CategoryQ&A

Q: I am a longtime SGI member—currently a district leader. I am nearing retirement and still feel very young. In terms of Buddhist practice, what is the best way to create a meaningful third stage of life? A: The first thing is to have a spirit of gratitude and a dedication to kosen-rufu for as

A: Every morning and evening, we recite these words during gongyo: “isshin yokken butsu” (“single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha,” see The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 271). This does not mean that we desire to physically see or be in the presence of the Buddha. Rather, it signifies the importance of revealing Buddhahood from

A: By helping others become happy, we, too, become happy. This is also a tenet of psychology. How can those who have lost the will to live under the weight of inconsolable suffering or deep emotional wounds get back on their feet? All too often, the more they dwell on their problem, the more depressed

A: You may have started the year with fresh resolve. When the year didn’t pan out quite as you had hoped, it is easy to feel defeated. If you feel like you have some regrets, don’t worry! Buddhism teaches that you can make a firm resolve now, to make tomorrow and the coming year a

A: Buddhism emphasizes that through expressing gratitude, we reveal and develop our humanity. Neglecting to show appreciation reflects a life influenced by fundamental ignorance—the inability to recognize the enlightened nature in ourselves and others. Ikeda Sensei states: As we each deepen our faith in the Mystic Law, break through our fundamental darkness and live true

A: Ikeda Sensei stresses the importance of taking care of one’s health based on the principle “faith equals daily life.” For example, he writes in volume 25 of The New Human Revolution: Basically, we all need to look after our own health. In the end, it’s our personal responsibility. We know our own body better

A: A teacher or mentor in Buddhism is one who leads and connects people to the Law, teaching them that the Law on which they should depend exists within their own lives. The disciples in turn seek the mentor, who embodies and is one with the Law. Looking to the mentor as a model, they

A: It requires a new level of self-discipline when we don’t have to report to a job at a certain time every day. Although we may need to walk the dog or feed the cat, we can still find ourselves without a regular schedule, muddling through the day with no particular objective. Ikeda Sensei’s guidance

A: The list of friends and family who have preceded us in death grows longer all the time. Nichiren Daishonin poetically observes in “Letter to Niike”: How swiftly the days pass! It makes us realize how few are the years we have left. Friends enjoy the cherry blossoms together on spring mornings, and then they

A: It can be said that our human revolution starts from the moment we summon the courage to break through our own limitations. And it is through such repeated efforts that we forge an unshakable life state. Consider what Nichiren Daishonin wrote to his disciples in times of severe difficulties: “Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything

A: Nothing is irredeemable in youth. Rather, the worst mistake you can make when young is to give up and not challenge yourselves for fear of failure. The past is the past and the future is the future. Keep moving forward with a steady eye on the future, telling yourselves: “I’ll start from today!” “I’ll

We’ve written about the many rewards we gain from practicing Nichiren Buddhism in recent issues (see April 9, 2021, World Tribune, p. 10, and March 12, 2021, issue, p. 9). This time, we take a look at the benefit of receiving protection. One might think: For a religion that doesn’t worship a god or gods,

Q: I am often conflicted when our May Commemorative Contribution activity comes around. I have tremendous gratitude for having practiced within the SGI-USA for the last four decades. I have always given monthly contributions and really challenged myself in May to make a significant offering. Now in my late 70s and living alone on a

May 3 is like New Year’s Day for Soka Gakkai members (see “Our History”). It is a day to refresh our resolve to contribute to the happiness of all humanity. Nichiren Daishonin established the simple yet profound practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha’s highest teaching. This practice enables all

A: In The New Human Revolution, vol. 6, Ikeda Sensei recounts his trip to Egypt in 1962. While at a museum, he strikes up a conversation on Buddhism with a stranger (through the assistance of an interpreter). A Soka Gakkai youth leader, who had accompanied Sensei and witnessed the interaction, was inspired by his ability

It’s human to want things. We look and work for what we think will bring us joy or make life easier and better. We also find satisfaction in achieving, learning or mastering something that holds value for us. The desire to improve our circumstances is what motivated many of us to take up the practice

The life of each of us is like a canvas. What kind of picture do we paint there? We don’t have to be a celebrity or a genius. What’s important is to fill our canvas in our own style and to our own satisfaction, depicting the brilliant drama of a life devoted to our own

Many of us may have experienced listening to someone share how they achieved something wonderful, only to be left thinking, How great for them, but I could never do something that amazing. Regarding the tendency to think less of ourselves, American philosopher Walt Whitman writes: Why what have you thought of yourself ? Is it

A: Nichiren Daishonin writes, “You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate” (“The Unity of Husband and Wife,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 464). Ikeda Sensei gives us guidance below on. how to attain this goal and urges us to practice with hope while facing any difficulties, including those that

A: Just as trees bloom in their own distinct way, we should strive to live in the way that is most natural for us. This is the purpose of our Buddhist practice. Nichiren Daishonin also stressed that our essential identity is “something that was not worked for, that was not improved upon, but that exists