New Testimonial - New experiences are now "live" on the Chant for a Better Life blog.

Request for Testimonials - We would like to encourage all Soka members from around the world to send in your testimonials to actualproofs[at]yahoo.com and share your experiences - how you overcome the challenges you faced and achieve victories - with other members who could learn from you.

Saturday

28th February

LIFE is eternal. We have been fortunate enough to embrace the Mystic Law in this lifetime and have a wonderful opportunity to accumulate good fortune. If we do not do so when we can, we will be the ones who lose out. In particular, the good fortune we accumulate through our efforts for kosen-rufu will form the foundation of our eternal happiness. As a result of such efforts, it is absolutely certain that we will be reborn in lifetime after lifetime as Buddhas, as champions of life. For that reason, let’s do our utmost now!


BUDDHISM teaches the principle of the oneness of life and death. Those who deeply study the principles of life and put them into practice will not fear death because they have the ability to attain eternal fulfilment and happiness.


EVERYONE has a unique mission that only they can fulfil. This does not mean, however, that you should sit around and do nothing, waiting for someone to tell you what it is. It is fundamental that you discover your mission on your own.


THE tree provides an apt analogy for life. No matter under what adverse circumstances they might find themselves in, those who have deepened their roots with the determination that the place where they are is the land of their mission will be victorious. Complaining accomplishes nothing.


I am convinced that true religious faith must not be at odds with reason. From the time I was young, I have treasured the words of a philosopher that true religious faith is the extension of reason. True reason seeks true faith, and true faith allows elevated reason to shine in its own light.

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.

Friday

27th February

THE true stage of your Buddhist practice and action for kosen-rufu is none other than your place of work, your community, or in short, the place where you exist right now. Please have deep conviction that right here is the place where you must exert yourself for the sake of kosen-rufu and for your own enlightenment.


YOU must never be defeated by the struggles that confront you. You must never retreat. You must never be daunted. Your daily activities to make your faith manifest itself in your lives will become solid roots for your victory and happiness over the three existences.


WITHOUT the world of intellect that education opens, religion and faith are in danger of becoming blind. But with the light of intellect produced by education, the spirit of religion also shines with a brighter light.


WHEN we interact with others with true sincerity, the other person will more often than not come to respect and value our own character. And this is all the more so when our actions are based on prayer. Conversely, holding others in contempt only leads to being held in contempt oneself. One whose life is tainted by feelings of hate towards others will come to be reviled by others.


CULTIVATING harmonious relations with and winning the support of people of diverse characters and persuasions are part of our Buddhist practice. This is a necessary pre-condition for the organisation to move forward as a while and for our own individual development and growth. It also enables us to forge a solid self-identity so that we can confidently meet and talk with all kinds of people.

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.

Thursday

26th February

BUDDHISM is the wellspring of courage. When we possess courage, we can transform any misfortune or suffering into sustenance for our own development and the strength for achieving our mission.


THE "power of practice" encompasses the strength of your daimoku and the energy with which you work for kosen-rufu - for the happiness of all people and the prosperity of society as a whole. The stronger the power of your practice for yourself and others, the more you can tap the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law of the Gohonzon.


YOU must not be half-hearted. When you pursue something with a strong determination, you will have no regrets even should you fail. But if you succeed, you will achieve truly great things. Either way, your unceasing efforts will lead you to the next path you should follow.


IN seeking the truth, there is never a point when we can say, "This is good enough," and have done with our efforts. Similarly, in practising for the happiness of others, there is no point at which we can say, "I have done enough." The same goes for our practice to develop and perfect ourselves.


EDUCATION provides the ship, the map and the compass for the exploration of those unknown inner regions. Believing in people, believing in some rich unknown something and drawing it out - that is the vigourous spirit of education. It has something in common with true religious spirit as well.

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.

Wednesday

25th February

PLEASE understand that your daily practice of gongyo and your continuous activities for kosen-rufu, based upon faith, ultimately return to you as fortune and benefit. This is the nature of the Daishonin's Buddhism.


WHAT is the most important thing in human society? It is, without question, human beings. What makes human beings? Education. It is impossible to overemphasise the importance of education.


THE treasure of the heart is the most fundamental treasure. In this sense, all of you who spare no effort in exerting yourselves day and night for the sake of the Law and for the sake of others are people of character who possess the greatest happiness in life. The treasure of the heart, that is faith, is an eternal treasure that adorns our lives over the three existences of past, present and future.


WE need the tenacity and perseverance to accumulate benefit through faith steadily and surely with each step we take forward and up. We cannot build anything solid or indestructible by neglecting to make efforts when no one is looking or through pretentious posturing or empty gestures.


THE Gosho contains the illuminating light of a philosophy of hope, peace and respect for life that the world today is desperately searching for. Based on the Gosho, we are spreading the unprecedented revitalising light of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism around the globe. What a grand renaissance ill bring about in the new century!

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.

Tuesday

24th February

THOSE who firmly establish their own characters, qualities and inner spiritual domain, no matter what happens, will possess the fundamental strength and capacity to change everything into a source of value. Such people are truly happy.


BUDDHISM is the highest principle of reason. It is based on the reason that we are promoting all of our activities in society. In this way, Buddhism can be made to pulse in society. This is the basis for the SGI movement.


PUT an end to onshitsu. It is your enemy and stand in the way of benefit. Let’s enable everyone to fulfil all their desires with fresh, honest faith linked directly to the Dai-Gohonzon.


WHETHER in life, day to day existence or the movement for kosen-rufu, solid unshakeable victory is not achieved overnight. While receiving conspicuous benefit is wonderful, you cannot expect it to happen all the time. It is like winning the lottery. Just because you win it once does not mean you will win it every time. Far more important is inconspicuous benefit.


LET us live long lives and make our way to the top of this mountain with joy, hope and strong commitment, with the goal of completing the foundations for kosen-rufu. Though some may pass away in the course of our journey, they will attain Buddhahood and quickly be reborn; since life and death are indivisible, they will continue to work for kosen-rufu as our fellow members in faith forever.

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.

Monday

23rd February

MYOHO is a great law or principle that possesses absolute power. One who lacks power cannot be truly happy, or save others from suffering. Only through faith can one obtain this absolute power of Myoho. Therefore, you should carry out faith with hope and courage, never regressing even for a moment.


THOROUGH preparation - the kind which allows one to be ready to respond to any contingency - comes from strong sense of responsibility. Those who think that things will somehow work out of their own accord have already been defeated.


A person who says, "I'll do it", who is willing to take on a challenge even if he or she is the only one, is a true winner. The determination, the commitment to take action yourself is the force that leads to victory. As Buddhism teaches with the principle of three thousand realms in a single life-moment, our mind of attitude can change everything.


IN any realm of society, following a new path towards reformation is fraught with untold hardships and bitterness. However, so long as there is a great leader, the people will continue onward. Even when deadlocked, such a leader believes in the unlimited potential of human life and instils hope and courage in those he/she leads.


THE SGI and only the SGI is spreading the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin widely throughout the world, just as the sutra stated, and striving to create lasting peace and the values of happiness. Our mission is to firmly establish the ideals of humanism in society and to free humanity and the world from the chains of suffering. I hope you will all be proud that you are carrying out this wonderful, noble work of the Buddha.

NOTE: Visit http://nichirendaishoningosho.blogspot.com/ for Nichiren Daishonin's gosho, Winter Always Turns To Spring.