SSA General Director Tay Eng Kiat’s November 2018 Editorial
Soon, we will be welcoming the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu located in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, on November 18, 2018. Nothing brings us greater delight and joy that our mentor SGI President Ikeda is in good health and high spirits, advancing with us towards this significant milestone.
Today, the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu stands tall as a lofty citadel dedicated to the shared vow of mentor and disciple to relieve this world of sufferings and bring peace and harmony to the world. Since its opening, multitudes of people worldwide, including more than 4,000 members from Singapore, have participated in the gongyo sessions at the hall, praying for peace and security of the world.
In the last two years, as we are striving towards the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu, with youth as the protagonists, the momentum of this global peace movement advocating a world free of war and upholding the respect for the dignity of life has intensified.
Responding to the mentor’s call in 2016, “….to work hard over the next two years with our fellow members around the world to expand our network of Bodhisattvas of the Earth…”, youthful disciples all over the world have striven and achieved breakthroughs in their own localities: from the SGI-United Kingdom’s 6,000 youth gathering in March, Soka Gakkai Malaysia’s 50,000 membership breakthrough in May, SGS’s 10,000 Youth Summit gathering in August, to SGI-United States of America’s 50,000 lions of justice gathering in September.
Soka Gakkai founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda and President Ikeda must be filled with great joy and pride, witnessing the youth advancing kosen-rufu in the same spirit as the Soka mentors.
This November also marks the eighteenth year since President Ikeda’s third and last visit to Singapore (in 2000). We are filled with immense gratitude to our mentor for detailing that visit in the final chapter titled “Vow” of Volume 30 of The New Human Revolution.
President Ikeda also mentioned in his message for SGS’s SGI Study Training Course this September, “Thanks to all of your unwavering support, The New Human Revolution, has been brought to completion. And in the novel’s final chapter titled ‘Vow’, I have written about Singapore with profound emotions. Members of my Soka family in Singapore with whom I share countless fond memories and whom I wholeheartedly love are always shining in my heart. Having prevailed over numerous obstacles and hardships, all of you have created a history of victory through your unrelenting struggle based on an invincible spirit, I am convinced that Nichiren Daishonin, the original Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, is showering unstinting praise on all of you, saying, ‘Excellent, excellent!’”
All these encouragement from our mentor shall spur us on to strive even harder. The great river of Soka had begun from a single individual standing up alone for the noble cause of kosen-rufu, creating the brilliant achievement of spreading Nichiren Buddhism. Herein lies the founding spirit of the three presidents. We must never grow lax and complacent in our efforts.
President Ikeda wrote in Volume 10 of The New Human Revolution “Bastion of the Pen” chapter, “To grow comfortable and forget the original spirit of President Toda would destroy the spirit on which the Soka Gakkai was founded. Shin’ichi (The character Shin’ichi Yamamoto refers to President Ikeda in the novel) was firmly convinced that in order to eternally preserve the Soka Gakkai, the jewelled citadel of human happiness, he must leave a lasting record of Toda’s valiant struggle.”
Similarly, as President Ikeda’s disciples, let us engrave deeply in our hearts the conviction and valiant struggles of the three founding presidents and eternalise their spirit. The actions we take in each moment will decide our eternal future. Let us make this November 18 a victorious conclusion of the Year of Brilliant Achievement and a fresh departure for SSA as we aim towards the 90th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai in 2020.
(The Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu officially opened (in 2013) on November 18 to commemorate the founding of the Soka Gakkai in 1930. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Hall’s completion.)
