Here's a portion of one of SGI President Ikeda's lecture series, The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin on "The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra." The entire lecture can be found on in the March-April Living Buddhism starting on page 51.
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[President Toda] would often say, "When you are young, it is very important to believe in yourself." And: "It is essential for young people to have something they can truly believe in. They need to trust their own hearts." The purpose of faith is to make our hearts strong and steadfast, to develop inner strength and conviction. Everything depends on our minds and our hearts. The ultimate conclusion of Nichiren Buddhism is summed up int he words: "It is the heart that is most important" (WND-1, 1000).
"Buddhism is primarily concerned with victory and defeat. It is a struggle between enlightenment and ignorance. Kosen-rufu is a battle between the Buddha and devilish functions. The heart is what decides our victory or defeat in all things. Spiritual victors can lead lives undefeated by anything. The secret to adorning our lives with brilliant victory is the "strategy of the Lotus Sutra" (Mar-Apr Living Buddhism, p. 53).
