The essence of Buddhism

In this section we offer resources for the SGI Spain discussion meetings; namely: a quote that sheds light on the relevance of the efforts that crystallise on these gatherings (“Globally”), a presentation of one of the groups that sustain them (“Locally”), a passage from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin commented by Daisaku Ikeda (“Advancing with the Gosho”), some “Keywords” and, this month, proposals from “Young Phoenixes.”

GLOBALLY

To summon up courage
and meet one friend,
To speak and share our heart
with sincerity and passion.
When we initiate and take on such challenges
with a stand-alone spirit
we break through walls that exist in our minds
and move the hearts of our friends.

A foundation for the peace and happiness of the people is constructed
as we talk to those around us
and naturally spread our voice of warmth, cheer, and reassurance,
in our home and in our neighbourhood,
like a spring breeze filling the air.

No matter how old we become,
let’s go out and meet people (…).
As we make more friends,
our world becomes bigger
and our future expands.”[1]

LOCALLY

If last month this space featured a group whose name is inspired in the Cantabrian Sea, this month’s section reminds us of the Mediterranean which bathes the towns of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cubelles. Beaming members of all ages live nearby these places…

(Mailbox: prensa@ediciones-civilizacionglobal.com)

ADVANCING WITH THE GOSHO

The “Medicine King” chapter (of the Lotus Sutra) states (…): “This sutra provides good medicine for the ills of the people of Jambudvipa.”
.
The Nirvana Sutra says, “Suppose that a couple has seven children, one of whom falls ill. Though the parents love all their children equally, they worry most about the sick child.” (. . .) And among all medicines, the finest medicine is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(Choosing the Heart of the Lotus Sutra, in WND-2, p. 487).

“The essence of Nichiren Buddhism is to engage with others in our lives, value each person, and do everything we can to guide them to happiness.”

As he opened the way for ‘establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land,’ envisioning the achievement of worldwide kosen-rufu in the future, the Daishonin also took a deep interest in the life of each of his disciples and continuously encouraged them.

Mr. Toda vowed to accomplish kosen-rufu in Japan and throughout Asia, realizing what is known as the ‘westward transmission of Buddhism.’ At the same time, he warmly embraced and offered personal guidance to Soka Gakkai members who visited him day after day for advice about their problems, ranging from illness to financial hardship, family discord, and many other issues.

It’s not simply a matter of advocating relieving the suffering of all humanity as an abstract, general principle. What matters is relieving the actual suffering of real individuals. That is the measure of the vow to lead all people to enlightenment. Buddhism is about winning. To put it another way, as the proverb ‘One is the mother of ten thousand’[2] indicates, through concrete actions to reach out to help one individual, we affect all living beings. Helping relieve the suffering of someone you know leads to the relief of the sufferings of all people.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) declared that his personal vow was ‘To wipe every tear from every eye.’[3] These words make me recall the compassionate visage of Mr. Toda, whose most heartfelt wish was to eliminate misery and suffering from the world.”[4]

KEYWORDS

Engage with others in our lives · Helping relieve suffering

YOUNG PHOENIXES · TO THE FUTURE DIVISION MEMBERS
.
“The month of May brims with fresh greenery and the energy of dynamic growth”
.
Hi all!
.
During May, let’s celebrate together the “Successor’s month,” our month, full of energy to grow dynamically and to bring forth fresh green shoots!
.
During the past months of March and April, we have been able to study in more detail the words of Nichiren Daishonin which state “Winter always turns to spring,” as well as learning about his life and see how he himself, through turning his difficulties into victories, encouraged others to do the same. The inspiration we find in The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin allow each one of us to bring forth the force to experiment our own victories.
.
When we verify in our life that the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo summons up from within us unlimited potential and force, turning sufferings into victories, we establish the conviction that, without a doubt, “Winter always turns to spring.” Through our own experience and example, we can ignite the light of hope in the hearts of people who are suffering, passing on to them our unshakable conviction in the human potential.
.
Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, on one occasion shared with Ikeda Sensei the following anecdote which his grandfather had told him.
.
A man who was walking along the beach one morning, discovered a large number of starfish washed up on the sand. Knowing that when the sun would rise, they would dry up and die, the man started picking them up, one by one, and returning them to the sea. Another man who was passing by approached him and said with a laugh: “Look at how many there are! Forget about saving them all.” The first man, after tossing another starfish to the sea, replied: “I might not be able to save all of them, but it will make a big difference to this one!”
.
Arun Gandhi summarised the meaning of this episode which his grandfather had told him in the following way: “If we can touch one person’s life and save that life, that is the great change we can effect.”
.
Our concrete actions to help one person can lead to clear the dark clouds of the suffering of all people and build strong foundations for peace and happiness for all humanity. That is why, even if they appear to be meaningless actions, they are in fact the most noble actions we can take. Just as Ikeda Sensei encourages us, let us make our families, schools and neighbourhoods more splendid and let’s be us who take the spring breeze of hope and encouragement to the hearts of all the people we interact with.
.
Click here to continue reading experiences related to turning Winter into Spring!