Dear all, here's something that I would like to share from NHR vol 11, Dynamic Advancement Chapter, which is in line with the study that we had on Monday:

"Human beings tend to allow themselves to be defeated by suffering and as a result lose their joy and shining smiles, their lives becoming dark and spiritless, filled with sorrow and regret. Buddhism, however, teaches the path to overcoming those sufferings and bringing one's life to shine with brillant splendour.

So how do we do this? The first step is to establish a fundamental purpose in life. The Daishonin teaches that this is accomplished not by wishing solely for our own happiness and seeking such things as wealth, status, honour, fame, authority or power, but by dedicating our lives to kosen-rufu.

Where do we see the brillance of humanity in people? Isn't it found in those who have broken through the shell of their ego and who dedicate themselves to helping their suffering friends, to their fellow human beings and to society at large, even though at times they must make sacrifices to do so? This is what it means to dedicate one's life to kosen-rufu.

Furthermore, nothing is wasted on the path of kosen-rufu. Every hardship we encounter becomes a source of great good fortune and benefit.

Life's true brillance is born from awakening to our personal mission and initiating courageous action to advance kosen-rufu. Faith is not a duty. It is a right. But if we become passive and just do as others tell us, our faith will come to feel like a duty and we will experience no real joy.

On the other hand, if we stand up on our own and take bold action, we will savour the greatest joy that life has to offer. It is also important to strive to improve ourselves day after day. This means perservering in faith. To persevere doesn't mean simply doing today what we did yesterday. It is to challenge oursleves anew and to make a fresh resolve each day. Faith is a constant struggle against devilish functions, and a Buddha is one who never ceases in that struggle.

I want you all to know that it is by engaging in such struggle that we bring our lives to shine; it is here that a golden life is realized." ~ Shinichi Yamamoto