What is the purpose 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.

Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 13/10

The attainment of Buddhahood depends on the faith of sutra

Judging from these examples, we may conclude that for evil people living in the latter age the attainment of Buddhahood does not depend upon whether their offenses are slight or grave, but solely upon whether or not they have faith in this sutra. 3/8

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,
Reply to Hakiri Saburo
Written to Hakiri Rokuro Saburo on August 3, 1273

The meaning of faith

What we call faith is nothing unusual. Faith means putting one's trust in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the heavenly gods and benevolent deities, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a woman cherishes her husband, as a man lays down his life for his wife, as parents refuse to abandon their children, or as a child refuses to leave its mother. 18/5

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
The Meaning of Faith
Written to the lay nun Myoichi on May 18, 1280

Faith is the most "open" state of mind of all

There is no means other than faith by which to open our lives and our inner state of Buddhahood. Faith is the most "open" state of mind of all. Infinite clusters of good fortune spill forth from this unbarred treasure house of life. 4/4

Buddhism teaches the subtle principle of ichinen

You can forge the path to a fulfilling and enjoyable life if you have the depth of faith to regard everything as a source for creating happiness and value. Conversely, if you see everything only in a negative or pessimistic light, your life will gradually but inevitably be plunged into darkness. Buddhism teaches the subtle principle of ichinen, and moreover, the power of faith. 28/2

Your faith is in your hand

It all comes down to you. I hope you won't rely on others or wait for them to do something. Try to develop such a strong sense of responsibility that you can stand up to the fiercest storms, confidently proclaiming, "I'll do it. Just watch me!" Please confront reality, look it squarely in the face, and with guts, wisdom and strength, challenge everything that lies ahead of you. 3/3

For Today and Tomorrow

Power of faith
In this lifetime, to demonstrate the power of faith in the Mystic Law to others some of you may have been born into poverty so that you could show actual proof by gaining secure and comfortable lives. Some of you may have been born with ill health so that you could show proof by growing strong and healthy. Irrespective of your situations, however, the light of faith in the depths of your beings will continue to shine on eternally with diamond-like brilliance. 20/1


Helping others
Suffering and undergoing hardships for the sake of friends and for spreading the Law shows the sense of responsibility of a genuine leader and is the behavior of a bodhisattva. There is no suffering or hardship that a Bodhisattva of the Earth cannot surmount. So no matter what happens, I would like you to steadily advance one step at a time, always chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a vibrant voice. 19/1


Now is the time, I am the one
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a tireless crusader for human rights said: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?" Do not say you will do it "someday"; now is the time. Do not say "someone" will do it; you are the one. Now is the time for youth to take full responsibility and courageously pave the way for the people's triumph. 18/1


Patience
Please remember that patience is in and of itself a great challenge and that it often holds the key to breaking through a seeming impasse. 17/1


Great achievement not accomplished overnight
It is important to take a long-range view. No great achievement is accomplished overnight or without difficulty. Should benefit be obtained easily without our making any efforts in Buddhist practice, we'd probably just as easily abandon our faith and end up miserable as a consequence. Because it isn't easy to get into a highly-ranked school, students study with all their might, gaining an abundance of knowledge and ability. Faith follows basically the same formula: Practice is essential to attaining Buddhahood. 16/1

The final four or five years of one's life

President Toda often said that the final four or five years of one's life are decisive. No matter how good the preceding years may have been, one's life ends in defeat and sadness if the final few years are miserable. On the other hand, someone whose last four or five years are happy and filled with joy can be described a winner in life. No matter what happens, even if we should fall sick, we must never grow discouraged or allow ourselves to be defeated. This is vital. As long as our spirits are undefeated, we are victors. 8/6

True path of manifesting faith in daily life

Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 12/4

It's important to remember that your prayers always reflect your state of life. In that respect, prayer is a solemn means to raise your life-condition. And to get exactly the results that you're praying for, it is crucial to make determined, single-minded efforts toward that goal. That is the true path of manifesting faith in daily life. Those of you who proceed along this path day after day, year after year, will without fail develop—just like saplings into mighty trees—becoming people of outstanding strength and character.

Faith in life and in the human spirit

Wisdom for Modern Life by Daisaku Ikeda 2/3


The important thing is not whether we are optimistic or pessimistic but rather that, while keeping a careful eye on reality, we are neither overwhelmed by it nor content with the status quo. We must keep the lamps of our ideals alight while being ready to pioneer uncharted paths. Faith in life and in the human spirit is the necessary foundation for this approach.

Strength is happiness

Strength is happiness. strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. but regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being. A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - developing these is victory and the world of Buddhahood.