Monday, November 8, 2021.



We studied a beginning part of the text (see below) of "Letter to Jakunichi-bō (137)", which is the text for the Zadankai-Gosho-teaching in November, which is the founding month of Soka Gakkai. The part is the "It is extremely rare to be born as a human being. Not only are you endowed with human form, but you have had the rare fortune to encounter Buddhism. Moreover, out of the Buddha’s many teachings you have encountered the daimoku, or the title, of the Lotus Sutra and become its votary. Truly you are a person who has offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas in his past existences!".
Moreover, we studied the more part text of "Letter to Jakunichi-bō (137)" on the Gosh-study-lecture in November by Mr. Morinaka (Study-Leader of Soka Gakkai) on YouTube.
The part is the "My giving myself the name Nichiren (Sun Lotus) derives from my own enlightenment regarding the Buddha vehicle. This may sound as though I think I am wise, but there are specific reasons for what I say. The sutra reads, “As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he advances through the world can wipe out the darkness of living beings.” Consider carefully what this passage signifies. “This person as he advances through the world” means that the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the advent of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, who will illuminate the darkness of ignorance and earthly desires with the light of the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In accordance with this passage, Nichiren, as this bodhisattva’s envoy, has urged the people of Japan to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. His unremitting efforts never slacken, even here on this mountain.
The sutra then goes on to say, “After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.” Therefore, those who become Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable, destiny".


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Friday, July 16, 2021.

 I have ever lived to be a worthy person.  In Nichiren's writings "The Eight Winds", he wrote, "Worthy persons deserve to be called so because they are not carried away by the eight winds: prosperity, decline, disgrace, honor, praise, censure, suffering, and pleasure." ( p. 794 ). Furthermore, "They are neither elated by prosperity nor grieved by decline." (ibid.). But it is not only sufficient as Buddhist practice, because my mentor said, "It is through our relationships with others that we develop and grow; learn from one another; help and support one another; and cultivate genuine humanity." ( Human Relationships ).  And then he said, "Therefore, we cannot enjoy happiness for ourselves alone. True happiness is happiness that is shared with others." (ibid.). I take these quotes to heart.
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Friday, 30 October, 2020. Encounter with

  I have used a word of mentor two times in this blog so far. What interests you is that who is a mentor, but today, I will tell you about that first met my mentor.  When I was younger in my teen years, I met the mentor during a summer course held by the student division of Soka-Gakkai in 1970.  I could get a chance at that time that closely faced to mentor, but I could touch only his hand because he was in a whirl of many members of students. I could hear only his saying: "please eat a dish of shaved ice by this. because it is too hot.”.   After the whirl had far moved, I found something on the palm of my hand, which was a small, yellow, and plastic square left.   Of course, It was a ticket for buying a dish of shaved ice. After that, I had eaten a dish of shaved ice, but the payment was dishonestly cash. Naturally, I have always kept the yellow square as my treasure till now. To be continued. I will show you the photo of my small treasure next time.
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