General Director’s New Year’s Message for 2022
Happy New Year to all!
The Soka Gakkai theme for year 2022 is the “Year of Youth and Dynamic Progress”.
This year, we will be commemorating 75 years since Ikeda Sensei began practising Nichiren Buddhism, 70 years since the February Campaign of the Kamata Chapter, and 50 years since the Toynbee-Ikeda dialogue. It also marks the start of the fourth bell in the second series of Seven Bells which began at the start of the 21st century in 2001.
Currently, the world is still facing unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The next few years until 2030, the centennial of the founding of the Soka Gakkai, will be very crucial for all of us to strive and change “poison into medicine”, and transform the destiny of humanity.
Now, more than ever, we must endeavour to spread the light of hope and happiness to all people with every member living up to their mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and contribute to world peace.
In this regard, it is vital that we foster our youth who will shoulder the future of Soka Gakkai, and invigorate our own lives to enable the entire organisation to pulsate with fresh youthful energy, thereby propelling the dynamic advancement of Singapore’s kosen-rufu.
How can each one of us invigorate our lives?
It is none other than going back to the basics of faith, practice and study; and to consistently challenge ourselves in our human revolution, diligently doing our daily gongyo and chanting abundant daimoku.
As the saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step”, the starting point of our endeavours in the “Year of Youth and Dynamic Progress” lies in “I”, each one of us.
How can “I” create my own dynamic progress in 2022 and contribute to the “dynamic progress” of my district?
The driving force for our dynamic progress lies in prayers infused with a deep vow for kosen-rufu. It is found in our daily efforts to study the Gosho and The New Human Revolution, and actualise the guidance of Ikeda Sensei. It lies in our efforts to reach out and make five new friends and to participate in all Soka Gakkai Singapore (SGS)’s activities.
Collectively, one of our goals is for our discussion meetings to become “Oasis of Happiness”, a gathering of good friends mutually encouraging one another to triumph over life’s challenges and empowering everyone to become happy through faith.
Let’s be assured that no matter what happens, we will be victorious through faith. In his recent message to SGS in December 2021, Sensei said:
“Nichiren Daishonin writes: ‘When great evil occurs, great good follows.’ (WND-1, p. 1119) No matter what happens in life, no matter how difficult our present circumstances, we will ultimately enjoy happiness without fail. Faith in the Daishonin’s Buddhism absolutely ensures that we will emerge victorious in the end.”
Let us strive afresh with the determination to make 2022 another resounding year of great victory, showing joyous actual proof through our human revolution, and endowing our lives and that of our families with great good fortune.
Wishing everyone good health and happiness!
Tay Eng Kiat
SGS General Director
