We used to receive Sensei’ guidances every month in the form of News Letters. This was terrific stuff. I used to keep the the Guidance’s with me all the time and kept reading it for inspiration .Also used to share some of it with friends and colleagues .Besides giving directions on faith and practice, these guidance’s also touched upon and threw light on topics of interest such as the meaning of happiness , winning in life etc etc .Very often we received very informative material on historic events and personalities .Reading the News Letters regularly every month was a great source of information .
It’s tough and possibly not warranted here to give more than just a brief flavour of the guidances we used to receive .Here is some material I pulled out of the store house of these treasures .. it’s on happiness – absolute and relative .
Attaining a State of Absolute Happiness
Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda gave the following guidance on happiness :
I would like to say a few words about happiness . There are two kinds of happiness – absolute happiness and relative happiness . Absolute happiness is attaining Buddhahood – relative happiness means that your every day wishes are fulfilled one by one – for instance , to have a million yen , a wonderful spouse , fine children , a house like that and clothes like this , and so on — Such happiness is not of great consequence . Yet every one is convinced that this is what being happy is all about .
What then is absolute happiness ? Absolute happiness means that being alive itself is a joy — It also implies a state where one is free of financial worries and enjoys adequate good health , where there is peace and harmony in the family , business prospers , and one is filled with a magnanimous spirit , so that all one sees and hears brings one a sense of pleasure and joy .When one is able to view things in this way , this world , this strife ridden saha realm , will itself become a Pure Land .This is what we call the state of Buddhahood .
The purpose of life
What is the purpose of life ? It is happiness . The goal of Buddhism and of faith , too , is to become happy . Happiness and ease here means being freely able to live the kind of life one desires and whole-heartedly enjoying that life .
If you possess a strong life force and abundant wisdom , it is possible to enjoy the challenge of overcoming life’s hardships much in the same way that waves make surfing exhilarating and steep mountains give mountaineering its allure .
Reality is harsh .You must courageously challenge the stern realities of life and win , and win again , and in everything – in your daily lives , at work , at school , and in your homes . Buddhism and faith are the driving force for unlimited improvement .
Where people possess wisdom and life force derived from faith , they can move everything towards an increasingly bright and more positive and encouraging direction .The truly wise person of faith is one who enters the rhythm of being able to achieve victory in reality again and again , instead of merely philosophizing about it .
People who create value.
The purpose of life is to realize absolute happiness .Absolute happiness is something that doesnt change with time ; it is eternal ; it is a sense of happiness that is unaffected by external factors , welling forth from the depths of one’s life . It is not a transitory thing like worldly status , fortune or satisfaction .
The important thing is to live in accordance with the Law and to attain an elevated state of mind in life’s inner realm based on the Law .The enhanced level of this inner state attained through faith exists eternally together with the Law .Therefore , we can forever live as kings and queens of life .
Some people may declare themselves to be happy even though they are sick or poor , maintaining that happiness is just a matter of how you look at things .However unless one truly feels a sense of happiness from the depth of one’s heart , any claim to happiness will sound hollow .
Moreover when we accumulate the treasures of the heart in the depths of our lives , they naturally manifest themselves in the treasures of the body (good health and well being ) and treasures of the store house ( material comfort ).
Happiness and ease for both ourselves and others
Happiness in both body and mind refers to the true state of happiness we experience when are bodies are functioning with vibrant energy and our hearts are content and filled with the joy of living .Happiness for both ourselves and our surroundings implies that it is impossible for us alone to become happy when there is misery and desolation in our environment or society .The purpose of Buddhism is to become happy oneself and also to bring happiness to one’s family and community .
Strive not to get caught up solely in your concerns but , open your heart wide , make efforts for the sake of others and for your fellow members. Such efforts will cause you to over come your lesser self and cultivate a state of mind where your greater self predominates .
Living Adventure 