Preface
“Let Us Encourage Each Other and Advance Together”
Chapter 1: What Is True Happiness?
1.1 Leading the Happiest of Lives
1.2 Absolute Happiness and Relative Happiness
1.3 Happiness Is Forged amid Life’s Challenges
1.4 Happiness Lies within Us
1.5 Creating a Life of Genuine Freedom
1.6 The Six Conditions for Happiness
1.7 Confronting Life’s Fundamental Sufferings Head-On
Chapter 2: Developing a Life State of Happiness
2.1 Living with Optimism
2.2 The Key to Happiness Is Inner Transformation
2.3 The Life State of Practitioners of the Mystic Law
2.4 Our Happiness Is Determined by Our Inner Life Condition
2.5 Happiness Is Found Where We Are
2.6 Activating the Limitless Life Force of Buddhahood
2.7 Establishing the World of Buddhahood as Our Basic Life Tendency
2.8 You Are All Noble Buddhas
Chapter 3: The Practice for Transforming Our State of Life
3.1 The Gohonzon—the Fundamental Object of Devotion
3.2 “Never Seek This Gohonzon outside Yourself”
3.3 The Gohonzon Is Found in Faith Alone
3.4 The Real Aspect and Power of the Gohonzon
3.5 The Gohonzon Is the “Mirror” That Reflects Our Lives
3.6 The Profound Meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
3.7 Embracing the Gohonzon Is in Itself Attaining Enlightenment
3.8 The Mystic Law Exists within Our Lives
3.9 A Practice Accessible to All
3.10 Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Is the Key to Victory in Life
3.11 The Lotus Sutra Is a Scripture of Cosmic Humanism
3.12 Gongyo Encompasses the Heart of the Lotus Sutra
3.13 Gongyo—A Ceremony in Which Our Lives Commune with the Universe 3.14 Polishing Our Lives through Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
3.15 Change Starts from Prayer
3.16 Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Freely
3.17 Chanting with Unwavering Conviction
3.18 Developing a Strong Inner Core
3.19 Faith Is a Lifelong Pursuit
3.20 The Universal Language of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
Chapter 4: “It Is the Heart That Is Important”
4.1 Living with an Awareness of the Importance of the Heart
4.2 Appreciation and Joy Multiply Our Good Fortune
4.3 Those Who Smile Are Strong
4.4 Polishing Our Hearts to Shine like Diamonds
4.5 Mastering Our Minds
4.6 Remaining True to One’s Commitment in Faith
4.7 When Our Life State Changes, the World around Us Changes
4.8 Devoting Ourselves to Our Mission
4.9 Nothing Is Ever Wasted in Buddhism
4.10 Cultivating a Lofty Life State Imbued with the Four Virtues
Chapter 5: Transforming Suffering into Joy
5.1 We Are the Protagonists of Our Own Lives
5.2 “Earthly Desires Lead to Enlightenment”
5.3 “Changing Poison into Medicine”
5.4 Creating the Future with the Buddhism of True Cause
5.5 Living with Joy throughout All
5.6 Both Suffering and Joy Are a Part of Life
5.7 Difficulties Are a Driving Force for Growth
5.8 Polishing Ourselves through Adversity
5.9 Winter Always Turns to Spring
5.10 The Principle of “Lessening Karmic Retribution”
Chapter 6: The Principle of “Cherry, Plum, Peach, and Damson”
6.1 “Still I Will Bloom”
6.2 Bringing Out Our Positive Qualities
6.3 Live True to Yourself
6.4 Appreciating Your Uniqueness
6.5 Developing Your Own Individuality
6.6 Be a Shining Presence like the Sun
6.7 Advancing Freely and Steadily
6.8 Everyone Has a Noble Mission
6.9 Building a Harmonious World of Brilliant Diversity
6.10 The Wisdom for Fostering the Positive Potential in All People
Chapter 7: Happiness for Both Ourselves and Others
7.1 “‘Joy’ Means That Oneself and Others Together Experience Joy”
7.2 The Bodhisattva Way Enables Us to Benefit Both Ourselves and Others
7.3 The Path of Mutual Respect and Growth
7.4 Treasuring the People Right in Front of Us
7.5 We Are Enriched by Helping Others
7.6 The Bodhisattva Practice of Respecting All People
7.7 Accumulating Treasures of the Heart
7.8 The Supreme Path of Benefiting Others
Chapter 8: Facing Illness
8.1 Struggling with Illness Can Forge Invincible Spiritual Strength
8.2 Transforming the Sufferings of Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death
8.3 Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Is the Wellspring of Life Force
8.4 Turning Illness into an Impetus for Growth
8.5 Falling Ill Is Not a Sign of Defeat
8.6 The Buddhist View of Illness
8.7 “Faith” Means to Continue to Believe until the Very End
8.8 “Laugh Off the Devil of Illness”
8.9 Four Mottoes for Good Health
Chapter 9: Creating a Brilliant Final Chapter in Life
9.1 Enjoying a Rewarding and Fulfilling “Third Stage of Life”
9.2 Striving to the End with a Spirit of Ceaseless Challenge
9.3 The Secret to a Vigorous Old Age
9.4 A Source of Hope and Inspiration for a Happy Aging Society
9.5 Building an “Eternal Palace” in Our Lives
9.6 There Is No Retirement from Faith
9.7 Changing Our Attitude toward Aging
9.8 Making an Art of Life
Chapter 10: Joy in Both Life and Death
10.1 Consolidating the State of Buddhahood in This Lifetime
10.2 Death Gives Greater Meaning to Life
10.3 The Buddhist View of Life That Transcends the Suffering of Death
10.4 The Oneness of Life and Death
10.5 Savoring Joy in Both Life and Death
10.6 Advancing on the Path of Buddhahood in Both Life and Death
10.7 The Death of Someone Close to Us
10.8 Our Own Attainment of Buddhahood Enables the Deceased to Attain Buddhahood
10.9 Ties Based on the Mystic Law Are Eternal
10.10 Sudden and Untimely Deaths
10.11 Clear Proof of Attaining Buddhahood 10.12 Transforming the Sufferings of Birth and Death
