Shared some of my thoughts with all present...
1. The Quintessence of Buddhism is the Oneness of Mentor and Disciple!
- I went as the leader of the group of 24 SGM members, 6 from each of the four divisions of MD, WD, YMD and YWD, to the SGI October Autumn Seminar in Japan from October 7 to 11...
- We didn't meet Sensei or Mrs Ikeda, but all of us always felt the presence of Sensei, as if he was all the time with us, showering us with his messages of care and concern for all of us!
- As it is, the quintessence of Buddhism is all about the oneness of mentor and disciple, as concretely exemplified by Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin, Makiguchi Sensei and Toda Sensei, Toda Sensei and Ikeda Sensei...
- And now, Ikeda Sensei and all of us, his disciples, if we count ourselves as one...
- The likes of the five senior priests and the present priesthood led by Nikken were and are going against this very essence of the Daishonin's teachings on the oneness of mentor and disciple!
- We should be very proud to call ourselves Ikeda-ians, just like Gandhi's disciples calling themselves Gandhians, like Prof Dr Radhakrishnan!
- During our seminar, Hasegawa Vice GD related to us his experience during his visit to the disaster area in Tohoku (North-eastern Japan) to encourage our Soka comrades who were going through such overwhelmingly painful experience in their life...
- Many of them lost their beloved ones, their houses and property, almost everything that belonged to them, but they stood back up, and stood tall, ensuring Mr Hasegawa and asking him to report back to Sensei that they are not only alright but will fight to reconstruct what they have lost...
- One gosho passage, "Winter will never fail to turn into spring!" has since become the slogan for not only our Soka comrades but all the people there in Tohoku!!!
- Mr Hasegawa related to us the five kinds of heart that our Soka comrades there in Tohoku have to weather such great disasters of the devastating earthquake and tsunami which claimed the lives of about 15,000 people!
- (1) The heart to look ahead, the heart to look forward!
- Turning crisis into opportunity for growth!
- Wanting and desiring to contribute something to the society, to somebody, even though our members themselve were also victims!
- (2) The heart to encourage others!
- Wanting to warmly encourage those who are suffering, who are facing tremendous difficulties after the earthquake and tsunami!
- It shows the renaissance of the human spirit!
- (3) The unrelenting, undaunted heart!
- Inside their hearts, our comrades vowed never to be defeated, even in the face of tremendous difficulties!
- No matter how overwhelmingly painful, they vowed never to be defeated by their own selves!
- (4) The heart of the sun, with hope in our heart, a smiling heart!
- Even though they were victims, still in their hearts, they are having hope, they are smiling in their hearts, they are letting the sun shine in their hearts!
- (5) The heart to immediately take action!
- They felt that they cannot just sit there and lament, but must take immediate action, to encourage others, to give others hope, to help others rebuild!
- "Nam [meaning 'to devote one’s life']" corresponds to the "paramita (or virtue) of happiness!"
- More often than not, when we are facing problems, we are all worked up and agitated, not able to calm ourselves down...
- In such adverse situation, we need to calm ourselves down, and look for a solution to our problem.
- That is why we need to go back to the Gohonzon, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
- When we invoke "Nam," we are welling forth this virtue of true happiness, true calmness, true tranquility, manifesting this virtue so that we can become composed and calm to look truly at our problems!
- "Myoho" corresponds to the "paramita (virtue) of true self!"
- When we invoke "Myoho," we are revealing our true Buddha self, we gain true autonomy, we see our true identity as a Buddha!
- And, what can't a Buddha do!
- We come to realise our Buddha potentiality!
- And, we can go on to solve our life's problems!
- "Renge" corresponds to the "paramita (or virtue) of purity!"
- So, when we invoke "Renge," we are purifying our life from within, we are transforming our karma and revealing our pure self!
- "Kyo" corresponds to the "paramita (or virtue) of eternity!"
- So, when we invoke "Kyo," we are eternalising our life and securing a state of true eternity in the depths of our lives!
- That is why, as the Daishonin teaches, it is very important that we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to secure true calmness and tranquility, to reveal our true Buddha self, to purify our life from within by transforming our karma, and to eternalise our life!
- Further reading, please click here!
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