A translation of "To My Friends" published in the Seikyo Shinbun based on President Ikeda's recent guidance, and more.
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017
-- TO MY FRIENDS --
Let's make every effort
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017
-- TO MY FRIENDS --
Let's make every effort
to foster the successors
of our movement!
Let's cherish our youth!
Victory in our communities hinges on the
development of people
Let's cherish our youth!
Victory in our communities hinges on the
development of people
who are competent
of achieving something.
Together, let's spend each day
Together, let's spend each day
making solid and meaningful progress!
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017
--- DAILY GOSHO ---
"Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring."
(Winter Always Turns to Spring
- WND, Vol. I, page 536)
Selection Source: "Myoji no Gen",
Selection Source: "Myoji no Gen",
Seikyo Shimbun, March 8th, 2017
Thursday, March 9th, 2017
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"Everything in our lives, far from being immovably determined, can be transformed for the better through our actions in this moment. In this way, Buddhism teaches that a change in our inner determination in this moment can change the present reality of our lives (Jpn: in; cause) that produces future outcomes (Jpn: ka; effect). At the same time, it emphasizes the critical importance of conditioning context (Jpn: en; relation) that can powerfully shape the interplay between cause and effect. In other words, depending on the context of the relations that are formed, the same cause can give rise to widely varying effects.
"From this perspective, Buddhism encourages a way of life in which, upholding powerful confidence in the dignity and possibilities of life, we form relations of mutual encouragement and fellowship with those who are on the verge of losing hope.
"In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the term bodhisattva is used to describe a person dedicated to the realisation of happiness for oneself and others, as portrayed allegorically in the following words from the Vimalakirti Sutra:
During the short aeons of maladies,
They become the best holy medicine;
They make beings well and happy,
And bring about their liberation.
During the short aeons of famine,
They become food and drink.
Having first alleviated thirst and hunger,
They teach the Dharma to living beings.
During the short aeons of swords,
They meditate on love,
Introducing to nonviolence
Hundreds of millions of living beings.[i]
"This signifies extending encouragement to people as they confront the inevitable sufferings of life, what Buddhism refers to as the four sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness and death. And as indicated by the following words from the Vimalakirti Sutra—because living beings are ill, I also am ill[ii]—to be a bodhisattva means to be motivated by the spirit of empathy to respond to grave social crises, wherever you are and whether or not you are directly impacted.
"In the same sutra, the effects of this compassionate action are described as an 'inexhaustible lamp'[iii]: the light of hope we ignite will not only illuminate the life of the individual with whom we are interacting, but will continue to brightly light the lives of others in our immediate surroundings and in society as a whole."
SGI Newsletter No. 9564, SGI President Ikeda's 2017 Peace Proposal, The Global Solidarity of Youth: Ushering In a New Era of Hope, translation released 6th March, 2017
[i] Thurman, trans., Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, 70.
[ii] See Watson, trans., The Vimalakirti Sutra, 65.
[iii] Ibid., 59.
Thursday, March 9th, 2017
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"Everything in our lives, far from being immovably determined, can be transformed for the better through our actions in this moment. In this way, Buddhism teaches that a change in our inner determination in this moment can change the present reality of our lives (Jpn: in; cause) that produces future outcomes (Jpn: ka; effect). At the same time, it emphasizes the critical importance of conditioning context (Jpn: en; relation) that can powerfully shape the interplay between cause and effect. In other words, depending on the context of the relations that are formed, the same cause can give rise to widely varying effects.
"From this perspective, Buddhism encourages a way of life in which, upholding powerful confidence in the dignity and possibilities of life, we form relations of mutual encouragement and fellowship with those who are on the verge of losing hope.
"In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the term bodhisattva is used to describe a person dedicated to the realisation of happiness for oneself and others, as portrayed allegorically in the following words from the Vimalakirti Sutra:
During the short aeons of maladies,
They become the best holy medicine;
They make beings well and happy,
And bring about their liberation.
During the short aeons of famine,
They become food and drink.
Having first alleviated thirst and hunger,
They teach the Dharma to living beings.
During the short aeons of swords,
They meditate on love,
Introducing to nonviolence
Hundreds of millions of living beings.[i]
"This signifies extending encouragement to people as they confront the inevitable sufferings of life, what Buddhism refers to as the four sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness and death. And as indicated by the following words from the Vimalakirti Sutra—because living beings are ill, I also am ill[ii]—to be a bodhisattva means to be motivated by the spirit of empathy to respond to grave social crises, wherever you are and whether or not you are directly impacted.
"In the same sutra, the effects of this compassionate action are described as an 'inexhaustible lamp'[iii]: the light of hope we ignite will not only illuminate the life of the individual with whom we are interacting, but will continue to brightly light the lives of others in our immediate surroundings and in society as a whole."
SGI Newsletter No. 9564, SGI President Ikeda's 2017 Peace Proposal, The Global Solidarity of Youth: Ushering In a New Era of Hope, translation released 6th March, 2017
[i] Thurman, trans., Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, 70.
[ii] See Watson, trans., The Vimalakirti Sutra, 65.
[iii] Ibid., 59.
* The Japanese kanji is available by clicking on Seikyo Shinbun's
http://www.seikyoonline.com/news/wagatomo/
-- WAGA TOMO NI OKURU --
KOREI NO TOMO O SODATEYO!
SEINEN O TAISETSU NI SHIYO!
WAGA CHIKI NO SHORI WA
JINZAI NO SEICHO DE KIMARU.
TOMODOMO NI YAKUSHIN NO HIBI O!
--- KYO NO GOSHO ---
"HOKEKYO O SHINZURU HITO WA FUYU NO GOTOSHI FUYU WA KANARAZU HARU TO NARU."
(Gosho Zenshu, page 1253)
__._,_.___
Posted by: Scobie-John Le May-Grellan <sjlmg@yahoo.co.uk>
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If you have a friend(s) who would like to get To My Friends directly get them to send an E-mail to the following address and just simply write - "subscribe"
: SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
from there on it is all automatic!
ALSO if you want to introduce a friend to the SGI but just don't know where to start, share with them the following addresses and they can read and watch some very well put together explanations about the SGI. Check it out yourself!
http://www.sgi.org/
http://www.sgi-uk.org/buddhism/practice
Check out the following address if you are looking for an important gosho quote
http://www.nichirenlibrary.org
And for the children there's a wonderful new web-site
http://treasures-of-heart.com/
And if you are looking for back editions of To My Friends click on...
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo/conversations/messages
To unsubscribe from this group send an email to:
SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo-unsubscribe@egroups.com
But do drop us a line at sjlmg@wta.att.ne.jp when you leave and tell us why you are leaving as it often can help us to improve the service! Please!
To modify your subscription from receiving daily to picking up as you wish go to http://www.egroups.com/mygroups
: SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
from there on it is all automatic!
ALSO if you want to introduce a friend to the SGI but just don't know where to start, share with them the following addresses and they can read and watch some very well put together explanations about the SGI. Check it out yourself!
http://www.sgi.org/
http://www.sgi-uk.org/buddhism/practice
Check out the following address if you are looking for an important gosho quote
http://www.nichirenlibrary.org
And for the children there's a wonderful new web-site
http://treasures-of-heart.com/
And if you are looking for back editions of To My Friends click on...
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo/conversations/messages
To unsubscribe from this group send an email to:
SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo-unsubscribe@egroups.com
But do drop us a line at sjlmg@wta.att.ne.jp when you leave and tell us why you are leaving as it often can help us to improve the service! Please!
To modify your subscription from receiving daily to picking up as you wish go to http://www.egroups.com/mygroups
.
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