I would like to talk about the Buddhist concept of
"changing poison into medicine."
This concept demonstrates how we can transform
any and all the problems that we face and move things
in the best direction possible by utilizing and
putting into practice the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism.
Suffering is often caused by anxiety surrounding
illness and work, and by stress.
These days, the suicide rate is rising too.
It is truly a hard world that we live in.
However, you will never be able to change poison into medicine
if you despair when faced with hardships.
In order to change poison into medicine,
the most important thing is to never give up.
When you succeed in overcoming your problems through Buddhist practice,
you can develop a stronger self, the spirit to never give up
and triumph no matter what kind of hardships the future may bring.
Of course it is very hard when we are in the midst of
problems and illness, but instead of just passively suffering,
Buddhism enables you to have hope and to view your
sufferings as a cause to develop a stronger self.
When I was a child, my father joined SGI
and started practicing Nichiren Buddhism.
He was ill with cirrhosis
of the liver at the time.
Prior to this he was a violent person
and he would often hit us.
To my surprise, after he
started practicing Buddhism,
not only did his health improve, but
his violent personality completely changed.
Even though I was a small child
at the time, I remember thinking
"Wow, Nichiren Buddhism can even change someone's personality."
As an adult, at a time when Korea was facing a severe economic crisis,
I was looking for a job.
It was a time that would determine my future.
Because of my faith, at this critical time
I was able to persevere and not give up and was offered my present job
despite the fact that I didn't have any special qualifications
and my grades weren't that good.
It was because of my Buddhist practice that I found the courage
to keep challenging myself and my situation and found my current job.
But even after this the challenge continued,
as my company was going through very hard times.
It was a small company, its sales were
not high and my pay was very low.
I think if I had given up there, I would
still have been struggling with work now.
However, Nichiren Buddhism and SGI President Ikeda's guidance
encourage us to continue challenging difficult situations
and to face any hardships that may come our way.
So, I challenged myself wholeheartedly.
I worked hard to improve my company's situation
despite all the difficulties I faced, and
I strove to have appreciation for my company.
Eventually, sales increased two- and then three-fold,
my working hours became more reasonable
and I was able to leave the office much earlier than before.
And, as the company became more profitable, my salary also doubled.
You can, without doubt change poison into medicine
when you continue to challenge that "poison" sincerely.
If you can perceive hardships as opportunities
and grow as a person through them
you have already developed the indomitable spirit never to give up
and without doubt you will therefore
win over your problems in the end.