The NSGI Times1

From a mundane view, I am thepoorest person in Jpan, but in the light

of Buddhism, I am the wealthiestperson in all Jambudvipa [the entire

world]. When I consider that this is allbecause the time is right, I am over-

whelmed with joy and cannot restrainmy tears. It is impossible to repay my

debt of gratitude to ShakyamuniBuddha, the lord of teachings.

From ‘On Establishing the FourBodhisattvas as the Object of Devo-

tion’ (WND - 1, 977)

A person’s true wealth is not deter-mined by money or status, but by

their inner state of life.We, who follow the Daishonin’s leadin upholding and practising the MysticLaw, are also the wealthies people inall the world. An indestructible SokaGakkai has been built by ordinarypeople whose hearts are filled with

joy of propagating the Law.Let’s confidently continue to spreadthe Daishonin’s Buddhism, with thehappy pride of those who posses

unsurpassed inner riches.

We have friends with whom wecan share our joys andsufferings and a solidly united

community of fellow practitioners withwhich we can advance toward therealization of our vow for kosen-rufu.There is no more inspiring or upliftingsense of fellowship than this.

The French philosopher Voltaire(1694–1778) declared: “Friendship andtruth must triumph over hatred andperfidy.”

The saha world in which we dwellis filled with the sufferings of birth, aging,sickness, and death, and rife with negativeinfluences that can lead to misfortune andmisery. But all people possess withinthem the sun of time without beginning—the Buddha nature—that can breakthrough all sorrow and positivelytransform any kind of karma, just asdarkness vanishes when the morning sunrises in the sky.

The sublime melody of friendshipwe create through our Buddhist practiceawakens this sun in both ourselves andothers, filling each new year and each newday with the light of joy.

Nichiren Daishonin writes:“Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of oldsaid that all people have the Buddhanature and that, if they embrace the LotusSutra, they will never fail to attainBuddhahood. He further stated that toslight a person is to slight the Buddhahimself. Thus, his practice was to revereall people” (WND-1, 756).

In the Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva

Never Disparaging reaches out to greetand talk with others, conveying his respectfor their Buddha nature and awakeningthem to it.

Anyone who embraces the MysticLaw will attain Buddhahood. Therefore,even when Bodhisattva NeverDisparaging meets with antagonism andhostility, he never lets it deter him from hisefforts. He just summons even more life-force, and continues to go about teachingand spreading the Law. His tirelessstruggle eventually inspires even those whoinitially scorned him to become hisfollowers and join the ranks of those whouphold the correct teaching of the LotusSutra (cf. LSOC20, 310).

We of the SGI, a gathering ofmodern-day Bodhisattvas NeverDisparaging, are carrying on this effort ofshowing all people the highest respect.

A women’s division member, whohas long dedicated herself to thedevelopment of kosen-rufu in HyogoPrefecture, lost her home in the 1995Great Hanshin Earthquake, as did her twodaughters, young women’s divisionleaders, who lived together nearby. Shedid not lose her smile, however, and threwherself into working for the reconstructionof her community.

Today, having transformed allpoison into medicine, she says cheerfully:“My painful experience changed the wayI look at life. When I think that everyonepossesses the Buddha nature, a warmfeeling fills my heart. Courage wells upinside me. I feel that I am responsible for

the happiness of my friends and fellowmembers. It gives me joy that we canpraise and support one another, declaringthat we were not beaten, that we won.”With youthful energy and vigor, this sincerewomen’s division member continues toreach out to others in dialogue, with thepersonal goal of making 10 new friends.

Nothing is as noble, profound,and strong as prayers for the welfare andhappiness of others. In Japan and aroundthe world, the confident andcompassionate voices of our members arerevitalizing the lives of all those they comein contact with.

Each and every person is asupremely noble entity of the Mystic Law,embodying the principles of the mutualpossession of the Ten Worlds, the hundredworlds and thousand factors, and the threethousand realms in a single moment of life(cf. WND-1, 235). Because of theprofound ties we share with others in ourenvironment, therefore, we can alsotransform our communities and ourcountries.

My mentor, second Soka Gakkaipresident Josei Toda, declared: “We willnever run out of people to share thisBuddhism with, because each of us hasbeen born in this world together with agreat retinue of karmic companions—people bound to us by ties from the distantpast. Let’s sow the seeds of Buddhahood.Even though not everyone may listen tous at first, the time is sure to come whenthe seeds we have planted in their liveswill blossom.”

Our great movement ofBodhisattvas of the Earth, individuals whohave courageously risen up to fulfill thevow for the widespread propagation ofthe Mystic Law, is advancing anew witheven greater enthusiasm and dynamism.

The lion’s roar of the Soka familychanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo isreverberating from the Hall of the GreatVow for Kosen-rufu.

Innumerable companions whoselives are deeply connected to ours arewaiting to hear our words.

Let’s confidently engage indialogue with many others to fosterfriendship and trust!

On the proud stageof our vow,let’s make precious friendswho will share our eternal joy,never sparing our voices.

(Translated from the January 2014 issueof the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkaimonthly study journal)

Engaging in Dialogue to Foster Friendship and Trust

SGI President Ikeda’s Editorial

SGI President Ikeda’sNew Year’s Message for2014Let’s Make Fresh Stridestoward World Peace!

New Year Messagesfrom Nepal SGI Leaders

SGI President Ikeda’sDedicationThe Vow for Kosen-rufu

The New Human Revolu-tionVigilant Safeguarding 1 - 11

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SGI HISTORYJAN 26 : SGI DAY

BUDDHIST CONCEPTSPrayer in Buddhism

NSGI NEWS19th Annual General MeetingLotusbari- A sprout towardschange

TREASURE OF THEHEART

A Boar and a Gold Mountain

The NSGI Times 2

A new era of worldwide kosen-

rufu has begun—a new era ofexpanding our life-affirming

network for the sake of world peace, the

flourishing of society, and the happiness

of humanity.

I call out to my admirable fellow

members and all our precious friends

everywhere: Let’s strive together onceagain in this new year, with unflagging health

and vigor, vitality and youth, harmony and

friendship!

*

Why were we born into this world? A line

from the “Life Span” (16th) chapter of theLotus Sutra that we recite daily in gongyo

reads: “. . . where living beings enjoythemselves at ease.”

We were not born into this world

to suffer and be miserable. We were born

to be happy and savor true joy, never

allowing any suffering or misfortune to

defeat us. This is the essential message of

the Lotus Sutra.

Citing this sutra passage, Nichiren

Daishonin teaches us that the phrase

“enjoy themselves at ease” means makingour lives shine as entities of the supreme

Mystic Law and attaining the state of

limitless freedom of the Buddha. He also

indicates that “living beings” refers to allhuman beings, while “where” refers toJambudvipa, or the entire world.

As such, anyone anywhere, no

matter how troubled the times, can attain

a state of absolute happiness—in whichlife itself is a joy—in the place where theyare right now.

We of the SGI, while warmly

encouraging and supporting one another

in faith, are reaching out to one person

after another and helping them realize such

a life of triumph filled with hope and joy.

This is the heart of our great movement

for kosen-rufu.

*

SGI members in 192 countries and

territories around the world are now

enjoying actual proof of happiness in their

lives.

There is a dedicated women’sdivision member who, for more than 50years, has contributed to the developmentof kosen-rufu in her country in SouthAmerica, opening paths where noneexisted before. She reports that her lifeand community have changed dramaticallyfrom those early pioneering days, nowbrimming with an abundance of goodfortune and benefit.

At the beginning, she says, shehad to walk everywhere to carry out herSGI activities, but now she drives in herown car. She is also able to gathertogether with fellow members and friendsin a fine SGI center. When she first beganto share Buddhism with others, she oftenencountered hostility arising fromignorance and prejudice, but now the SGIenjoys widespread trust and respect insociety. This, she feels, is the result of themembers’ thorough commitment to faith,practice, and study, and their steadfastlyholding regular discussion meetings. Allher strenuous efforts for kosen-rufu, shedeclares, enabled her to change herkarma, transforming everything into asource of boundless good fortune. Whatmakes her happiest, she says, is that, intandem with the growth of the SGImovement for peace, culture, andeducation, her community has developedvibrantly and her country has flourished.

I wish to heartily applaud andpraise all of my dedicated fellow membersaround the globe who, as good citizensof their communities, are striving tirelesslyfor kosen-rufu and making positivecontributions to their societies.

*

Nichiren Daishonin writes: “There isdefinitely something extraordinary in theebb and flow of the tide, the rising andsetting of the moon, and the way in whichsummer, autumn, winter, and spring giveway to each other. Something uncommonalso occurs when an ordinary personattains Buddhahood. At such a time, thethree obstacles and four devils willinvariably appear, and the wise will rejoicewhile the foolish will retreat.”

Life and human society are filledwith endless trials and tribulations. But thewise eagerly take on every challenge, nomatter how daunting, triumph in each one,and keep forging ahead on the great pathof human revolution.

The Buddhism of Nichiren

Daishonin fosters people of true wisdom

and links them together. In our world

today, faced with so many difficult and

complex problems, it is the mission of the

SGI, as a truly global religious movement,

to harmoniously and positively spread an

indestructible alliance of wise individuals,

transcending all differences.

*

I am presently engaged in a dialogue with

Prof. Kevin Clements, chair of peace and

conflict studies at New Zealand’sUniversity of Otago. Inheriting the antiwar

convictions of his father, who was jailed

as a conscientious objector during World

War II, Professor Clements has fought

vigorously against war and for the abolition

of nuclear weapons. I was deeply struck

by his assertion that what we need most

to build a truly peaceful and

compassionate societyis courage.

The essence of the Daishonin’sBuddhism, too, is courage. Now, vast

numbers of youthful global citizens filled

with courage—noble Bodhisattvas of theEarth—are emerging in every region andstriving dynamically to build a world of

peace and harmonious coexistence, just

as described in the Lotus Sutra.

“Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is likethe roar of a lion,” declares the Daishonin.The sound of daimoku is the ultimate

embodiment of courage.

Let’s Make Fresh Strides toward World Peace!

SGI President Ikeda’s New Year’s Message for 2014

Now, the lion’s roar of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, infused with a fervent

vow for peace, resounds in our newly

completed Hall of the Great Vow for

Kosen-rufu—an edifice symbolizing thevictory of the mentors and disciples of

Soka. In fact, it resounds powerfully in

countries and territories all over the globe,

enveloping every corner of our beautiful

blue planet.

*

At this perfect time for the SGI to embark

on a new phase of development as a

world religion, let us set forth confidently,

sharing our convictions with others and

imparting warm encouragement and hope

to those who are suffering. Let us create

a world “where living beings enjoythemselves at ease”—a world where allpeople can lead happy and fulfilling lives.

I am sincerely praying for your good

health and longevity and for the happiness

and well-being of your families.

Daisaku IkedaPresidentSoka Gakkai International

The NSGI Times3

New Year Messagesfrom Nepal SGI Leaders

NSGI Women’s Division LeaderUjwal Nayan Ranjit writes:

With the beginning of each newmorning let’s write new pages ofvictory. Wishing for your growth anddevelopment in this New year 2014

NSGI Men’s Division LeaderPrabal Kiran Manandhar writes:

Happy New Year 2014 to all theBodhisattvas of the earth. Let’spray resolutely and work wholeheartedly with determination tomake it a memorable year in theannals of the history of Nepal SGIand for the peace, security and wellbeing of our country and happinessof fellow countryman. Try evenharder to show the actual proof ofvictory in our own lives to prove thatNichiren and Sensei’s teachingsare true.

NSGI General Director SahanaShrestha writes:

Congratulations to all of you, myprecious Boddhisatvas on the Yearof a New Era of WorldwideKosenrufu. We are overwhelmed tobe able to welcome this yeartogether with SGI PresidentDaisaku Ikeda and MadameKaneko Ikeda. Thanking you for allthe efforts in 2013, let us move tothe New Year with more hope andenthusiasm.In Nov 2013, the new worldwideheadquarters building inShinanomachi, Tokyo wascompleted. This special buildinghas eight pillars on its southern andnorthern sides. These symbolizethe eight characters in the passagethat expresses the heart of theLotus Sutra: ‘You should rise andgreet them from afar, showing themthe same respect you would aBuddha”. This is also the spirit ofSoka Gakkai, treasuring eachmember as if they were a Buddha.In this new building, there is a hallwhich will be forever known as theHall of the Great Vow for Kosenrufu.This hall will be the place wherevisitors go to renew their pledge forwhat they are going to do asindividuals in the future of kosenrufu. Our leaders Mr. Sagar Thapaand Mr. Prabal K. Manandhar hadthe great opportunity to attend thefirst gongyo ceremony in this hall onNov 8, 2013 and pledged to widenthe circle of Kosenrufu in Nepal.

In his message to the openingceremony of this building PresidentIkeda confirmed that,” The heart ofthe great vow for kosenrufu and thelife state of Buddhahood are oneand same.” So if we want to revealour Buddhahood , we must make avow and if we make a vow, we arerevealing our Buddhahood.In this start of the New Year, let usjoin together by refreshing, renewingand deepening our vow andconsider what action we will take inour respective division and district,our community, our family and in ourown personal life and move onestep further along the path ofkosenrufu. Let us successfullycomplete our quarterly campaigns(daimoku, study, home visit andshakabuku) with a strong vow andmake this year 2014 a veryremarkable one.

New Year Messagesfor Young Women and Young Men

NSGI Youth Leader MatinaShakya writes:

With thecompletionof yeta n o t h e rvictoriousyear of2013, weare steppingt o w a r d s2014 as af r e s hdeparture

upholding our life’s mission of kosenrufuall over Nepal. May the year 2014 bemarked as a year of remarkable growthfor each one of us. May each one of ourhearts be filled with absolute happinessand may we be able to touch lives ofeveryone associated to us with it in everypossible way.We all are exerting ourselves incredibly inevery facet of our lives, and starting afreshin order to renew ourselves to do our bestevery year. Hence for the year 2014 letus challenge ourselves as bodhisattvas ofearth , hand in hand with a spirit of manyin body one in mind in order to actualizeour unique missions and achieve kosenrufuin our country.Lastly,Let us CHANT to fight back to ourfundamental darknessLet us SMILE at every obstacle thatcomes into playLet us LOVE to spread warmth andhopeLet us GROW to make our lives evermore beautiful ..A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

NSGI Young Women’s DivisionLeader Sabina Shrestha writes:

Dear allthebeautifulYWDs ofNepalSGI,wishingyou all averyhappynew year

2014. Thank you all for your effortsto make 2013 a remarkable yearand we will definitely advance morein 2014. With the sense of missionwe carried out last year and we willcontinue the same in 2014 morevigorously. I know all of us havefaced a lot of obstacles on the wayto achieve the great victory andmany of us had won with our actualproof and some of you are stillcontinuing to face challenges thisyear too. I hope this year we willfind actual proof based on faith andyou will report your victory toSensei.

Nichiren Daishonin’s Gosho says ,“many in body one in mind” and aswe all know many of us are fromdifferent cultures, religions, andpaths in life but our mission is toachieve the kosen-rufu movementof Nepal SGI. We all are so greatfulthat we have encountered the lifephilosophy of Nichiren Buddhismso let’s advance together andintroduce as many of your friendsand lets shine in their lifes.

This year Nepal SGI has focusedon 4 main key areas; DaimokuCampaign, Study Campaign,Home Visit Campaign andShakabuku Campaign. Without allyour support victory cannot beachieved so lets all start this freshyear with sonorous chanting ofdaimoku and please give your verybest in all our campaigns.

From today itself let’s all take theresponsibility in each of yourdistrict and advance in 2014 withhopel and joy throughout the yearto achieve victory and then whenwe report back we will makesensei feel proud.

Once again happy new year andwishing you a very wonderful yearahead!!!!

NSGI Young Men’s DivisionLeader Arzun Rakhal writes:

Happy NewYear 2014. Weare very fortunateto be engaged inthis NichirenBuddhism be-cause of our pastgood karma.We are in themovement of hu-man revolution

so let's work together for the sake of Hu-manity and build Nepal SGI as a fortressof peace in our country. Let’s all unite andwork hard with deepest prayer (Faith),Practice and Study. Our single involve-ment would help for Peace and Devel-opment of our country. I would also liketo thank you all for your efforts in 2013.Finally, I take a pledge to foster capableYMD's in 2014 with lots of encouragingexperience.

The NSGI Times 4

SGI President Ikeda’s Dedication

The following is the text of SGI President Ikeda’s dedication on themonument that graces the entrance lobby of the newly opened Hallof the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu in Shinanomachi, Tokyo. Thededication is inscribed in both Japanese and English.

The Vow forKosen-rufu

Worldwide kosen-rufu is the will ofNichiren Daishonin, and the SokaGakkai is fulfilling the unique

mission of actualizing this noblevision in accord with theDaishonin’s true intent.

November 18, 1930 — TheSoka Gakkai emerged out of theefforts of a mentor and disciple

who shared deep karmic bonds.Founding president TsunesaburoMakiguchi spread Nichiren

Buddhism and its teaching ofrespect for the dignity of life inwartime Japan. For these actions,

he was arrested and jailed by themilitarist authorities and died inprison for his beliefs. His disciple,

second Soka Gakkai president JoseiToda, was likewise imprisoned, butsurvived the ordeal to devote the

rest of his life to eliminatingmisery from the world.

Carrying on President Toda’sspirit of selfless dedication topropagating Nichiren Buddhism, Istood up as his disciple to become

the third president of the SokaGakkai. My fellow members and I,united in the struggle for kosen-

rufu, have written a brilliant historyof brave and vigorous exertion,sowing the seeds of happiness of

the Mystic Law far and wide. Theseefforts have given rise to amagnificent flowering of peace,

culture, and education in 192countries and territories around theglobe.

November 18, 2013 — Herein Shinanomachi, Tokyo—the homeof the Soka Gakkai Headquarters,

where President Toda took

leadership for kosen-rufu inkeeping with his mentor’s noblespirit—the Hall of the Great Vowfor Kosen-rufu, which I proposedand named, has now been erected.

Enshrined herein is the Soka

Gakkai Kosen-rufu Gohonzon,which bears the inscription “For theFulfillment of the Great Vow for

Kosen-rufu through theCompassionate Propagation of theGreat Law.”

This lofty citadel, dedicatedto the shared vow of mentor and

disciple, is a place for offering ourprofound prayers for the realizationof a peaceful world through

spreading the humanistic teachingsand ideals of Nichiren Buddhism. Itis a place for resolving anew to

triumph in our personal humanrevolution, undaunted by allobstacles and challenges, and to

help others do the same.In “On Repaying Debts of

Gratitude,” Nichiren Daishoninwrites: “If Nichiren’s compassion istruly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for

ten thousand years and more, for alleternity.”

Kosen-rufu is the path to

attaining universal peace andprosperity. It is our great vow fromtime without beginning for the

enlightenment of all people. Today,a steady stream of Bodhisattvas ofthe Earth is vibrantly emerging and

illuminating every corner of theglobe with the great light ofhumanism of the Lotus Sutra.

It is my most heartfelt wishthat all our precious members,

directly linked to NichirenDaishonin and following the lead ofthe three founding presidents of the

Soka Gakkai, will unite in the spiritof “many in body, one in mind” tobuild an ever stronger groundswell

for kosen-rufu, for world peace,into the eternal future.

With deepest gratitude to my

mentors,Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and JoseiToda,

Daisaku Ikeda Third President ofthe Soka Gakkai

(Translated from the November 18,

2013, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the

Soka Gakkai daily newspaper)

The NSGI Times5

Vigilant Safeguarding 1

It was a late autumn evening in 1976.Having completed his work at the SokaGakkai Headquarters in Shinanomachi,Tokyo, Shin’ichi Yamamoto went outside.

Winter was approaching, and the night airhad become chilly. In Japan, fires oftenoccur during the winter. Shin’ichi decidedto check on various Gakkai facilities in thearea before making his way home.

There had just been a major fire

in Sakata, YamagataPrefecture, on October 29. Itwas a disastrous fire burningfor close to 12 hours,destroying 1,774 buildingsand houses in a 22.5-hectare(55.6-acre) area, and killing1 and injuring 1,003 people.On the day of the fire,Shin’ichi was at the TohokuGeneral Training Center(present-day Tohoku TrainingCenter) in Aomori Prefecture.When he learned of theincident, he gave instructionsfor relief activities and dideverything in his power torespond to the emergency.

The fire had started at alocal movie theater. At first itwas thought that a boiler hadoverheated, but later it wassuspected that somethingwent wrong with the electrical

system. Despite an investigation, it wasdifficult to establish the actual cause, andin the end the origins of the fire remainedunclear.

But whether it had been the boileror the electrical system, the fact remainedthat if the building’s equipment had been

carefully checked on a daily basis, in alllikelihood the most terrible ofconsequences, a fire, could have beenprevented.

Some people tend to take thingsfor granted. They assume that the presentsituation will continue unchanged, andsince nothing bad has happened so far,they don’t have to worry about what mighthappen next, even though in actualitysome danger may be growing in theirmidst. In fact, they even forget to thinkabout possible threats and dangers. Theystop paying attention to important telltalesigns and become careless.

Overcoming that mindset is thefirst step in preventing accidents. NichirenDaishonin writes: “A wise person, whiledwelling in security, anticipates danger”(WND-1, 621). Astute people willalways be prepared for an emergency,even when the situation seems safe.

With the approach of December,a month in which fires and various otheraccidents increase in Japan, Shin’ichidecided to take the initiative and checkon the Gakkai facilities in the headquartersarea.

Vigilant Safeguarding 2

When Shin’ichi arrived at the building nextto the Soka Gakkai Headquarters, two

young men just happened to be walkingout of it. Their badges with the logo “G”gleamed. They were members of theGajokai.

The Gajokai is a groupformed to foster the youth,entrusted with duties such asprotecting the Soka GakkaiHeadquarters as well as otherGakkai facilities around thecountry.

“You’re Gajokaimembers, I see. Thank you foryour hard work.”

The two were youngmen’s division members fromSuginami Ward, Tokyo, andthey were patrolling theheadquarters area.

“Let’s check on thingstogether,” said Shin’ichi, settingout ahead of them. As theywalked, he asked them abouttheir jobs and families and theirlocal Soka Gakkaiorganization. They were valiantyouths who had rushed overafter a busy day at work tofulfill their Gajokai duties.

Shin’ichi remarked: “You’re givingyour all amid trying circumstances, and forthat I am grateful. But remember that allyour efforts for kosen-rufu and to supportthe members will return to you as great

good fortune. As Buddhists, we strivebased on that conviction. And those effortswill also ensure your final victory.”

There seemed to be no meetingsat the headquarters that day, and thereweren’t many people on the streets.

As he carefully checked whetherany windows in Gakkai buildings had beenleft open or strange objects were left lyingabout on the streets, Shin’ichi said to theyoung men: “The Gajokai Group has thesolemn mission to protect the SokaGakkai Headquarters, our culture andcommunity centers, and our members.That’s the same as my mission. Toaccomplish that mission, you need to befully alert at all times, pay attention to everydetail, and not overlook anything, nomatter how minor it may seem.

“The ability to pay carefulattention starts with your attitude. It thenneeds to be backed up by prayer filledwith a sense of responsibility and thedetermination not to overlook anything thatcould lead to an accident. Through thatprayer the positive forces of the universewill be activated, augmenting your wisdomand focus.”

The NSGI Times 6

Vigilant Safeguarding 3

Heading toward the Seikyo Shimbun building togetherwith the two young men of the Gajokai, Shin’ichiexplained to them the basics of the task of inspecting.

“One of the iron rules is to make sure nothinghas been left around the perimeter of buildings, especially

anything that could burn easily, such asnewspapers or bundles of magazines. If suchmaterials were to catch fire, it could haveserious consequences.”

When they came upon a two-storyGakkai building, Shin’ichi checked the storageroom inside. “You need to pay attention toplaces that people rarely open, such as this.Some things to confirm are whether or not it’slocked, anything unusual is inside, and theventilation fan is still left running.

“It’s vital to keep these kinds of areastidy, so someone can easily spot an item thatdoesn’t belong there. If the objects in a storagespace are just strewn about, or there arecardboard boxes without labeled contents, it

can be dangerous as you won’t be able to notice ifsomeone has placed any suspicious objects there. Byobserving how neat and orderly a place is, you can tellhow alert to trouble and how responsible the peopleusing it are.”

Shin’ichi carried out a detailed inspection,including making sure that the stove burners in kitchen

facilities and the lights and electrical appliances in roomsnot in use were all shut off. Outside he directed the lightof a flashlight toward the base of the plants and flowersin front of the buildings to make sure no dangerousmaterials had been placed there.

“You may think this is overdoing it, but if anaccident were to happen because you missed something,it would be too late. Eyes that notice the littlest thingscan prevent the biggest accidents.

“To prevent accidents, everyone should considerthe matter carefully, decide on a basic roster of thingsthat need to be checked, and then follow it assiduously.For example, the conductors on Japanese trains alwayscarry out a series of checks before departure.Meticulously repeating that routine each time is the keyto protecting their riders’ safety.

“Once a routine is set, it needs to be carried outfaithfully, without skipping or ignoring any part of it. Ifyou allow it to become a mere formality and lose yourfocus, carelessness will follow. That’s the most dangerousthing.”

As the German poet and playwright BertoltBrecht (1898–1956) said: “Habit can be dangerous.”

Vigilant Safeguarding 4

As he continued to inspect the buildings in the area aroundthe headquarters, Shin’ichi spoke to the two youthful

Gajokai members about the dangers ofcarelessness.“This period from now to the end of the

year is a time when there are not onlymany fires but also crimes, such as fraudor theft. Still, some tend to think that thesekinds of things only happen to otherpeople, never suspecting that they mightbecome victims themselves. In fact, that’sthe first sign of carelessness, and that wayof thinking makes you vulnerable.“Though we remind members at

meetings to be careful not to have trafficaccidents, there are plenty of cases whenpeople say to themselves, ‘I know that,’and don’t really pay attention. What youshould do at that time is remindyourselves to be extra careful, and say

the same to those around you. Those riding bicycles alsoneed to put this advice into action by checking their lightsand brakes.

“Nichiren Daishonin wrote to Shijo Kingo:‘Determine to take every possible precaution’ (WND-1, 461). And: ‘Be millions of times more careful than

ever’ (WND-1, 839). He warned him to pay attentionto the smallest details and be more careful than everbefore. Being cautious is essential if you are to protectyourselves and be victorious in this harsh world.”

Shin’ichi walked with the two Gajokai membersthrough the Seikyo Shimbun building back to his home,which was nearby. His wife Mineko was at the entrywayto greet him. She politely thanked the Gajokai members.As they parted Shin’ichi said to them: “Thank you foraccompanying me today. Please aim for complete safetyand security. I’ll also wholeheartedly pray for the samething every day.

“I can’t go along with you on your rounds eachtime, but in my heart I’m always with you. We share thesame mission. Please protect our headquarters in mystead. Protect our culture and community centers. Protectour members. Let’s meet again.”

That evening Shin’ichi and Mineko prayedintently for the Gajokai members to not catch colds andto vigorously carry out their respective missions and fulfilltheir greatest potential.

Vigilant Safeguarding 5

The Gajokai—Because of youour citadel of Sokaflourishes and triumphsas we carry out kosen-rufu.

The Gajokai was established in February1971 as a group to train youthfulchampions of Soka who will protect theSoka Gakkai Headquarters as well ascommunity and culture centers aroundJapan. About ten years prior to that, youngmen’s division members had begunsafeguarding these facilities by performinginspections to ensure that buildings weresecure and no fire hazards were present,among other things.

Shin’ichi Yamamoto was deeplyappreciative of these members who wereconsistently striving behind the scenes toprotect the Gakkai’s various facilities, andfrom time to time he would offer themencouragement. As the Japanese writerSaneatsu Mushanokoji (1885–1976)

wrote: “We should be more concerned about whatcannot be seen than by what can be seen.”

Working wholeheartedly behind the scenes tosupport kosen-rufu and protect the Soka Gakkai is amost noble form of Buddhist practice. Shin’ichi believedit was necessary to officially designate this informal groupof members and establish it on a nationwide level in orderto preserve their attitude as the eternal spirit of the youngmen’s division.

The large-scale renovation of the head templegrounds, including the construction of the Sho-Hondo(Grand Main Temple), was completed in 1972. Up untilthis point, the Soka Gakkai had prioritized renovatingthe head temple and establishing branch temples for theNichiren Shoshu priesthood. It then began focusing onbuilding Gakkai community and culture centers, whichhad previously taken a back seat.

With the construction of new culture andcommunity centers around the country, fosteringmembers to safeguard these facilities became increasinglyimportant. The leaders of the young men’s division hadalso been thinking of organizing their members to takeon this role.

At the beginning of 1971, when the top leadersof the young men’s division approached Shin’ichi aboutforming a team of members to take care of Soka Gakkaifacilities, he answered without hesitation: “I agree withthe idea of creating a group for this purpose. We shoulddecide on a name for this training group. I’d like to makea suggestion.”

The NSGI Times7

Vigilant Safeguarding 6

Shin’ichi explained: “The Soka Gakkai headquarters andcommunity centers are all ‘fortresses’ for kosen-rufu, solet’s call the group to train these young men who willprotect these centers the Gajokai (Jpn. gajo, lit. “tuskcastle” or fortress; and kai, lit. “group”).

“A fortress is the base or command center of agreat general or leader. In ancient China, the polesof a general’s banners were often topped withornamental ivory carvings from elephant tusks(ga), and were called ‘tusk banners.’ The fortresswhere these banners were displayed was thuscalled a ‘tusk fortress’—gajo.”

In the past, Shin’ichi had discussed the term withhis mentor Josei Toda, and he had continued totreasure that conversation in his heart.

News soon spread to members throughout thecountry that a new group for safeguarding SokaGakkai facilities had been established as theGajokai. The young men’s division members whowere engaged in this activity became Gajokaimembers from February 1, making that the

effective day on which the group was established.Gold badges were also created to present to

Gajokai members, with a design employing the letter “G,”which is the first letter in the words Gakkai, gengo (Jpn.“vigilantly safeguard”), and Gajokai. Gengo is a wordthat appears in Buddhist sutras, in the phrase “vigilantlysafeguarding the citadel of the Law.” The spirit of the

Gajokai is to vigilantly safeguard, in the spirit of notbegrudging one’s life, the citadels of the Law for kosen-rufu—the Soka Gakkai Headquarters and facilities—and the organization and all of its members.

In August 1975, a summer training course washeld and attended by 5,500 Gajokai representatives fromthroughout Japan. A martial arts exhibition was also heldat the time, with regional teams competing in the sportsof kendo and judo. As Carl Hilty (1833–1909) said:“Forging resilience is especially desirable in one’s youth.”

At a vice presidents’ conference in June 1976,days were chosen to commemorate each of the groupswithin the youth division, and September 1 was selectedas Gajokai Day. That was the day of the completionceremony of the new Soka Gakkai Headquarters inShinanomachi, Tokyo, when the old mortared-framebuilding was replaced with a new reinforced-concretestructure in 1963.

Shin’ichi thought that this day would be mostappropriate to commemorate the Gajokai, whichsafeguarded the headquarters and protected the SokaGakkai.

Vigilant Safeguarding 7

To commemorate the first Gajokai Day on September1, 1976, a meeting to celebrate the Gajokai was held atthe Soka University Central Gymnasium in Hachioji,Tokyo. At the meeting the new maroon uniforms of theGajokai were introduced.

This day also happened to be the 56th birthday

of Hatsune Miyasaka, a women’s divisionmember from Nagasaki, Kyushu, who waswholeheartedly praying for the growth of allGajokai members. In May of that year shehad lost her oldest son Katsumi, who had beena proud Gajokai member. Katsumi hadremained true to his Buddhist faith and practiceup to his untimely death.

While active as a Soka Gakkai youngmen’s division greater block chief (equivalenttoday to a young men’s division district leader),Katsumi was also exerting himself as a Gajokaimember. He had also started to assume theresponsibility of safeguarding the newNagasaki Culture Center that had just opened

in November 1975. He would frequently point out:“We’ve had this wonderful culture center built for us.We must protect it and our fellow members!”

He answered the phone calls that came to thecenter in a cheerful and courteous manner. The first voiceone hears when calling a Soka Gakkai facility canbecome one’s impression of the organization as a whole.He was determined to always answer the phone in apleasant, polite, and sincere tone.

He also often remarked to other Gajokaimembers around him: “When people visit our centerswhile we’re on duty, the first person they meet is aGajokai member. We’re the face of the Gakkai. We needto warmly greet visitors with a friendly smile.”

He treated all those who visited the center withwarm consideration. If someone called and said theythought they’d forgotten something in the building, he’dsearch for it everywhere and sometimes even deliver theitem to the individual. He was more careful than anyoneelse in his inspection of the building and the area aroundit. He did this out of his spirit of wanting to protect theSoka Gakkai, aware that the failure to notice suspiciousobjects near the building could result in a major accident.

Katsumi made the training and lessons helearned in the Gajokai his personal philosophy and codeof behavior. That’s how a spirit is passed on. Withoutthat attitude, even the best training will not stick.

Vigilant Safeguarding 8

Katsumi Miyasaka had not been feeling well, so inJanuary 1976 he went to the hospital to be examined. Itturned out he had rectal cancer, which was already inthe terminal stage. He had surgery, but the cancermetastasized and could not be removed. He was told hehad about a month to live.

However, he said to his family members: “I am

going to show great actual proof of thisBuddhism. Though I may not have long to live,I’m going to survive until May 3, the 16thanniversary of President Yamamoto’sinauguration.”

Eventually he left the hospital and wascared for at home. Whenever members cameto visit him, it was he who encouraged them.“Life is truly amazing when it’s dedicated tokosen-rufu, the path of opening the way tohappiness for all people. Having been born inthis world and encountered Buddhism, wehave a mission to keep striving until our lastbreath to talk to people about the wonder ofthis philosophy.”

On one occasion he said to a youngmen’s division member: “I may not have longto live, but life is eternal. My most heartfelt

wish is that in my next life I will be born into a family whohas the Gohonzon. But even if I have the Gohonzon, Iwon’t really understand this faith, and I won’t be able tostrive joyously, unless I also encounter the Soka Gakkai,the organization advancing kosen-rufu, and a mentor likePresident Yamamoto. That’s why I want to be reborntogether with President Yamamoto and the Soka Gakkai.

“And if possible, I’d like to be healthy. I wanteyes to see the Gohonzon, a mouth to chant daimoku

and share this Buddhism with others, and strong legs, soI can take part in Soka Gakkai activities. That’s mygreatest wish for my next life.

“But when I think about it, I’ve had all my wishesfulfilled in this life. I’m very grateful for my life. To me it’sexactly as the Lotus Sutra states: ‘This cluster ofunsurpassed jewels / has come to us unsought’ (LSOC4,124).”

“Life is truly amazing whenit’s dedicated to kosen-rufu,

the path of opening the way tohappiness for all people.

Having been born in this worldand encountered Buddhism,we have a mission to keep

striving until our last breath totalk to people about the

wonder of this philosophy.”

The NSGI Times 8

Vigilant Safeguarding 9

Though he had been told he had only a month to live,Katsumi Miyasaka was still alive after two months andthen three months. At last, May 3, 1976—the 16thanniversary of Shin’ichi Yamamoto’s inauguration as the

third president of the Soka Gakkai—arrived.“I’m alive,” said Katsumi. “I survived to May3.” From that day on he grew visibly weakerand weaker, but he remained cheerful andupbeat.

“I want to take part in one more Gajokaishift at the Nagasaki Culture Center. I want tosee our members arriving happily at the center.I want to once again eat the instant ramen thatis provided to on-duty Gajokai as a late-nightsnack.”

On May 24, hearing that Katsumi’scondition had worsened, his younger brotherTakeshi, who lived in Saitama Prefecture, andhis two sisters, who had married and lived inNagasaki, came to be with him.

The next morning, May 25, Katsumiasked Takeshi to look after their parents when

he was gone. Then he said, “I’d like to do gongyotogether as a family.”

They carried Katsumi to the room where theBuddhist altar was and held him up as he recited thesutra and chanted. When gongyo was over, he lay down.

Takeshi opened a pamphlet of President Yamamoto’spoem “Song of Youth,” which happened to be restingon a small table in front of the altar. Katsumi liked thepoem, and Takeshi decided to read it for him:

Though clouds dot the skyand the wind blowsthe sun rises again today. . .

When Takeshi started reading, Katsumi smiled andclosed his eyes. Takeshi’s voice resonated in the room.

I have my mission which is mine aloneYou toohave a mission which only you can fulfill

About halfway through the poem, with a peaceful smileon his face, Katsumi breathed his last breath, as if driftingoff to sleep. Having dedicated his youth to the Gajokai,his 27-year-old life came to an end.

The value of one’s life is not necessarily decidedby its length. Through dedicating oneself to the noblepurpose of kosen-rufu, one’s life comes to shine.

Vigilant Safeguarding 10

More than two months had passed since the death ofKatsumi Miyasaka. From July 31 to August 2, 1976,the Kyushu Gajokai Summer Training Course wasconducted at the Kyushu General Training Center

(present-day 21st Century Nature ConferenceCenter, in Kirishima, Kyushu). There was anoutdoor meeting on the first day of the course,and Nagasaki members produced a dramaticpresentation based on the life of Miyasaka. Theeyes of all the young men there were glued tothe stage specially set up for the occasion.

In the play, Miyasaka calls out from hissickbed: “I want to get better and return toduty as a Gajokai member. I’m determined toprotect the Soka Gakkai and all its membersas a representative of President Yamamoto.”

Tears glimmered in everyone’s eyes.Some, trying to hold back their emotions,clenched their fists and pressed their lipstogether. Deeply moved, they all sharedMiyasaka’s determination.

One individual who serves as an example canstir the hearts of countless others. Don’t wait for someoneelse to set an example. The Soka Gakkai is a gatheringof champions precisely because each member strives tobecome such a model.

The performance came to an end and applausereverberated throughout the venue. The narrator said in

a resonant voice: “Katsumi Miyasaka’s father Ayumusent us a letter that I’d like to share with you now. Hesays: ‘I feel as if I can see the faces of all of you assembledthere in Kirishima. I believe my eldest son Katsumi waslooking forward to this day, when he could be togetherwith all of you. Unfortunately, he has gone to Eagle Peakbefore President Yamamoto or any of you.

“‘Although Katsumi was unable to leave behindan illustrious record of achievements that attractattention, he was second to none in his commitment toprotecting President Yamamoto, the citadels of kosen-rufu, and the people.

“‘He embodied that spirit and silentlycommunicated it to all who knew him. Though he wasmy own son, I believe I can say he was a finerepresentative of the Gajokai. I hope that all of youwonderful young people will continue to do your best,on Katsumi’s behalf, too. This is my sincere wish.’”

Though he was still grieving for his beloved son,Katsumi’s father wrote this letter to impart hope to theyoung men of the Gajokai. His sentiments struck deepinto the hearts of all of them.

Vigilant Safeguarding 11

On the second day of the summer training course, aKyushu Gajokai General Meeting was held. At themeeting, young men’s division leader Isamu Nomura,speaking to the group, said that he found Miyasaka tobe a model Gajokai and made the following proposal:“I’d like to suggest that the Kyushu Gajokai, as pioneers

of kosen-rufu, create a regional Gajokai flag.We can put the three letters ‘K,’ ‘G,’ and ‘M’—for Kyushu, Gajokai, and Miyasaka—on theflag as a lasting way to commemorateMiyasaka’s memory. What do you think?”

The members applauded thunderouslyin agreement.

On August 7, the same young men’sdivision leader reported about KatsumiMiyasaka to Shin’ichi Yamamoto, who wasstaying at the Kyushu General Training Centerduring his guidance tour of the region.

Shin’ichi said: “The Kyushu Gajokaishould stand up and carry on in the spirit ofMiyasaka. That’s how true comrades behave.Without shared ideals, you cannot fulfill yourgreat vow.

“Miyasaka’s father responded most admirably,too. Let’s plant a cherry tree at the training center intribute to Miyasaka. Since his name was Katsumi, let’scall it the Katsumi Cherry Tree.”

Then Shin’ichi composed a poem and sent it toMiyasaka’s father, Ayumu. The poem reads:

In praise ofyour steadfast son,dry your tears

and eternally protectthe Katsumi cherry tree.

Shin’ichi acted with lightning speed. Speed is themanifestation of one’s strength of resolve and sincerity.His mentor Josei Toda used to say, “Leaders of kosen-rufu must make ‘Speed’ their motto.”

When she heard the news by telephone,Miyasaka’s mother Hatsune tried to suppress her sobs.

Shin’ichi immediately received a letter fromMiyasaka’s father, who wrote: “I am overcome withgratitude at the wonderful poem you sent me today. Howhappy Katsumi must be.”

Katsumi’s father wrote a poem in response:

Battling coldwinter storms,reaching the other shorefrom where can be seenbeautiful flowers of spring abloom.

The NSGI Times9

It was on January 26,1975, that Soka GakkaiInternational (SGI) was

inaugurated at the First WorldPeace Conference on the island ofGuam--the site of fierce fightingbetween American and Japanesemilitary forces and of countlessdeaths of innocent civilians duringWorld War II.

SGI was created as an um-brella organization for the growingmembership of Nichiren Buddhistsaround the world and as a networkof individuals committed to pro-moting understanding between dif-ferent cultures and actualizingpeace. It was then Soka GakkaiPresident Daisaku Ikeda's vision tomake Guam the symbolic startingpoint for this movement.

Some 158 representativesfrom 51 countries and territoriesattended the meeting, which is nowcelebrated annually as SGI Day,and at their request, Daisaku Ikedatook up the position of presidentof the newly-formed SGI.

In his speech on that occa-sion, Ikeda stressed that Buddhismis grounded in the philosophy of re-specting the dignity of life and madea powerful declaration stating thathe would dedicate his life to the en-deavor of promoting a lastingpeace. He also encouraged themembers to live altruistically:"Rather than seeking to bring yourown lives to bloom, devote your-selves to planting the seeds ofpeace throughout the world."

There are now SGI membersin 192 countries and territories,with 90 independent local constitu-ent organizations and a total mem-bership of around 1.8 million mem-bers outside Japan. Each local or-ganization develops its activities in

accordance with the culture andcharacteristics of that society, basedon an understanding of the linksbetween individual happiness andthe peace and development of allhumanity.

The SGI Charter, adopted in1995, clarifies that the mission ofSGI is to respond to current prob-lems in society and the world basedon the philosophy of Buddhism:

"We, the constituent organiza-tions and members of the SokaGakkai International, embrace thefundamental aim and mission ofcontributing to peace, culture andeducation based on the philosophyand ideals of the Buddhism ofNichiren Daishonin . . . We believethat Nichiren Daishonin's Bud-dhism, a humanistic philosophy ofinfinite respect for the sanctity of lifeand all-encompassing compassion,enables individuals to cultivate andbring forth their inherent wisdomand, nurturing the creativity of thehuman spirit, to surmount the diffi-culties and crises facing humankindand realize a society of peaceful andprosperous coexistence."

In reference to the inauguralmeeting on Guam, Ikeda states,"Since that first gathering, the mem-bers of the SGI have consistentlyupheld the conviction that dialoguerepresents the sure and certain pathto peace."

In this spirit, on January 26every year since 1983, in com-memoration of SGI Day, Ikeda hasauthored peace proposals explor-ing the interrelation between coreBuddhist concepts and the diversechallenges global society faces inthe quest to realize peace and hu-man security.

SGI HISTORY

JAN 26 : SGI DAY

"Buddhist prayer may be thought of as afocused expression of the sentiments of yearn-ing, commitment and appreciation. It is, how-ever, distinguished by the fact that Buddhismlocates the divine within the life of the individualpractitioner. The purpose of Buddhist prayer isto awaken our innate inner capacities of strength,courage and wisdom rather than to petition ex-ternal forces."

Prayer in BuddhismPrayer is central to thepractice of Nichiren Buddhism. SGI membersoften relate experiences of "offering earnestprayer," or "praying from the bottom of myheart." They also speak of having their prayers"answered." What do SGI members mean whenthey make such statements?

The Webster's Third New International Dic-tionary defines prayer as "a solemn and humbleapproach to Divinity in word or thought, usuallyinvolving beseeching, petition, confession, praise,or thanksgiving."

In what ways does the Buddhist under-standing of prayer accord with this definition,and how does it differ?

Prayer appears to be a universal humanactivity. There is evidence to suggest that hu-mans have been engaged in some form of"prayer" since the earliest days of our species.As soon as humans developed a consciousnessof their relative powerlessness before the forcesof nature, the precariousness of their existenceand their own mortality, they no doubt begangiving expression to intense feelings of petition,praise or thanksgiving.

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has writtenthat religion grew from prayer; that the senti-ment and act of prayer precedes the forms whichdifferent religious traditions have since given thisprimordial human act. Buddhist prayer likewisemay be thought of as a focused expression ofthese same sentiments of yearning, commitmentand appreciation. It is, however, distinguishedby the fact that Buddhism locates the divinewithin the life of the individual practitioner. Thepurpose of Buddhist prayer is to awaken ourinnate inner capacities of strength, courage andwisdom rather than to petition external forces.

Also, as in many Eastern spiritual practices,there is an emphasis on a specific physical formof prayer. For practitioners of Nichiren Bud-dhism this means the reciting of portions of theLotus Sutra and the repeated chanting of thephrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," the name ofthe mystic law that lies within all life derived byNichiren from the title of the Lotus Sutra. Thatthe chant is audibly intoned expresses the factthat in Nichiren Buddhism prayer is not a purelymeditative turning inward, but an act makingmanifest inner qualities, bringing them out intothe real world.

SGI members direct their prayer to theGohonzon, or object of veneration. This is amandala, a symbolic representation of the ideal

state of Buddhahood, or enlightenment, in whichall the tendencies and impulses of life--from themost debased to the most noble--function inharmony toward happiness and creativity. TheGohonzon is not an "idol" or "god" to be sup-plicated or appeased but a means for reflectionand a catalyst for inner change.

SGI members are encouraged to maketheir prayers specific, concrete and focused onthe real-life problems, hopes and concerns theyconfront. Nichiren Buddhism stresses the in-separability of "earthly desires" and enlighten-ment. Nichiren states that it is by burning the"firewood" of our desires--through the act ofprayer--that we are able to bring forth the flameof renewed energy and the light of our innerwisdom. Buddhist prayer is the process bywhich our intensely felt desires and sufferingsare transformed into compassion and wisdom.In this sense, it inevitably involves self-reflec-tion, including a sometimes painful confronta-tion with our own deeply-rooted destructive ten-dencies. To quote Nichiren again, "Your mas-tery of the Buddhist teachings will not relieveyou of mortal sufferings in the least unless youperceive the nature of your own life."

SGI members are also encouraged to viewprayer as fully integrated with the actions andbehavior of daily life. Prayer only becomes genu-ine prayer when it is acted upon. To succeed inlife we need determination and prayer, effortand ingenuity.

Most fundamentally, prayer is the processof bringing forth the supreme state of life re-ferred to as our "Buddha nature." A potentialpossessed equally by all people, the Buddhanature is the fundamental, compassionate lifeforce inherent in the cosmos. Prayer is the pro-cess of realigning our individual lives (the lesserself, with all its impulses and desires) with therhythm of the living cosmos (the greater self).In doing this we unleash previously untappedsources of self-knowledge, wisdom, vitality andperseverance. And because, in Buddhist phi-losophy, there is no separation between the in-ternal world of human beings and their environ-ment, changes that occur in our inner life arereflected in our external circumstances. Theexperience of having one's prayers "answered"is the manifest result of this process.

Daisaku Ikeda has written that the ultimateform of prayer is in fact a vow--a vow to con-tribute to the happiness of others and the de-velopment of human society.

It is this vow and pledge to action that mostprofoundly attunes our lives to the larger life ofthe universe and brings forth our highest, mostnoble "selves."

[Courtesy January 2001 SGI Quarterly]

BUDDHIST CONCEPTS

Prayer in Buddhism

The NSGI Times 10

This 19 year long journey of N-SGIhas brought many hearts from differentparts of country together under a roof tobind them together into a soul. The 19th

Annual General Meeting marked thisday very beautifully. After the conclusionof prayer led by the guest SGI DirectorOng Bon Chai, Ayush Pradhan and

Anina Maharjan as the master ofceremony hosted the meeting. Theyshared the guidance of the day and afterthat they welcomed members to sing theGakkai Song. Gakkai Song wasfollowed by the welcome speech ofDevendra Man Singh. He heartilywelcomed the audience of around 250

NSGI held 19th Annual General Meeting

Ms. Basanti Lama shares her victory report on fosteringcapable successors of Kosenrufu in Illam.

Mr. Rajan B. Thapa and Mr. Narendra Shrestha holdingSagarmatha award with NSGI GD Sahana Shrestha andSGI Director Ong Bon Chai.

with his welcome speech. Along withmembers from Kathmandu, there were18 members from Pokhara, 8 fromHetauda and 5 from Illam.

A new district Makalu has beenestablished at Illam this year and inorder to present the victory report ofthe same district Basanti Lama was

called on stage. Then,the message of Senseiwas read by SagarThapa to all themembers. Sensei’smessage was full ofinspiration: “No matterwhat bitter adversity wemay face, we will neverbe defeated. Through thepower of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, wecan transform even themost painful sorrow—transmuting it into thecompassion to

encourage and help others who aresuffering—and keep moving forwardjoyfully and positively.”

Experiences of members regardingtheir faith have always been the soul ofevery N-SGI meetings as it helpsinspire members. This time there were

altogether 4 members who shared theirjourney of life accompanied withprayers. Naina Ranjit gave a very goodstart to this experience sharingceremony with her motivatingexperience. Kendra Kumari Gurungshared her moments of despair andhow her prayers helped her go throughthose moments.

In between, there was ceremony ofconferring Gohonzon. This year twomembers of N-SGI embraced thehouse Gohonzon while four memberstook home OmamoriGohonzon. They took a vowafter receiving Gohonzon.

After this ceremony, thesharing of experiencecontinued with SanjanaAgrawal. She shared manyquotations of Ikeda sensei thathad inspired her and sharedher experience regarding herfamily problems andadjustment in new country.Similarly, Ram Mani Aryalfrom Hetauda shared hisexperience regarding financeand prayers.

Sahana Shrestha, GeneralDirector shared her

determinations for the upcoming yearand achievement of the past year to themembers along with giving anencouraging message. The determinationincluded Daimoku Campaign,Community Service, Sports Meet andmany more. Then it was followed by thedistribution of various awards to themembers, starting with SagarmathaAward.

Sagarmatha Award is the mostcoveted awarded for all the members. Itis acknowledgement for those activemembers of N-SGI who has been

Jenisha ManandharDecember 21, 2013

The NSGI Times11

Lotusbari, an initiative of Nepal SokaGakki International under the BagmatiCleaning Program was inaugurated onFriday, 20th December, 2013. It is locatedon the banks of Bagmati river just a little

further down fromTilganga Hospital.

NSGI is a partof Soka GakkaiInternational which isa lay Buddhistmovement linkingmore than 12 millionpeople around theworld. As “engagedBuddhists,” SGImembers aim to

create value in any circumstances andcontribute to the well-being of others. Thepromotion of peace, culture and educationis central to SGI’s activities. Nepal SGIVice General Director Mr. Sagar Thapasaid that NSGI firmly believes in creatingvalue in the society and hence became apart of the cleaning bagmati program. SGImembers integrate their Buddhist practiceinto their daily lives, following the LotusSutra Based teachings and hence thegarden got its name Lotusbari, with barimeaning garden in nepali.

T h einaugration was afun filled event whichkicked off with themembers of NSGIsinging a song oftheir organizationcalled “Shoulder toShoulder marchingalong”. The songhad a beautifulmessage to lead

humanity towards peace. It was followedby a poem which was a tribute to theBagmati river.

Dr. RajuAdhikari, one of theBoard members ofthe Bagmai cleaningprogram providedhighlights of theprogram. Hementioned how thelocal people hadsupported them andurged he others tojoin hands with theprogram as well. He

informed that the group meets near MinBhawan bridge every Saturday at 8am fortwo hours where they work on cleaningand beautifying Bagmati. Lotusbari, is the

Lotusbari- A sprout towards changeAn initiative towards a clean Kathmandu

first project that has been completed andis an example asking others to follow thefootsteps of SGI.

The garden was inaugurated byHon’ble Chief Guest Mr. Leela ManiPoudyal, Chief Secretary of Government

of Nepal.

The chief guestleft after addressingthe crowd. Thepeople present werefurther entertainedby a musicalperformance by theAlankar group, apart of NSGI whoclaimed that it was amatter of pride toplay in the laps ofBagmati. Later, the

members of NSGI also performed adance to keep the spirit joyous. The coldwinter wind made the atmosphere chillywhile the excited spirits made theatmosphere warm.

The meeting was made more vibrantwith slogans such as – We CAN cleanBagmati; We WILL clean Bagmati; If WEdon’t then who will; If not NOW, thenwhen?

The local people present wereencouraged not to lose anopportunity to be a part ofthis program and create abetter Kathmandu for thefuture generations.

It was an inspiringevent, and I am definitelyjoining the Bagmati cleaningprogram this Saturday at 8am at Min Bhawan bridge.Are you joining us as well?

Mr. Sagar Thapagiving a welcome

speech

Mr Rajan B. Thapareciting a poem

Dr. Raju Adhikarihighlights the

Bagmati CleaningCampaign

Chief Guest MrLeela Mani Poudyalencouraging peopleto pledge for saving

Bagmati

working very ardently in the path ofKosen-rufu. Sagarmatha Award winnerof this year was Sagar Thapa andNarendra Shrestha. Subsequently JugalDistrict earned the best district award ofthe year. Then there was also anadditional division in members this yeari.e. Young Married Group where all theyoung married women will be members.Yurika Shakya is the Chief of this group.Similarly, Divya Singh and DikshyaSingh are the vice-chieves. There wasalso appointment of new chief in thedifferent divisions. Matina Shakya is theYouth Division Chief while SabinaShrestha is the Young Women Division’sChief along with Niva Shakya andGrishma Chitrakar as the vice- chieves.Later, SGI Director Ong Bon Chaiembraced the stage in a very livelymanner and shared a very inspiring andmotivating guidance. He shared hispersonal experience and praised themembers’ involvement in BagmatiCleaning Campaign. Consequently,cultural segment was started after theguidance of SGI Director.

A General Meeting would always beincomplete without a cultural part in it.This year participation was from

Hetauda, Pokahara and Illam as well. Askit was performed by Kathmanduitiesshowing the importance of patience anddetermination of life. Then a memberfrom Hetauda showed her dance and sodid a member from Illam. Likewise, twomembers from Pokhara danced to thesame song as that of Illam’s memberthat is ever so famous and is calledMaitighar. They danced very gracefully.After the end of culture show, the 19th

Annual General Meeting of N-SGI wasformally concluded by Sansho and acommemorative photograph. All themembers seemed proud and happy tobe the part of a family which is growingbigger and younger everyday with greatenthusiasm.

Sanjana Agarwal.December 20, 2013

The NSGI Times 12

All rights reserved. No parts of this newsletter may be reproduced or transmitted by any electronic or mechanical means, or otherwise, or by any information storage and retrieval system withoutprior written permission from the publisher. Tel: 4038582. Website: www.nepalsgi.org . Email: info@nepalsgi.org . Printer: Graphics, Baphal, Kathmandu .

Mahayana Buddhism describes lifeon earth as being the place “where livingbeings enjoy themselves at ease”. It alsostates that in this life, human beings are“characterized” by the four noble qualitiesof “eternity, happiness, true self, andpurity”. In other words, human beings existon this earth to enjoy life, which isconsidered to have the highest value.

Since I believe in the concepts ofMahayana Buddhism, I am an optimist.The French philosopher Alain left with usthe following well-known phrase from oneof his major works, Alain on Happiness-. “Pessimism is based more on feelingwhile vo1ition or will underlies optimism.Those people, who, because they areresigned to their fate, let things slide, areunhappy.”

The human character has infinitevariety, and there are also great differencesin qualities and abilities from one individualto the next. It is impossible for everyoneto become an Einstein or a Marie Curie,nor do I think everyone should necessarilystrive to be such a person.

Willpower, however, is another thing.It is true that, generally speaking, somepeople can be called strong-willed andother people weak-minded. But thehuman will cannot be defined as an inborntrait, like ability. I know many people who,though in the past they might have beenregarded as weak-minded by otherpeople, at some point made up their mindsto be different and continued their effortsuntil finally they are now living great livesin their own way. I think human will is anasset equally distributed among all, andany individual can allow it to manifest itselffrom his inner possible resources if he hasthe mind to do so.

As Alain mentioned, an atmosphereof optimism prevails among those whohave lived their lives with a determinedmind. The word “optimism” might bemisinterpreted, but by optimism. I meanan inner quality that is bright, spontaneousand unrestrained, and yet experiencedintimately in the bitterness and sweetnessof life. This is probably because those whohave lived their lives steadfastly with firmconviction and a strong will are filled withconfidence in life.

It is absolutely impossible to live alife without incident. But no matter whatdifficulty you may encounter in your life, ifyou are convinced that you can turn thesituation into a driving for your progresswith the feeling “I’m prepared for anyhardship,” that confidence will no doubt

become the basis for true optimism.Generally, those who are able to enjoy lifeto the maximum are endowed with abrightness which is inexhaustible. I alsosense this mystical touch of life wheneverI read the superb and playful humour ofsenryu, or short satirical Japanese poetry.

Recently, I had a chance to readHaifu yanagidaru, an anthology ofsenryu. As I savoured the freshness whichlingered even after I finished reading, Irenewed my appreciation for the down-to-earth, healthy wisdom of the massesduring the Edo period (1603-1867)depicted in this anthology. Here are someof the popular verses:

One takes shelter under the eavesWhen it begins to rainOnly to go outWhen it begins to pour.Children of public officialsAre good at learning howTo open and close their hands.By the time one is readyTo fulfil one’s filial duty,The parents have already gone.Adeptly perceptive, capturing the

complexities of human nature, theseexpressions are familiar and relevant evennow. Though senryu is not as sophisticatedin style as the haiku, which must include aword indicating the season of the year, itis permeated with the undisguised feelingsthat ordinary people express in theireveryday life.

A craftsman nags his apprenticeEven during lunch to add more spice.

Oh, round and glittering coin,Please stay with me, if only for a

night.

Its meaning is this: It was consideredadmirable for one to show the spirit of“spending his daily earnings, not keepingany of it even overnight”, but if he actuallyhas no money, he cannot survive, and soa man implored a gold coin to keep himcompany. Is this not a healthy sentimentamong ordinary people ?

The others are too numerous tomention. I think the living conditions ofthose times were incomparably harsherthan ours. Nevertheless, these peopleinfused the joys and sorrows they felt into17 syllables and sublimated them intosatirical poems which are full of life. Theysurvived tenaciously, just like weeds, byusing such witty satires as “lubrication oil”for their daily life. In them I see thetenacious spirit of ordinary people whichhas remained unchanged throughout theages.

In one of his writings NichirenDaishonin quotes a passage from GreatConcentration and Insight, authored bythe Great teacher T’ien-t’ai of China: “Itwill only be like a boar rubbing againstthe golden mountain; like the various riversflowing into the sea; like logs making afire burn more briskly; or like the windswelling the body of the kalakula insect.”

A boar, envious of a brightly shiningmountain made gold, scrapes at it in anattempt to deprive it of its brilliance.However, the more the boar scrapes at it,the brighter I becomes. This is just likethe many rivers which flow into an oceanonly to increase in volume, and firewoodwhich is thrown into a fire to make it burnbrighter. Kalakula is a legendary creaturewhich becomes inflated as it swallows thewind.

The quoted passage admonishes us,in the process of performing Buddhistpractice, never to give in to the winds which

blow against us, and instead turn them intowinds which carry us forward. However,I also think we can draw a valuable lessonfrom this passage which applies to everyaspect of life.

Josei Toda, whom I have mentionedmany times, was my teacher and also likemy father. I also have respect for MrKonosuke Matsushita (1894-1989), anindustrial magnate whom I am closelyassociated with. They shared the sameadvice about youth: “When young, a manshould experience difficulties even if he hasto pay for them.” These words may soundold-fashioned to some people these days,but I think it is quite reasonable to assumethat a man can never realise greatachievement unless he has a firmfoundation in life.

The family situations of these twomen did not allow them to continue theirstudies smoothly. Mr Matsushita, whowent up to only fifth grade in primaryschool, has attained the greatestachievements in the business world inJapan. My teacher, Josei Toda, continuedhis studies in night school, while laboriouslypulling a cart to deliver packages insnowbound Hokkaido from early morningtill late at night. Yet my teacher attained anexcellent academic record, from primaryschool through night class at a university.

In his late years, Mr Toda used tosay this with a hearty laugh which I stillremember clearly: “Nobody believes Iexperienced hardships when I wasyoung.” His smiling face expressed thespontaneous warmth and humorous spiritwhich are characteristic of one who hasscored the victory of life and conqueredhis weaknesses. April 2nd is the day ofhis passing, when I enjoy anew thememories of my teacher.

 

A Boar and a Gold Mountain

The human character hasinfinite variety, and thereare also great differencesin qualities and abilitiesfrom one individual to

the next. It is impossiblefor everyone to becomean Einstein or a MarieCurie, nor do I think

everyone shouldnecessarily strive to be

such a person.