Paul Monaco .com

It’s not yet Thanksgiving and we already had plowable snow!!!  This is great!!!  The changes in seasons is one of the reasons I would have a hard time ever leaving this region.  As it changes it reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of encouragement.

“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.” - Diasaku Ikeda

The World Tribune, a weekly newspaper put out by the lay Buddhist organization the Sokka Gakkai recently published an exerpt from “A Youthful Diary” – The diary of young Daisaku Ikeda, the SGI’s 3rd president, my mentor.

On Saturyda May 13, 1950 part of his entry reads… “Am I tired from all our struggles? My physical condition is extremely bad. Shall a disciple of Nichiren Daishonin be defeated? Never! Burn with great conviction! Faith, arise!..

Points to remember from today on: 1) Study Buddhism, 2) Cut down on expenses and 3) Live productively.”

Though these are points I do and have been practicing, after a while our convictions need to be renewed. Reading that exerpt has inspired me to add these points to my 43things.com and renew my efforts.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

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