Maintaining Hope - Guidance by President Ikeda

Question : Sometimes I feel so hopeless and pessimistic. What can I do to increase my self confidence ?

Answer: First Please understand that life is long ! The way Things are now will not last forever. Even if you have problems, even if you have made mistakes or have done things you regret, your whole future still lies ahead of you. Don’t worry endlessly over every obstacle or problem. Above all do not despair or be defeated by your impatience.

Nothing is hopeless. The worst mistake you can make when you are young is to give up on a dream, to not challenge yourself for fear of failure. The past is the past and the future is the future. Keep moving forward with the steady eye on what is ahead, telling yourself: “I` ll start from today “,”I ll start fresh from this moment!. This Spirit -starting from the present moment – is the heart of Buddhist philosophy.

Happiness in life does not depend upon how well things go in your youth. No matter how many mistakes you make, you always have another chance. Be ambitious and keep striving towards the future. If you are not happy with your achievements in high school, then give it your all at college. If that’s not to your satisfaction, there is still hope after graduation as you challenge yourself as an active member of the society. True success in life does not reveal itself until we reach our forties or fifties. If you experience setbacks along the way, continue with the fighting spirit into your forties, fifties, sixties & seventies.

My experience after more than seventy years of life has taught me to clearly recognize the human patterns that determine victory or defeat.

Many of the most famous people in our history appeared far from outstanding in their youth. Winston Churchill was well known for his many failures at school. Mahatama Gandhi wasn’t a remarkable student either, he was shy timid and a poor speaker.

So don’t be too hard on yourself. You are still young – a work in progress and still developing. To be growing and improving are wonderful things. Just continue to press on tenaciously and find your way forward despite the suffering and pain that are part of youth and growing up. Indeed that’s the only way to grow.

It is important not to loose hope. Losing hope is in a way, like living in the winter of the spirit. The English romantic poet Shelly said “If winter comes, can the spring be far behind?” No matter how long and bitter the winter may be, the spring always follows. This is the law of universe the law of life.

The same applies to us .If we seem to be withering an endless winter, we mustn’t abandon hope. As long as we have hope, spring is near. It will come without fail.

Spring is the time of blossoming. Buddhism teaches that all things have unique beauty and a unique unfolding. Every person has a singular mission, his or her individuality and way of living. It is important to recognize this truth and respect it. That is the natural order of things. That is how it works in the world of flowers- and in the world of human beings, different kind of flowers bloom harmoniously in beautiful perfusion.