Practising Buddhism is all about grappling with problems. Struggling with problems and solving them is what faith is all about.​

I recall my mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, encouraging a young women’s division member who was bravely challenging her karma. Her father had died when she was very young, and then she lost her mother, who had been her sole support. While struggling to make ends meet, she was also battling ill health.​

When she came to Mr Toda for guidance, he gazed at her kindly and said with strict compassion: “I wonder how seriously you’re really grappling with your problems. Practising Buddhism is all about grappling with problems. Struggling with problems and solving them is what faith is all about.” ​

These words get right at the heart of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. In a similar vein, Mr Toda once said to me: “Dai, life means suffering. Only through suffering can you really come to understand faith and become a great individual.”  That was just before I plunged into the historic Osaka Campaign of 1956!

“Share your thoughts and celebrate the life of our beloved mentor by contributing a eulogy on the site https://daisakuikedalegacy.org/wordpress/eulogy. Your words will forever cherish his memory.”