“Buddhism teaches that the lotus flower grows in muddy water. What this means is that our supremely noble lives continue to shine even amid the harshest of life’s realities. Just like the pure white lotus flower that blooms unsoiled by the mud.
Having gone through what you have, there is pain and suffering in others’ hearts that only you can notice. Having suffered what you have, there is true love and affection that only you can find. There are definitely people out there who need you. If you give up on yourself, it is only you who will lose.
Nothing, no matter what happens, can change your inherent worth. Please have courage. Please tell yourself that you are not going to let this ordeal defeat you.
Those who have suffered the most, those who have experienced the greatest sadness, have a right to become the happiest of all. What should the purpose of our Buddhist practice be, if the most miserable could not become happy? The tears you have shed cleanse your life and make it shine.
To live with this conviction and keep moving ever forward is the spirit of Buddhism. It is also the essence of life.
You may not want to tell someone else about your pain and anguish, but I strongly recommend that you consult with someone- even just one person- whom you trust and whose confidentiality you can rely on. You should not suffer all by yourself.
The Daishonin states, “Chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo means to enter the palace of one’s own life” (Gosho Zenshu, p.787). The precious palace of life is nothing other than the life-state of the Buddha. Even an atomic bomb cannot destroy this inner palace. Please use life’s painful experience to open up this palace of happiness within your life.”
~Daisaku Ikeda
The World Tribune, February 25, 2000
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