You Were Born to Win: Advice to Youth on Living With Purpose and Creating an Undefeatable Self
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Related to You Were Born to Win
Related ebooks
The Victorious Teen: Buddhist Advice for Dealing With What Life Throws at You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Way of Youth: Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hope Is a Decision: Selected Essays Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The New Human Revolution, vol. 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHappy Parents, Happy Kids: Parenting Advice for the Twenty-First Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShine Like the Morning Sun Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Third Stage of Life: Aging in Contemporary Society Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gohonzon – a Practitioner’S Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMakiguchi and Gandhi: Their Education Relevance for the 21st Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn Health and Long Life: A Conversation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Human Revolution, Vol. 6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Buddha in Your Mirror: Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New Human Revolution, vol. 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Incredible World of Nichiren Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Teachings for Victory, vol. 3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Human Revolution, vol. 11 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Human Revolution, Vol. 7 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Opening of the Eyes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Human Revolution, vol. 5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeachings for Victory, vol. 5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4: A Discussion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Human Revolution, vol. 24 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The New Human Revolution, vol. 19 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sun of Youth: Selected Poems of Daisaku Ikeda Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to chant Holy Daimoku: Technical manual for invocation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The New Human Revolution, vol. 26 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our life in the Lotus Sutra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Human Revolution, vol. 3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Buddhism For You
Chakras for Beginners: a Practical Guide to Heal and Balance Yourself through the Power of Chakras Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Communicating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Approaching the Buddhist Path Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/530-Day Meditation Challenge: Exercises, Resources, and Journaling Prompts for a Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tibetan Book of the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 12-Step Buddhist 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism 101: From Karma to the Four Noble Truths, Your Guide to Understanding the Principles of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Zen of Recovery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gospel of Philip: Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Gnosis of Sacred Union Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Walking Meditation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East (Volume One) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThink Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for You Were Born to Win
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A worthwhile read. Thank you for this amazing book :)
Book preview
You Were Born to Win - Daisaku Ikeda
youth.
COURAGE, CONVICTION, AND HOPE
President Ikeda stresses that the time of youth is important for building the foundation of our lives, and that courage, conviction, and hope are young people’s great treasures.
Most people have many memories of their youth, and I am no exception. Those who don’t cannot really be said to have lived their youth fully.
My family was poor, and my four older brothers were all drafted into the army and sent to the battlefield during World War II. I found a job to support my family. Financial and time constraints meant that I had to continue my high school and college education at night while working during the day.
My health was also not very good. But I was determined to devote myself wholeheartedly to my job. Sometimes, when making deliveries for the company I worked for, I had to pull a large cart around the fashionable Ginza area. I also had to get by with only a single dress shirt, even when the cold autumn wind started to blow. But I never felt the least bit of shame or embarrassment because of that. In fact, I saw my struggles as the dramatic adventures of a youth challenging hardships with a smile, and even regarded them as a source of pride. It is certainly true that all of those youthful efforts became the foundation for my life today.
At that time, I was convinced—or, should I say, determined—that I would not spend my youth in vain pursuits. I would make my way proudly in society, just as I was, developing my capabilities and living my life to the fullest. That determination, which sustained me in my youth, remains unchanged to this day. The greatest winners in life are those who ultimately triumph as human beings, irrespective of worldly position, wealth, and honor. I intend to remember this as long as I live.
But with the benefit of hindsight, there are some things I wish I could have done differently in my youth. For instance, I wish I could have acquired more in terms of my basic education in my teens and twenties. I also wish that I had done more to build up a strong and healthy body. And though I realized the importance of my youthful days and read quite a few books at the time, today I deeply regret not having read ten or twenty times as many.
Looking back at my own youth, I keenly appreciate how important this period of one’s life is. It is no exaggeration to say that how we spend our youth largely determines the rest of our lives.
Young people are works in progress, not yet complete. That’s what makes each young person an unknown quantity with limitless potential. Youth are a vibrant force for new, positive change; they are bursting with energy and vitality. Nothing is more wonderful than this.
I truly feel that courage, conviction, and hope are qualities vital for youth to possess. The courageous efforts of young people are a source of amazing creativity. And courage is supported by conviction. When we have conviction, we are free of hesitation or doubt. Conviction, in turn, is born of our efforts to fulfill our mission and responsibilities. The most outstanding individuals are those who hold fast to the ideals of their youth, to the dreams they had when they were young.
Young people are the treasures of a nation and the wealth of tomorrow’s world. Nothing is more precious. Undermining the future of youth and robbing them of their vitality is like tossing that treasure into the sea. And leaders who tragically force young people to fight in wars, making them cast away their lives, are indeed the most reprehensible of villains.
I love young people. Nothing delights me more than their growth. I am thrilled when I see them developing into wise, peace-loving, and happy individuals. I also cherish the hope that I may walk alongside them and maintain a youthful spirit as long as I live.
My one and only wish, and my greatest happiness, is that a steady stream of young people will soar forth, from the foundations we have built, to work for world peace and create a