Cancer Again? Not With This Lifeforce!

So I'm waiting for the doctor's office to call me about getting a biopsi of this spot on my lung.  I am in the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care, and so it's not a doctor's office I can call and say, "I'm Here Waiting!" Still, I fear not, for I remember what President Josei Todo once said: "When you go to a doctor...Medicine King is your own life, the doctor naturally cannot help but provide a cure (WLS-6, 21)."

In the letter to Ota Jomyo, Nichiren Daishonin writes, "The sutra known as the Lotus Sutra is good medicine for the various ills of body and mind (wnd-2, 747)." It is here the Daishonin teaches that the Mystic Law is the supreme "good medicine" for overcoming the sufferings caused by illness and other disturbances of body and mind (May 2020 World Tribune).

Conversely, being in a healthcare system (the VA) where the doctors, nurses, staff, etc. are worked very hard with too many patients for the system, I remember the wise guidance Ikeda Sensei once gave in his "bodhisattva Medicine King" lecture, where he states that when you chant, the protective life force functions so that even an ordinary doctor naturally provides the right cure (May 2021 LB). In this article, Sensei goes on to say, "In fact, illness is an important and integral part of our experience of being alive -- an indispensable part of our journey to becoming happy and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime." 

In this same article, there is the story of when President Toda scolded the young Ikeda Sensei by saying, "Daisaku! You haven't got an ounce of life force! If your life force is weak, you'll be defeated." President Toda then sat Sensei in front of the Gohonzon and "chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a force that literally seemed to batter the devil of illness into submission."

Finally, my favorite quote I read over and over, five-years ago when I defeated my first battle with cancer, is the one I'll end here with:

"When you go to a doctor, even if he is incompetent, because Medicine King is functioning in your own life, the doctor naturally cannot help but provide a cure (WLS-6, 21)."

Here is a video of when I came home after having the cancerous tumor successfully removed from an eight-hour surgery by a young surgeon who had never done this surgery before.  Yes, Medicine King was alive in my life then, and is still with my faith and chanting powerful daimoku with a lifeforce that will batter this "devil of illness into submission." My Bodhisattva mission is not over yet.  I'll be here January 2030 to celebrate the one-hundredth year of the Soka Gakkai.  This I am sure of. 

~~ Eso Terry  

Josei Toda (1900-58)

Josei Toda was an educator, publisher and entrepreneur who, as second president of the Soka Gakkai, revived the lay Buddhist organization after World War II, building it into a dynamic, popular movement.

Arriving in Tokyo from the northern island of Hokkaido in his early 20s, Toda found a teaching post at the school where Tsunesaburo Makiguchi was principal. Impressed by Makiguchi’s educational ideals, he soon became his protege. In 1928 he followed Makiguchi in his decision to practise Nichiren Buddhism. The two later cofounded the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, forerunner of the Soka Gakkai.

As Japan’s militarist authorities tightened control over society and suppressed dissent, Toda and Makiguchi were arrested and imprisoned in 1943 for opposing the government’s policies. In prison, Toda devoted himself to the practice and study of Nichiren Buddhism, gaining a profound grasp of its principles. His efforts brought him to a clear realization that Buddhahood is a potential inherent in all life, and deepened his confidence that all people could manifest this enlightened life condition through practising Nichiren’s teachings.

On his release from prison at the end of World War II, Toda began to reconstruct the collapsed Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, renaming it the Soka Gakkai (Society for the Creation of Value). Toda taught that through Buddhist practice and inner-motivated change, or “human revolution,” all people can change their destiny for the better. This message resonated powerfully among the many people suffering from poverty, illness and other challenges in the chaos of postwar Japan. Moreover, Toda’s unshakable confidence in the power of Nichiren’s philosophy and his ability to translate the profound concepts of Buddhism into practical guidance for daily life re-ignited people’s hope and courage. By the time of his death in 1958 Toda had built an organization of nearly one million members and laid the foundation for the dramatic spread of Nichiren Buddhism in Japan and abroad.

Toda is also remembered for his uncompromising stance against nuclear weapons, which he termed an absolute evil that threatens people’s inalienable right to life. He urged the youth members of the Soka Gakkai to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons. This stance, which he declared in 1957, is considered the inspiration for the SGI’s peace activities. In honour of Toda’s ideals, his successor, SGI President Ikeda, founded the Toda Peace Institute (formerly the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research). The institute brings peace researchers, policy-makers and community activists together on projects related to peace-building and dialogue among civilizations.

My Cancer Diary

So the docs found a new spot on my lungs. It is May 27th, 2026, I've been here before. I'm ready for this. Interesting, it was exactly four years ago on this day that I posted "My Cancer Cure" post on here. In that post I wrote: "We all come into this life with a mission, a reason, and when that reason is done so are we...this is why cancer doesn't matter to me, if I still have a reason to live, the cancer will wait. And as I told you before, the blue Buddha came to me in a dream and so I know I am healing and will stay alive as long as I continue my mission. I am chanting each morning that this body which can create a cancer cell, can heel a cancer cell. Therefore, I chant that the recent spots they found on my lungs are smaller than they were the day before, and that they are not cancerous. I then thank the heavenly deities for providing this. I also pray that the medicine king will bring me the knowledge, doctors, cures, etc., that I need...."

I go into how I eat raw bitter melon, broccoli, and carrots in the morning. I also go into my faith: "The faith I speak of is the Mystic Law which saved my life over a year ago by alarming me to have my lungs checked. I've told you about it before, how while chanting my chest began to hurt which caused me to go to the hospital where they found a cancer spot. It amazed the doctors that I brought it to their attention so early. I had part of my lung removed and have lived another year without cancer. Now, it looks like there are more spots which could be cancerous.  I am not sure what I have left, if it is to share with you how my faith has saved me again, or how I know by chanting I am protected and will be here as long as I am needed.  Maybe just to share my cure with you, kind reader. The faith I speak of is the Mystic Law. To obtain it all you have to do is chant: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Give it a try. 

Japanese Boy, Taro - 1963 Educational Film

 This is a film from 1963 I had some fun with.  First of all it tells the story of Taro, a boy in the fifth grade.  It shows his life in 1963 Japan.  I added my cartoon character Kim Zog to do part of the voice over because there was a copyright issue with the music behind the speaker in the original version.  I stayed true to him script until Taro visits a shrine with a Buddha in it.  This section of the film tells how most people in Japan in 1963 were both Buddhist and Shinto, I added a line about Nichiren in there, informing the viewer of the "correct teachings of Buddha." Can you guess? 

Enjoy

~~ Eso Terry   

The Similarities Between Daisaku Ikeda and JFK

 Cleaning out some of my old film closets, I came across this testimonial by a 1960's politician describing the "humanistic" qualities of President John F. Kennedy. I couldn't help but notice the similarities between JFK and Daisaku Ikeda, the 3rd President of the Soka Gakkai.  Watch and I think you'll agree. 

~~ Eso Terry

Myoho (妙法) Meaning to Me.

                             妙法 Myoho

I read this passage today from my desktop Daily Wisdom From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin:

“And yet there is one river called the Sahara that follows a course as straight as a taut rope, flowing directly into the western sea. A woman who has faith in the Lotus Sutra will be like this river, proceeding directly to the Pure Land in the west. Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo. (WND, 149).”

Wow, there is a lot to unpack there. First, please notice that it says “…faith in the Lotus Sutra…” and not faith in anything else. It doesn't say faith in the Daishonin, a priest, an organization, a spiritual leader, etc., It says faith in the Lotus Sutra. So, brothers and sisters, don't be led astray, and when in doubt, chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (NMRK), which is the title of the Lotus Sutra, and one of the things Nichiren Daishonin left us which incompasses all of the Lotus Sutra. Still, I request we read the Lotus Sutra out alloud beside a campfire one day, but I doubt I'll stay awake -- it's not a Nancy Drew novel. So, thank you Nichiren for showing us a way to bypass that 😁. Let's move on.

The thing that stuck out most to me about the above passage is where Nichiren writes: "Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo." I have herd people say "myo" is the thing, and I always wondered why. And so I researched the topic and here is why:

First, according to Google AI, we read: In Nichiren Buddhism, myo (妙) is the first character of Myoho-renge-kyo (the Mystic Law) and translates to "mystic," "wonderful," or "beyond comprehension." It represents the Buddha nature inherent in all people, the Middle Way of life that transcends existence/nonexistence, and the power to activate enlightenment, revive hope, and transform "poison into medicine".

According to the WorldTribue.org:

“Myo means to open” (WND-1, 145). The Mystic Law brings out the inherent value of all things. In other words, no matter our state of life, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can open and reveal the world of Buddhahood.

In other writings of Nichiren we read:

The character myo has the power to “cure the dead as well as the living” (WND-1, 149). Here, the “the dead” refers to the people of those three groups previously excluded from attaining enlightenment. Because chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is powerful enough to reactivate their Buddha nature, it has the power to awaken the Buddha nature in all people.

Ikeda Sensei states: “...just as the morning sun dispels the darkness, the lives of those who consistently chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will never be deadlocked. Chanting is the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism. When we vigorously chant daimoku, the sun rises brightly in our hearts. Energy surges, compassion wells forth, joy radiates and wisdom shines. All the Buddhas and heavenly deities—the positive forces of the universe—spring into action. Life becomes enjoyable. Nothing is more powerful than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (May 2015 Living Buddhism, p. 35).

Myoho (妙法), translating to "Wonderful Law" or "Mystic Law," is a core concept in Nichiren Buddhism representing the fundamental truth of life and the universe. It merges "Myo" (mystic/wonderful), denoting the invisible, latent aspect of life, with "Ho" (law/phenomena), representing visible, manifest existence, indicating that ordinary people can unveil their inherent Buddha-nature.

                                     

~~ Eso Terry 

Indispensable

Me, being "indispensable" at a job.

After chanting with a group of guys this week, one of the men was suffering job problems.  He is faced with possibly of losing his job from a neglection to detail. The guidance a longtime practitioner gave him was to be "indispensable to your employer, and leave on your own terms, not theirs."

I hadn't heard this "indispensable" guidance before, and so wanted to research where it came from. Here is what I discovered mostly from a February 15, 2021 article in the SGI World Tribune titled "How To Make Things Work," along with some other books I've read. 

A workplace is a community all on its own. For that reason, it represents a rich training ground for learning how to create harmonious relationships with co-workers and superiors based on the wisdom derived from Buddhist practice.

Founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi went so far as to describe three types of people in this world: “Those you want to have around, those whose presence or absence doesn’t make a difference and those whose presence causes problems.”  When we apply the wisdom we derive from Buddhist practice at work, we can become skilled in the art of bringing people together.

How do we do this? Nichiren Daishonin encourages two brothers experiencing severe family difficulties “to become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.” Sensei shares that these words confirm the path of Buddhists:

To be “the master of your mind” means to make the principles of Buddhism our guide, and we achieve this through study. Study is also a measure to indicate whether our behavior and way of life as Buddhist practitioners is correct or not. It is a mirror that shows us who we are.

In one of his writings, Nichiren wrote to his disciple Shijo Kingo, who was facing various obstacles: “Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo [Shijo Kingo] is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people.”  

In volume 22 of The New Human Revolution, Sensei approaches a young man who quit his job to help prepare for an SGI convention. This young man had this to say about his work situation, justifying the reason why he had quit:

“The pay wasn’t very good, and they didn’t recognize my abilities. My bosses said I had a bad work attitude and complained about me all the time. I’m convinced that I will be able to find a better job through the benefits gained from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo very hard and doing my best here at the convention.”

Sensei clarifies that this type of attitude does not reflect true faith.

“Nichiren Buddhism is a philosophy of human revolution, and it provides a practice for forging and polishing our lives so that we can be strong and wise, so that we may rise to every challenge that life presents and triumph over it.

“Maybe you had good reasons to quit your job, but your attitude is wrong. Of course, it’s important to chant and do your best in Soka Gakkai activities. But if you only focus on your Buddhist practice without making an honest effort at your workplace, you’re just escaping from reality. So long as you have that attitude, the results will be the same, no matter where you work.

To reiterate this point, Sensei says, “Remember that your victory or defeat in work and life doesn’t depend upon the size of the company or organization you work for, or the situation at your workplace. It all depends on you. It depends on your determination, your attitude.”

By adopting this spirit toward work, we can transform any challenge at work into one of value and benefit for our lives.

Six Points on Our Attitude at Work

Daisaku Ikeda and second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda on a winning attitude at work.

1) Exerting Ourselves

“It is a great mistake to just assume you’re going to succeed because of the benefit you receive from your Buddhist practice, without working harder than anyone at your job.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

2) Value Our Work

“You should deeply value your work, thinking hard and making every effort to succeed in it. For those of you who work for a company or some other organization, it’s important to bring a sense of enjoyment to what you’re doing and keep making efforts to improve at your job, as well as to be determined to fulfill your responsibilities.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

3) Faith Equals Daily Life

“As a Soka Gakkai member, you should regard your job as you would the Gohonzon, cherishing and deeply respecting it. Those who can do that are in accord with the intent of Nichiren Daishonin. Such people can be said to have forged deep faith.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

4) Transform Your Environment

“Josei Toda said: ‘Don’t let your work control you; you should control your work.’ Rather than be ruled by your environment, transform it. Be like Mount Fuji, which stands impervious to the buffeting winds, and forge an invincible self.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

5) Win in the Morning

“Morning is decisive; it is the key to a successful day.

“Mr. Toda used to say: ‘A person who arrives at work late and is scolded by the boss will never amount to anything. New employees, especially, in the interest of earning trust and credibility in the workplace, should come into work earlier than anyone else.’

“Morning gongyo and daimoku [chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo] awakens our life so that we can win in the day ahead.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

6) Be Proactive

“Wherever you work, don’t be passive, but strive with the spirit that you are a person with an active role and responsibility in your workplace. If you do so, it will be challenging, but it will also be very rewarding. Moreover, nothing is more enjoyable than improving and developing yourself through your work. Regarding your workplace simply as a place where you earn your living is such a waste.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

And finally, as you can see, being "indispensable" is not just a work thing, but a life thing. So let's be indispensable in everything we do today and see how that works. I bet it's an improvement. 

 

~~  Eso Terry