A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering, WND, 33

Written to Shiiji Shiro on April 28, 1261 from Kamakura

Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith. Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes.

The Opening of the Eyes (2), WND, 283

Written to Shijo Kingo in February of 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

What a great pity it is that all the Japanese people are delighted to see Nichiren and his disciples and lay believers suffer at the hands of the three powerful enemies! What befell another yesterday may befall oneself today. Nichiren and his followers have but a short time to endure - merely the time it takes for frost or dew to vanish in the morning sun. When our prayers for Buddhahood are answered and we are dwelling in the true land of Tranquil Light where we will experience the boundless joy of the Law, what pity we will fell for those who sink to the bottom of the great citadel of the Avichi hell and meet extreme suffering there! How they will envy us then!

Life flashes by in but a moment. No matter how many terrible enemies you may encounter, banish all fears and never think of backsliding.

On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings, WND, 395

Written to all believers in May of 1273 from Ichinosawa on Sado

The votary of the Lotus Sutra is like the fire and the kalakula, while his persecutions are like the logs and the wind. The votary of the Lotus Sutra is the Thus Come One whose life span is immeasurable; no wonder his practice is hindered, just as the pine tree's branches are bent or broken. Form now on, always remember the words "This sutra is hard to uphold."

The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith, WND, 471

Written to Shijo Kingo on March 6, 1275 from Minobu

The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching." This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.

Letter to the Brothers, WND, 501

Written to Ikegami Munenaka and Ikegami Munenaga on April 16, 1275 from Minobu

What is the standard for the Daishonin's disciples? It is nothing other than his writings. If we always bear in mind and base ourselves on this extremely clear and explicit principle, everything will become crystal clear.

My Dear Friends in America Collected Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 164

On another occasion, I asked President Toda why we had to practice faith with the spirit of never begrudging our lives. This is what he said in response:

Call it karma of humankind if you like, but society is complex - a mass of contractions lacking a fundamental path leading to change people's karma. It teaches us the path towards the eternal fulfillment of all desires. This is the supreme path of life. Therefore, only by practicing this faith without begrudging our lives can we be completely free of all regrets.

His words made perfect sense to me. Convinced that what he said was true, I advanced with the spirit of not begrudging my life. I believe this is an attitude that youth should possess.

My Dear Friends in America Collected Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 177

You erase more good fortune when you allow yourself to become discouraged over, for example, losing an argument with your spouse. But when you resolve to challenge the situation by chanting daimoku you add a hefty increase to your accumulated store of fortune. The sum of all these additions and subtractions, gains and losses, represents the final balance of your happiness. Therefore if your practicing faith, you stand to gain far more when you do so willingly, joyously and with a sense of gratitude.

My Dear Friends in America Collected Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 233

Equipped with the new awareness Gandhi had given them, the Indian people joined in the struggle for independence one after another. Their strength came from correctly understanding the significance of his movement. Women who for centuries had been confined to the home, now marched in demonstrations shoulder to shoulder with men, liberating themselves from the chains that had long bound them. The power of the awakening masses gave rise to a vast groundswell towards independence.

Gandhi declared, "Unwearied ceaseless effort is the price that must be paid for turning faith into a rich infallible experience." In the final analysis, faith not accompanied by action is merely an abstraction. Ceaseless effort is what makes our faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism an active and indivisible part of our lives is what it means to attain Buddhahood.

My Dear Friends in America Collected Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 358

Monday, September 26 [1955]. Cloudy with intermittent showers

My oldest son had a high fever in the morning. Really suffering physically myself. A gray day. Understand the limits of the physical body. But the power called life force surpasses both physical and spiritual power. It is a mysterious energy that sets into motion functions far stronger than spiritual or physical power alone. Life force arises from the workings of one's determination. Actually it wells forth limitlessly through the power of the Mystic Law and power of faith. It comes from practice. Will test this through my own experience and show actual proof.

A Youthful Diary, page 248

Seen from the profound standpoint of Buddhism, our happiness depends solely on our ichinen of faith, which encompasses the three thousand realms, or all phenomena of life and the universe. Always bear this principle firmly in mind.

Your faith directed to the cause of kosen-rufu becomes your source of limitless fortune and is what enables you to adorn your lives with jewels of benefit. Moreover, it will be transferred generation after generation down to your children and your grandchildren, and then to your great-grandchildren. This is the most wondrous principle of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

Buddhism in Action, Vol. III, pg. 256

Taking faith in this Buddhism does not mean that all our problems will disappear. Actually, embracing the Mystic Law and practicing shakubuku for the benefit of others may mean that you are busier, so that you end up facing even more troubles. But each day, live in such a manner that creates infinite value; just as "infinite meaning derives from the one Law," "one day" can be equal in value to the enormous length of "one hundred kalpas." Thus a life-condition filled with supreme joy and tremendous value, unattainable in any other way, is developed. Herein lies the profound significance of embracing this faith and advancing toward kosen-rufu.

As I wrote in my Essays: The Human Revolution, Mr. Toda once encouraged the youth as follows: "A son of the revolution will not grow if he dreams only of a relaxed, peaceful life. I would like you to be the kind of person who maintains harmony between intellect and sentiment, someone who during the day sweats because of working, studying and challenging oneself, and yet still has the time to stand on the beach conversing with the waves of the ocean, or, at night, to make friends with the stars."

Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, pg. 234

Buddhist faith is the engine for continuous self-improvement. It is a force that motivates us to strive for the perfection of our entire being, including the intellect, and to develop our hidden potential to the fullest.

The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 2, pg. 52

Ikeda: When he heard someone speak of their illness, President Toda would empathize with them to such an extent that he would often dream about them that night.

That's why he would strictly correct the attitude in faith of those who craved only benefit while not practicing sincerely, or who would complain that they were not completely cured even though they had seen some improvement.

"It's not a matter of form," he would say. "We need to engrave the Gohonzon in our life. When we chant daimoku with true determination as though offering up our very life, we cannot fail to overcome any illness."

Living Buddhism, February 2000, Page 39

Unless backed by a sound philosophy, any effort you undertake will eventually collapse. Viscount Northcliffe, the British newspaper king, was fascinated by the printing press from the age of eight. He later became a heroic publisher who, behind the scenes, exerted great influence on the English political world.

Northcliffe was called the Napoleon of England. He determined that in whatever action he took, despite any hardships, there could be no compromise. He carried out his original intention regardless of the difficulties he encountered.

Great are those individuals who fulfill their beliefs throughout their lifetimes, even though they may not be significant nor deal with faith. Those who backslide or lose heart halfway are cowards.

Guidance Memo, Page 120

Recently it's become fashionable to talk about having guts. Actually, the greatest courage means unyielding faith, because faith encompasses conviction, continual effort and the power of practice. When one chants Daimoku, he discovers the courage to live strongly with integrity.

Guidance Memo, Page 103

Whatever problems you may have, ultimately it was you who chose to have them. They exist solely in order for you to prove the power of the Mystic Law. If you truly understand this point, from the depths of your life, you will have no reason to fear problems. All you have to do is courageously challenge and overcome them with the power of faith. There is no obstacle or difficulty that cannot be surmounted with the power of faith.

From Today Onward, Vol. 2, page 40

At crucial moments in this lifetime, you have two choices - you may doubt the Gohonzon or continue to believe in the Gohonzon. Faith exists in carrying on your belief in the Gohonzon no matter what.

World Tribune, 8-3-79, pg. 4

From the standpoint of the eternity of life that spans the three existences, a persecution or suffering is nothing but a matter of the moment. Nothing is therefore more foolish then to backslide blindly by immediate gains or losses. There must be no regrets as far as your faith and lives are concerned.

Buddhism in Action, vol. 4, pg. 30

No matter how deep one's faith may appear, people tend to lose enthusiasm as time passes. If your understanding of the fundamental aspects of Nichiren Daishonin's teaching is shallow, your faith will eventually fade away and you will stop practicing, regardless of how vigorous your activities may look on the surface now. Thus, putting the teaching into action and studying its depths are both vital in establishing true faith within one's life.

Seikyo Times 2/87, pg. 52

Faith is an incessant struggle against becoming complacent. Nichiren Daishonin states: "Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage" [WND, 997]. He also writes: Be ever diligent in your faith so that your desire will be fulfilled. [WND, 452].

It is said that not to advance is to regress. President Josei Toda, as well, constantly warned about stagnation in faith. He said: "All phenomena in the universe - be they the heavenly bodies or a single tiny louse - are in a state of constant flux. They do not remain fixed for even a single moment.

Consequently, the most important question is whether one changes for the better or worse. When people are unaware of the importance of this issue, they lapse into a state of inertia. In other words, they become utterly oblivious to and unconcerned about whether they are changing for the better or worse. This is the frightening thing about stagnation in faith.

It is precisely when people's faith has become merely habitual that they are backsliding. Faith requires practical activities designed to help one change quickly and for the better.

Seikyo Times May 1992, pg. 27

Throughout the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin repeatedly admonishes us not to backslide in faith, not to give in to any difficulty, and not to be swayed by devilish forces. Because the great path of spreading the Mystic Law is itself the way of ultimate faith, it is absolutely imperative that we not depart from it.

If we should succumb to minor criticism and slander arising from our faith and practice, give up faith and deviate from the way toward kosen-rufu, it would be shameful and a cause for regret beyond description. I hope that all of you will live up to the cause of kosen-rufu, with the fundamental spirit of dedication handed down by our forebearers, glorify your lives, and adorn yourselves with unfading cheerfulness, sturdiness and over-flowing joy of fulfillment, in your respective areas of activity in the community and in society.

Seikyo Times 6/86, pp. 5-6

I have continually admonished myself that, even though I might lack food or clothing, or be rebuked by my parents, brothers, teachers, and colleagues, or be persecuted by the ruler and all the people, if I were going to waver even in the slightest on that account, I would have done better never to have spoken out in the first place." My resolution is now immovable.

Letter to Misawa, WND, 895

Written to Misawa Kojiro on February 23, 1278 from Minobu

"What we call faith is nothing extraordinary. As a wife cherishes her husband, as a husband will lay down his life for his wife, as parents will not abandon their children, as children will not be separated from their mother, so you should put your faith in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Taho, and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions as well as all benevolent deities, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by faith."

The Meaning of Faith, WND, 1036

Written to the lay nun Myoichi on May 18, 1280 from Minobu

Any weakness in faith will be a cause for regret. The cart that overturns on the road ahead is a warning to the one behind.

Letter to the Brothers, WND, 497

Written to Ikegami Munenaka and Ikegami Munenaga on April 16, 1275 from Minobu

Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage.

On Persecutions Befalling the Sage, WND, 997

Written to Shijo Kingo on Oct. 1, 1279 from Minobu

Life flashes by in but a moment. No matter how many terrible enemies you may encounter, banish all fears and never think of backsliding."

On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings, WND, 395

Written to all believers in May of 1273 from Ichinosawa on Sado

Be even diligent in your faith so that your desire will be fulfilled.

The Swords of Good and Evil, WND, 452

Written to Lord Yagenta on February 21, 1274 Ichinosawa on Sado