This series highlights how Buddhism can enhance daily living. As Nichiren Daishonin says: “When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.”[1]
In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus embarks on a long, perilous voyage home after the Trojan War. Along the way, he endures many trials, including sirens, who tried to lure him to his death with their mesmerizing songs, the sorceress Circe, who turned his crew into swine, and the fury of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
In one scene, the goddess Calypso holds Odysseus against his will for many years. Wanting him to stay with her on her island, she offers him immortality and a life of ease. Before finally escaping her grip, he tells her:
Nevertheless I long—I pine, all my days—
to travel home and see the dawn of my return.
If a god will wreck me yet again on the wine-dark sea,
I can bear that too, with a spirit tempered to endure.
Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now
in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—
bring the trial on! [2]
Odysseus’ constant thought of returning home spurred him on in his epic obstacle-fraught voyage. Likewise, amid the myriad in our life’s journey—from personal and relationship problems to existential anxieties about global issues—we, too, need a home where we find the inspiration, strength and grit to say, “Bring the trial on!”
The SGI—A Spiritual Home
Today, many people are searching for a “spiritual home,” a place to belong where they can be revitalized.
In the warm abode of the SGI, we can always count on the Gohonzon, encouragement and support from fellow members, the guidance of our mentor in faith and more. Ikeda Sensei offers this:
Life is a series of changes, a succession of ups and downs. But those who possess a starting point, a home to which they can return, no matter what happens, are strong. To always come home to the world of friendship of the SGI, to talk things over and prepare for a fresh beginning—this is the way I hope all of you will live. When you do, you will advance upon a fundamentally unerring path to happiness.[3]
Through home visits and gathering at each month’s district discussion meetings, members and friends inspire one another, share experiences in faith and enjoy camaraderie. And in such exchanges among our Soka family, we find the hope and resilience to face our realities with refreshed vigor.
Sensei also says: “We are a family linked by the Mystic Law. Our organization for kosen-rufu is a home that brings peace and contentment.”[4]
As we progress along our journey of life, our SGI home is the wellspring of hope, warmth and courage guiding us to absolute happiness.
—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department
January 1, 2025 World Tribune, p. 10
References
- “The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 376. ↩︎
- Homer, The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles (New York: Penguin, 1997), p. 214. ↩︎
- My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, p. 408. ↩︎
- The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 133. ↩︎
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