Buddhism Day by Day

Daisaku Ikeda
January 5th 2024

One of the epithets of a Buddha is, “Hero of the World.” A Buddha is a valiant and noble champion who has conquered the sufferings of life in the real world. Nichiren writes: “Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow. When the body bends, so does the shadow.” People cannot live apart from society. But to be constantly at the mercy of society’s ups and downs is a miserable existence. It is crucial for us to be strong and wise. The “body” Nichiren refers to is, on the personal level, our faith.