The following excerpt is from Ikeda Sensei’s speech, translated from the Nov. 17, 2003, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun. It was originally published in the Dec. 19, 2003, World Tribune, pp. 1–2.
The Buddhist scriptures contain the famous story of the boy Virtue Victorious, who as a result of the benefit of offering a mud pie to Shakyamuni Buddha is later reborn as King Ashoka in India. Benefit in the realm of faith is determined by our sincerity in faith. It accords with the strict causal law of life.
All of you are striving earnestly for kosen-rufu. As a result, not only you yourselves but your ancestors and your descendants will enjoy happiness across the three existences. Such is the unfathomable power of the Buddhist Law.
King Ashoka declared that “governing” means “repaying debts of gratitude to the people.” This was the credo by which he ruled. Based on the compassionate Buddhist philosophy of respect for the sanctity of life, he initiated humanitarian and social welfare programs and strove to promote peace and prosperity throughout the land. His benevolent rule shines on to this day.
In a letter addressed to his young follower Nanjo Tokimitsu, Nichiren Daishonin shares this story of Virtue Victorious and how his offering of a mud pie to the Buddha led to his rebirth as King Ashoka. He then goes on to state:
Shakyamuni Buddha teaches, however, that one who makes offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the latter age for even a single day will gain benefit a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than one would by offering countless treasures to the Buddha for one million kalpas. (“The Person and the Law,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1097)
As people who are working energetically for kosen-rufu, each directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin, your benefit is immense beyond measure. You are champions of humanity, monarchs of life. I hope you will always take great pride in this.
April 18, 2025 World Tribune, p. 10
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