With deep gratitude and in great joy, we commemorated the 61st anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s inauguration as the third Soka Gakkai president on May 3 last month. It marks our first May 3 towards the centennial of the Soka Gakkai in 2030. On that day, we pledged to make a fresh advance to strive in harmonious unity for Singapore’s kosen-rufu. At that commemorative meeting, our youth division also reaffirmed their determination to achieve victory with their “One more Youth, One more Dialogue, One more Shakubuku” campaign; and to have the Young Men Division and Young Women Division leadership positions in all the districts filled by young successors.
These are not easy tasks and will require all of us to put in a lot of hard work and perseverance; to reach out to shakubuku, to encourage, and to nurture new friends and members together with our youth. Let’s do our utmost best to support them in their endeavours and advance together to create another milestone in the history of Singapore’s kosen-rufu together with our youth. The victory of the youth is the victory of SSA.
We are now living in a very difficult time of the pandemic, coupled with other threats to humanity such as job losses due to glooming economy recession, global climate changes and threatened outbreaks of wars. Nevertheless, we must not be overwhelmed or succumb to these threats, losing hope and allowing Covid-19 to stop us from moving forward and achieving true happiness for ourselves and others.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote in a Gosho, “The wonderful means of truly putting an end to the physical and spiritual obstacles of all living beings is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” (WND-1, p. 842)
At this critical time, let us be even more courageous and pray fervently to the Gohonzon to vibrantly draw forth the life force of the universe within the cosmos of our lives. When we bring forth this powerful life force, the Buddhahood from within us, we can break through any impasse and move forward in the direction of hope and happiness.
Please also be assured that so long as we continue to advance with strong undefeatable faith to challenge all obstacles no matter what these may be, we will be victorious, becoming truly happy and invariably attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, right where we are now.
Besides our daimoku, let us also expand the network of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, reaching out to our members and friends sharing with them the joy of this practice through hope-filled dialogue. As Ikeda Sensei shared in his recent May Editorial, “When we chant and spread the Mystic Law with firm belief in our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we can transform even the most disappointing circumstances into a drama of human revolution. Whatever challenges or hardships we face, we can surmount them like the wonderful performance of a brilliant actor.”
Please stay well and upbeat as we advance cheerfully towards July 3 Mentor and Disciple Day.
