Daily Encouragement

Posted on March 16, 2020 by SGI-USA Austin

March 16, Kosen-rufu Day. The spirit of this day lies not in magnificent ceremonies or high-sounding words. It lies in being victorious. That is the most crucial thing in all endeavors. In life and in kosen-rufu, we either win or lose. I would like you to be absolute victors in both. No matter what excuses we try to make, giving in to defeat brings misery and loses us the respect of others. I hope each of you without exception will adorn your life with indestructible triumph.

Daily Encouragement

Posted on March 13, 2020 by SGI-USA Austin

If we don’t practice gongyo, the rhythm of our lives will be thrown off kilter, just as a machine that isn’t oiled will rust. Gongyo and chanting daimoku are like starting an automobile’s engine every day and driving in the direction of happiness and truth. By doing so day after day, you will gradually attain perfect unity with the universe and the Law. That state is the state of the Buddha.

Daily Encouragement

Posted on March 10, 2020 by SGI-USA Austin

Where is happiness to be found? The famous Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius (121–80) said, “A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.” Human happiness, he maintained, lies in doing those things only humans can: seeking the truth and acting to help those who are suffering. Goethe, too, asserted that those who work cheerfully and take joy in the fruits of their labor are truly happy. These are the words of great thinkers, and as you can see they are in complete accord with the teachings of Buddhism.