empowerment & inner transformation…
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I look upon death to be as necessary to our constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning. - Benjamin Franklin (Amazing that Nichiren Daishonin said something very similar to this. I will try to find the exact statement but need time and I will re-post this quote when I find it.)
"True love should be transformative, a process that amplifies our capacity to cherish not just one person but all people. It can make us stronger, lift us higher and deepen us as individuals. Only to the extent that one polishes oneself now can one hope to develop wonderful bonds of the heart in the future."... Continue Reading →
Anyone who has ever made a resolution discovers that the strength of that determination fades in time. The moment you feel that is when you should make a fresh determination. Tell yourselves, "OK! I will start again from now!" If you fall down seven times, get up the eighth. Don't give up when you feel... Continue Reading →
When stones are cast at good people, when the rights of honest, hard-working people are trampled, we should be angry! When anyone anywhere around the world discriminates against another, we should burn with indignation! Raise your voices! Nothing suits the authorities better than the apathy of the people, than their feeling of powerlessness and their... Continue Reading →
“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” - C.S. Lewis Don't ask me why but for some strange reason this quote always makes me think of this quote: When you devote yourself to achieving your goal, you will not be bothered by shallow criticism. Nothing important can be accomplished... Continue Reading →
Daisaku Ikeda from June 18th World Tribune January 19th Address Excerpts: Many of you here may fondly remember the novel I Am a Cat by the Japanese author Soseki Natsume. For a change of pace, let me talk a little about it. […] We also find this passage in Soseki’s novel: “All studies undertaken by... Continue Reading →
Mr. Toda once said to a young woman, "If you aren't going to create happiness in the place were your are now, where else are you going to find it?" We must develop inner strength. We need to transform ourselves and become people who aren't defeated by life's struggles. The English poet John Milton wrote,... Continue Reading →
It would be pointless for a plum blossom to try to remake itself as a cherry blossom, no matter how deeply the plum yearns to do so. The plum is happiest when it blooms as itself in full glory. How much of the color and wonder of life would be lost if it weren't for... Continue Reading →
"The more knowledge one gains, the more important becomes the question of what that knowledge will be used for. Knowledge without wisdom and philosophy produces nothing more than talented beasts." -Daisaku Ikeda, IkedaQuotes.org
Creating harmony amidst diversity is a fundamental issue of the twenty-first century. While celebrating the unique characteristics of different peoples and cultures, we have to create solidarity on the level of our common humanity, our common life. Without such solidarity, there will be no future for the human race. Diversity should not beget conflict in... Continue Reading →
"Life is filled with potential that is truly unfathomable. At last we are coming to see the enormous power it possesses. That is why we must never write anyone off. In particular, we mustn't put boundaries on our own potential. In most cases, our so-called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit... Continue Reading →
empowerment & inner transformation... 