Monday, June 11, 2012
Treasure of Life

Question: I envy my classmates when they could have whatever they wanted. I wish I could be like them.

Answer:

Here, I’d like to share a little story with all of you.

Long ago, there was a boy named John, living in poverty with his uncle. John’s father gave him to his uncle since the uncle had no children.

There was one time during his efforts on preparing for the coming examinations, an unexpected accident happened. His uncle passed away from a plane crash. Surprisingly, the uncle left his property for John. John became a millionaire in no time. He changed plans to study as he thought that “We study to earn money, isn’t it? Since I’ve became a millionaire now, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for me to study anymore”.

As his parents agreed, he soon began his carefree and untroubled life. He spent his study life wasting the money and enjoying life. At the age of 20, he finally spent all the money and became one of the beggars who sleep in the park. That moment, he thought to himself “Why is it so fast to spend all the money from uncle?”

What is the true happiness in life? Mr. Ikeda once said that “The true happiness can only be purchased with hard work and hardships.” It is a misfortune that people of this era treat the enjoyment on materials as their happiness. Parents nowadays also satisfy their children with materials, feeding them such “enjoyment” as a kind of happiness, but forgetting to educate them the way to live strong and independently.

A Japanese industrialist named Matshusita Konosuke known as “the god of management” once said that “I’d rather spend all my money to buy my youth.” For all the youths out there, you all possess a magnificent treasure of life, a treasure of values. Such treasure is one that is incomparable, not one of your gadgets or fashion collection. It depends on you to brush your very own treasure, allowing it to glow and shine. I hope that you have a strong determination to become a stronger you tomorrow.

The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love (Japanese anime) was a remarkable work. In the story, people who make friends with Pollyanna would always be affected by her warm happy smile. She’d take every hardship as an opportunity to improve towards the good. For example, she treated her aunt’s impolite attitude as a chance of friendship. J.K. Rowling, famous author of the Harry Potter novels once gone through domestic violence and divorce. She had to work very hard to raise her children. In the end, she became one of the most famous women in the world. All these cases are telling us that we could breakthrough our hardships in life and achieving victory in the end.

The famous French poet, Victor Huge once said “There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.” Furthermore, that gosho teaches us that “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.” Mr. Ikeda emphasized that “Happiness isn’t about having all the materialistic enjoyment, but to enrich and widen up the world inside your heart.” But how do we widen up our hearts? It is through chanting Daimoku of course. At this very moment of your youth, you must not let go of opportunities to enrich yourself with experience through the Gakkai activities. This way, you could truly widen up your heart and store the true happiness inside it.


*More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of heart are the most valuable of all.

Definition: “Treasure in a storehouse” refers to wealth; “treasures of the body” refers to health and skills; “treasure of heart” refers to your thought and determination.



Once you are determined on your aims, bring out the courage in you and unleash your infinite potential. When we began to change, our surroundings will change too. Soon, the world would also change when everyone starts to make a move forward. To unleash our inner potential, it is nothing better to challenge our day with everyday gongyo and Daimoku.


Shared by,
Rainbow.

Labels:

Written at 9:31 PM by Paper Pilot.