Two But Not Two
Oneness” and “connectedness” are themes that define Buddhism and Eastern thought for many Westerners.
A Lantern In A Cave
“Prayer to the Gohonzon, chanting Nam-myoho-rengekyo, is not abstract or theoretical,” SGI President Ikeda says. “It is a burning inner flame to be victorious. If that flame of resolve blazes in our heart, the instant we chant, we have already…
Kill The Will To Kill
The following is an excerpt from “The Age of Soft Power,” SGI President Ikeda’s address on Sept. 26, 1991, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. The full text appears in My Dear Friends in America, second edition, pp. 122−31. One…
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Enlightenment
Buddhism regards all colors, all fragrances, all inanimate and living things—birds, beasts, humans, and flowers, every blade of grass and tree—all the varied and beautiful phenomena in the universe without exception, as manifestations of the Buddha nature. Words of Wisdom:…
Actual Proof In Buddhism
Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, declared: “In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason…
The Buddhist Teaching
The kalpa of decrease1 has its origin in the human heart. As the poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness gradually intensify, the life span of human beings gradually decreases and their stature diminishes. The world declines as a result of human delusion,…
The Great Vow for the Happiness of All Humanity
The Daishonin writes: “Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb to threats from anyone . . . Slanderers are like barking foxes, but Nichiren’s followers are like roaring lions” (“On Persecutions Befalling…
Love Is Blue
A Ship To Cross the Sea of Suffering
Listen with the ears of Shih K’uang and observe with the eyes of Li Lou. The Lotus Sutra speaks of “someone finding a ship in which to cross the water.”5 This “ship” might be described as follows: As a shipbuilder of infinitely profound wisdom, the World-Honored One of Great…
