[SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo] 11th Feb. 2013 To My Friends and Daily Gosho + 12th Feb. 2013 Daily Enc.

A translation of President Ikeda's "To My Friends"
published in the Seikyo Shimbun and more.

* We have a Japanese national press holiday today so we will hold over "Words of the Week" to cover the gap tomorrow. Hope that is OK! Hope you have a great week...

Monday, February 11th, 2013
-- TO MY FRIENDS --
The Daishonin states,
"The best way to attain Buddhahood
is to encounter a good friend."*
Let's cherish all who are always there for us,
and at the same time,
let's we ourselves be the one who supports others.
SGI is indeed a gathering of 'Good Friends'.**

*"Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain" - WND-I, page 598
** Good friends - http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/buddhist-concepts/good-friends.html

Monday, February 11th, 2013
--- DAILY GOSHO ---
"Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only
of the Lotus Sutra."

(Letter to the Brothers - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 502)
Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 11th, 2013

Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"'If rumour spreads that you appear to be a votary of the Lotus Sutra, both those who are close to you and those who are not will unexpectedly admonish you as if they were your true friends, saying, "If you believe in the priest Nichiren, you will surely be misled. You will also be in disfavour with your lord." Then, because the plots that people devise are fearsome even to worthy persons, you will certainly abandon your faith in the Lotus Sutra. . . .

"'Leave such people strictly alone. The time will certainly come when, by the workings of [the heavenly deities, including] Brahma, Shakra,[1] and other gods, the entire Japanese nation will simultaneously take faith in the Lotus Sutra. At that time, I am convinced, many people will insist that they too have believed since the very beginning.' (WND-1, 800)

"...The Daishonin warns his young disciple that people feigning friendly concern will tell him: 'If you believe in the priest Nichiren, you will surely be misled. You will also be in disfavour with your lord' (WND-1, 800). Noting that even wise people can be taken in by others' evil machinations, he urges Tokimitsu to be on guard and not fall into the trap of discarding his faith in the Lotus Sutra.

"The Daishonin then goes on to clarify the fundamental pattern by which devilish functions seek to obstruct the propagation of the correct teaching of Buddhism: 'Those possessed by a great devil will, once they succeed in persuading a believer to recant, use that person as a means for making many others abandon their faith' (WND-1, 800). As concrete examples of this, he cites the cases of Sho-bo, Noto-bo, and the lay nun of Nagoe,[2] who were once his disciples. He describes them as people who are 'greedy, cowardly, and foolish, [but try to] pass themselves off as wise persons' (cf. WND-1, 800). Those who only pretend to practise the correct teaching, people whose faith has no real substance, easily succumb to the inroads of devilish functions. When obstacles arise, they quickly abandon their faith and then use clever words to justify their actions and urge others to do likewise.

"After explaining this point, the Daishonin says to Tokimitsu: 'If you allow yourself to be so persuaded, those in Suruga who seem to believe in the Lotus Sutra, as well as the others who are about to take faith in it, will all discard the sutra without exception' (WND-1, 800). I can't help but feel that he is trying to convey to Tokimitsu: 'You are the hope for kosen-rufu in Suruga Province! So please stand firm!'

"Wholeheartedly encouraging a single individual is the start of encouraging countless others. As such, ongoing, dedicated efforts to train and foster the precious young people in one's own local area into people of genuine commitment in faith form the eternal foundation for kosen-rufu."

SGI Newsletter No. 8713, Learning from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin: The Teachings for Victory. [44] "The Workings of Brahma and Shakra," Fostering Youth of Genuine Commitment Who Can Change History, translated 7th Feb. 2013, from the September 2012 issue of the Daibyakurenge.

[1] Brahma and Shakra: Two deities of ancient Indian mythology. In Buddhism, they are said to have the role of protecting and watching over the world as leaders of the heavenly deities, the protective forces of the universe.
[2] Disciples of the Daishonin who later abandoned their faith. Sho-bo is said to have begun doubting the Daishonin around the time of the Izu Exile in 1261. Noto-bo is said to have lost his faith around 1271. The lay nun of Nagoe, the wife of Hojo Tomotoki, a younger brother of the third regent Yasutoki, abandoned her faith around the time of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution in 1271.

* The Japanese kanji is available by clicking on Seikyo Shinbun's web- site
address at http://www.seikyoonline.jp/news/index.html

--WAGATOMO NI OKURU--
"HOTOKE NI NARU MICHI WA
ZENCHISHIKI NI SUGIZU"
SASAETE KURERU HITO O TAISETSU NI.
MIZUKARA MO SASAERU HITO NI.
GAKKAI WA YOKI TOMO NO TSUDOI DA.

-- KYO NO GOSHO --
"TATOI IKANARU WAZURAWASHIKI KOTO ARITOMO YUME NI NASHITE TADA HOKEKYO NO KOTO NOMI SAWAGURASE TAMAU BESHI"
(Gosho Zenshu, page 1088)


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