Home > Quotes > Power of the Heart

The quality of our lives ultimately depends upon our state of mind. As Milton famously wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.”
The human spirit is as expansive as the cosmos. This is why it is so tragic to belittle yourself or to question your worth. No matter what happens, continue to push back the boundaries of your inner life. The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you.
My mentor would often tell me, “So much about a person can be learned from their voice.” Treasure your voice. It is a powerful force that can give courage and comfort to others. That is why we should strengthen and refine the inner core of our lives from which our voice emanates.
We often use the expression, “strike a chord in one’s heart.” The heart is like an instrument. It is the richness of the heart that determines the richness of our life experiences. More
Buddhism teaches that when we change the “single element of mind”—our fundamental way of thinking—we transform ourselves and our environment changes.
To lead a life in which we are inspired and can inspire others, our hearts have to be alive; they have to be filled with passion and enthusiasm. To achieve that, we need the courage to live true to ourselves. Rather than borrowing from or imitating others, we need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action out of our own sense of responsibility.
We need to cultivate a state of life where we can thoroughly enjoy ourselves at all times. We should have such joy that even at the time of death we can declare with a happy smile: “That was wonderful! Where shall I go next?” Faith enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we enjoy everything in our lives.

Stories of Hope

Lion of Freedom

Nelson Mandela

Despite being imprisoned for 10,000 days for his unwavering belief in human dignity, Mandela never gave in to despair.

Stories of Hope

Human Revolution

Revolutions have come and gone, but human revolution, a self-directed process of inner change for the better, is the most meaningful transformation there is. If Ikeda’s vision and values are defined by a single tenet, this is it. Read here ...