Gift of Insults

There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.

One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.

Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. "How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?"

"If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"

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What religion enables you to adorn the final chapter of your life with brilliant success?

Life is long. The important thing is to remain true to a lofty goal to the very end. Buddhism enables you to adorn the final chapter of your life with brilliant success, just as the golden sun colors the sky in glorious crimson hues and beams of sublime light. To do so, you need to keep making efforts year after year and winning year after year.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 26/11

What have you got to lose if you trust people when you are in trouble?

Suppose that a person is standing at the foot of a tall embankment and is unable to ascend. And suppose that there is someone on top of the embankment who lowers a rope and says, "If you take hold of this rope, I will pull you up to the top of the embankment." If the person at the bottom begins to doubt that the other has the strength to pull him up, or wonders if the rope is not too weak and therefore refuses to put forth his hand and grasp it, then how is he ever to get to the top of the embankment? But if he follows the instructions, puts out his hand, and takes hold of the rope, then he can climb up. -Nichiren

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 25/11

Happiness and joy arise from within us and not from outside forces.

There is no one lonelier or more unhappy than a person who does not know the pure joy of creating a life for himself or herself. To be human is not merely to stand erect and manifest intelligence or knowledge. To be human in the full sense of the word is to lead a creative life.

The struggle to create new life from within is a truly wonderful thing. There is found the brilliant wisdom that guides and directs the workings of reason; the light of insight that penetrates the farthest reaches of the universe; the undaunted will to see justice done that meets and challenges all the assaults of evil; the spirit of unbounded care that embraces all who suffer. When these are fused with that energy of compassion that pours forth from the deepest sources of cosmic life, an ecstatic rhythm arises to color the lives of all people.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 24/11

The Lotus Sutra does not discriminate men or women.

The purpose of Buddhism is to bring out the Buddha nature that all people inherently possess, to awaken people to it and enable them to attain Buddhahood. Moreover, the Lotus Sutra does not allow for any discrimination; all people are equally entitled to salvation.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 23/11

Finding Buddha

A monk set off on a long pilgrimage to find the Buddha. He devoted many years to his search until he finally reached the land where the Buddha was said to live. While crossing the river to this country, the monk looked around as the boatman rowed.

He noticed something floating towards them. As it got closer, he realized that it was the corpse of a person. When it drifted so close that he could almost touch it, he suddenly recognized the dead body.

It was his own! He lost all control and wailed at the sight of himself, still and lifeless, drifting along the river's currents. That moment was the beginning of his liberation.

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Destiny

Spiritual Story by Unknown

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was heads! The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."

"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.

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Why is compassion important?

Wisdom, not might, is the most important thing. Wisdom and compassion are deeply connected. Giving earnest thought to others' welfare, asking ourselves what can we do to help—using our minds in this way is a sign of compassion.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 22/11

What is your unique role in this world?

Everyone born in this world has a unique role that only he or she can fulfill. Were this not the case, we would not be here. The universe never acts without cause; everything invariably has a reason for being. Even the weeds people love to loathe serve a purpose.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 21/10

Banishing a Ghost

Spiritual Story by Unknown

The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come back to haunt you."

For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they were engaged to be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.

Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village. "This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story. "It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do. It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost, but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."

That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my hand."

At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.

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What makes life interesting?

Many things happen in life. There are joyous days and times of suffering. Sometimes unpleasant things occur. But that's what makes life so interesting. The dramas we encounter are part and parcel of being human. If we experienced no change or drama in our lives, if nothing unexpected ever happened, we would merely be like automatons, our lives unbearably monotonous and dull. Therefore, please develop a strong self so that you can enact the drama of your life with confidence and poise in the face of whatever vicissitudes you may encounter.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 20/11

What is genuine happiness?

To be concerned only with one's own happiness is egoism. To claim you care only about the happiness of others is hypocrisy. Genuine happiness is becoming happy together with others. Josei Toda said: "Just becoming happy oneself—there's nothing difficult to that. It's easy. Helping others become happy is the foundation of our faith.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 19/11

Concentration

Spiritual Story by Unknown

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

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Where is happiness found?

If you want to build a happy life, you have to give careful thought to the foundations. Happiness certainly cannot be secured on appearances or affectation. Happiness comes down to the inner state of our life at a given moment.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 18/11

How to confront fundamental darkness in one's own life?

The Lotus Sutra, which explains that all people can attain Buddhahood and that all people are Buddhas, embodies a spirit of supreme respect for human beings. By contrast, those teachings and ideas that seek to turn people into objects to be exploited embody ultimate disrespect for human beings. Such disrespect is an expression of fundamental darkness. On the level of the individual, practicing the Lotus Sutra means confronting the fundamental darkness in one's own life.


Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 17/11

Spiritual Story by Unknown

The abbot of a once famous Buddhist monastery that had fallen into decline was deeply troubled. Monks were lax in their practice, novices were leaving and lay supporters deserting to other centers. He traveled far to a sage and recounted his tale of woe, of how much he desired to transform his monastery to the flourishing haven it had been in days of yore.

The sage looked him in the eye and said, "The reason your monastery has languished is that the Buddha is living among you in disguise, and you have not honored Him." The abbot hurried back, his mind in turmoil

The Selfless One was at his monastery! Who could He be? Brother Hua?...No, he was full of sloth. Brother Po?...No, he was too dull. But then the Tathagata was in disguise. What better disguise than sloth or dull- wittedness? He called his monks to him and revealed the sage's words. They, too, were taken aback and looked at each other with suspicion and awe.

Which one of them was the Chosen One?

The disguise was perfect. Not knowing who He was they took to treating everyone with the respect due to a Buddha. Their faces started shining with an inner radiance that attracted novices and then lay supporters.

In no time at all the monastery far surpassed its previous glory.

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How to spread Buddhism through dialogue?

The real essence and practice of humanism is found in heartfelt, one-to-one dialogue. Be it summit diplomacy or the various interactions of private citizens in different lands, genuine dialogue has the kind of intensity described by the great twentieth-century humanist and philosopher Martin Buber as an encounter "on the narrow ridge" in which the slightest inattention could result in a precipitous fall. Dialogue is indeed this kind of intense, high-risk encounter.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 16/11

How to realise your unique potential?

We are always changing. If you decide passively, "I'm a quiet type now, so I'll just go through life being quiet," then you won't fully realize your unique potential. On the other hand, you can challenge yourself to become someone, who, though quiet and reserved by nature, will nevertheless say what needs to be said at the right moment, clearly and completely, someone who has the courage to speak out and stand up for the truth.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 15/11

How to use our voice to our best advantage?

Our voice resonates with life. Because this is so, it can touch the lives of others. The caring and compassion imbued in your voice finds passage to the listener's soul, striking his or her heart and causing it to sing out; the human voice summons something profound from deep within, and can even compel a person into action.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 14/11

How do we overcome misfortune?

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. This is the key to creating a record of lasting brilliance. As the ancient Greek poet and playwright Euripides inscribed, "Courage is very powerful against misfortune."

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 13/11

The Musical Donkey

This one is another interesting story that tells moral lesson of ‘think before you act’. Once upon a time, there was a thin donkey by the name of Udhata who used to work with a washer man. Donkey used to carry loads of bundled clothes to the river bank every day. He was made to toil real hard. After such heavy work load, donkey needed to be fed well but he was not satisfied with the food offered by washer man. So, Udhata wandered around in the nearby fields and eat crops sneakily. During one of those nights, he met a jackal and both of them became friends.

Now, it became a routine affair for both friends to stealthily wander in nearby fields and eat cucumbers to their full. Soon, the donkey started to appear fat and healthy. One night, after eating cucumbers the donkey felt extremely happy and satisfied. He expressed a desire to his friend jackal about how he wanted to sing a song. The jackal, being the smarter one cautioned him against any such expression. He warned Udhata about guards sleeping in the fields. But donkey had none of jackal’s arguments.

Jackal tried real hard to persuade him about the consequences but donkey was in no mood to listen to him. Jackal knowing the dire consequences jumped over to the other side of the fence and decided to wait. Donkey started to sing or bray for that matter. On hearing his irritating voice, a guard woke up and came rushing to the donkey in sheer anger.

Guard beat the donkey black and blue and he was left on ground in poor condition. After some time, Udhata managed to drag himself out of the ground where he found jackal waiting for him. Jackal repeated his earlier statements about the lurking dangers and then donkey realised his mistake.

What is the result of complaints and evasions?

Indulgence and indolence produce nothing creative. Complaints and evasions reflect a cowardly spirit; they corrupt and undermine life's natural creative thrust. When life is denuded of the will to struggle creatively, it sinks into a state of hellish destructiveness directed at all that lives.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 12/11

Why must we guard the earth's ecological system?

A sense of being part of the great all-inclusive life prompts us to reflect on our own place and on how we ought to live. Guarding others' lives, the ecology and the earth is the same as protecting one's own life. By like token, wounding them is the same thing as wounding oneself. Consequently, it is the duty of each of us to participate as members of the life community in the evolution of the universe. We can do this by guarding earth's ecological system.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 11/11

The Gold Giving Serpent

Long time ago there was a Brahmin named Haridatta. He was a very hard working person yet very poor. One fine day, while resting in the shadow of the tree after the tiring working hours, he saw an anthill in his field that housed a big snake. Assuming that the serpent must be the guardian deity of the field and he had never paid respect to it, he brought some milk and offered it to the serpent. He also asked for forgiveness from the snake for not offering anything before prior to that day.

Next day, he found a gold coin in the milk bowl. Soon enough, this became a regular practice. Brahmin used to offer milk to the snake and found a gold coin every time in the bowl. During one of those days, Brahmin had to go to the town so he instructed his son to take care of the serpent by feeding him the milk. Next day, when son found the gold coin in the bowl he assumed this anthill must be full of gold coins. So why not kill the serpent and take out all the gold coins? His greed made him come up with a plan next day.

Next day, he came up with a stick along with milk. When the serpent came out for milk, Brahmin’s son attacked him with the stick. The snake managed to escape the blow and attacked boy who died instantly. Two days later when the Brahmin returned he came to know about his son’s death. He figured out the entire incident and yet tried serving the milk to the serpent.

The snake came out of the anthill and said, ‘Brahmin you have not come here for offering milk alone. You forgot your son’s grief and have come here for the fulfilment of your greed. This is the end of our friendship. Never come to me again.’

The moral of the story is that excess of the greed is always harmful.

Lead the life you belief in and why bother what other says.

Our lives are our own. It is not for someone else to dictate to us how we should live them. All that awaits those who allow themselves to be continually swayed by what other people say or do is unhappiness. We simply need to have the self-belief to be able to say: "This is right. This is the path I will follow. I am content." Happiness is born from such inner fortitude.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 10/11

How to win people's heart?

Don't put on airs. Conceit and pretense don't win people's hearts; the façade soon crumbles. Be yourself. Buddhism teaches we can shine most brilliantly through natural, unaffected behavior. Being sincere, dedicated and honest is the key. People of integrity triumph in the end.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 9/11

What the the noted pacifist scholar Johan Galtung tells young people to do?

The noted pacifist scholar Johan Galtung tells young people, "We must be realists in our brains while keeping the flame of idealism burning in our hearts." Both of these—to see the world as it is and how it could be—are essential to reform. A firm hold on reality should not entail being swamped by or resting easy in the status quo. To pioneer uncharted ways requires that people today keep the lamp of optimism lit.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 8/11

Where to find true "peace and security in this lifetime"?

True ease and comfort are not found in a quiet, uneventful life. This may sound paradoxical, but hardships bring about ease and comfort. For only by establishing strong individual lives capable of boldly challenging difficult obstacles can we find true "peace and security in this lifetime," as the Lotus Sutra says.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 7/11

The Foolish Brahmin

Birbal was always very famous for his generosity and his will to help people as a service to them and the country. His fame reached out to a simple but a foolish Brahmin, who wanted to be called a Pandit. This man reached Birbal and presented his query to him. Birbal was completely surprised and couldn’t understand why this foolish Brahmin wants to be a pandit. The Brahmin was an uneducated man. Birbal explained it to him that Pandits are educated and learned people, and hence the title cannot be given to Brahmin, but the foolish man kept arguing about it that he wants Birbal to convince the rest of the community to call him Pandit.

Birbal, being the witty man that he always was, came up with a unique idea. He suggested Brahmin to pretend to be angry at anyone who calls him Pandit. In fact he told him to throw stones at such people and swear at them. Brahmin, who didn’t even understand the basis of it, agreed to the solution. Birbal called upon his workers and guards, and instructed them to call this foolish Brahmin, a Pandit. As Birbal’s workers had no option but to obey his instructions, they started calling the man a Pandit. In a matter of moments, Brahmin reacted in a very explosive manner. He not only started swearing at those people but as directed by Birbal, threw stones at them and kept calling them bad names.

Soon, the crowd started gathering as a result of this sudden burst of angry shouts. It appeared to everyone that the Brahmin got irritated by this very term, Pandit, and thus they started calling him the same to tease him. Within few days the whole city had started to call him Pandit, without even realizing the wit behind it. As a result, the foolish Brahmin became extremely delighted and thanked Birbal again and again for his generosity and intelligence.

What essence of Buddhism shines in our actions in society?

Society is where we put the teachings of Buddhism into practice. The essence of Buddhism shines in our actions in society.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 6/11

Why should we summon up the courage of a lion in us?

Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb to threats from anyone. The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs. Slanderers are like barking foxes, but Nichiren's followers are like roaring lions. -Nichiren

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 5/11

The Three Questions

Akbar and Birbal’s relationship was exemplary in the kingdom at the time of Akbar’s rule. It was evident to the whole court that Akbar was extremely impressed with Birbal. People would always have their eye on Birbal’s activities and behavior so they might find a glitch and thus bring him down in king’s eyes. Amongst these jealous souls, remained a specific courtier who hated whenever Akbar encouraged and praised Birbal. He always wanted to be the chief minister but sadly enough; the seat was occupied by Akbar’s very own Birbal.

The courtier finally expressed his anger to Akbar and challenged him with three questions. He demanded that if Birbal could not answer these questions, he should be demoted from the position, as he didn’t deserve to be the chief minister. Akbar, who always believed Birbal, but yet, wanted to test his wit and intelligence agreed to the challenge. He informed Birbal that if he didn’t answer these questions, he would be required to step off the seat.

The courtier asked the following questions:

How many stars span across the sky?

Where does the centre of earth exist?

The number of males and females in the world?

Birbal brought back his version of answers.

For the first question, he presented a sheep, and replied that the number of hair on this sheep exactly equals the number of stars spanning the sky, and to be sure, the courtier has full right to count them.

For the second question, he drew couple of straight lines on ground and stuck a metal rod in between them. He claimed that it was in fact the centre of the earth, and the courtier can measure it, to his own precision.

The third answer was the most witty and humorous. He replied that the number of males and females cannot be determined nor counted as there are people like the courtier who can neither be termed males nor females and in order to know the exact number, such people would have to be killed.

Akbar was surprisingly proud of his choice. As a result, Birbal continued being the chief minister.

Birbal’s Khichdi

Once upon a time, Birbal and Akbar decided to take a stroll alongside a beautiful lake. When thoughts took a turn, a simple question occurred to Birbal: How far a man can go to have money? He expressed it to Akbar, who while listening to Birbal sat down and touched the water in the lake. He at once took his hand out as he realized the stabbing cold in his hand. He exclaimed that no one would ever spend a night in this cold water for any amount of money. Birbal believed that someone could. Akbar as determined on his belief as ever challenged Birbal to bring one such being, and he would grant that man a total of one thousand coins made of pure gold.

Birbal started his search, and kept looking for this one man everywhere until he found one. This happened to be a poor guy who was desperate enough to risk a whole night of severe cold to have the gold coins reward.

Akbar when heard the news, appointed his trusty guards to make sure that the poor guy stays in water for the whole night. Surprisingly, the next morning, the poor man came to Akbar after completing his challenge, all sound and healthy, and demanded his much awaited reward. Akbar couldn’t believe it and asked that how he managed to spend the whole night out there. The poor man talked about a light post that he saw around the lake which he kept in focus all night. He believed that by keeping his attention focused on lamp, he managed to avoid thinking about cold. To his surprise, Akbar refused to give him the gold coins as he used lamp’s energy to keep himself warm.

The poor man all disappointed and hurt, informed Birbal. Birbal didn’t make it to the court next day. When Akbar inquired, Birbal conveyed the message that he can’t make it unless his Khichdi is ready. After waiting for several hours, Akbar along with his guards went to visit Birbal. Birbal had a pot of khichdi hanging from the roof of the room several feet away from the fire. Akbar asked Birbal that how he expects for a fire to cook khichdi from such a distance. Birbal very intelligently replied that the same way the poor man received warmth from a lamp post so far away from himself. Akbar once left speechless and had to pay the poor man at the end.

How to maintain the trust you earned?

Trust is difficult to earn and it is easily lost—the trust built over a decade can be shattered in an instant by one offhanded remark or deed. A person who is not swayed from their chosen path, even during the most trying times, will ultimately find that he or she is trusted by all.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 4/11

What is the most practical religion?

The Lotus Sutra is a scripture to be practiced. Its teachings are meant to be put into action. Our faith and study of Buddhist doctrine are enhanced and given life through actual practice. Nichiren Buddhism is not a teaching of quiet contemplation and meditation; it is a teaching of action. Failing to translate the teachings of Buddhism into action is to go against Buddhism's fundamental spirit.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 3/11

What is the principle of the oneness of self and others?

The Lotus Sutra explains that the self is one with the universe. The practice of the Lotus Sutra is the practice of compassion to respect and revere everyone as a treasure tower, and to become happy conjointly with others in accord with the principle of the oneness of self and others, while overcoming the various difficulties we face.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 2/11

What is the true spirit of mediation?

Buddhism is not a religion that closes its eyes to people's suffering; it is a teaching that opens people's eyes. Therefore, Buddhism is the path that enables people to become happy. To turn away our eyes from the contradictions of society and rid ourselves of all worldly thoughts is not the way of Buddhist practice. The true spirit of mediation lies in manifesting our innate wisdom in society and resolutely struggling for the happiness of ourselves and others, and to construct a better society.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 1/11

Paid in full with one glass of milk

There was a poor boy named Howard Kelly who was going through some real bad times. He wanted to study but had no monetary support so to make the ends meet he started to sell goods from door to door. This way he could pay his school fee. But selling is a hard job. One fine day, he found he had just one thin dime left and he was hungry as well.

He wondered for a while and then decided to ask for the meal at the next house. When he knocked at the door, a pretty lady came out and Kelly felt nervous. Instead of asking for the food he just asked for a drink of water.

Lady could feel pangs of hunger on boy’s face so she brought him a large glass of milk. Boy was astonished and yet he could not resist his hunger. He drank the milk slowly and asked lady, ‘how much do I owe you?‘ Lady replied, ‘You don’t owe me anything. I have been taught never to accept pay for an act of kindness’. Boy was extremely touched and thanked her from the bottom of his heart. This incident left a profound effect on boy’s psyche. His faith in God and man further increased.

Many years passed after that small incident. The young lady became critically ill and local doctors were clueless about her illness. She was sent to the big city where specialists were called upon to diagnose and treat her problem. The mystery surrounding the illness forced doctors to call Dr. Howard Kelly. When Dr. Kelly first heard about the town she came from, he instantly remember the entire incident and rushed his way to check the patient.

Howard Kelly immediately recognised her and started doing everything in her capacity to save young woman’s life. After giving special attention to the case for quite some time, the lady started getting better. When it came to the matter of bill payment, Dr. Kelly requested hospital authorities to pass the final bill to him.

After carefully examining the bill details, he scribbled something on the edge of the paper and passed the bill to patient’s room. She was scared to have a look at the bill knowing it would take her rest of the life to pay for the expensive treatment. But when she finally opened the bill, she saw something written on the side of the bill,

‘Paid in full with one glass of milk’
Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

Important things of Life

There was this philosophy professor in a prestigious university who loved to teach students about important theories of the subject. Once, while his lecture was about to begin, he just closed the book and instead stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. Students were curious but the professor without looking at them silently picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar. Thereafter, he started to fill it with small rocks. Once the jar appeared full, professor proceeded to ask his students ‘whether the jar was full?’

Entire class unanimously agreed that jar was indeed full. Next, the professor picked up some pebbles and began pouring them into the jar. The moment pouring was complete, he shook the jar lightly. As a result of that, all the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks and settled comfortably.

Professor again asked the students if the jar is full. Same response from the class like before and they all agreed that the jar was full. Professor smiled a bit and this time he picked up a box of sand. He poured the box into the jar and sand filled the entire remaining spaces. Professor repeated his question to the class, if the jar was full? Yes again, was the unanimous response of the students.

Professor now turned towards the class and said, this jar represents your life. The entire things I poured into the jar symbolise some important lessons. The rocks are the most important things, i.e., family, your partner, health and your children. Even if everything else in your life goes away but the rocks remains there, your life would still be full because the most important things are still present in your life.

Pebbles represent other significant things like car, house and job etc. And the sand is the small stuff or everything else.

So the lesson to be learnt here is, you all have to be very selective about what to fill in the jar first and in what order. If your time and energy is spent on small stuff then there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks or in other words, most important things of your life. Always pay attention to things that are most important to you and never take things for granted.

So take care of rocks first and rest everything will fall into place.

Live a meaningful life with no regrets

Death does not discriminate; it strips of us everything. Fame, wealth and power are all useless in the unadorned reality of the final moments of life. When the time comes, we will have only ourselves to rely on. This is a solemn confrontation that we must face armed only with our raw humanity, the actual record of what we have done, how we have chosen to live our lives, asking, "Have I lived true to myself? What have I contributed to the world? What are my satisfactions or regrets?"

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 31/10

The youth in us that shine as true victors

If you allow the passing of time to let you forget the lofty vows of your youth, you stand to block the source of your own boundless good fortune and sever the roots of limitless prosperity for your family and loved ones as well. Please never let this happen. Only by remaining steadfast to the vows we have made in our youth can we shine as true victors in life.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 30/10

Why is it important for us to carry out human revolution?

As you meet various trials and difficulties, thus polishing all the many facets of the jewel which is life, you will learn to walk that supreme pathway of humanity. Of this, I am confident, and I am confident too that those who embrace life's native creativity now stand and will continue to stand in the vanguard of history. Bringing the creativity of life to its fullest flowering is the work of human revolution. Carrying out this kind of human revolution is your mission now as it will be throughout your lives.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 29/10

How to be your own master?

Shakyamuni Buddha explained the fundamental spirit of Buddhism as a sense of individual responsibility. "You are your only master. Who else? Subdue yourself and discover your master." In other words, we must each take responsibility for our own self-discipline and for cultivating meaningful lives.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 28/10

Never Give Up

This story is about a farmer and his mule. The effectiveness of the story lies in the way it focuses upon adversity and how attitude determines the course of seemingly lost cause. There was this farmer in a tiny village.

He owned an old mule that used to carry grains and other farming related stuff for the farmer. During one of those days, the mule fell into a well. The well ran deep and despite trying hard many a times, mule couldn’t get himself out the well. He started to lose hope. His consistent shrieks drew attention of the farmer who came rushing to the well.

Farmer looked around and tried to come up with a rescue plan but eventually, he also lost the hope. He decided that the old mule was not worth the trouble of saving. So, he called his neighbours and asked for their help in hauling dirt to bury the old mule.

The mule got hysterical. Soon enough, the farmer and the neighbours started to shovel and fill well with the dirt. When the first bout of dirt hit mule’s back, suddenly his fast losing spirit came up with an idea. He thought every time a shovel load of dirt will land on his back, he will just shake it off and step up a bit higher. The idea filled him with a new lease of life and hope.

Old mule kept doing the same blow after blow. He would just shake the dirt off and step up a notch higher. He kept reminding himself of possibility of a brand new life. He controlled his nerves and kept stepping up. After some time, the exhausted mule managed to step over the wall of that well. He was completely tired and fatigued yet his spirit triumphed. The dirt that was meant to bury him actually helped him in remaining alive.

The story is a clear example of how our attitude towards seemingly impossible adversities determines the final outcome. Life is like this only. If we respond positively to the stream of problems faced by us and refuse to surrender, we are likely to emerge victorious.

Buddha's Secret Agent - Carey Lowell

Carey Lowell in License to Kill as Pam Bouvier.

Her husband, Richard Gere, is the most well known Buddhist in the United States and both of them are an active supporters of the Dalai Lama.

She is one of the most attractive Bond Girls in the James Bond movies. In License to Kill, she acted as a tough talking bush pilot who took the British secret agent James Bond (played by Timothy Dalton) on a rough plane ride.

What is great literature?

Literature that works to refine, deepen and save the human soul is akin to a religion that elevates and binds people together. And the texts of great religions, such as the Bible and the Buddhist scriptures, make great literature. Literature and religion are parts of the human heritage, and determining how to use that heritage is essential to our further growth as human beings

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 27/10

What is the noblest path a human being can ever pursue?

Buddhism is a movement emphasizing self-education with the aim of unlocking and developing our inherent Buddha nature while at the same time bringing forth diverse wisdom and using various expedient means to help others tap their Buddhahood. This development of potential, this education of oneself and others, is the noblest path a human being can ever pursue.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 26/10

What is a life of true health?

Health is not simply a matter of absence of illness. Health means constant challenge. Constant creativity. A prolific life always moving forward, opening up fresh new vistas—that is a life of true health. An unbeatable spirit is what supplies the power to keep pressing ahead

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 25/10

Why must we be diligent in our faith?

What one has done for another yesterday will be done for oneself today. Blossoms turn into fruit, and brides become mothers-in-law. Chant Nam-myohorenge- kyo, and be always diligent in your faith. -Nichiren

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 24/10

ENGINEERING PROJECT FOR HELL - a Buddhist joke

The Law of Karma states that good ones go to heaven and evil ones go to hell, but sometimes things got mixed up, and an engineer end up in Hell after his death.

King Yama (the Lord of Hell in Buddhism) looked at his record of Karma and said, "You should not be in here. You should go to heaven to enjoy life. However, we in Hell are undergoing a major renovation project, to install a central air conditioning system for everybody. Are you interested in submitting a bid?"

The engineer thought, "I have the right to go to Heaven. But, what the hell, I don't want to lost a business opportunity here." So he submitted a bid to King Yama and got the job.

The work proceeds well and besides installing a central air conditioning system, the engineer also put in a large swimming pool and construct a beautiful park. Life in Hell had became very comfortable.

One day, King Yama met King Sakra, (the Heavenly Emperor) at a Buddhist Temple. "How is life in Hell?" asked Emperor Sakra.

"Very good," replied King Yama, "we hired an engineer who preferred to stay with me rather than going to you, and he had installed things like air conditioners to make life comfortable."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Sakra got furious, "You are breaking the Law of Karma. I demand that you send the engineer back to heaven immediately, otherwise I will take legal action against you."

"Take legal action?" King Yama smiled, "where can you got a lawyer?"

Why should we put ourselves in others shoes?

The misfortune of others is our misfortune. Our happiness is the happiness of others. To see ourselves in others and feel an inner oneness and sense of unity with them represents a fundamental revolution in the way we view and live our lives. Therefore, discriminating against another person is the same as discriminating against oneself. When we hurt another, we are hurting ourselves. And when we respect others, we respect and elevate our own lives as well.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 23/10

What is our greatest spiritual treasure?

Any position, honor or wealth we may gain we will possess only during our present existence. But the unshakable state of life we develop through faith in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo represents our greatest spiritual treasure.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 21/10

Why should we have an open mind?

We should all develop the mind to rejoice in, praise and share in the gift of those who have artistic talents and a richness of heart, whether they achieve wide recognition or not. Cultivating such a beautiful mind is a very worthy effort. Culture and art are not just decorations. They are not just accessories. What matters is whether culture enriches the essential substance of our lives.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 20/10

WOMEN ARE TIGERS - a Buddhist Joke.

One day, an old monk (bhikshus) in a monastery took an young monk (or sramaneras) to town to do some business. The young monk grew up in the monastery all his life and seldom ventured out on his own. Before they went, the old monk told him, "Beware of tigers. There are a lot of man-eating tigers in town. I will show you when they are present."

As they wonder through the busy street of the metropolitan, the young monk noticed that there are a lot of attractive women passing by. Every time, they came pass an attractive woman, the old monk would tell him, "Be ware. She is a man-eating tiger."

After they return to the monastery that night, the two had supper together. The old monk asked the young monk, "What do you like best in town?"

The young monk replied, "man-eating tigers."

Why should we give hope and courage to others?

Our lives grow to the degree that we give hope and courage to others and enable them to develop their lives. Therefore, while we speak of practicing Buddhism for others, it is we ourselves who ultimately benefit. With this understanding comes the ability to take action with a sense of appreciation.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 21/10

ADMISSION TO HEAVEN - a Buddhist joke

A Christian, a Muslim and a Buddhist die and arrive at the Gate of Heaven. An Angel (or deva) stops them and asks, "Why do you come here? Can you tell me the reasons why you are allowed to enter Heaven?"

The Christian replies, "My ancester disobeyed God, and I sinned all my life: I killed, I lied, I cheated my wife and I was greedy. However, Jesus died for me and all my sins are forgiven. So I deserved to enter Heaven." "OK," replies the Angel, "sounds good, but I must give you an entrance examination before you can enter." The Christian promptly agrees and the Angel asks him: "How to spell God?". It is an easy question and the Christian passes through the Gate.

Next came the Muslim, who says, "I had not done any good or evil things during my life but I was very devout. I prayed to God five times a day. So, I too should enter Heaven." The Angel replied, "It sounds OK to me but I have to give you a test also. How to spell Allah?" Not too bad, and the Muslim passes the test.

Finally, it is the Buddhist turn, who tells the Angel,"I had done all the good things in my life and I followed Buddha's five prescepts: I never killed, I donated to charities, I meditated every day, and I never cheated my boss nor my customers." The Angel replies, "that is very good, but there is no exceptions. You must pass the entrance test also in order to get in." Thinking that the test should be simple, he agrees to take the test. The Angel then asks him: "How to spell Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva?"

Why do we share our experience of triumph with others?

Our individual experiences of triumph over our problems give courage and hope to many others. Our personal victories, in other words, become parables expressing the power of the Mystic Law. And those who hear our experiences can share them with still others.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 19/10

What is relative happiness and absolute happiness?

Such things as money, fame, and material possessions offer a fleeting satisfaction, something that can be called relative happiness. However, when we transform our lives internally, when we develop within ourselves a brilliant inner palace, then we can be said to have established absolute happiness. If we develop a state of mind as vast and resplendent as a magnificent palace, then nothing—no matter where we go or what we may encounter in life—can undermine or destroy our happiness.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 18/10

Mr. LAZY - a Buddhist folk story

Mr. Lazy went to see a renounced astrologer to see what lied ahead of his life. After examining his horoscope, the astrologer told him, "Congratulations, you will become a millionaire at 40 years old and will live to a long life of 95 years old." Mr. Lazy was so pleased that he returned home dancing merrily on the way. "Hurrah, I will become a millionaire at 40 years old," he thought, 'I don't have to work hard". From then on, even though he was very poor, he just dreamed of being rich and did not bother finding work. Finally, he became so poor that he died of hunger at age 39.

After his death, he went to see King Yama (Lord of Death in Buddhism), and filed a complaint against the astrologer. King Yama looked at his Record of Karma and said, "This is very strange, according to my calculations, you do not have to die at 39 years old. In fact, I have examined your Karma and found that you really should get rich at 40 and thereafter will live to 95 years old." King Yama then ordered two of his Officers to investigate the case.

Several days later, the two Officers came back with the following report:

The Heavenly Emperor had decided to give Mr. Lazy one million dollars, so he asked the God of Wisdom to carry out the task. The God of Wisdom went down to earth and looked for Mr. Lazy in all the graduation lists of all the schools, colleges and universities, in the hope that he can arrange to pay him the money in the form of a big salary as a very senior civil servant. But, Mr. Lazy was not in any of the graduation lists, nor as a candidate for the civil service examinations. The God of Wisdom thought: "Mr. Lazy is nowhere to be seen in the civil service examiantions, may be he is in the military services. Let me asked the God of War to help him out."

The God of War took the money and started looking for Mr. Lazy in all the Military Services, including the Army and the Police. He could not locate Mr. Lazy anywhere in the rank and file either. Unable to help Mr. Lazy to get a big military victory and a big award, he ask the God of Wealth for assistance.

The God of Wealth, responsible for commercial prosperity, went down to the business world to look for Mr. Lazy. He went through all the trading places but, again, Mr. Lazy was no where to be seen. Unable to give Mr. Lazy the money in the form of a big profit, he turned it over to the God of Land for help.

Finally, the God of Land located Mr. Lazy in his home and he devised a scheme to hand the money over. He left the money in the backyard, and then tried to get Mr. Lazy to do some gardening and therefore find the money. But, Mr. Lazy was too lazy even to clean up his own backyard, and so the money was still remained there untouched.

Upon reading the report, King Yama told Mr. Lazy: "Sorry, the Heavenly Emperor really did want to give you a million dollars during your life time. But you did not make any effort to get it. Case dismissed!"

How can we change our own destiny?

One's actions in previous existences are all engraved in and contained in this lifetime. The causes for our present suffering or joy, happiness or misery, all lie in our own past actions. But Nichiren Buddhism enables us to fundamentally reform our destiny. When we truly base ourselves on Buddhism's view of life's eternity, we realize the first thing to change is how we live in the present. In Nichiren Buddhism, change arises from the depths of our being. Strong, pure vitality abundantly wells forth. The iron chains of destiny are cut, and our original identity, the fresh and robust world of Buddhahood, appears.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 17/10

How can we manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings?

The air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies. While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images. The practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe. It "tunes" our lives, so to speak, so that we can manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 16/10

KING YAMA'S DECISION - a Buddhist folk story

One day, two hell residents (call them A and B respectively) were summoned before King Yama (the Lord of Hell in Buddhism).

"You two had finished serving your sentences here in Hell and are now eligible for parole and to be rebirth as human beings on earth," said King Yama. "But remember, if both of you follow the Buddha's teaching, to do all the good deeds and avoid doing the bad deeds, you do not have to come back here."

"Thank you for your instructions", replied both Hell Residents.

"Now, before you go, I have two life styles for you to choose from when you go back to earth." said King Yama. "The first one is a life style that someone will always give you money while you are on earth. The second one is a life style that you will always give away money through out you life. . Now, you are welcome to make you pick"

"Of course, I want to choose the first one", said resident A, thinking that it is a good choice, "I like people to give me money all the time."

"Well, since resident A had chosen the first life style, than I will choose the second one, that is, I will always give away money to someone else." said resident B.

"OK, I will arrange resident A to be born to a very poor family, and resident B to be born to a very rich family as a multi-billionaire right from birth. You both can go now."

"What!? Why do I have to born to a very poor family?" Resident A protested to King Yama. "And he will be born with a silver spoon in his month?"

Replied King Yama, "Sorry. You want someone to give you money all the time, and poor people on welfare are just that. He wants to give away money all his life, and the only possible way to do it is to be a rich multi-billionaire."

Why Daishonin summon up a mind of great compassion?

I view things through the Buddha eye, I see the living beings in the six paths, how poor and distressed they are, without merit or wisdom, how they enter the perilous road of birth and death, their sufferings continuing with never a break, how deeply they are attached to the five desires, like a yak enamored of its tail, blinding themselves with greed and infatuation, their vision so impaired they can see nothing. They do not seek the Buddha, with his great might, or the Law that can end their sufferings, but enter deeply into erroneous views, hoping to shed suffering through greater suffering. For the sake of these living beings I summon up a mind of great compassion. -The Lotus Sutra

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 15/10

How to be the greatest of all champions?

Life is best lived by being bold and daring. People tend to grow fearful when they taste failure, face a daunting challenge or fall ill. Yet that is precisely the time to become even bolder. Those who are victors at heart are the greatest of all champions.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 14/10

What is the supreme benefit of faith?

Josei Toda explained the supreme benefit of faith as follows: "Attaining Buddhahood means achieving the state in which we are always reborn overflowing with abundant and powerful life force; we can take action to our heart's content based on a profound sense of mission; we can achieve all our goals; and we possess good fortune that no one can destroy." The purpose of faith is to realize a state of eternal happiness. This existence is as fleeting as a dream. We practice faith to awaken from this dream and firmly establish a state of eternal happiness in the depths of our lives during this lifetime.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 13/10

What types of faith are you in?

Today there are people who have faith in the Lotus Sutra. The belief of some is like fire while that of others is like water. When the former listen to the teachings, their passion flares up like fire, but as time goes on, they tend to discard their faith. To have faith like water means to believe continuously without ever regressing. -Nichiren

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 12/10

What do we gain by criticizing people's imperfection?

It's valuable to look for the strengths in others—you gain nothing by criticizing people's imperfections. In fact, it is helpful to take a step back, for even a moment each day, and try to consider the feelings and positive qualities of others of whom you are critical.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 11/10

THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS - A Buddhist Story from the performing arts.

In Buddhism, when one died, usually one would wish to be reborn in the higher realms as humans or divas. But a pair of lovers find happiness to be reborn as a pair of butterflies after their death.

One of the most popular Chinese folk stories that had been transformed into various artistic performances such as movies, novels, dramas, songs and a violin concerto is the legendary Butterfly Lovers. This violin concerto, which you are now listening to in midi format, had been made famous on the international scene by renowned performers such as Vanessa Mae (with the London Philharmonic Orchestra), Takako Nischizaki (with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Lim Kek-chang with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, etc.).

ACT I   The Courtship

The legend goes that a girl name Chu Ying-tai (literally, heroine platform) was a very beautiful young lady who wished to go to school to study like boys did. In ancient China, only boys were allowed to do certain things such as joining the Army or going to school. In order to do so, a girl had to be disguised as a boy and hopefully her identity was not revealed (hence the Disney movie Mulan!!). So, just like Mulan, Chu Ying-tai dressed up herself as a boy and off she went to school in a neighhourhood city.

On the way to the city, Ying-tai met a handsome boy named Leung Shan-po (literally, mountain uncle) who was also going to the same school. Almost immediately, the two became very good friends, both on and off classes.

Three years had passed and Shan-po still did not know that his school friend was actually a girl who had a crush on him. One day, she received a warning letter from her father ordering her to return home. Shan-po escorted her all the way, still not knowing that "he" was a girl even though she had given many hinds that she had fallen in love madly with him. When they departed, Ying-tai told him that she had a younger sister and "he" would ask "his" family to arrange a marriage with Shan-po.

As Shan-po returned to school, his teacher's wife disclosed to him the secret: Ying-tai was a girl who had a crush on him. Suddenly, Shan-po was awakened from his foolishness and immediately went back to meet Ying-tai -- but it was too late.......

Act II      Forced Marriage

As Ying-tai returned home to see her parents, she heard a shocking news: her parents had arranged to marry her to the next door neighbour, Mr. Mah Man-choi, who was the son of a very rich merchant. During feudal times in China, all marriages were practically arranged by the parents, and the teaching of Confucius is that children MUST obey their parents with no argument whatsoever. After much conflicts, she had no choice but to accept the arrangement.

Shan-po finally arrived at the village and the two lovers met at a local Pagoda. But, unfortunately, their first date turned out to be their last greeting during their life times. The two lovers, under the doctrines of Confucism, had to be separated.

Shan-po became severely sick afterwards and soon died of heartbreaking and was buried next to the village.

ACT III      Their Rebirths as Butterflies

It was the wedding day for Ying-tai, but it was far from happy. As the bride and her procession was passing by Shan-po's tomb, suddenly a loud thunder roared from Heaven. A thunderbolt had hit her lover's tomb and cracked it opened. Immediately, Ying-tai jumped into the tomb and killed herself. Then, Heaven roared again, striking the tomb with another thunderbolt. Miraculously, the tomb closed up again to return to its normal shape.

Soon, a pair of butterflies appeared flying among the flower beds - the two lovers were reborn as butterflies. They could not get married as human beings, but they continued to live happily together in their next lives as a pair of butterflies.

What is the way of a person of courage?

Shakyamuni taught that the shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult. To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage. -Nichiren.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 10/10

How to be true winners?

Those who say "I'll do it," who are willing to take on a challenge even if they are alone, are true winners. The determination, the commitment to take action yourself, is the force that leads to victory. As Buddhism teaches in the principle of a life-moment possesses three thousand realms, our mind or attitude can change everything.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 9/10

JOURNEY TO THE WEST - A Buddhist Story from Chinese Literature

The Plot

One of the most popular novels in the history of Buddhism (as well as in Chinese literature) is Journey to the West, also known as The Monkey King, written by Wu Chengen about 500 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty. It is a fiction that is enjoyed by millions of people of different cultures, countries and religions in Asia, from Japan to Korea to China to Singapore and from Buddhists to Muslims to Catholics to Christians. It had been made into various dramas, movies, cartoons, TV series, and operas throughout the last several centuries in Asia. It even appeared on one of the episodes of the American TV program "the Wishbone" a few years ago. Its story is based on a Holy Buddhist Monk, named Tang Xuanzang (literary, an expert in Sutra, Theory and Law of Buddhism), who was dispatched by the Tang Emperor (600 A.D.) to go to India to fetch Buddhist Scriptures.

However, the Journey to India was many thousand miles long, and the route was full of man-eating wild beasts, monsters, devils, demons, and plagued with other difficulties. Therefore, the Buddha assigned four disgraced deities to help him out on the way, to protect him from the devils, and to act as his disciples. The deal was that: all the four deities were sinners originally coming from Heaven, disgraced because they all disobeyed the Heavenly Emperor, and that if the mission were successful, then their sins would be forgiven and they would return to Heaven and be with the Heavenly Emperor forever (does it sound like Christianity?!).

As far as the story goes, only the Chinese Emperor and the Buddhist Monk are real historical figures. Everybody else is fictitious.

The Monkey King

The chief character of the novel, the Monkey King, was conceived by intercourse between Heaven and Earth, and lead a pack of monkeys in the Flower-Fruit Mountain. However, his ambition urged him to travel to Jambudvipa (one of the four continents in Buddhism) to learn magic and martial arts from a Doaist Master. He became such an expert in magic and martial arts that he could jump 108,000 miles just in one somersault, and he could see objects and hear voices 1,000 miles away (much better than today's technology!)

He appointed himself as "Great Saint Equal to Heaven" and demanded a position as one of the gods in Heaven. To avoid conflict, the Heavenly Emperor (sometimes called Jade Emperor by Daoists, King of Gods by Buddhists, or simply, God, by Christians) appointed him to a low position of Manger Supervisor at first and a Gardener in the Heavenly Garden later. In his later position, the Monkey King was supposed to keep watch of the Holy Peaches in the Heavenly Garden - anyone eating those peaches will be enlightened immediately. He was of course, under strict order not to eat those forbidden fruits, which were reserved for special guests of Heaven such as Laozi the Head of Daoism. The Monkey King, however, could not resist the temptation of those tasty forbidden fruits and ate them all. The Heavenly Emperor was furious and kicked him out of the Heavenly Garden (sounds like Genesis?).

Back to the Saha-World, the Monkey King committed even bigger sin. He went down to the deep ocean and took one of the pillars from the Dragon King Palace as his weapon. This weapon, made of diamond steel weighed 18,000 pound and could be expanded to as long as a ten feet long steel rod or be shrunken to the size of a pin at will.

Then he went to see Laozi, the head of Daoism, and stole all his pills from the main Daoist alchemy laboratory. Each pill could prolong a man's life by at least a few thousand years - and the Monkey King ate them all. Laozi was furious. He put the Monkey King into the alchemy stove and grilled him for 49 days. But after the fiery punishment, the Monkey King escaped without any injuries. What is worse is that his skin became as tough as steel and no sword nor arrow could cut it through.

Next, he went down to Hell, beaten up all the Hell Officers and threatened King Yama, the Lord of Hell, with his unique diamond steel rod. He even erased his own name off the Record of Karma and the Record of Births and Deaths so that there was now no way to control when and how he was to be reborn! Hell became a real mess after he returned to Earth.

As reports trickled back to Heaven, the Supreme Deity was of course more furious than before. He sent in a whole army of Heavenly Generals and Soldiers to catch the Monkey King. However, non of the gods was a match for the Monkey King in marital arts and magic, and so finally the Heavenly Emperor sought the assistance from the Buddha. The Buddha entered in a wager with the Monkey King and won. He then trapped the Monkey King under the weight of a huge mountain on the Silk Road.

Five hundred years later, the Holy Buddhist Monk sent by the Chinese Emperor happened to pass by the mountain on his way to India. With the help of Kuen Yin (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Compassion), he freed the Monkey King from his imprisonment and accepted him as his disciple, who would accompany him on his journey.

The Pig King

The second disciple of the Holy Buddhist Monk was the Pig King, who used to be the Admiral of the Heavenly Navy on the Silvery River (known as Milky Way by modern astronomers). During a party, the Admiral had a flirtation with the Goddess of the Moon, who refused his advances. The scandal aroused the anger of the Heavenly Queen (wife of Jade Emperor), who kicked the Admiral out of Heaven and sentenced him to be reborn as a Pig Monster in a small town along the Silk Road.

As a Pig King, the former Admiral from Heaven had an immersible appetite for woman and food. He could eat tons and tons of food and still felt hungry. And on the way to India, he flirted with various nymphs and female demons, getting himself into troubles. He used a nine-tooth garden rack as weapon.

The Sandy Monk

The third disciple of the Holy Buddhist Monk was known as Sandy, who used to be the Chief Security Officer in the Heavenly Palace holding the title General of Curled Curtains. One evening, he broke a piece of priceless antique vase which belonged to the Heavenly Queen at a party. For this sin, he was kicked out of Heaven and sentenced to be reborn as a man-eating Monster in Sandy River which flowed across the Silk Road.

In order for his sin to be forgiven, Sandy had to become a disciple of the Holy Buddhist Monk and to accompany him on the long difficult journey.

The White Horse

The fourth disciple is the White Horse which carried the Monk throughout the Journey. He used to be the Son of the Ocean Dragon King, responsible for the control of rainfalls and weather on Earth. His sin was that he disobeyed order from Heaven and failed to adhere to the weather schedule set up by the Heavenly Emperor. Therefore, he also got kicked out of Heaven and sentenced to be reborn as a White Horse whose duty was to accompany the Monk to fetch the Buddhist Scriptures. Most of the time, the Little Dragon just provided a means of transportation for the Holy Monk, but occasionally he helped out his other brother-in-arms in battles against demons on the Silk Road.

The Journey

Thus, the four disgraced sinners from Heaven were assigned a mission to protect the Holy Monk all the way from China to India. In the next 14 years, they had to face 81 near fatal disastrous incidents, ranging from getting rid of wild beast, converting devils and demons to Buddha's followers, catching run away pets of various gods and divas (such as Manjusri's Lion), and putting out a mountain fire that cannot be doused off by water. On one occasion, the Queen of an all-women Kingdom refused to stamp a visa on their passport documents to let them go, unless they raised children for them!

After the mission, the sins of all the four disciples were forgiven and all of them returned to Heaven. Then the Holy Buddhist Monk began to translate the scriptures into Chinese and Buddhism became the most popular religion in China for the next two thousand years.

In Conclusion

Whilst small children like the actions and humors of the novel, older readers who read it for the second or third time will appreciate the satirical nature of the story. The writer actually poked fun at ALL religions, and make jokes at not only Buddhism, but Daism, Confusism and even Christianity.

How to be a victorious champions?

Life is like a sea voyage. We each need to open up our own course in life with the strength of our convictions, unperturbed by the crashing breakers of life's stormy seas. The fiercer the tempest rages, the more we need to rouse our own fighting spirit and man the tiller with all our strength and skill crying, "Bring it on!" Through this type of arduous struggle we can forge the practical wisdom to triumph consistently and, as victorious champions, to create history.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 8/10

What will sincerity lead us to?

If you remain sincere in your interactions with others, you will one day find yourself surrounded by good friends. And among those people, your friendships will be as strong and unshakable as towering trees. Don't be impatient. Work first on developing yourself, and you can rest assured that an infinite number of wonderful encounters await you in the future.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 7/10

TWO STORIES ABOUT THE BUDDHA STATUE - A Zen Buddhism Koan

NOTE: These two Zen Koans have won big favours among Westerners who come to accept Buddhism as part of their spirituality. Together with the riddle "if you see the Buddha, kill him", they are frequently used by Western followers to promote Buddhism as an idealistic, rather than idol worshiping, religion.

STORY I: Dismantling the Buddha Statue
On a very cold chilly winter night, a poor unemployed man dropped into a Buddhist Temple and kneeled in front of the Main Buddha Statue. After saying a prayer to the Buddha, he bursted into tears and started to cry. The Monk-in-charge of the Temple, Dharma Master Wing Xi (literally, Glorious West) approached him and asked what happened.

"Your venerable," replied the poor man, "My wife and kids have been hungry for several days. I have tried my best to support them, but I could not find work anywhere in town. Now because of the weather, I am suffering from severe arthritis and other diseases. I think my family would not last any longer. That's why I come here to pray to the Buddha and ask him to alleviate my sufferings."

Master Wing Xi pondered, "as Buddhist monks, we do not have any money. How can we help him in such an emergency?" As he looked at the gold-plated Buddha Statue in the main hall, suddenly, he had an idea. He ordered his students to remove the arm from the Buddha Statue, peel the gold off the arm and gave it to the unemployed poor man. "Sell it to a gold smith and use the proceeds for your emergency," he told the poor man.

All the other monks were shocked at his decision and protested, "How can you break the arm of the Buddha Statue and give it away?"

Master Wing Xi said calmly, "You guys do not understand the Dharma. I do this to honour the Buddha himself."

The other monks were confused and angry, "You are breaking the Buddha Statue to pieces. How can this be considered to be an honour to Buddhism and to the Buddha himself."

Master Wing Xi replied, "I do honour our religion and the founder, the Buddha himself. Even though I am going to Hell after this, I am still going to break up the Statue and give it away."

Under the order from the Master, the monks had no choice but started to chip off the gold plate from the statue, but they surely did not like doing it. They started to murmur, "We are breaking up the Buddha Statue to pieces and give it away - and our Master says this is an honour to Buddhism? What an anti-religion idiot."

Upon hearing this, Master Wing Xi could not stand it any long. He shouted out loudly, "Don't you guys study the Buddhist Scriptures? Before he became a Buddha, in his previous lives, Prince Siddhartha gave himself up to feed a hungry tiger, cut his own flesh to feed an hungry eagle, donated his own eye to cure someone's eyesight, etc. He donated everything, including his own body parts for the well being of other sentient beings. Do you understand his teachings at all?! "

STORY II - Using the Buddha Statue as heating fuel
During the Teng Dynasty, Dharma Master Dan Xia (literally, Red Twilight) used to be a candidate for the civil service examination. But he got a "calling" and later became a Buddhist Monk instead.

On a cold winter night, a big snow storm hit the city and the temple where Dan Xia served as a Monk got snowed in. Cut off from outside traffic, the coal delivery man could not get to the Zen Monastery. Soon it ran out of heating fuel after a few days and everybody was shivering in the cold. The monks could not even cook their meals.

Dan Xia began to remove the wooden Buddha Statues from the display and put them into the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" the monks were shocked to see that the holy Buddha Statues were being burnt inside the fire place. "You are burning our holy religious artifacts! You are insulting the Buddha!"

"Are these statues alive and do they have any Buddha nature?" asked Master Dan Xia.

"Of course not," replied the monks. "They are made of wood. They cannot have Buddha Nature."

"OK. Then they are just pieces of firewood and therefore can be used as heating fuel," said Master Dan Xia. "Can you pass me another piece of firewood please? I need some warmth."

The next day, the snow storm had gone and Dan Xia went into town and brought back some replacement Buddha Statues. After putting them on the displays, he began to kneel down and burn incense sticks to them.

"Are you worshiping firewood?" ask the monks who are confused for what he was doing.

"No. I am treating these statues as holy artifacts and am honouring the Buddha." replied Dan Xia.

DON'T EXPECT ANY RETURN FOR YOUR DONATION - A Zen Buddhism Koan

One of the Buddhist Temples in ancient China was very small, but there were a lot of lay followers coming in to make offerings, to listen to Dharma lectures, and to perform religious rituals.. The Temple needed financial support from the villagers for expansion.

One day, a lay follower brought in a bag of 50 gold coins and gave it to the Buddhist Monk in charge, the Venerable Shing Chu. The Monk took the money and, without saying anything, attended to other matters.

The donor was very unhappy, because in ancient China, 50 gold coins were a lot of money, enough to support an ordinary family for several years - and the Buddhist monk simply took the donation without saying anything, not even a "thank you". So he followed the monk and said, "Your venerable, there are 50 gold coins in the bag which I have just donated to the temple."

"Yes, I know," replied the Monk, "you have just told me earlier."

The lay follower could not stand any longer. "But, I am donating 50 gold coins today, " he raised his voice and said loudly. "It is a large sum of money. How come you don't even acknowledge my donation nor even say, 'thank you'?"

By this time, both of them were walking pass by the Main Buddha Statue in the temple. The Monk replied, "You donate money to the Buddha, why do I have to say "thank you"? You make donations to create good merits for yourself and to make yourself happy. If you consider such donation as a business transaction, then I will give you a 'thank you' note on behave of the Buddha so that you can take it home with you. (Editor's Note: In many countries nowadays, you should ask for a donation receipt from religious organizations for income tax purposes!) But from now on, you should consider the Buddha to be your trading partner, not your teacher."

Motto: When you donate, you should not expect anything in return.

Forget about 'what if' and summon your courage.

If you summon your courage to challenge something, you'll never regret it. How sad it would be to spend your life wishing, "If only I had a little more courage." Whatever the outcome, the important thing is to take a step forward on the path that you believe is right. There's no need to worry about what others may think. It's your life, after all. Be true to yourself.

Buddhism Day by Day

Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 6/10

Why must we never concede defeat in life?

No matter what the circumstances, you should never concede defeat. Never conclude that you've reached a dead end, that everything is finished. You possess a glorious future. And precisely because of that, you must persevere and study. Life is eternal. We need to focus on the two existences of the present and the future and not get caught up in the past. We must always have the spirit to begin anew "from this moment," to initiate a new struggle each day.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 5/10

ESCAPE FROM HELL - A Zen Buddhism Koan

Once upon a time a very wicked man died and ended up in Hell. As he was brought before King Yama, (the Lord of Hell in Buddhism), he pleaded to the King, "I am asking your Majesty to be merciful because I always recited Namo Amitabha Buddha." pleaded the wicked man.

"Can you give me a description of any good deed that you had done on Earth?" asked King Yama. "If you can, then I will be more than willing to let you go to Heaven instead of staying here."

The wicked man thought for a long time and said, "I recall I saved the life of a spider. A bird flew into my garden and destroyed a spider web, and I chased the bird away."

"OK, I will ask my Officers to verify what you say." said King Yama. So he sent two Hell Officers off to look for the spider whom the wicked man said he had saved.

After spending some time looking for the spider, the two Officers finally located her in the Heavenly Garden, serving as the Goddess of Silk under Emperor Sakra' s (the King of Thirty Three Heavens in Buddhism) command.

"Yes, it is true that he saved my life," the Goddess of Silk told King Yama's Officers. "I am very grateful for this and therefore I am willing to help him get out of Hell"

"How would you do it?" asked the Officers.

"I will spin a long fine piece of silk and drop it from Heaven to Hell. Then he can hold on to it and I will lift him to Heaven. There is one condition: My silk looked thin, but very strong. He must have faith in it before he can be lifted to Heaven."

The scheme was approved by both Emperor Sakra and King Yama. A long thin piece of silk was produced by the Goddess and dropped all the way from Heaven to Hell. The man held on the silk and the Spider Goddess started to lift him out. Everything seemed to work well until ........

As the wicked man was being lifted out of Hell, he looked down and found hundreds and hundreds of Hell residents also held on to the piece of silk and tried to get out of Hell into Heaven. The weight of all those people was stretching the spider silk tremendously. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind, "Can I trust this thin piece of silk to hold so many people? If I cut the other Hell residents loose, this piece of silk need not bear so much weight and I am sure that I can to go to Heaven safely!" And he remembered he had a knife in his pocket.

He tried to reach his pocket to find his knife, but as he took his hand off the piece of silk, he fell back into Hell. Thus, while the other residents reached Heaven safely, he was unable to get out. The Goddess of Silk sighed and told the two Hell Officers, "Well. My piece of silk is very strong but elastic. It will not break no matter how many Hell residents held on to it. He did not have faith in it and did not want anybody else come to Heaven. There is little else I can do to bring him out."

Where does the expansive world lay?

The expansive world lies not in some distant place; it exists right where you are. That is why you need to win where you are right now. Today's victory is linked to your eternal victory.

Buddhism Day by Day Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 4/10

What is our mission as Buddhist?

Buddhism teaches that self-awareness arises through our encounters with the eternal. Buddhism urges us to be receptive to the most profound meaning of living, in the eternal process of cosmic evolution, and further urges that we accept, as our mission, compassionate behavior toward all beings.

Buddhism Day by Day

Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 3/10

DINING WITH A GENERAL - a Zen Buddhism Koan

DINING WITH A GENERAL - a Zen Buddhism Koan

One day, an Army General invited the Buddhist Monk I-hsiu (literary, "One Rest") to his military head office for a dinner. I-hsiu was not accustomed to wearing luxurious clothings and so he just put on an old ordinary casual robe to go to the military base. To him, "form is void".

As he approached the base, two soldiers appeared before him and shouted, "Where does this beggar came from? Identify yourself! You do not have permission to be around here!"

"My name is I-hsiu Dharma Master. I am invited by your General for a supper."
The two soldiers examined the Monk closely and said, "You liar. How come my General invites such a shabby Monk to dinner. He invites the very solemn Venerable I-hsiu to our base for a great ceremony today, not you. Now, get out!"
I-hsiu was unable to convince the soldiers that he was indeed the invited guest, so he returned to the Temple and changed to a very formal solemn ceremonial robe for the dinner. And as he returned to the military base, the soldiers observed that his was such a great Buddhist Monk, let him in with honour.

At the dinner, I-hsiu sat in front of the table full of food but, instead of putting the food into his month, he picked up the food with his chopsticks and put it into his sleeves. The General was curious, and whispered to him, "This is very embarrassing. Do you want to take some food back to the Temple? I will order the cook to prepare some take out orders for you."

"No" replied the Monk. "When I came here, I was not allowed into the base by your soldiers until I wear this ceremonial robe. You do not invite me for a dinner. You invite my robe. Therefore, my robe is eating the food, not me."

The General, "......................."

Why must we spread friendship around the world?

Our individual circle of friendship is part of the global circle of friendship; it is one and the same. A drop of rain from the sky, a drop of water from the river, or a drop of water from the ocean are all just that—a drop of water—until they accumulate. The friends we make in our own small circle contribute to the spread of friendship around the world. Making one true friend is a step toward creating world peace.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 2/10

How to fill one's heart with flowers that shine brilliantly?

Time is constantly passing, one moment following fast upon the other. That's why it's so important to press forward boldly, without complaining or fretting. The person who looks to the future and keeps moving ahead is eternally youthful. Such a person's heart is filled with flowers and shines brilliantly.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 1/10

CARRYING A GIRL ACROSS A RIVER - a Zen Buddhism Koan

One day, a Buddhist Monk named I-hsiu (literary, "One Rest") took his young student to go to town to do some business. As they approached a small river, they saw a very pretty girl walking back and forth looking very concerned.
"Lady", asked I-hsiu, "you look very concerned. What is troubling you?"
"I want to cross the river to visit my dad who is very sick, but the bridge had fallen. Where is the next nearest bridge?"
"The next closest one is many miles away. But, don't worry, I will carry you across the river."
So I-hsiu carried the girl on his back and walked across the river stream. Once they reached the other side, he put her down and, saying farewell to each other, went on their ways separately.
Observing the whole thing, the young student was rather uneasy. He thought, "the Master taught us that women are man-eating tigers (see the story "Women are Tigers" in this site) yet today he carried a pretty girl on his back across a river! That does not make any sense. Isn't the Lord Buddha teach us to keep a distance from a stranger girl?"
Over the next couple of month, the whole thing was still bothering him in his mind. Finally, the student could not stand it any longer and raised the issue with I-hsiu.
Upon hearing this, I-hsiu bursted into laughter: "I had put down the girl ever since I had crossed the river. You must be very tired carrying her around for the last two months!"

What is knowledge and wisdom?

Knowledge gives rise to wisdom. If you like, knowledge is the pump; wisdom is the water that we get from the pump. If we can't obtain water, the pump is useless. At the same time, without knowledge, without the pump, we won't be able to obtain water.

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 30/9

Who uses the mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra?

A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff. -Nichiren

Buddhism Day by Day
Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 29/9

BUDDHIST ARTWORKS - a Zen Buddhism Koan

The Buddhist Monk I-hsiu (literary, "One Rest") had a lay follower who was a very rich but mean merchant. One day, he invited I-hsiu to his home to look at his collection of antiques.

After the show off, the lay follower asked I-hsiu, "What do you think of my rare collection?"

"There is nothing unusual about your collection. They cannot be compared to some of the Buddhist Artworks in my temple. These artworks are priceless because they were brought here from India via the silk road two thousand years ago."

"Really?" the rich man was so happy to hear that, "such artworks are indeed priceless. Can I add them to my collection? Give me a price and I will buy them all."

"They are not for sale, but, since you are so devoted to the Lord Buddha, I will give them to you, for 3,000 ounces of silver," replied I-hsiu.

"Ok. I will take it. Here is the money and I will pick it up tomorrow at the temple."

The next day, when the rich lay follower came to the temple, I-hsiu took him to the back of the temple and showed him a cat's meal bowl and a dog's drinking bowl. "These are all yours."

"What!? Two bowls for your pets? How can you call these "Buddhist Artworks" that worth 3,000 ounces of silver?"

I-hsiu bursted into laughter, "These are indeed priceless Buddhist Artworks from India. Normally, I will not sell for 30,000 ounces of gold. Now you get them for a bargain price of 3,000 ounces of silver, that is because of your good karma!"

On hearing this, the rich man had nothing to say. He just returned home quietly, with much groans inside his heart.

Very soon, there was a news that the rich man had donated a big sum of money to the local temple. Overnight, he became a celebrity. Everyone in the village treated him with honour and respect. Where ever he went, he was cheered upon by the local villagers. Finally, he understood what was meant by "Buddhist Artwork", which is indeed priceless.