Toda marked heavily in his copy of the Daishonin’s writings:

Now, at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, I, Nichiren, am the first to embark on propagating, throughout Jambudvipa [the entire world], the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo5… My disciples, form your ranks and follow me, and surpass even [such

outstanding disciples of the

Buddha as] Mahakashyapa or Ananda, [and such great

Buddhist teachers as] T’ien-t’ai or Dengyo! (WND-1, pg 764–65)

In accord with these words, Mr Toda stood up alone amid the devastation of post-war Japan,

carrying on the spirit of his mentor, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, who died in prison for his beliefs. He called forth young Bodhisattvas of the Earth one after another and trained them thoroughly. This is because without successors and the shared struggle of mentor and disciple to carry on the spiritual flame of our movement, we cannot achieve worldwide kosen-rufu.

Shared struggle and successors will indeed be our central focus next year (2020), which has been designated as the Year of Advancement and Capable People.

In a letter to his disciple Shijo Kingo, the Daishonin writes: “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.” (WND-1, pg 839)

Here, we see the boundless compassion of the Daishonin who steadfastly encouraged and prayed for his disciple’s success,

5. Myoho-renge-kyo is written with five Chi-nese characters, while Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is written with seven (nam, or namu, being comprised of two characters). The Daishonin often uses Myoho-renge-kyo synonymously with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in his writings.

40· FLOW 719


6. Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Mary Lawton, The Paderewski Memoirs (London: Collins, 1939), pg 326.

regarding him as more precious than his own life, saying: “You are a person who can inherit the soul of the Lotus Sutra.” (WND-1, pg 839)

Capable individuals are fostered through deep prayer and encouragement imbued with the determination to raise them to surpass us and to open the way widely for successors to follow in ever-growing numbers.

This means leaders and seniors-in-faith first working hard themselves. We need to set an example ourselves of what it means to be a capable person who works for people’s happiness and spreads courage and hope. We need to challenge our own human revolution with a totally fresh commitment and resolve.

The Daishonin writes: “Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month.” (WND-

1, pg 997) Let’s banish inertia and advance energetically each day, defeating devilish functions and negativity with the powerful lion’s roar of daimoku, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

“By creative work one gives one’s self new life”6 – these are the words of the renowned pianist and Polish prime minister Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860–1941), who

fought to free his homeland from the tyranny of Nazi control.

The Soka Gakkai is an organisation dedicated to value creation. United as mentor and disciple, we have appeared together in this corrupt, strife-filled age with the mission to create value limitlessly in the form of peace and happiness, come what may.

a a a

The recent Soka Gakkai Headquarters leaders meeting on November 18 [2019], Soka Gakkai Foundation Day, was held in conjunction with the SGI General Meeting, and in that sense was a true peace conference of global citizens.

Two hundred and eighty leaders, Bodhisattvas of the Earth from 65 countries and territories, gathered in Tokyo, their hearts buoyed by a passionate seeking spirit that carried them here over long distances.

“The great distances these persons travelled [to seek

Buddhism] are indicative of their

41· FLOW 719


devotion,” (WND-2, pg 1030) commends the Daishonin. There is not the slightest doubt that all the visiting SGI leaders will enjoy visible reward from the unseen virtue of their noble devotion.

On November 17, they attended exchange meetings in 32 venues in five prefectures throughout the Kanto region,

where members have been recovering from damage caused by recent destructive typhoons and heavy rains. Many guests also attended these discussion meetings of the global Soka family. They were deeply moved to see first-hand how members around the world are chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and were inspired

“Capable individuals are fostered through deep prayer and encouragement imbued with the determination to raise them to surpass us and to open the way widely for successors to follow in ever-growing numbers.” It means the seniors-in-faith need to set an example on what it means to work for others’ happiness.


42· FLOW 719

by their positive spirit and the experiences-in-faith they shared on that occasion.

The energy and exuberance of faith pervaded the meetings, giving rise to a wonderful chain reaction of joy in accord with the principle of “rejoicing in hearing someone rejoicing.” (Cf. WND-1,

pg 68) Such vibrant heart-to-heart connections and mutual inspiration are a vital driving force for kosen-rufu. This is the unchanging power of the ties of mentor and disciple and the unity of fellow members.

On November 18, 1957, the last Soka Gakkai Foundation Day I celebrated with my mentor, I wrote in my diary:

Through President Toda’s efforts, we have grown this much. Through his efforts, we have opened the life-state of the Mystic Law. Through his efforts, we have been able to bring forth our potential. The debt of gratitude we owe him as our mentor is higher than a mountain, deeper than the ocean. I will never forget this. Will tell the world about the life and achievements of my

great mentor. This, I firmly vow.

The noble path of worldwide kosen-rufu will continue to open wide through the efforts of successors united by this shared bond of mentor and disciple.

a a a

With a series of natural disasters striking Japan this year (2019), I can’t help but think of the many hardships being faced especially by our members in farming and fishing communities. I am chanting for them each day, praying that they will be able to turn poison into medicine.

Behind every rich harvest are the laborious efforts of those who have tilled the soil and sowed the seeds. One of my dear friends, the Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov (1928–2008), was very fond of an old regional folk song “Sowers of Seeds.” In fact, he once shared some lines from it when he was warmly encouraging a group of Soka school students: “I will give the seeds I have sown plenty of water… / praying that each seed will produce a thousand-fold harvest.” Through this song celebrating the nobility of toiling


43· FLOW 719

in the fields undaunted by the hot summer sun, he highlighted the prayers of those who sow seeds.

Mr Aitmatov also offered this important advice for living a life free of regret: “Never forget who you are or where you came from. Never forget to be grateful to those who have raised you and loved you unconditionally, without calculation or reason.”

The members of our Many Treasures Group have always chanted earnestly before going to meet and encourage their fellow members. Deeply inspired by their sincere care and concern, many people have stood up in-faith and developed into champions of kosen-rufu.

There is no shortcut to fostering capable people. Though it may take time, if we continue to believe in others’ potential and share with them our great conviction in faith, they are sure to respond and show splendid growth.

The Future Division English Skit Contest, which has now become a wonderful annual tradition in Japan, is also made possible through the prayers and sincere support of many people in our organisation. Members of this year’s winning team expressed

their appreciation for everyone who had helped and prayed for them along the way.

Many future division members and also non-members participated in the contest this year. How inspiring it is to see them all growing into such fine, rich-hearted, and wise global citizens!

Let us continue to nourish the earth of precious young hearts with hope-filled encouragement.

a a a

To my joy, Soka youth around the world are studying The New Human Revolution, engaging in a spiritual dialogue of mentor and disciple.

Youth division members in Europe are also expanding their network with the rallying cry, “New Human Revolution generation, be the light!”

This November, incidentally, marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (in

1989). Ten years ago, in December 2009, I met with former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who played a pivotal role in ending the Cold War. In our discussion, we both expressed our wish to impart once again to the world’s youth the courage to tear down any


44· FLOW 719

“Surmounting walls, overcoming obstacles, is the perennial struggle of life and society. Overcoming each wall that blocks the way forward is the true challenge and purpose of youth.”

walls that may confront them.Surmounting walls, overcoming

obstacles, is the perennial struggle of life and society. Overcoming each wall that blocks the way forward is the true challenge and purpose of youth. I hope you will calmly surmount the walls that divide our world, holding firm to the vision of humankind as one global family.

The human revolution of a single individual will help change

the destiny of all humankind. My dear friends – global citizens of Soka and successors who share the great vow for kosen-rufu! Proudly championing this great theme of our movement, let us forge ahead with the flame of our mission as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth burning brightly in our hearts!


Gosho Study

45· FLOW 719

The Daimoku of the Lotus SutraNam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Question: Is it possible, without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo once a day, once a month, or simply once a year, once a decade, or once in a lifetime, to avoid being drawn into trivial or serious acts of evil, to escape falling into the four evil paths, and instead to eventually reach the stage of non-regression?

Answer: Yes, it is.Question: You may talk about fire,

but unless you put your hand in a flame, you will never burn yourself. You may say “water, water!” but unless you actually drink it, you will never satisfy your thirst. Then how, just by chanting the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo without understanding what it means, can you escape from the evil paths of existence?

Answer: They say that if you play a koto strung with a lion’s sinews, then all the other kinds of strings will snap. And if you so much as hear the words “pickled plum,” your mouth will begin to water. Even in everyday life there are such wonders, so how much greater are the wonders of the Lotus Sutra!

We are told that parrots, simply by twittering the four noble truths of the Hinayana teachings, were able to be reborn in heaven, and that men, simply by respecting the three treasures, were able to escape being swallowed by a huge fish. How much more effective, then, is the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, which is the very heart of all the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Buddhism and the eye of the countless Buddhas! How can you doubt that by chanting it you can escape from the four evil paths1?

The Lotus Sutra, wherein the Buddha honestly discarded expedient means, says that one can “gain entrance through faith alone.” And the Nirvana Sutra, which the Buddha preached in the grove of sal trees on the last day of his life, states, “Although there are innumerable practices that lead to enlightenment, if one teaches faith, then that includes all those practices.”

Thus faith is the basic requirement for entering the way of the Buddha.

(WND-1, pg 141)

1. Four evil paths: Also, four evil realms of existence. The realms of suffering one un-dergoes because of evil actions, or karma – the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras.

Gosho Study

46· FLOW 719

Background and Outline

This Gosho is a letter composed in the first month of the third year of Bun’ei (1266). From the letter’s contents, the recipient appears to be a woman who had previously practised the Pure Land (Nembutsu) teachings and was relatively new to faith in the Daishonin’s Buddhism. Her exact identity is unknown.

At the beginning of this writing, the Daishonin poses the question, “Is there really any benefit in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo even just once without understanding its meaning?” and then goes on to clearly outline the tremendous power of the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo – which is the very heart of all the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Buddhism and the eye of the countless Buddhas. He then emphasises that faith is the basic requirement for entering the way of the Buddha.

In other words, even if we do not understand the profound doctrines, as long as we uphold faith and diligently chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can eliminate all forms of evil karma in an instant and manifest immeasurable good fortune and benefit. This is because the single character

myo contains three profound significances.

First, the Daishonin says: “The character myo means to open.” (WND-1, pg 145) The Lotus Sutra is the sole scripture that opens the way for the enlightenment of all living beings, which is the ultimate purpose of Buddhism.

Secondly, the Daishonin writes: “Myo means to be fully endowed, which in turn has the meaning of ‘perfect and full.’” (WND-1,

pg 146) The single character myo contains within it all teachings, benefit and the power to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood.

On the third significance, the Daishonin writes: “Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life.” (WND-1, pg 149) This expresses the immeasurable and boundless benefit of the Mystic Law that has the power to revive all living beings and enable them to attain Buddhahood. It indicates that those who are deemed unable to attain Buddhahood in the sutras prior to the Lotus Sutra – evil persons, women, and persons of the two vehicles – can indeed do so. (Cf. WND-1, pg 149)

Finally, the Daishonin emphasises that only the Lotus Sutra expounds that women

Gosho Study

47· FLOW 719

can become Buddhas, and it is only through by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and not being influenced by evil friends can one attain Buddhahood.

a a a

Main Points for Study

The key point of this Gosho passage is to clarify that the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo – has vast and boundless power and benefit. The Daishonin encourages his followers to carry out the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for attaining happiness.

In exploring the root causes and solutions to the four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death of human beings, Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, came to realise that the eternally universal fundamental Law that pervades the universe and life is within his very own life.

Sometime after his passing, the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha were compiled into various sutras. Among them, the true nature of his enlightenment was recorded in the Lotus Sutra.

Entering the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren Daishonin reveals this key philosophy of the

Lotus Sutra that the lives of all living beings contain the noble life-state of Buddhahood. The Daishonin named this Mystic Law that Shakyamuni Buddha was enlightened to – the fundamental law of the universe – as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Thus, he established the means for ordinary people to open up the life-state of Buddhahood.

The Immeasurable Benefit of the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

What is the power contained in the seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?

From the beginning of the letter, the Daishonin asserts that the benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is immense beyond measure, and it can transform any kind of negative karma. He affirms that it is indeed possible “without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo once a day, once a month, or simply once a year, once a decade, or once in a lifetime, to avoid being drawn into trivial or serious acts of evil, to escape falling into the four evil paths, and instead to

48· FLOW 719

eventually reach the stage of non-regression.” (WND-1, pg 141)

The Daishonin also writes: “Only the seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are the seed for attaining Buddhahood.” (WND-2, pg 804)

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the seed of Buddhahood, contains the causes of all the innumerable practices that lead to enlightenment, and the effects of all the superlative good fortune and benefit to be gained upon attaining enlightenment. That’s

why, if we just plant that seed – by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo – in the field of our hearts even just one time, we are guaranteed to be able to manifest the same life-state as the Buddha.

Next, to emphasise the extraordinary power of the Mystic Law, the Daishonin writes: “And if you so much as hear the words ‘pickled plum,’ your mouth will begin to water. Even in everyday life there are such wonders, so how much greater are the wonders of the Lotus Sutra!”

...even if we do not understand the profound doctrines, as long as we uphold faith and diligently

chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can eliminate all forms of evil karma in an instant and manifest

immeasurable good fortune and benefit. This is because the single character myo contains

three profound significances.

Gosho Study

Photo: Lum Heng

49· FLOW 719

(WND-1, pg 141)

The Daishonin declares: “The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra... is the very heart of all the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Buddhism and the eye of all the Buddhas.” (WND-1, pg 141)

This signifies that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the essence of all the Buddha’s lifetime teachings and doctrines, and it is through awakening to this Mystic Law that all Buddhas attain enlightenment. Therefore, the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables all ordinary people to attain Buddhahood, manifest this fundamental Law within themselves and overcome all sufferings, and receive the great benefit of establishing a life-state of absolute happiness that is unshakeable no matter what happens.

Faith is the Key to Attaining Buddhahood

At the end of the Gosho passage we are studying this time, the Daishonin teaches that the key to unlocking this immense benefit inherent in life is none other than “faith.”

The “Simile and Parable” (3rd) chapter of the Lotus Sutra

says with regard to attaining the Buddha way that we can “gain entrance through faith alone.” (LSOC3, pg 110) In other words, even Shariputra, Shakyamuni’s disciple known as “foremost in wisdom,” ultimately grasped the mystic truth of the Lotus Sutra not through his own understanding or wisdom, but through faith in the Buddha’s boundless teaching.

The Daishonin quotes this sutra passage and says that faith is the foundation, teaching us that the key to attaining Buddhahood and the basis of Buddhist practice is faith.

SGI President Ikeda teaches:

The state of our life force determines everything; our health, courage, wisdom, joy, motivation to improve our lives, as well as self-discipline. Daimoku itself is the source that enables us to limitlessly tap our life force. Thus, those who base themselves on daimoku are never deadlocked.2

a a a

2. Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, vol. 11, “Pioneering New Frontiers” chapter.

Gosho Study

Gosho Study

50· FLOW 719

Summary of Main Points

• The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo – contains immeasurable power and benefit. It is the seed for attaining Buddhahood.

• Faith is the basic requirement for entering the Buddha way. Even if we do not understand the profound doctrines, we can still eliminate evil karma and manifest immeasurable good fortune and benefit, as long as we uphold faith and diligently chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

• Myo has three significances: to open, to be fully-endowed and to revive. This expresses the immeasurable and boundless benefits of the Mystic Law.

• Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the essence of all the Buddha’s lifetime teachings and doctrines, and it is through awakening to this Mystic Law that all Buddhas attain enlightenment. The daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables ordinary people to attain Buddhahood, manifest this fundamental Law within themselves and overcome all sufferings, and receive the great benefit of establishing a life-state of absolute happiness that is unshakeable.

Daimoku transforms suffering into joy, and joy into supreme joy. This is why it is important to single-mindedly chant daimoku no matter what, whether we are happy or sad, in good times or in bad. This is the direct path to happiness.3

Let us embrace prayer

infused with the vow for realising kosen-rufu, upholding firm and unshakeable faith. Let’s chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo earnestly and steadfastly, enabling boundless life force and courage to well forth, and create a life of victory and happiness!

3. Ibid., pg 30.

51· FLOW 719

Great thoughts

spread from person to person

through dialogue.

Living words of the individuals

change the people and the age.

– SGI President IkedaFrom SGI Graphic April 1999

52· FLOW 719

FE719RM2.50

Published by Persatuan Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, No. 243, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-21412003

Printed by Napoleon Printing, 21, Jalan 10/108C, Taman Sungai Besi, 57100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Exhibition Period > 22·02–15·03·2020Time > 11:00am till 5:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Venue > Soka Exhibition Hall, Wisma Kebudayaan SGM

243, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 KL

Tel > 03-2144 8686

Continuum: Nite Rhona-Wetlands Dry Series

5th Solo Exhibition by Mohd Yusoff Osman

Documents

SGI President Ikeda · 2020. 4. 27. · President Ikeda (2)” [36]: Sharing Bud-dhism with Courage and Confidence. happiness of oneself and others, and with this as our foundation,