This monthly encouragement by Ikeda Sensei was originally published in the January 2022 Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.
In my conversations with leading thinkers in Japan and around the world, they often say how impressed they are by our members, some calling them precious treasures of humanity and remarking how struck they are by the genuine care and concern evident in their interactions and their compassion for human beings and all life.
“The Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds,” the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, describes the traits of this bodhisattva, stating: “He views living beings with compassionate eyes. The sea of his accumulated blessings is immeasurable” (see The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 347). Through citing this passage, Nichiren Daishonin urges us to embody the compassion of the Mystic Law and bring forth blessings and wisdom as boundless as the ocean (see The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 218). And that is precisely what the members of our Soka family are doing. We view all people with compassionate eyes, respecting the Buddha nature within them, and confidently share the message that they can overcome any karma.
I have always prayed with the unwavering conviction that our districts, in particular— where our members gather with compassionate eyes and smiling faces, respecting one another as Buddhas—are oceans of blessings and wisdom nourishing and benefiting our local communities.
During my first visit to neighboring countries in Asia in 1961, I said to leaders who were somewhat hesitant when I suggested establishing districts in a place where we still had very few local members: “Zero multiplied by any other number is still zero. But the number one, when multiplied by any positive number, will always produce a positive number. ‘One’ has infinite potential. Therefore, even if there is only one member, we must cherish and foster that person and help them become strong in faith.”
With a clear vision of how many capable individuals each of those districts, as an ocean of blessings and wisdom, would produce in three decades, and how vastly the great ocean of kosen-rufu would expand in each country and territory, I steadily continued taking action.
We must never forget that the district is the starting point for fresh dynamic progress in our movement.
In this age when the cold eyes of mistrust and prejudice callously wound and divide so many, our compassionate eyes and warm encouragement as Soka Gakkai members are all the more important.
Nichiren states, “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has these two elements of blessings and wisdom” (OTT, 218).
Chanting with a vow to compassionately spread the Mystic Law, let’s fill our lives to overflow with blessings and wisdom. Uniting with our men’s and women’s district leaders, let’s strengthen our bonds of trust in an atmosphere of warmth and openheartedness, and create unending waves of kosen-rufu in this Year of Youth and Dynamic Progress!
Entrusted with
the propagation of Buddhism
in our districts—
what joy to strive together, hearts united as one!
You are reading {{ meterCount }} of {{ meterMax }} free premium articles