'The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne' - Chaucer

"In my craft, or sullen art,
Exercised in the still night
When only the moon rages
And the lovers are abed,
With all their griefs in their arms,

I labour by singing light
Not for ambition, or bread,
Or the strut and trade of charms
On the ivory stages,
But for the common wages
Of their most secret heart.

Not for the proud man,
Apart from the raging moon,
I write on these spindrift pages,
Nor for the towering dead
With their nightingales and psalms,

But for the lovers,
Their arms round the griefs of the ages,
Who pay no praise, or wages,
Nor heed my craft, or art.'

Dylan Thomas

The Lightning Bolt of Compassion

A brief ‘Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfils All Wishes’ (Sampa Lhundrupma) byTerton Jalu Dorje (Do Khyentse)

EMAHO!

O Guru Rinpoche, in your glory you embody Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,

Lama, Yidam and Khandro and all the Sugatas,

The sole refuge of beings who are without protection in this Dark Age.

Your compassion is as swift as lightning To treng Tsal

Maha Guru – wrathful Padma Heruka,

With fervent longing and devotion we pray to you:

Avert enemies, dons, obstructing forces, obstacle-makers, curses and spells,

Bring all negative forces, Gyalpo, Senmo and Jungpo demons under your subjugation

Grant your blessings so that all our wishes be spontaneously fulfilled.

The Lotus Sutra

The central message of Buddhism can be found in the Buddha’s answer to the question “What is good?” – “Whatever is useful.”

Devotees of the Lotus Sutra may use any methods, overt or covert, to fend off attacks on their manifest destiny “to enjoy themselves at ease.” It may be regarded as a duty, indeed, to do so.

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President Ikeda's Guidance for Apr 2
Why are human beings born? This question has posed a great challenge. President Toda lucidly set forward his conclusion. Namely, that this world is a place for people to, as the Lotus Sutra states, "enjoy themselves at ease." We were born here in order to thoroughly savor the joys of life. Faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism is what enables us to bring forth the great life force we need to lead such an existence.

Events: 1958 Josei Toda, the Soka Gakkais second president, dies.