Winter always turns into spring

Winter always turns into spring

   

Winter turns into spring; it does not become autumn. This is an unchanging principle of nature. In the same way, the Daishonin says, those who uphold the Mystic Law, the great teaching for gaining enlightenment, will never fail to become Buddhas or remain in the deluded state of an ordinary, unenlightened person. As the Buddha promises in the Lotus Sutra, those who hear and embrace the Mystic Law will all attain Buddhahood without a single exception. This is a universal principle of life.

   

From the Buddha's perspective, everyone has a right to happiness. Everyone has the potential to lead a life brimming with joy. we who uphold Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, moreover, know how to tap the Mystic Law in our lives. That is why we not only have a right to happiness but also have an important mission to help others actualize true happiness in their lives as well.

   

"Winter always turns into spring" means that ordinary people who triumph over all challenges they encounter in the course of their Buddhist practice will definitely become Buddhas. The Daishonin's words are a mighty lion's roar, proclaiming that his disciples - whose lives are dedicated to enabling others to awaken to and manifest the Buddhahood that inherently exists within them - cannot fail to attain enlightenment.

- Daisaku Ikeda