Winter always turns to spring – Buddhism and determination
What is the fundamental purpose of winning in our lives? Of course it is partly to achieve our own goals, overcome our limitations and become happier. But I feel that the biggest impact when we win is that we encourage others who are struggling. If we win today in our lives, if we defeat our darkness, our lesser self and our illusions, then people on the verge of victory will have a final breakthrough, people who are fighting will keep going, people who have given up will find the strength to start again and people who have never fought will discover the spark of hope. This is what happens when the Buddha in Me meets the Buddha in You.

Of course personal development books are full of wonderful examples of determined people who never gave up. For example, Thomas Edison’s 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb and James Dyson’s 5,127 failures before his bagless vacuum cleaner worked. And I was inspired to hear a speech by former Team GB rower Steve Williams OBE, winner of two Olympic gold medals, who quoted the words of his coach Jurgen Grobler before the Athens 2004 final: “It will get so dark and hurt so much that you will cry out for your mother and your father, but you will win on the last stroke.” (And they did, by 0.08 of a second.) I love this image and often quote these words to my clients when they feel like giving up on their goals. And when I have a setback or failure myself, the first question I ask when I look in the mirror is: “How badly did you really really want it?”
Changing the karma of humanity
So, can Buddhism add anything useful to the much-discussed topic of determination? I would argue that it can – in five ways:
- It acknowledges the power and cleverness of your Fundamental Darkness, the fact that there will always be some negative thinking in your mind. Nichiren Buddhism is intensely pragmatic, there are no false promises of a ‘la-la land’ where challenges do not exist.
- Because we are each connected to the universal Mystic Law, chanting consistently with sufficient determination will, sooner or later, produce a change in your circumstances that reflects the change in your heart.
- Determination and perseverance can be joyful experiences rather than painful ordeals (we choose).
- The power of prayer. The challenge is, for an hour or so per day, to let go of our limited rational minds that want to work out solutions just based on previous conditioning and instead trust that the three principles above (especially no.2) are true. This is known as the ‘strategy of the Lotus Sutra’ or connecting with your ninth consciousness.
- When each individual becomes more determined to reveal Buddhahood, the world will inevitably change for the better. A Nichiren Buddhist facing a personal problem therefore believes their situation is part of a collective mission to change the karma of humanity at its very core and this is a powerful driving force when the going gets tough.
To me, the fifth difference is the most significant one between determination with and without Buddhism. It requires a wider, deeper will to succeed and a bigger heart in which the ‘small ego’ has no place. It means remembering that Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is “a we prayer, not just a me prayer”. It is a vow to change the destiny of the planet and it can attract opposition at its most vicious and determined as surely as the moon is reflected on water.
Nichiren Daishonin famously wrote: “Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn. Nor have we ever heard of a believer in the Lotus Sutra who turned into an ordinary person.”
So, let’s all keep going, let’s always encourage each other. After all, Nichiren Daishonin spent his whole life encouraging other people.
Dx
Thank you!!
Toni
http://www.tonigreen.com
thanks Dave needed that
Spot on David 😉
We happend to have the exact same gosho at our sgi meeting today, and it was so encouraging and refreshing to hear about Shijo Kingo´s survivel from the ambush, thanks to his faith in the lotus sutra and protection from the gohonzon.
Karl-Otto
It is one of my favourite Gosho quotes and Shijo Kingo is such an inspiration to so many of us 🙂
Thanks David! This blog entry helped me realise today that, when I despair, thanks to this practice, I have come to remember much quicker that the sun is always shining behind the clouds ;o)
Patience, perseverance always pay off
You are welcome Estelle and yes, one definition of Buddha is ‘One who perseveres.’ Sometimes I feel that all I have left is my determination, and in the end that is always enough… This is the ‘Buddhism of the sun’ and therefore you are also the sun. D x
Brillant bit of Gosho to accompany a great article. Thank you for your helpful comments David.
Je t’en prie, c’est mon plaisir! Glad you enjoyed the article :-). D x
Your articles always bring freshness to my prayers. Thanks!
Thanks David,
It’s a long cold winter in Minnesota and I needed the “winter turns into spring,” for all aspects of my life.
It’s so hard to remember that all our struggles are for kosen-rufu.
Mel
Hi Mel, I think quite a few people are finding this winter long and hard. Much of the south of England is flooded at the moment (2 hours from me…) and many people have been out of their homes for weeks and are in some distress. At least we can always inspire ourselves with Nichiren’s attitude towards snow and lack of shelter on Sado Island! And I recently read this great reminder from Sensei: “The heart of the great vow for kosen-rufu and the life-state of Buddhahood are one and the same. Therefore, when we dedicate our lives to this vow,we can bring forth the supreme nobility, strength and greatness of our lives.”
Take care
David
I saw the flooding, I believe it was west of the Thames, on TV last night. Scores of people evacuated. Huge losses. A good example of how chanting for others can lighten your own burden.
Mel
hi, don’t forget me with new post, tks
shirley