This section features Ikeda Sensei’s seminal guidance to the members of the United States. The following is an excerpt of his speech given at the Second SGI-USA General Meeting, World Peace Ikeda Auditorium, Santa Monica, California, January 27, 1993. The full speech can be found in My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, pp. 203–08.
First Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, our mentor, once said: “Teachers must not instruct students with the arrogant attitude of ‘Become like me!’ It is far more important for teachers to adopt the attitude ‘Don’t satisfy yourself with trying to become like me. Make your model someone of higher caliber.’ True teachers, therefore, are those who have the humility to advance together with their students.”
Education must never be coercive. The heart of education lies in the process of teacher and pupil learning together, the teacher drawing forth the pupil’s potential and raising the pupil to surpass the teacher in ability.
In the same way, I ask that all of you who shoulder the future of the new SGI-USA be warm and compassionate leaders who thoroughly respect and cherish each member. I hope you will be wise leaders who can activate the unlimited potential known as Buddhahood in each person’s life and help them become even more capable and happier than yourselves.
Compassion Is the Soul of Buddhism
One winter, concerned about the illness of a dedicated follower’s wife, Nichiren Daishonin wrote the following words of encouragement: “I am as concerned about the illness of your wife, the lay nun Toki, as though it were I myself who is ailing, and day and night I pray to the heavenly gods that she will recover” (“Prayer for the Lay Nun’s Recovery,” The Writings of NichirenDaishonin, vol. 2, p. 666). In this short passage,
we can sense the Daishonin’s infinitely profound compassion. Compassion is the very soul of Buddhism.
To pray for others, making their problems and anguish our own; to embrace those who are suffering, becoming their greatest ally; to continue giving them our support and encouragement until they become truly happy—Nichiren Buddhism lives and breathes in such humanistic actions.
Why have we, the SGI, achieved such remarkable development? Because we have wholeheartedly treasured each member as a child of the Buddha, in exact accord with this compassionate spirit of the Daishonin.
The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is the exact opposite. Its priests view believers as nothing but a means for lining their own pockets. They are always arrogant and highhanded. Theirs is a truly frightening betrayal of the founder, Nichiren.
Today, our friends from Kansai are celebrating their brilliant general meeting. Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda once declared: “I want to rid Kansai of sickness and poverty. Indeed, I am determined to do so!” These words remind us again of how he put his heart and soul into giving guidance and encouragement to the members.
Exactly 40 years ago, on the occasion of the First Osaka Chapter General Meeting, President Toda proclaimed, “The purpose of our practice of faith is for all of us to become truly happy” and “We embrace faith to secure our happiness throughout the infinite future.”
The purpose of faith is certainly not to subjugate oneself to the authority of temples or clergy but, as my mentor clearly stated, to enable every person to attain happiness that endures eternally throughout the three existences of life.
President Toda also often said: “Those of you who have problems or sufferings, pray earnestly! Buddhism is a deadly serious win-or-lose struggle. If you should [pray with such an earnest attitude] and still have no solution forthcoming, then I will give you my life!”
This invincible conviction on which Mr. Toda was willing to stake his life inspired the members. By faithfully carrying on and practicing in accord with this spirit, we have built a global organization—the SGI.
Buddhism means putting the teachings into practice. Practice equals faith. With sincere prayer and action, our desires cannot possibly fail to be fulfilled. When you continue to apply yourselves to your Buddhist practice toward kosen-rufu, solidifying and gaining mastery in your faith, you will find that all your prayers will definitely be answered.
An expert archer can accurately hit a target with a single arrow. I hope all of you will become masters of faith and masters of life who will realize the complete fulfillment of all your desires. I also pray that you will be leaders of unshakable conviction who proudly open up a new age of hope for kosen-rufu and the world.
In nature, there are mountains and oceans; there are languidly flowing rivers and flowers that bloom according to the season. In the same way, the speeches made by leaders and the format of meetings should not become monotonous. Great leaders are flexible, broad minded, innovative; they put people thoroughly at ease and inspire trust and confidence in them.
You must not be leaders who are like a dried-up, barren wasteland. Such people can shout themselves hoarse, crying, “Advance, advance!” But when they turn around to look behind them, they’ll probably find that no one’s following!
Please be leaders who possess both charm and wisdom.
•••
To commemorate today’s historic general meeting, I wish to dedicate a poem to the members of Los Angeles. It is titled “The Sun of Jiyu Over a New Land.”
Kansai is the heart of the kosen-rufu movement in Japan; Los Angeles, in America; and America, in the world. I would like to present this poem with my infinite hopes and expectations for the members of Los Angeles and the United States. Although this poem is dedicated to the Los Angeles members, it goes without saying that its message is relevant to all SGI-USA members.
In the coming weeks, I will be traveling to various countries in South America to continue my efforts for the sake of peace and kosen-rufu. Let’s meet again! Thank you very much for today.
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