"Sadato was beaten in twelve years. Masakado was overcome in eight. The devil king of the sixth heaven has roused the ten kinds of troops* and, in the midst of the sea of the sufferings of birth and death, is at war with the votary of the Lotus Sutra to stop him from taking possession of and to wrest away from him this impure land where both ordinary people and sages dwell.
It has been twenty or more years now since I found myself in that situation and began the great battle. Not one have I thought of retreat. Among my disciple and followers, however, those who are cowards have for the most part either given in or retreated at heart.
I am at a loss to say how moved I am that though you, the lay nun, have little knowledge of Buddhist doctrines and are fainthearted, until now you have never retreated.” (WND-2,465)
*The ten kinds of troops represent ten kinds of hindrances. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom lists them as (1) greed, (2) care and worry, (3) hunger and thirst, (4) love and pleasure, (5) drowsiness and languor, (6) fear, (7)doubt and regret, (8) anger, (9) preoccupation with wealth and fame, (10) arrogance and contempt for others.
Five days ago I received the worst news while standing at the bus stop. I felt as if a roll of saran wrap was placed around my head. I was instantly suffocating in fear. I returned home and began chanting, went to a meeting, came home chanted again and studied with my fellow YWD. The next morning, I began a nine hour toso, to never feel this fear and doubt ever again. A total of five members came throughout the day and chanted with me. In the first 26 hours of hearing the bad news I had chanted 12 hours. I realized I was begrudging my own life by feeling overwhelmed with fear. I was looking at the problem and not at the fact that I have the power to change it. My biggest realization was that I have actual proof that I am practicing correctly. I have also been given a chance to change very deep-rooted family karma.
This weekend I read all of the blog entries and was truly struck by Paul Eddy’s honesty. I would like to include some of my own. The only reason I immediately postured myself to fight was because of the fellow members sitting next to me to chant. From what I hear there is a lot of youth division that are having the floors drop out from under them. I ask you to please call your fellow members, chant together, study together. Right now, we are all fighting so hard with Sensei to ensure that the eternal foundation for kosen-rufu is laid correctly, and as we have all learned, it’s freakin hard. This ain’t no cake walk. Let’s unite to help each other through this so that we are all standing tall together on January 1, 2008. I have re-read Sensei’s poem “The Ninth Wave”, and would like to share with you the vision I see on January 2, 2008 :
The person who is dedicated
To the justice of the true law
Can definitely unleash the power
To crush any stormy obstacle…
The morning of hope and peace awaits
Anybody, any human being
Who is courageous.
You,
Stand up with your new determination!
The great sun of victory
Will certainly wait for you,
Signaling you glory ahead.
Daisaku Ikeda – November 5, 2003
I can see it clear as day, Sensei waving his hands with tears in his eyes at all we are able to accomplish right now, in these next 64 days!! Now is not the time for any of us to be defeated, this is when we tighten our reigns around each, support each other and fight!!
In the October 26th World tribune, Danny Nagashima wrote: “Mr. Toda’s disciple Daisaku Ikeda writes in his historical novel The Human Revolution: “President Toda faced persecution like a lion. If I am his disciple, then I, like a lion’s cub, must also behave like a lion. The time has come at last for me to prove whether I really am a lion” (p.1627) Now is our time as youth division to fight resolutely for all of humankinds happiness. I am a disciple of Daisaku Ikeda’s and I will fight like a lion and so can you!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
These next 64 days all depends on how we respond now to the problems we are all facing, and I can tell you this, the winds may be fierce, but I will not be swayed, not in the slightest. I’ll see all of your beautiful faces standing next to me on January 2, 1008.
Stephanie Araiza, Madison Chapter Young Women's Leader
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