SGI Newsletter

Published by Soka Gakkai

No. 9996
Thursday, August 16, 2018

SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series

THE BUDDHISM OF THE SUN, ILLUMINATING THE WORLD

[33] To My Dear Friends of the Youth Division—Part 1 [of 5]

Courage—Your Determination to Win in This Moment Can Change Everything

Lecture

“Exerting oneself bravely and vigorously” (cf. LSOC2, 56; Jpn. yumyo shojin)—these
words from the Lotus Sutra were the topic of the editorial that my mentor, second
Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, wrote for the January 1958 issue of the Soka
Gakkai’s monthly study journal, Daibyakurenge, 60 years ago.
Mr. Toda’s towering struggle for kosen-rufu, which he had undertaken with the
energy of a great lion king, filled his disciples with powerful courage. This was
because a membership of 750,000 households, the goal that Mr. Toda set forth at his
inauguration as president (in May 1951), had finally been achieved the month before
(December 1957).
In one of his New Year’s poems for 1958, he wrote:

Issuing the lion’s roar 1

to guide the poor and destitute
to happiness—
seven years of my life
crowned with delight.

For seven years, he had selflessly dedicated himself to going out among the
people and working for their happiness, striving harder with each passing year,
ascending the steep and difficult path to a new summit of triumph in our movement for
kosen-rufu.

1
Lion’s roar (Skt: simhanada): Also, roar of a lion. The voice or preaching of a Buddha. A
Buddha’s preaching is likened to the roar of a lion, because a Buddha preaches the Law without
fear, refutes erroneous doctrines, and fills persons who uphold erroneous doctrines with awe. The
Sanskrit term simhanada is a compound of simha (lion) and nada (roar).

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Inexhaustible Fighting Spirit

Instead of resting on his laurels, however, Mr. Toda was deeply resolved to exert
himself even more bravely and vigorously.
In December 1957, after the achievement of 750,000 member households was
announced, Mr. Toda said to me: “Daisaku, I want to devote the next seven years to
reaching two million member households.” But just two months later, he raised the bar
even higher by setting a new goal of three million. Having surmounted one towering
peak, he was determined to take on the next, to keep engaging in new challenges.
Whenever I, a disciple committed to striving alongside my mentor, witnessed
Mr. Toda’s inexhaustible fighting spirit, I was inspired and uplifted, and I fought with
even greater courage and resolve.

Our Mentor’s Call to Strive Bravely and Vigorously

In his January 1958 editorial, Mr. Toda predicted that great obstacles would befall the
Soka Gakkai. Calling on his precious fellow members to stand up with courageous
faith, he wrote: “No matter how strong our opponents, you mustn’t fear them, you
mustn’t be swayed by them. . . . I pray earnestly that you will forge ahead bravely and
vigorously on the great path of kosen-rufu.” 2 And in closing, he urged:

Repeat to yourself morning and night the Daishonin’s words, “You must not
spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come” (WND-1,
622), and strive with faith that grows stronger day by day, month by month, and
year by year. This should be the basic spirit for all your endeavors in the
coming year and throughout your life. Start by making a firm determination!
Then, set to work with courage! 3

Let us once again answer Mr. Toda’s powerful call and make the great life force
that comes from exerting ourselves bravely and vigorously rise brilliantly within us
like the morning sun!

To the Youth Who Will Carry On the Work of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

I would like to dedicate the next several installments of this series, starting from this
month (January 2018), to our youth division members, to whom I fully entrust our

2
Translated from Japanese. Josei Toda, Toda Josei Zenshu (The Collected Works of Josei Toda),
(Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1981), vol. 1, p. 282.
3
Ibid.

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movement for worldwide kosen-rufu. My wish in doing so is to share passages from
the Daishonin’s writings and recorded teachings that offer lessons on humanistic
leadership and guidelines for living a victorious youth.
The subject of this first installment is courage, the essence of which is the
Buddhist teaching of “exerting oneself bravely and vigorously.”
Let us begin with a passage from The Record of the Orally Transmitted
Teachings. 4

***

If in a single moment of life we exhaust the pains and trials of millions

of kalpas, 5 then instant after instant there will arise in us the three
Buddha bodies 6 with which we are eternally endowed. Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo is just such a “diligent” practice. (From The Record of the
Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 214)

Freely Revealing Our Buddhahood

The “Emerging from the Earth” (15th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains the phrase
“in order that day and night with constant diligence they may seek the Buddha way”
(LSOC15, 260). Here, Shakyamuni Buddha, the teacher, praises the devoted efforts of
the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth, 7 who are his disciples, citing this as the
reason why they dynamically emerge on the scene.
The passage from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings we are
studying here is Nichiren Daishonin’s comment on these words of the Lotus Sutra.
No matter what storms of adversity we may encounter, we must persevere in our
faith in the Mystic Law, dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the struggle for kosen-

4
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings: Nichiren Daishonin’s oral teachings on the
Lotus Sutra, recorded and compiled by his disciple and successor Nikko Shonin.
5
Kalpa: An extremely long period of time.
6
The three bodies of the Buddha refer to the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested
body. The Dharma body is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlightened. The
reward body is the wisdom to perceive the Law. And the manifested body is the compassionate
actions the Buddha carries out to lead people to happiness.
7
Bodhisattvas of the Earth: The innumerable bodhisattvas who appear in the “Emerging from the
Earth” (15th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra and are entrusted by Shakyamuni with the task of
propagating the Law after his passing. In the “Supernatural Powers” (21st) chapter, led by
Bodhisattva Superior Practices, they vow to spread the Buddha’s teaching in the saha world in the
evil age of the Latter Day of the Law.

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rufu, and continue along the supreme path to a life of unsurpassed value. In this
passage, the Daishonin assures us that if we do so, we will activate the limitless and
boundless life state of Buddhahood within us.

A Passage That Offers a Lesson for Soka Youth

Soon after I joined the Soka Gakkai, Mr. Toda said to me sternly, referring to this
passage we are studying: “Engrave these words of the Daishonin in your life.
Champions of the Soka Gakkai should never forget them.”
It is a difficult passage to understand, but since my mentor told me to engrave it
in my life, I was deeply determined to grasp its full meaning.
I continued to read and ponder it. I did so during the bitter winter of adversity
when Mr. Toda’s businesses collapsed in the postwar recession and I worked my
hardest to support my mentor and turn the situation around. I also did so during the
Osaka Campaign of 1956, 8 which paved the way to our achieving a victory that
everyone had said was impossible. I prayed and strove earnestly to break through the
obstacles before us and win in each moment.
Through those efforts, I summoned forth the “wisdom of the truth that functions
in accordance with changing circumstances” (OTT, 10), broke through all the dark
clouds that hung over us, and raised high the banner of the victory of Soka.
Now, I would like to present this same passage to you, my beloved youth
division members around the world. I hope you will engrave its essence in your lives,
which are united with my own, and carry on the invincible spirit of Soka champions.

This Moment Determines the Eternal Future

“The pains and trials of millions of kalpas” (OTT, 214) refers to long eons of painful,
arduous effort. We could take this to mean endless such struggles.
But in a dramatic departure from this view, Nichiren Daishonin teaches that
when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and work to spread the Mystic Law, in those
very actions, we “exhaust the pains and trials of millions of kalpas” in each moment of
life—that is, we concentrate millions of eons’ worth of arduous effort in a single
moment of life. What this ultimately teaches is that we must win decisively right now.

8
Osaka Campaign: In May 1956, the Kansai members, uniting around a young Daisaku Ikeda,
who had been dispatched by second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda to support them,
introduced 11,111 households to the practice of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. In elections held two
months later, the Soka Gakkai–backed candidate in Kansai won a seat in the Upper House, an
accomplishment that was thought all but impossible at the time.

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 The Daishonin writes: “The lion king . . . always exerts its full power in attack,
regardless of the strength of its opponent” (WND-1, 1039). Lion kings never hold back
their strength, regardless of the opponent.
It’s important, therefore, that we give our all, seizing each and every moment,
chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and continuing to make wholehearted efforts. Such
diligent practice is what is meant by “exerting ourselves bravely and vigorously,” and
is the very essence of courage.
By “exerting ourselves bravely and vigorously,” we activate the “three Buddha
bodies” with which we are eternally endowed (OTT, 214)—that is, we activate the
wellspring of the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom, as well as the true strength innate
within our lives.

The Vibrant Spirit of “True Cause”

With regard to the phrase “in order that day and night with constant diligence they
may seek the Buddha way” (LSOC15, 20) in the “Emerging from the Earth” (15th)
chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin offers a deeper interpretation. In The Record
of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, he suggests the alternative reading: “Constant
diligence day and night—this has always been the way to seek the Buddha way”
(OTT, 214).
In other words, by always striving diligently in our Buddhist practice day and
night, we are fulfilling our vow from the remote past. Diligent practice is the key.
Those who carry out diligent practice by devoting themselves to kosen-rufu manifest,
in instant after instant, the three Buddha bodies with which they are eternally endowed
(cf. OTT, 214).
The fundamental resolve to continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo oneself
and teach others to do the same, no matter what happens, is anchored in this spirit of
“constant diligence.” As long as we never forget to chant throughout the ever-
changing circumstances of our lives, our spirit to seek the Buddha way will remain
strong and keep burning brightly. This is the meaning of “this has always been the way
to seek the Buddha way” (OTT, 214). It is the dynamic life state of the Buddhist spirit
of “true cause” 9—of always moving forward from this moment on—a life state that is
ever new, ever strong, and ever dedicated. It is what the Daishonin means when he
says, “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is just such a ‘diligent’ practice” (OTT, 214).

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True cause: Also, the mystic principle of true cause. Nichiren Buddhism directly expounds the true
cause for enlightenment as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the Law of life and the universe. It
teaches a way of Buddhist practice of always moving forward from this moment on and overcoming
all problems and difficulties based on this fundamental Law.

5
 Why does the Soka Gakkai always brim with a vibrant spirit of growth and
development? Because its members—men, women, young, and old—embody this
unflagging seeking spirit in faith, and the courage to challenge their human revolution
and work for kosen-rufu.

Heroic Ordinary People Surmounting Every Obstacle

Courage is not just acting bravely. Buddhist courage embodies wisdom for “perceiving
the true aspect of reality” 10 and triumphing over adversity.
In life, we may encounter an endless array of unexpected challenges and
daunting hardships. These may take the form of financial difficulties, human relations
problems, illness, accidents, and even the possibility of our own death. We may be
assailed by storms of karma that plunge us into the depths of despair. But by opening
the eyes of faith and “perceiving the true aspect of reality,” we can see that everyone
inherently possesses the indestructible life state of Buddhahood and, by chanting Nam-
myoho-renge-kyo, can manifest the life force of the Buddha to overcome every
challenge and achieve a state of genuine happiness and fulfillment.
That is why, in the Soka Gakkai, we see so many dramas of human revolution
unfold as members confront every kind of harsh and bitter reality head-on.
Our organization shines with the brilliance of countless heroic ordinary people
who have taken on life’s challenges and obstacles valiantly, without self-pity, fear, or
trepidation, chanting and fighting hard to achieve victory. Throughout the world, such
courageous champions of transforming karma—champions of good fortune and
benefit—are actively working for kosen-rufu, giving expression to their unique
potential in accord with the Buddhist principle of “cherry, peach, plum, and damson”
(cf. OTT, 200).
Each and every person is a brave and noble Bodhisattva of the Earth and a
committed fighter in the shared struggle of mentor and disciple.

***

10
Perceiving the true aspect of reality: This means seeing things as they really are. The Lotus
Sutra states: “The Thus Come One [the Buddha] perceives the true aspect of the threefold world
exactly as it is” (LSOC16, 267). Clearly perceiving the reality of the world in which we live and
understanding the true nature of all phenomena, the Buddha imparts the wisdom of his
enlightenment to free all people from suffering.

6
 The Great Teacher Miao-lo 11 stated, “The stronger one’s faith, the
greater the protection of the gods.” 12 So long as one maintains firm
faith, one is certain to receive the great protection of the gods. I say this
for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now
you must strengthen it more than ever. Only then will the ten demon
daughters [guardian deities of Buddhism] 13 lend you even greater
protection. You need not seek far for an example. Everyone in Japan,
from the sovereign on down to the common people, without exception
has tried to do me harm, but I have survived until this day. You should
realize that this is because, although I am alone, I have firm faith.
(WND-1, 614; “The Supremacy of the Law”) 14

Steadfastly Committed to the Path of Mentor and Disciple

Next, let us look at “The Supremacy of the Law,” a letter the Daishonin addressed to
Nichimyo, who is also referred to as the “mother of Oto” in his writings.
With a profound seeking spirit toward the Daishonin’s teachings, Nichimyo
traveled the vast distance from Kamakura, crossing mountains and sea, to visit him at
his place of exile on Sado Island. At a time when many of the Daishonin’s disciples
had abandoned their faith in the face of opposition and persecution, this courageous
woman remained true to the path of mentor and disciple. In tribute to her steadfast
faith, the Daishonin bestowed upon her the Buddhist name Sage Nichimyo (Sun
Wonderful). 15
During the Daishonin’s lifetime, and today as well, brave women of strong faith
like Nichimyo have blazed new trails for kosen-rufu where none existed before.
The courageous efforts of ordinary men and women, who stood up with the same
spirit as their mentor to pass on the legacy of faith to future generations, have

11
Miao-lo (711–782): A patriarch of the T’ien-t’ai school in China. He is revered as the school’s
restorer. His commentaries on T’ien-t’ai’s three major works are titled The Annotations on “The
Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra,” The Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus
Sutra,” and The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight.”
12
The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight.”
13
Ten demon daughters: The ten female protective deities who appear in the “Dharani” (26th)
chapter of the Lotus Sutra as the “daughters of rakshasa demons” or the “ten rakshasa daughters.”
They vow to the Buddha to guard and protect the sutra’s practitioners.
14
Written in August 1275, while in residence at Mount Minobu.
15
In “Letter to the Sage Nichimyo,” the Daishonin writes: “You are the foremost votary of the
Lotus Sutra among the women of Japan. Therefore, following the example of Bodhisattva Never
Disparaging, I bestow on you the Buddhist name Sage Nichimyo” (WND-1, 325).

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transcended the boundaries of time and place and spread today to friends all across the
globe. That is how the worldwide propagation of the Mystic Law has unfolded.
Nichimyo engaged in her Buddhist practice with utmost dedication, and the
Daishonin was fully aware of this. Still, she continued to struggle amid adversity while
caring for her young daughter, Oto, which is why the Daishonin encourages her: “I
know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than
ever” (WND-1, 614). Now is the time, he tells her, to rouse even greater, deeper,
stronger courage. He assures her that she will definitely overcome her troubles.
Those who will inherit and carry on this courageous spirit of “strengthening
one’s faith more than ever” are none other than our youth division members, who
embody the principle “from the indigo, an even deeper blue” (cf. WND-2, 809).

Champions Stand Alone with Firm Faith

In “The Supremacy of the Law,” the Daishonin encourages Nichimyo to “strengthen

[her] resolve more than ever” (cf. WND-1, 615). Telling her, “You need not seek far
for an example” (WND-1, 614), he shares how he has endured and triumphantly
overcome all kinds of persecution and hardship. He states that though completely
alone, he was able to win over everything because he had “firm faith” (cf. WND-1,
614).
The opposite of firm or courageous faith is cowardice. In another portion of this
letter, the Daishonin writes: “In battles soldiers regard the general as their soul. If the
general were to lose heart, his soldiers would become cowards” (WND-1, 613).
Founding Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi heavily underlined this
passage in his copy of the Daishonin’s writings. Soka Gakkai leaders need to have
resolute courage. It is like the Japanese saying “Under a brave general, there are no
cowardly soldiers.”
The Daishonin repeatedly stresses the importance of courage, writing:
“Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly” (WND-1,
481), and “Have profound faith. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered”
(WND-1, 1001).
Courage means conquering fear and cowardice and basing ourselves on deep,
resolute faith. That is the way of a great champion in life.
In another of his writings [“On Persecutions Befalling the Sage”], the Daishonin
states:

Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb
to threats from anyone. The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs.
Slanderers are like barking foxes, but Nichiren’s followers are like roaring

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 lions. . . . Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you
slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage. (WND-1, 997)

He urges his disciples to “never succumb to threats”—that is, to not be afraid or

intimidated by anything.
The Lotus Sutra says of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: “Their minds know no
fear” (LSOC15, 263).
What we must always ask ourselves is, do we at this moment have courage in our
hearts? Courage is the foremost requirement for leading a victorious life. It is the heart
of leadership for winning in our struggle for kosen-rufu.

Overcoming Inner Weakness with the Lion’s Roar of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Courage is not something separate from our daily lives or beyond our reach. It is found
right here within our lives, which embody the principle of the “mutual possession of
the Ten Worlds.” 16 Anyone, irrespective of age or gender, can bring forth courage.
We can overcome our inner weakness with the lion’s roar of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
and take action to surmount our self-imposed limitations that make us give up or settle
for less.
Furthermore, when we courageously engage in dialogue out of a wish to realize
happiness for ourselves and others, we are practicing compassion.
Mr. Toda said: “As ordinary mortals, it can sometimes be difficult for us to
summon forth compassion, but we can substitute courage for compassion. The courage
to speak the truth is equivalent to compassion. They are two sides of the same coin,
and the ‘heads’ side of that coin is courage.”
Courageous faith itself reflects the life state of Buddhahood. The mentors and
disciples of Soka will forever continue to take action and win with the power of
courage.

Walking the Path of Our Convictions Based on the Spirit of Mentor and Disciple

I would like to share with you some words of Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948): “If I am
told that my dream can never materialize, I would answer, ‘that is possible,’ and go my
way. I am a seasoned soldier of nonviolence, and I have evidence enough to sustain

16
Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds: The principle that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the
potential for all ten within itself. “Mutual possession” means that life is not fixed in one or
another of the Ten Worlds, but can manifest any of the ten—from the world of Hell to the world
of Buddhahood—at any given moment. The important point of this principle is that all beings in
any of the nine worlds possess the Buddha nature. This means that every person has the potential
to manifest Buddhahood, while a Buddha also possesses the nine worlds and, in this sense, is not
separate or different from ordinary people.

9
my faith. Whether, therefore, I have one comrade or more or none, I must continue my
experiment.” 17
His profound words teach us that there is no more courageous way of life than
remaining true to the path of one’s convictions.
We of the Soka Gakkai are walking our own great path of conviction—with
unwavering belief that the lofty ideal of kosen-rufu will lead to the realization of
humanity’s dream of lasting peace and true happiness for all people.
The Soka Gakkai originated from the mentor and disciple relationship of two
individuals, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda. Mr. Makiguchi died in prison for
his beliefs under the oppressive wartime militarist government. Mr. Toda, who was
imprisoned alongside him and later released, rose up alone amid the devastation of
postwar Japan and declared that the time for kosen-rufu had arrived.
I was 19 when I became Mr. Toda’s disciple. I wholeheartedly supported him
and inherited his legacy in full. And, together with my fellow members, I have made
the shared vow of mentor and disciple to achieve worldwide kosen-rufu a reality.
The first three Soka Gakkai presidents overcame storms of hatred and jealousy
more intense than those during the Buddha’s lifetime. 18 Without relying on power,
wealth, or status, we held aloft the torch of courage and built a great network of
ordinary people—individuals awakened to their mission as Bodhisattvas of the
Earth—that shines brilliantly in the annals of Buddhism.
The mentors and disciples of Soka have walked the path of unsurpassed courage
that is the essence of faith for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. It is the path of
undying courage dedicated to realizing kosen-rufu and the Daishonin’s ideal of
“establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land.”
Today, youthful Bodhisattvas of the Earth around the world are continuing to
build strong ties as they boldly move forward along this great path of courage. How
happy this would surely make Presidents Makiguchi and Toda!

Courageously Creating a Golden Age of Global Kosen-rufu

We have entered a magnificent golden age of worldwide kosen-rufu in which our

members are striving dynamically in 192 countries and territories. The mentors and
disciples of Soka have achieved indisputable victory.
Let us of the Soka Gakkai continue to advance with unflagging courage! Courage
gives rise to resolve, action, and joy. It is a source of hope. It breaks through

17
Mahatma Gandhi. All Men Are Brothers: Autobiographical Reflections, compiled and edited
by Krishna Kripalani (New York: Continuum, 2000), p. 96.
18
The Lotus Sutra states: “Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the
Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?” (LSOC10,
203).

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limitations, opens the way forward, and assures victory. And courage spreads, creating
more courage.
My dear young friends around the world, have courage! Have courage at all
times! Have resolute and thoroughgoing courage!
Now is the time for all our members, who embody the youthful spirit of the
Bodhisattvas of the Earth, to exert themselves bravely and vigorously! With vibrant
courage, let us make a victory song of brilliant achievement resound far and wide!

(Translated from the January 2018 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai
monthly study journal, incorporating revisions from a compilation of the subseries “To
My Dear Friends of the Youth Division” published in booklet form in Japanese in July
2018.)

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