Greetings for the Lunar New Year! As we basked in the festivities of the new year, I had the opportunity to catch up with family members, relatives and friends who have been striving at the frontlines of kosen-rufu. I am encouraged that many are advancing with fresh vigour, filled with renewed determination to create new victories in this year of the 90th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding.
This January, our youth took the lead with a Youth Leaders Training Course that saw an attendance of more than 1,000 youth. Many youthful Bodhisattvas of the Earth came forward, with the adult division supporting behind the scenes. Based on the theme “I will be that Lionhearted Disciple!”, youth gathered in small groups to study The New Human Revolution since December 2019. It is truly heartening to witness the passion of our precious youth in wanting to rejuvenate themselves through faith, practice and study, resolving to become the “NHR Gen” (“The New Human Revolution Generation”).
SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda shared in the “Thoughts on Studying The New Human Revolution: Sharing the Spirit of Shin’ichi Yamamoto”, “As time goes by, the number of people who have firsthand knowledge of the events depicted in the novel will become smaller and smaller. Their testimonies are invaluable, but it is even more important that, through The New Human Revolution, the history of kosen-rufu and the Soka Gakkai spirit are transmitted, together with President Ikeda’s heart, eternally from generation to generation… That is why we must thoroughly study it now.”
Next, our Merdeka Generation seniors and Secondary One Future Division members who had been practising hard for this year’s Chingay Parade, after almost three months of intensive training, the 200 participants put up a wonderful performance in the presence of Singapore President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. This year marks SGS’s 36th year of participation in this community event. Our deepest appreciation goes to all who have been working hard to ensure the success of this performance, especially those supporting behind the scenes.
This month, we will commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Singapore’s Kosen-rufu Day on February 9, a day of deep significance in the annals of SGS’s history designated by President Ikeda after his first visit to Singapore in 1988. In the early days of our movement, we faced many challenges. However, it was with our mentor’s determination, paving the path forward, and the efforts of pioneering members to press on with unyielding fighting spirit to show great actual proof of faith, that we won over all adversities to build SSA into what we are today. As Nichiren writes, “It is certain that the widespread propagation of the Law (kosen-rufu) will eventually be achieved throughout Jambudvipa (the entire world).”. (GZ, p. 816) All these monumental achievements that live on in the annals of Singapore’s kosen-rufu are truly the crystallisation of all the unforgettable struggles of our pioneers.
As we commemorate this significant day, let us resolve to repay our gratitude to our mentor by creating fresh waves of advancement for kosen-rufu by calling forth one more lionhearted disciple from within each of our districts!
