You Are the "Lotus Flower"

The only place that a lotus can bloom and grow thick, healthy roots is in the mud and slime of a lotus pond. If the lotus started to hate its dirty pond and snuck away to some school swimming pool, how could it ever bloom? What would happen to its roots? People may complain of all kinds of troubles in life, but it’s only because of such difficulties that you can attain your human revolution. This is the principle of changing poison into medicine. If you clean the mud out of the pond and pave it with concrete, what’ll happen to the lotus? It’ll never bloom. The pond represents our problem-filled world, the lotus is you and the mud is your problems – the indispensable nourishment for your human revolution, your own growth. No matter how muddy or dirty its pond is, the lotus can still bloom beautifully.

Therefore, in order to attain your human revolution, you have to stay in the pond and struggle to grow right in that mud. In other words, without all kinds of difficulties and problems in life, you can’t really grow as a human being. The organization may do something you don’t agree with , but that doesn’t mean you have to get out. Your effort to overcome those difficulties makes you grow. But whatever you do to overcome them should be based on sincere daimoku to the Gohonzon. Otherwise, you will neither change your karma nor achieve any lasting success. In order to change your karma you have to bring forth strong vitality and establish an unshakable self amid this troubled, mundane world. With consistent efforts you can bring the beautiful flower of your human revolution to bloom.

Don’t ever run away again. Instead, chant lots of daimoku to the Gohonzon. Pledge to become an individual who can really contribute to kosen-rufu. Always remember the principle of the lotus flower. 

Source: Guidelines of Faith by Satoru Izumi