Adversity Enables Us to Shine

Experiencing hardships allows us to develop ourselves as human beings. All of the efforts we make for kosen-rufu ultimately enrich our lives.

Nichiren [Daishonin] cites a simile used by the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai: “It will … be like a boar rubbing against the golden mountain” (“The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 770). This refers to the story of a wild boar envious and resentful of a golden mountain. The boar furiously tries to erase the mountain’s brilliance by rasping its hide against it. But in doing so, it only succeeds in making the mountain shine all the brighter. Similarly, the more practitioners of the Lotus Sutra are tested by adversity, the more radiantly they shine.

When things aren’t going the way you hope or when you feel that what you’re attempting to achieve is impossible—such times are perfect opportunities for you to deepen your faith. The people and issues you have to deal with that are causing you problems actually contribute to making you a better and stronger person. (Ikeda Sensei, Oct. 7, 2016, World Tribune, p. 9)