Daisaku Ikeda

The true spirit of meditation lies in manifesting our innate wisdom in society and resolutely struggling for the happiness of ourselves and others, and to construct a better society.

No one can better bask in summer’s balm than those who have endured winter’s bite. Similarly, it is those who have suffered through life’s darkest hours who are able to truly savor the bright dawn of happiness. The person who has transformed the worst of fate into the best of fortune is life’s champion.

True individuality never comes to full flower without hard work. Therefore, you’re making a big mistake if you think that who you are right now represents all you are capable of being.

The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them.

Great people never forget what others have done for them. In fact, having a sense of appreciation makes a person worthy of respect.

A Turkish proverb says, ‘Iron shines when used, but rusts when not.’ The capacities of people working hard and striving with all their might never get rusty; they are constantly being polished and forged.

One thing is certain: That is that the power of belief, the power of thought, will move reality in the direction of what we believe and conceive of it. If you really believe you can do something, you can. That is a fact.

Nichiren writes, ‘None of you who declare yourselves to be my disciples should ever give way to cowardice.’ When the crucial moment comes, it is important to battle through it with the ferocity of a charging lion.

There simply are no Buddhas who spend all their time sitting in meditation. Buddhas are buddhas precisely because they continually ponder and take action to help others resolve their worries.