How to Fulfil Your Wishes - A Special Way to Pray

Experience from the New Human Revolution Volume 22

A year earlier when Hasebe was visiting Japan, he conferred with Shin'ichi about whether he should try to buy a house in France. Smiling, Shin'ichi said: "That must mean that your paintings are selling well enough that you can afford a house."

"No," deferred Hasebe, "I'm just thinking about what I should be aiming for in the future."
Shin'ichi responded: "Instead of putting it off into the future, you should have the attitude that you're going to buy it right now. I think you should purchase a house. To be accepted by French society (which is where Hasebe now lived), it's important for you to have a house, put down roots in your community, and win people's trust. The thing to do is to firmly decide that you're going to buy a house and then chant hard to make that a reality. That said, if your only motivation is that you simply want a house, it might take a long time for your prayer to be answered."

Somewhat taken aback, Hasebe asked: "Is there a special way I should pray?"

"Yes," replied Shin'ichi. "You should make a pledge to carry out kosen-rufu for the sake of the happiness and prosperity of the people of France, and chant wholeheartedly for that. For example, you can pray, 'I will dedicate my life to achieving kosen-rufu in France. Therefore, I need a hhouse so that I may gain trust in the community and be able to provide members with a place to meet. Please give me a nice, big house for that purpose.'

"Daimoku based on a vow and wish to achieve kosen-rufu by showing people the way to attain absolute happiness is the same type of daimoku chanted by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Earth. When you pray like this, the Buddha nature within your own life will open up and raise your life-condition to such a degree that you can even move the universe. When that happens, you will be able to realise your wish to buy a house without fail.

'On the other hand, if you're just praying for a big, fancy house because you want one for yourself, your life-state won't expand much, and it may take a long time for you to see your wish fulfiled. For us, the foundation of prayer is always kosen-rufu. And daimoku that originates in the determination to contribute to kosen-rufu produces immeasurable and unlimited benefits.
Making a pledge for kosen-rufu leads to a fulfilment of all one's wishes

When We Are Grateful, We Feel Joy!

Shin'ichi said "The spirit of gratitude is very important. when we are grateful, we feel joy. When we are joyful, we also feel courageous. That leads us to want to do our utmost to show our appreciation to others. Having met many people all over the world, I have reached the conclusion that people who are able to feel gratitude are happy.
It is also true that those who betray others do not have this spirit of gratitude. Such people just expect others to do things for them. They come to depend on others and to rely heavily on their goodwill. Therefore, when other people don't do as they expect, they feel cheated and disappointed and start to complain incessantly. The slightest setback causes them to sulk and sends them into depression. But they are really just making themselves miserable, and they end up wandering through a self-created maze of unhappiness.
"The Gosho says; '... even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching'.
Concerning yourself with what others are doing and complaining when they don't live up to your expectations is looking for the Law outside yourself. Such thinking ultimately comes down to spiritual weakness."
- Daisaku Ikeda
Towards Victory, Excerpted guidances from the NHR Value Creation Feb 2014

Continue to Seek, Not Become 'Know it Alls'

Gosho: On the Treasure Tower

How do we develop our faith?

One way is to maintain a seeking mind. Abutsu bo provides a great example for us in this respect. after the Daishonin was pardoned from his sentence of exile, abutsu-bo three times made the arduous journey over land and sea to visit him at Mount Minobu, despite his advanced age. We too like elderly Abutsu-bo may encounter many difficulties in the course of our practice, but under any circumstances, a seeking mind for Buddhism such as he possessed is a prerequisite for our human revolution. A seeking mind gives us hope for the future, courage to challenge the impossible and confidence to rely on the Gohonzon before all else. we might say that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is in a sense like electricity; the moment you tab it, its power fills your entire being. when you devote yourself to the Gohonzon, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo within you emerges. the joy which wells up when you chant daimoku with faith in the Gohonzon enables you to establish the fundamental life-condition you need in order to win in this troubled society. when we chant daimoku with a seeking mind for the Gohonzon, we are already moving toward supreme happiness.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

How to Muster Sincere Faith

Gosho: On prolonging life

"First you must muster sincere faith." 

Whatever your problem may be, use it as a catalyst to strengthen your daimoku. things will definitely change in your favor when you continue chanting until you spontaneously arouse a great determination and begin acting on it. As Nichiren Daishonin writes to Myojo in this letter, "First you must muster sincere faith." In other words, when faced with 'illness' of any kind, it is vital to summon up the confidence that you can solve any problem through your powers of faith and practice. If your illness overwhelms you and you fail to resolve to conquer it, it will continue to sap your already weakened life-force. on the other hand, no matter how much you may hurt at the moment or how badly shattered your life may be, through a sincere and resolute practice, your life will definitely become healthy. you will see proof of this physically, spiritually, and in your associations with other people.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

Work and Gakkai Activities

When told that they must reconcile work and Gakkai activities, some members think, “That means not to devote ourselves a hundred percent only to one or the other. We only need to do both to a moderate degree. That is what Buddhism calls the middle way.” This is a wrong interpretation.

(States a member’s example) Having been appointed a group chief in the men’s division, he began to engage in activities even more vigorously than before. He ran a small factory with about a dozen employees. In a few months he realized that his business was not going well. Many people would have decided to stop activities altogether until the business was rehabilitated. (I recognize that there may be cases where this is the only alternative). The group chief, however, went a step further. He resolved to exert himself all-out to rebuild his business and at the same time, not to neglect activities even a bit. He earnestly chanted daimoku so that he would be able to do both in a most satisfactory manner.

Not only did the firm’s business begin flourishing again, but the person found even more time than before for activities. Note that he did not choose between work and activities. Only when he resolved to carry out both successfully with an eye to the future did he see a new path open before him. To reconcile work and activities is not to perform both halfway, but to perform both to the fullest extent. For this purpose, consider carefully what you should do, and chant earnestly. Then wisdom will inevitably well up within you, showing you a splendid way out of your difficulty.

Source: Guidelines of Faith by Satoru Izumi 

Nothing is a Coincidence

When you suffer a setback or mishap, regard it as a warning from the Gohonzon to reflect on your attitude towards faith. Otherwise you may start complaining and soon get into bigger trouble. You might even wind up doubting your faith.

But if you take it as a strict warning from the Gohonzon, you can reflect on your attitude toward faith and thank the Gohonzon for the fact that the accident wasn’t serious. Then you can apologize to the Gohonzon for any past insincerity and pledge to strengthen your determination for kosen-rufu. This is how to avert more serious accidents that might happen in future. When something bad happens to you, no matter how trifling it may be, if you think of it as significant to your faith, you can make it a cause for happiness. On the contrary, even though something serious happens to you, if you faith to think it significant to your faith, it will become a cause for unhappiness.

Therefore, check your attitude toward faith so that you can consider even a small incident as something valuable and significant. That’s how you can change poison into medicine.

Source: Guidelines of faith by Satoru Izumi

They practice. Then why do they have problems?

Some members leave the faith simply because other members are involved in a traffic accident or lose property in a fire. Isn’t this acting a little too impetuously? Such people seem to believe that someone with faith should not die, get hurt, meet any accident or suffer loss in any way. Were that to be true, it would create terrible confusion in society.

“How old are you, granny?”

“Three hundred and sixty-five.”

A person’s face already bears quite a few wrinkles at the age of sixty-five; what would it look like 300 years later?

Refrigerators would sell poorly.

“Even if we eat spoiled food, we won’t get sick because we practice faith.”

“Since we have faith, we won’t die even if we don’t eat. Therefore we don’t need to work.”

Thus the world would be filled with lazy people. However, none of these things are in any way true.
Now, some members may protest, “Then it makes no difference whether we have faith or not, does it?” But we cannot tell just by looking at the immediate occurrence whether it is a benefit or loss. No incident can be categorically defined as benefit or loss in and of itself. Each phenomenon invariably contains the potential for either.

Suppose someone’s house burns down. At the moment we cannot tell whether it is benefit or loss. What is important is how things will go after this mishap. Will he be able to live in a better house, or will he be reduced to living in a wretched shack? We need to wait for some time in order to determine whether that fire was a benefit or loss. As long as we continue our faith, we can change any kind of poison into medicine. Don’t be defeated by any difficulty or swayed by any external influence. Instead, continually strengthen your faith so that you can turn anyone and anything into a good influence, a springboard for you to advance towards your happiness.

Source: Guidelines of faith by Satoru Izumi

I Am Practising. Then Why Don't I Feel Happy?

Gosho: On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime

“If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured throughout eternity and attain supreme enlightenment in this lifetime, you must awaken to the mystic truth which has always been within your life. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth within you.

In this brief passage, the Daishonin poses the fundamental problem of human existence and also points the way to its solution.

To escape suffering and seek happiness is the natural desire of human beings. Nichiren Daishonin teaches that we can overcome our sufferings by awakening to the truth that has always been within our life. In this way, he teaches that all people already have the gem of the Buddha nature (Myoho-renge-kyo) within. By discovering it, we can enjoy the supreme enlightenment right here in this mundane world.

But it is not enough for us merely to understand intellectually that our own life is the entity of the Mystic Law. The Daishonin teaches us that we must come to have deep faith in our own Buddha nature. Thus he admonishes us, “even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but some inferior teaching.” In practical terms, to “think that the Law is outside oneself” means to seek both the causes and solutions to one’s problems in the environment. In this sense, to think that others are responsible for our happiness, or that we cannot find fulfilment until someone else changes, or to measure our own self-worth solely in terms of our bank balance, the type of job we hold, or any other transient, external circumstance, might all be considered examples of “seeking the Law outside oneself.”

Whenever we think in this way, we forget the unlimited power we possess within to change our destiny for the better. Our Buddhist practice which should by rights be a source of boundless joy, starts to feel like an “endless, painful austerity.”

The Daishonin firmly negated any idea that points to external solutions as fundamental. The way to establish indestructible happiness is to manifest joy within our moment to moment existence through our Buddhist practice. We cannot find true happiness if we seem merely to escape and unpleasant situation. Rather when we resolve to face reality courageously, and change it for the better by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we will be charting a correct course toward a happy life.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

Valid Criticism or Being Judgemental?

Source: AOL 2003 by Kathy Aitken

Q. Valid criticism or being judgemental -What is the difference?

A. When we encounter the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, one of the first things we learn is the importance of not committing slander. However, many of us are confused as to what this means, possibly due to the imprint left on us by our previous exposure to non-Buddhist doctrines. Does it mean we should never say anything ‘negative’ about anybody or anything? Should we simply keep our mouths shut, even in the face of injustice?

Even a cursory read of Nichiren Daishonin’s writings will show that this was not his approach. On the contrary, he was an outspoken critic of those priests whom he considered embraced inferior teachings, as well as the government of his day. He was not averse to heated debate and remonstrated with the Kamakura shogunate on three occasions. Furthermore, his letters to his disciples, whilst offering hope and encouragement, also contain warnings and admonishments. What can we learn from this?

We need to understand that the Daishonin was motivated solely by his boundless compassion for humanity. As the first person to express in words the fundamental Law governing the universe – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo – his foremost concern was to save the entire world from the injurious effects of teachings that do no embody this truth. There are exists in Nichiren Daishonin’s example, therefore, a very clear precedent for us, his present day followers. Bearing in mind the Buddha’s admonition not to slander – we are warned in one of the Daishonin’s letters ‘The Fourteen Slanders’ against despising, hating, envying and bearing grudges – we would do well to learn how to criticise to good effect. This is not necessarily easy:

For example, we may notice that we are critical of ourselves and others and immediately begin to think of this as bad. However, we are discerning human beings and we all possess a critical faculty. If you are a ‘critical person’ chances are you are also the type of person who reads a newspaper and reads between the lines, or spots the hidden agenda behind political manoeuvring. Kosen-rufu needs people of such discernment – therefor rather than trying to rid ourselves of this tendency per se, Buddhist practice allows us to channel this energy so that it reveals its positive aspects.

Whenever our tendency to be judgemental tries to get the better of us, we might do well to consider whether what we are concerned about really warrants comment or we are simple being pedantic. For instance, we may always chant a certain amount each day – it is our choice – but others may not and that is theirs. All Nichiren Daishonin taught was to continue chanting throughout our lives. We do not have to pick others up on matters to do with Buddhism unless what they are saying or doing represents a serious contradiction to the Daishonin’s teachings. Further whenever we feel tempted to nit-pick about something a fellow member may or may not be doing, perhaps we would do best instead to turn our attention on ourselves and our own practice. More often than not, an imagined fault in someone else is a reflection of something amiss in ourselves.

It is an indictment of our times that being judgemental enjoys such enormous popularity. Frequently though, criticism is made without offering anything positive in return: a case of knocking something down, almost for the sake of it. This is no more than giving vent to personal prejudices, as opposed to valid criticism, which requires thought and effort and aims at being creative rather than destructive. In our relationships with others it is imperative that we draw on our Buddha qualities- particularly in instances of despair and difficulty – and not take the easy way out by responding glibly with comments such as ‘Its’ your karma’ or ‘You’re not practising correctly,’

Such response is tantamount to unhelpful judgement and does nothing to alleviate suffering. If anything, it serves only to make it worse.

Speech being one of the three fundamental ways in which we make causes, it makes sense that we learn to use the faculty wisely and with respect. As SGI President Ikeda says:

‘We are all Buddhas. Therefore, to criticise another is to do the same to a Buddha. Because we are all Buddhas, we should respect each other. The Soka Gakkai should abound with the spirit described in the passage, ‘You should rise and greet him from afar, showing him the same respect you would a Buddha.’

Our aim in practising Buddhism is not only the personal attainment of Buddhahood, but also the creation of a peaceful world based on the Mystic Law. This being an unenlightened age, it will take on accumulation of many actions founded on courage, compassion and wisdom to turn the negative tide of the times in the opposite direction. Whenever we exercise our critical faculties positively, based on chanting to the Gohonzon, we accelerate that process, bringing the time of kosen-rufu that much closer.

The Real Meaning of Karma

Karma - By Sarah Litvinoff UKE 1995

Even people who know very little about Buddhism tend to have heard of karma, a word that has entered the language, and is used even when the concept isn't fully understood. In essence the theory is as simple as the translation of this Sanskrit word: 'action,' though its simplicity is also extremely profound. Buddhism teaches that every word, thought and deed is engraved in our lives. These are causes that will one day lead to noticeable effects. At one level this is something most of us are aware of: the cigarettes we smoke today will have an impact on our health at some time - we don't know when or necessarily how (whether it'll be heart problems, respiratory illness or cancer), but effects there will be. Similarly, the half-hour of exercise we've just completed has no immediate effect, but we know that if we exercise consistently, over time the result will be changed shape and increased fitness.

Buddhism goes further, stating that our lives are shaped in just the same way, by everything we do in the course of each day' and that even our personalities, our looks and our circumstances can be explained by the karma we have accumulated over countless previous lifetimes. As Daisaku Ikeda says:

The late Arnold Toynbee interestingly compared the human karmic situation to a banking account in which entries are always being made in the debit and credit columns to alter the balance, which is the fate of the individual life at any given moment. Buddhists believe that what Dr Toynbee called the karma balance sheet continues in effect after death and into coming lives.

Buddhism also teaches that, as with a bank account, changing our karma is within our control. Just as cutting down on expenses and making the effort to pay in more money can put our account into healthy credit, so making positive changes in our lives, in our interaction with other people, and in our relationship to the world in general, creates ‘good’ karma which can change our destinies. Nichiren Daishonin, in his treatise ‘The Opening of the Eyes,’ quotes from the Contemplation on the Mind Ground Sutra which makes this point strongly, ‘If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in eh future, look at the causes that exist in the present’.

Daisaku Ikeda explains it like so:
Most people in the West accept the idea that effort (causes) produces rewards (effects). In short, the Buddhist law of causes and effect seems to agree with what human beings everywhere experience in actual practice; and although actual karmic links are often very difficult to demonstrate, awareness of a degree of connection between his actions and their outcomes can inspire man to strive to be and do better.

Importantly he makes the point that the potential to change our karma is enormously increased by our Buddhist practice. Think, for example, of a water pipe. If it is not used for a long time, it will rust and the water which first runs through it will become turbid. In this example the turbid water is compared to the unhappy life condition of the human beings which is bound by negative karma. However as you continue chanting to the Gohonzon everyday with strong faith, sending clean water into the water pipe, that is your life, you will eventually change your karma fundamentally without fail just as the water becomes clear. (Buddhism in Action).

The Human Revolution - The Meaning of the Practice of the Lotus Sutra

In his speech, Toda penetrated to the heart of the Mystic Law, and then warned the participants against
reckless action.
"I will not ask whether you are sincerely practicing, because propagation is something
you should carry out of your own initiative. Instead, I want to ask whether your businesses are doing well, whether you are making money, and whether you are enjoying good health. Nothing pleases me more than to see that you are showered with benefits. You tell me you are practising and are involved in the propagation campaign, but as long as you remain in poverty, you cannot call yourselves my disciples. Ours is the faith through which one can carry on a flourishing business as well as improve his family's living. Those who think only about the faith and neglect their work are flouting the teaching of Nichiren Buddhism. Through our vocations we contribute to society and thus have the chance to manifest the power of our faith. The Gosho states that doing your best in any task is itself the practise of the Lotus Sutra. -
From the Human Revolution, Volume 7, 'Under the Wings' chapter

NHR - Sensei's Guidance

From NHR  Vol 9  Page212  Very encouraging guidance from Sensei - Mrs Usha

Faith is meaningless unless we carry it through until the very end.  If we dont persevere in faith , we cant transform our karma or build a foundation for genuine happiness.  But people have a tendency to be defeated by their own weakness. They may practise in earnest for a time, but then grow cowardly when faced with opposition or criticism  to their faith.  Or when they fall ill or hit a deadlock, they may become fainthearted and start having doubts.

Others abandon their faith because of a grudge held against another member arising from some minor personal conflict and then leave the Soka Gakkai the harmonious community of lay believers with a direct connection to the Buddha.  To avoid this, it is important that we base our lives not on our subjective emotions but on the teachings of Buddhism and the Gosho. 

Encouraging Gosho Passage

The following passage is from the Gosho "Embracing the Lotus Sutra"  WND Vol I, p 59 and has been shared by Mrs Usha.

"One should have complete faith in the Lotus Sutra and look forward to being born in the presence of the Buddhas in one's next life.
To illustrate, suppose that a person  is standing at the foot of a tall embankment and is unable to ascend.  And suppose that there is someone on top of the embankment who lowers a rope and says, " If you take hold of this rope, I will pull you up to the top of the embankment."  If the person  at the bottom begins to doubt that the other has the strength to pull him up, or wonders if the rope is not too weak and therefore refuses to put forth his hand and grasp it, then how is he ever to get to the top of the embankment?  But if he follows the instructions, puts out his hand, and takes hold of the rope, then he can climb up.
If one doubts the strength of the Buddha when he says, " I am the only person who can rescue and protect others"; if one is  suspicious of the rope held out by the Lotus Sutra when its teachings declare that one can "gain entrance through faith alone"; if one fails to chant the Mystic Law which guarantees the "such a person assuredly and without doubt (will attain the Buddha way),"  then the Buddha's power cannot reach one, and it will be impossible to scale the embankment of enlightenment. "

Guidance by Vice President Tsuji - Excerpt 1

In the early years of my practice, I had come across some guidance by SGI vice president Takehisa Tsuji. I found it very fresh and encouraging and I feel that this would be an appropriate forum to share it with all of you. I will be posting it in excerpts as it is a little long and one may lose oneself in reading it completely. The first part explains how important it is to chant joyfully and gratefully.


"Gongyo is directly related to your life. There are three things
 directly related sustaining life. One is to eat and rest. It is
 important to consume nutrients and to get adequate sleep. These
 two are easy to understand and everyone does them. You don't
 quit eating or sleeping because you are unhappy with someone.
 But when it comes to doing Gongyo, there are those who quit
 doing their prayers easily. It is because they do not realize
 that Gongyo and Daimoku are directly related to sustaining
 their life. You can improve your destiny by chanting Daimoku.
 Your karma will further deteriorate with out chanting. If you
 do not chant your destiny will revert back to your former bad
 karma. It is like reverting back to your former state of having
 a weak intestinal system or back to poverty. These types of
 changes are not easily recognized. This is why people get lazy
 with their daily Gongyo and Daimoku. This is a frightening
 thing.

 There is a phrase in the Gosho, English Gosho page 81, "There
 is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus
 Sutra." But do you really do your Gongyo with this conviction?

 You must feel that it gives you the greatest pleasure to do
 Gongyo and Daimoku. There is phrase in the Gosho that
 emphasizes that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all
 joys. To be wed is a joyous thing. But Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a
 greater joy. To save millions of dollars may make you happy.
 But Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is even more enriching. To finally
 renovate your home after many years of waiting may bring you
 joy but chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is better than that.

 Finally getting a child after many attempts may be a joyous
 occasion but Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is more joyous than that. Look
 into your hearts to see if you are chanting with this type of
 gratitude. Are you receiving 100% of the benefits that the
 Gohonzon would like to grant you? I feel that most of you are
 just receiving 10 to 15% of what you could be receiving. With
 this type of life condition you will lose to obstacles and deep
 karma.

 Why do you receive benefits when you chant to the Gohonzon -
 and why do you continue to chant? If you chant only to overcome
 a specific illness will it only cure that illness? If you chant
 for the success of your business, will you only become
 successful in business? It is not such a limited practice.

 The Gohonzon is telling us it can elevate our life to the
 highest level, equal to the Gohonzon. There is a passage in the
 Gosho, "hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any
 distinction between us." You should chant with deep gratitude
 to the Gohonzon for granting you the same life condition as the
 Gohonzon."

Power of Daimoku - Ikeda Sensei

Power of Daimoku

"If you underestimate the power of daimoku and use other strategies you will lose in the end. You can accumulate good fortune only when you fight for the kosen-rufu without begrudging your life. Unless your prayers are united, your fight for kosen-rufu cannot gain momentum. No matter what anybody says, or does, nothing can defeat the power of daimoku. But without action, you cannot call it faith. The Gohonzon can penetrate through everything.

The world of faith is very mystic and once you become serious, you can gain 1000 or 10000 times more benefits. When you chant abundant daimoku, you have the power to open even the heaviest iron-door that stands in your way i.e, you can overcome the most massive obstacles in your life. You can definitely change your negative karma. The world of faith is the place where many of us, all of us chant powerful daimoku in unity, thus creating power like the force of a huge wind. There is nothing but Daimoku. Daimoku determines everything. Daimoku has more power than 1 million guidance or a million books of philosophy.

Chant abundant Daimoku and pray to the Gohonzon. Ask the Gohonzon whatever you need. Everything will come true as your wish and the path of kosen-rufu will open up in front of you. Everything depends upon how much Daimoku you chant. When you chant a lot of Daimoku, you will naturally feel that you need to study more. When you chant Daimoku, your work will become more fulfilling.

There may be times that you will experience great sufferings and deep sorrow. There maybe nights when tears will not stop flowing. There may also be times when you are terribly hurt. At such times my heart will be open to you. I am always here to listen you. I, too, will share tears with you. You don't need to tell me anything if you are happy. I can tell just by looking at your face. Just tell me about the problems and pains that you have. I will carry half of your heavy burden and walk together with you."