The Ill Omens of the World
The School Sayings of Confucius, a complement to the Analects, tells us about the misfortunes that can befall human beings from the five ill omens. These are the ill omen for the individual (disobedience), the ill omen for the family (poor management), the ill omen for the country (social disorder), the ill omen of failing to follow accepted social customs, and the ill omen for the world (a growing sense of insecurity). The ill omen of failure to follow established social customs means the failure of the older generation to correctly educate young people and thus the failure of the young to learn proper behavior.
This means that when parents and other adults in positions of responsibility are not succeeding in teaching young people important life values, and the young people are failing to learn from adults, this is a sign of misfortune and unhappiness to come, and it indicates that by passing on important life values from one generation to the next, society can improve and develop.
We can say that the same is true in Buddhism: parents pass on their faith to their children, as other adults pass their faith on to other young people. First, parents must manage their family with a sincere attitude and a kind heart, and through their example demonstrate the joy of having faith. It is important that even when their child goes through a rebellious phase, the parents recognize this as a sign of maturing, and continue to tend to their child’s development with love and understanding.
The second article of Prince Shotoku’s Seventeen-Article Constitution asks, “What man in what age can fail to reverence this law?” This means that every type of person possesses the innate ability to respond to the precious value of the Buddha Dharma. That is why when parents gratefully hold the home service of chanting the Lotus Sutra in the morning and evening from the bottom of their hearts, and in their daily lives deal with all matters cheerfully and with feelings of gratitude, they will naturally have a strong influence on their children.

The Three Functions
When I inherited the Lamp of the Dharma from the founder, I explained to him what I had learned are the three important functions members of a Buddhist organization must undertake.
First, as members of Rissho Kosei-kai we must be diligent in our religious practice so that our eyes are opened to the Buddha’s wisdom, and thus determine our view of life and the world. Second, as is written in the Nirvana Sutra, “Although I myself have not reached the other shore, I will ferry others across first” (in other words, even though I myself may not yet be enlightened, I will help other people to reach enlightenment). This means that even though we are not perfect, we will not hesitate to assist others in reaching salvation by transmitting the Dharma to them and walking the Buddha Way together with them. Third, we will strive to “cause the Dharma long to abide” (we will ensure that the Buddha’s righteous Law continues to be maintained in the world).
We could say that the Dharma is handed down in the truest sense when we successfully strive to fulfill these functions. This year when we mark the centennial of the founder’s birth, I hope to progress in religious practice by making clear what a precious jewel the Dharma is to a Buddhist, always seeking the true essence of Shakyamuni, and never forgetting the guiding spirit of the founder.