Complaints erase good fortune

"Complaints erase good fortune, grateful prayers build happiness throughout eternity"

Every time I complained about something, this quote came into my mind. It reminds me not to complain so much because it removed all the accumulated good fortune. This is why people who complained sound very negative and they find themselves spiraling downwards into the whirlpool of negativity! If you feel like complaining today, STOP! Instead, be grateful and say a prayer :)

Daily Encouragement - Feb 26

Gong Xi Fa Chai!!

I am back to work today, quite reluctantly after a long break during CNY. But Fong Yee reminded me this morning to live each day to the fullest and create values at my workplace. This also reminds me of a guidance from D. Ikeda which I would like to share with all of you. Have a splendid and fulfilling day ahead! :)


"Those who wake up each morning with work to accomplish and a mission to fulfill are the happiest person of all. Each day is one of supreme purpose and satisfaction. Each day is New Year's Day. Please exert yourselves vigorously with the determination to live each day to the fullest, so that you may compose a golden diary of life."

- Daisaku Ikeda -

No absence of beauty..

Annie always remind me that "there is no absence of beauty, only lack of discovery". I thought about this phrase on my way to work and I find that in this digital and Internet age, a lot of people tend to forget to discover the beauty in something they have.

Let me give you an example. When I was young and poor, I tend to truly treasure a lot of my possessions: books, music cassettes, computer games and even small little things like a "lead" pencil. I love to read and love music. I would save money to buy something I like. Most of the times, the things I bought did not turn out as I expected - the book is written with difficult English; the songs is not to my taste or the computer games, which cost RM50 that time, turned out to be something that I was not used to playing. At that time, that's the only book, song and games that I have. Like it or not, I still have to read it, listen to the music or plough through the computer games. And as I forced myself to read/listen/play, I discover the beauty behind the writing; I get used to the rhythm of the song; and I discovered unexplored worlds in the games. The more I read, the more I love the style of writing. The phrase above struck a deep chord with me. There is no absence of beauty.. it's just me, myself, not discovering the beauty behind a creation, a novel, a piece of music, a gaming world.

Today, most teenagers or adults alike has easy and free access to music, movies, TV series, softcopy of books and games. They don't need to save money to get them. All they need is a bit torrent software and time to download these from the Internet. It's all free, right? Just fire up the software, go to sleep and the next day, you will get access to the music, movies and games. For fellow Malaysians, we could buy the whole TV series for maybe a few ringgits. Not a lot of money.

Because of these easy access, people tend to throw away something that they don't like. They forget to discover. How many times did you delete the song that you downloaded which you previewed for only 5 second and found that you didn't like it? Or how many times do you find yourself uninstalling a games or software that you only played/used for 5 minutes? Or fast forward a movie to the end just to see the ending and then throw the CD away? How many of us truly go through the ordeal of listening to a unfamiliar tunes or movies or books to discover the beauty inside it, as the artist, directors, authors meant it to be?

The next time you listen to a song and decide to press the "Next Track" button, remember the phrase above. We must always strive to discover the beauty behind a creation.. be it a song, book, movie or even LIFE itself!

Daily Encouragment - Feb 15

Life is full of unexpected suffering. Even so, as Eleanor Roosevelt said: "If you can live through that [a difficult situation] you can live through anything. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' " That's exactly right. Struggling against great difficulty enables us to develop ourselves tremendously. We can call forth and manifest those abilities lying dormant within us. Difficulty can be a source of dynamic growth and positive progress.

- Daisaku Ikeda -

Daily Encouragement - Feb 14

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 continuous 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.

- Daisaku Ikeda -

Daily Encouragement - Feb 13

Remembering things about a person is an expression of compassion and concern. Forgetfulness shows a lack of compassion, a lack of responsibility.

- Daisaku Ikeda -

Introducing Human Revolution

In today's world where global issues are so important, many people feel a sense of powerlessness and resignation; a feeling that no individual's efforts can change the way things are. But the Buddhist viewpoint is that the world should be seen from the perspective of the individual, and that the human life contains the entire universe. That is why changing our own lives one by one will bring a change in our family, our community, and the society in which we live. It will change the age we live in, our history, and indeed all aspects of our world.

If we look for the true causes of war, we see that it is essentially caused by the human mind. War stems from the desire to control and conquer others, to have power, and from hatred and antipathy. Such is a human being in the grip of the negative force of life. World peace starts with the inner transformation of the individual, and the struggle to elevate our state of life, and free ourselves from the domination of the negative force of life.

A single sunflower contains the seeds for more than a thousand new plants. Similarly, when one brave person stands up for peace, his or her resolve spreads out into the environment in thousands of ways. Courage always brings a response. One person's human revolution can therefore eventually change the destiny of the entire human race.

- Daisaku Ikeda -

Daily Encouragement - Feb 9

"Exert your utmost effort. Make each day count. Ask yourself today and tomorrow also: "Did I do my best?" That is what makes a hero. The person who can do this is a WINNER."

"A wave grows stronger with each obstacle it encounters"

"Truly brave is the person who is strong when standing alone"

- Daisaku Ikeda -

Daily Encouragement - Jan 22

Ultimately, happiness rest on how you establish a solid sense of self or being. Happiness does not lie in outward appearances nor in vanity. It is a matter of what you feel inside; it is a deep resonance in your life. To be filled each day with a rewarding sense of exhilaration and purpose, a sense of tasks accomplished and deep fulfilment - people who feel this way are happy. Those who have this sense of satisfaction even if they are extremely busy are much happier than those who have time on their hand but feel empty inside.
- Daisaku Ikeda

Vol 73 Dynamic Strides

At the root of this recent attitude among young women was the belief that happiness comes from the outside. But happiness is something we must create in our hearts, through our own efforts. Happiness cannot be achieved without working for it. The famous German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) proclaimed: "He who sports with life / Can never prosper / He who cannot command himself / Forever stays a slave."

In addition, no life is free from suffering. No matter how glamorous some people's lives may appear from the outside, they all have their share of problems and worries. One may experience smooth sailing for a time, but it never lasts forever. Suffering is an inescapable part of being alive. Unhappiness comes from being defeated by that suffering, losing all hope, and succumbing to despair. The only way to avoid that is to build a strong, expansive spirit that cannot be beaten by any hardship.

The bigger our problems and difficulties, the greater the happiness we experience when we finally overcome them. In fact, it is in the very process of challenging our problems that our lives pulse with joy and fulfilment and a great wellspring of happiness rises up within us. The effort to transform ourselves into a strong, dynamic, and broad-minded person is called human revolution.

Vol 61 - Soka University

Shin'ichi announced the Soka University's founding principles as:
(1) Be the highest seat of learning humanistic education;
(2) Be the cradle of a new culture; and
(3) Be a fortress of peace for humankind

"Only labour and devotion to one's mission give life its worth"

"One truly committed individual can defeat ten thousand. If a leader is really dedicated, his troops will be likewise."

"Encouragement has the power to change disappointment to courage."

"Just as steel is forged in a furnace, our character can only be developed through intense hardship and struggles."

"The process of germination for fresh foliage of spring begins in the bitter cold of winter. In the same way, our lives, as well as human civilization, bear magnificent fruit through surmounting various hardships and challenges."

"..the key to success in life were always to be honest in money matters, to behave with integrity and prudence in romantic relations, and to regard any interpersonal problems they encountered at the workplace as opportunity to grow."

Vol 70 - Lion's Roar

People who have a defined starting point are stong. We must never forget our starting point. As long as we keep it foremost in mind, we will never lose sight of the path of our convictions.

Vol 57 - Mission

Each of us has a noble mission. When we awaken to that mission, the door to our inner life force is unlocked and immeasurable strength and wisdom well forth. Our fundamental mission is the realisation of the sacred and unprecendented undertaking of kosen-rufu, the attainment of happiness and peace for all humanity.

Vol 39 - Hope of The People

"So how is unity among members created? The key is prayer - chanting daimoku earnestly. When we encounter someone we find hard to deal with, we need to pray sincerely for that person. When we argue and fight with another person, it means that both of our life-conditions are low. Praying for the happiness of the other people will greatly elevate our own state of life.

"Emotional conflicts are frequently caused by misunderstandings, so it's important that we talk to each other with an open mind. We need to have the courage to engage each other in dialogue. There is no reason that two people of faith who share kosen-rufu as their fundamental goal shouldn't be able to work out their differences."

Vol 38 - Brilliant Light

Youth are the treasure of the age; they are the brilliant light leading the way into the future. Just as a single ray of light breaks through the darkness and heralds the dawn, the activities of fresh and dynamic youth usher in the dawn of hope. It was the youth of the Soka Gakkai who took the lead in the essential phase of kosen-rufu.

Vol 37 - Young Phoenixes

Youth has limitless potential. It is alive with boundless hope, burning passion, and an overflowing desire for self-improvement. The youthful strength of the next generation is the infinite treasure of all humanity.

Vol 36 - A New Era

Life is eternal. That is the reason we must do our human revolution. Why? Because, according to the strict law of cause and effect, the good causes we accumulate through our practice of Buddhism in this lifetime become the very life of our eternal self that we will carry into the next existence.

First Post

This blog is to document all the New Human Revolution books by Daisaku Ikeda which I have read.

I like the fact that I can label each post in the blog, thereby able to label all the guidances - this will allow me to find the right book based on the guidance I am looking for. As an example, I have labelled this post with the word "New Human Revolution". Clicking this label will show me all post that has this label.

And this blog allows multiple authors, so I can share it with Annie. She can post her own readings as well.

INTERESTING.....