Denver, Oct. 4—On a sunny and warm weekend in October, members from Rocky Mountain Zone gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Denver Culture Center. The net-zero energy facility, situated along the South Platte River in the heart of downtown, now stands as a striking symbol of hope. On the same location as the previous culture center, the building, which was rebuilt from the ground up, was unrecognizable to the members, who could hardly wait to enter their new castle of kosen-rufu.
Over two days, some 1,200 SGI members and guests, including Denver Deputy Mayor Al Gardner, City Councilman Chris Hinds and lead architect Peter Ewers, attended the grand opening festivities, which featured a ribbon-cutting and heartfelt words. Following the ceremony, a special gongyo meeting brought together members from the frontier areas of Rocky Mountain Zone, including Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and southern Colorado Springs.
On the following day, members from Denver South and Denver North regions celebrated the center’s opening with commemorative kosen-rufu gongyo meetings that featured energetic performances by youth and future division members that captured the celebratory spirit of the occasion.
Councilman Hinds called the new center “a beacon of hope,” quoting Nichiren Daishonin’s words: “If one lights a fire for others, one will brighten one’s own way” (“On the Three Virtues of Food,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 1060). He praised the SGI’s effort to unite an increasingly divided world.
In his closing remarks, SGI-USA General Director Adin Strauss reflected on the true purpose of such a magnificent building. “What does a beautiful center like this need to truly fulfill its mission?” he asked. “It needs lots of people to come here and enjoy activities and encourage each other in this building, bringing forth a brilliant state of life, their Buddha nature that Nichiren, who founded our practice, taught that everyone possesses in limitless quantity.” Quoting Ikeda Sensei, he continued: “The buildings and structures of the Soka Gakkai are symbols of the kosen-rufu movement. As such, the dedicated efforts in faith of each individual make those buildings grand and magnificent” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 26, p. 39).
In the words of West Territory Leader Paul Niihara, the members here are committed to opening their hearts and doors to the community and making their center a place where “true friendship blossoms, challenging times are transformed into profound growth, and where the light of human dignity shines the brightest.” The opening of the Denver Culture Center marks not only the completion of an impressive architectural project but also the beginning of a new chapter in the movement for peace and human revolution throughout Rocky Mountain Zone.
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