5th April 2023 To My Friends & Daily Gosho + 6th April Daily Encouragement

A translation of "To My Friends" published in the Seikyo Newspaper based on President Ikeda's recent guidance, and more.

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
-- TO MY FRIENDS --

The determination to 

never ever give up, 

no matter what, 

makes the impossible possible!

"I am praying as earnestly 

as though to produce 

fire from damp wood."*

With such strong determination, 

let's chant daimoku 

and put that faith into action!

*Gosho: "I am praying that, no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground." 

- "On Rebuking Slander of the Law 

and Eradicating Sins". 

(WND, Vol. 1, page 444)

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
--- DAILY GOSHO ---
"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbour doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life."

(The Opening of the Eyes 

- WND, Vol. 1, page 283)
Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, 

Seikyo Newspaper, April 5th, 2023

Thursday, April 6th, 2023
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"In the Lotus Sutra's 'Encouragement of Bodhisattva Universal Worthy' (28th) chapter, it describes the great benefits of those who uphold the Lotus Sutra as well as the severe and inescapable consequences awaiting those who slander the Lotus Sutra and disparage its practitioners.

"It also contains the passage 'You should rise and greet him from afar, showing him the same respect you would a Buddha' (LSOC 28, 365). In the record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin identifies these words as 'the foremost point [the Buddha] wished to convey to us' (cf.OTT, 192).

"This passage teaches us to 'rise and greet' those who uphold the Lotus Sutra – that is, those who embrace the Gohonzon and strive in faith – respecting them as we would a Buddha. This is the key to our unity as we work together for kosen-rufu.

"Mutual respect, seeing the Buddha within one another's lives, forms the core of that unity. For that to be possible, we must be convinced of the Buddhist principle that all people possess the Buddha nature. Simply put, the foundation for genuine unity is faith." 

-- WAGA TOMO NI OKURU --

DANJITE AKIRAMENAI ICHINEN GA

FUKANO O KANO NI SURU!

"SHIMERERU KI YORI

HI O IDASHI" TONO

GOJONA INORI TO JOSSEN O!

The Japanese kanji is available by clicking on Seikyo Shinbun's
http://www.seikyoonline.com/news/wagatomo/

--- KYO NO GOSHO ---
WARE NARABINI WAGA DESHI SHONAN ARITOMO UTAGAU KOKORO NAKUBA JINEN NI BUKKAI NI ITARU BESHI TEN NO KAGO NAKI KOTO O UTAGAWAZARE GENZE NO ANNON NARAZARU KOTO O NAGEKAZARE

(New Gosho Zenshu page 117, 

Gosho Zenshu page 234)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SGI-ToMyFriends-Wagatomo(Gillingham)" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sgi-tomyfriends-wagatomogillingham+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sgi-tomyfriends-wagatomogillingham/0c9c44ba-0504-4b6a-962e-7e78654f8338n%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.