(I am reposting this again as i think this is a very importance guidance that we should learn from)

President Ikeda's Guidance to Soka High School Baseball Coach:SHS finally made it to the playoffs, only to lose in the first round.

The Coach wrote to PI:"Our ace pitcher was drafted and is gone. We are not as strong as wewere; I believe our capability is lower, but we will chant and becomea greater and more capable team."

President Ikeda: "You are wrong. You should have enough capability to win without having to go back and chant. Become capable and then your Daimoku will become a strong wind behind your capability. If you are relying on Daimoku to make it happen rather than on your own capability, then you are just using faith like a superstition. You should practice, and therefore, become capable. The team which becomes the most capable will be the one which practices and works hardest and has the most perseverance. Capability is very important because it requires constant courage and training, but if your capability counts only 50% and you base the other 50% on Daimoku to the Gohonzon to bring it about "somehow", then your religion has become a crutch for you. Religion is not there to hide yourshortcomings, but to strengthen you as a human being."