SSA General Director’s June 2019 Editorial
I always appreciate meeting with members, particularly with the youth. There’s always so much to learn from those sessions of heart to heart talks with another fellow human being, their challenges, their pure seeking spirit, their oneness of mentor and disciple spirit etc. There’s always something we can be inspired and inspire in such one to one session, and I believe that is always the first step towards building trust and friendship with others.
Ikeda Sensei once shared in a guidance in The New Human Revolution Volume 22, High Seas Chapter, “An organisation is a network of human relationships. We need to create bonds with individual members within our organisation. If this relationship exist only between leaders and members, our organisation will be weak. When we really care about everyone we come into contact with as fellow siblings, our organisation will be truly humane.”
Many of us would probably recall how we were once fostered and nurtured by our seniors through heart-to-heart dialogues. In addition to what were shared with us, I believe we were most often than not, moved by their sincerity, perseverance and spirit to go all out of their way to encourage us on a one-to-one effort.
Indeed, as our organisation expands, we should always endeavour to return back to the prime point of forging strong ties at most basic level i.e the one-to-one relationship. Today, we are often pampered by the convenience of social media and technology that we depend highly on such tools for communication. However, though effective, these means will never be able to replace the human bonds forged with others.
In the last 59 years Ikeda Sensei had assumed the full responsibilities as Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s disciple, as the third President of Soka Gakkai to strive for kosen-rufu in accord with his mentor’s vision to relieve this world of suffering and war. He has weathered and surmounted every obstacle he faced and have established the SGI we see today. Whatever his mentor has entrusted him, he had not only achieved it but excel in all his mentor’s expectations. Yet, amidst all his heavy responsibilities helming the Soka Gakkai, he has touched countless members’ lives through his efforts to reach out to every member he possibly could.
He once shared, “The way to make our organisation strong is to strive to forge ties of trust linking ourselves with everyone else. Become the kind of person whom everyone appreciates for helping them overcome problems, for encouraging them and giving them hope. That’s what I’ve always done. I’m constantly striving my hardest to establish strong ties with every Soka Gakkai member. I encourage hundreds and thousands of members every day, in one form or another.”
SSA has just launched the Encouragement Months from May 3 to August 24. In the months ahead which will set the important momentum towards Soka Gakkai 90th Anniversary next year, I would like to appeal to all our leaders to make home visitations our core activity.
There are many of our members or our friends, due to various circumstances or work are not be able to attend meetings regularly or could be burdened with problems causing them anxieties and sufferings. These people require our warmest and sincerest encouragement.
We are carrying out the Buddha’s work. Our effort in home visiting is to help our members bring forth their fullest potential, inspiring them to stand up in faith through warm, caring encouragement. That determination that arises in the members heart, as a result will be the catalyst for his or her further growth. Our home visits will forge ties of trust and contribute to this beautiful network of Soka humanism.
Arming ourselves with prayers for the happiness of our members and friends, lets joyfully engage ourselves in home visits and dialogues sending ripples of courage, hope and joy to all corners of Singapore in these Encouragement Months
