Baton is in My Hands

The Justice Chronicle, provided by Soka Gakkai International-USA, is a free monthly e-mail in support of the Soka Spirit movement. Soka Spirit is the SGI's educational effort to create value and deepen our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through increased awareness of issues surrounding the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and the spiritual foundation of the SGI movement.

1) VIEWPOINT: THE BATON IS IN MY HANDS: A NEW MEMBER'S VIEW OF MARCH 16

By Michele Joo
Los Angeles

Around this time last year, I was helping to prepare for my first youth-led district meeting celebrating March 16, Kosen-rufu Day. It was a big deal for me because it signaled a commitment to my Buddhist practice that I had not really considered before.

I had only been chanting for a few months and I was scared. I had recently moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles to finish a screenplay and find success, but suddenly I was crippled with fear and insecurity. How could a young, sheltered, Korean girl born in the suburbs of Buffalo, N.Y., have anything to write about that would possibly be of interest to anyone? I was so depressed I couldn't leave my house.

It just so happened, though, that one of my only friends in L.A. was an SGI-USA young women's division member whom I had met in college several years earlier. At her encouragement, I began chanting and was soon at my first SGI-USA meeting. Soon after, I was helping to plan the March 16 meeting, contributing my time, energy, thoughts; using my voice to connect with others for the achievement of kosen-rufu -- world peace based on individual happiness. Preparing for the meeting came at a perfect time, as it forced me to get out of bed and leave the house.

March 16 came, and there I was with the other youth in my district, taking action for kosen-rufu. I remember feeling happy that day, something I hadn't really felt since moving to L.A. It felt good to be working with others towards something as valuable as kosen-rufu. That day, after the meeting, I privately determined to learn more about the practice and SGI President Ikeda, this man that I heard people refer to as their mentor. I started participating in more SGI-USA activities, taking on more responsibility, chanting regularly and seriously studying. I tried to make sense of everything I was learning, but I felt like I was missing something.

One night, I went to a Soka Spirit study meeting and realized I had been lacking an understanding of Soka Spirit and didn't even know it. Soka Spirit is our SGI-USA movement that seeks a deeper understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through understanding the situation with the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, who is confusing people about Nichiren Daishonin's teachings of equality by teaching that priests are superior to lay people.

I see Soka Spirit as Nichiren Daishonin's spirit to teach, uphold and protect the Mystic Law. It is the spirit carried on by the three presidents of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and SGI President Ikeda. It is my own courageous spirit which enabled me to embrace Nichiren Buddhism, instead of giving up on becoming truly happy.

Learning about Soka Spirit changed the way I practice Nichiren Buddhism and continues to every day. It stirs in me an awareness of my deepest confidence in the Mystic Law and my own courage and determination to uphold and protect it, so that others may become absolutely happy. I realized that in order to accomplish this, I must defeat the devilish functions -- the delusions that keep me from being happy -- in my own life and overcome every obstacle that comes my way.

It has been almost a year since I received the Gohonzon, and my life has changed in so many ways. I have significantly changed negative patterns that exist in my family and feel a very real sense of hope, love and justice in my life.

I recently discovered that President Ikeda and I share the same desire to repair relations between Korea and Japan. Tears filled my eyes when I realized that my mission in life supports the 50-year vision of the man I now consider my mentor to secure peace in Asia. Since that day, I have begun to write again, this time with the confidence that a young, sheltered, Korean girl born in the suburbs of Buffalo, N.Y., has a lot to say and the wisdom and compassion to say it.

This March 16, I feel the baton of achieving world peace is in my hands, in my heart and in my voice.

[This article appeared in the Feb. 28 issue of Seize the Day.]

2) FROM MY DEAR FRIENDS IN AMERICA

This series contains excerpts of speeches SGI President Ikeda made in the United Statesÿ which relate to Soka Spirit and are contained in the book My Dear Friends in America.

This excerpt is from a speech given on Sept. 21, 1993, in Boston.

THE FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE OF CALAMITIES

Nichiren Daishonin writes: Now, however, we have entered the Latter Day of the Law, and the medicines of these various schools no longer cure the people's illnesses. Moreover, all the Japanese have become icchantika [people of incorrigible disbelief] and people of grave slander. Their offense is even worse than that of killing one's father or mother, fomenting a rebellion, or causing a Buddha to bleed. Japan is filled with individuals whose respective offenses exceed even those of one who were to gouge out the eyes of all the human beings of a major world system, or raze all temples and pagodas in the worlds of the ten directions. Consequently, the heavenly deities glare down furiously upon our nation day after day while the earthly deities tremble in continual rage (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pp. 414-15).

In a later passage of this same writing, the Daishonin goes on to state that, when learned priests and those who observe the precepts slander the Law, their offense is especially grave, since they are the very ones who ought to be leading people toward the correct path.

Commenting on the phrase fomenting a rebellion mentioned in this writing, 26th high priest Nichikan said: Even rebelling against the ruler of one's nation is deemed a grave offense. How much worse then is the offense of betraying the eternal rulers of the three existences, the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin (Commentary on 'On Offering Prayers to the Mandala of the Mystic Law').

The priests of Nichiren Shoshu, who have utterly betrayed the Daishonin's spirit, are guilty of the greatest treachery against the original Buddha.

Sixty-sixth high priest Nittatsu said the following about the same writing: This passage mentions 'fomenting a rebellion,' but this refers to the offense of disrupting the unity of believers, in other words, those who disrupt the harmoniously united body of believers -- an offense classified as one of the five cardinal sins....

The unity of believers refers first and last to the body of believers who worship the True Law. To disrupt their unity is the gravest offense of all.

All those in the body of believers who embrace faith in the True Law attain Buddhahood without exception. For this reason, any attempt to obstruct or hinder them constitutes a far graver crime than any in the secular world.

Those who attempt to destroy the SGI, the harmoniously united body of believers working to achieve the widespread propagation of the True Law, are guilty of the serious offense of disrupting the unity of believers. Nittatsu's words clearly confirm this.

In On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, the Daishonin states, Rather than offering up ten thousand prayers for remedy, it would be better simply to outlaw this one evil! (WND, 15).

Today, the one evil refers to the great slanderers of the Nichiren Shoshu. Please be assured, therefore, that the Daishonin would heartily applaud our efforts to establish the correct teaching for the peace of the land in the present day, that is, our efforts to carry out a noble religious reformation based on the Gohonzon and on Nichiren Daishonin's writings.

I conclude today's speech with my prayers for your vigorous endeavors and longevity as kings and queens of life blessed with great happiness and joy. (pp. 325-27)

Twenty-six in a series.