by Mitch Bogen
Special to the Tribune
A recent Dialogue Nights gathering asked participants to engage in dialogue connecting two topics of vital concern to the Ikeda Center. The first was Daisaku Ikeda’s conviction that developing the wisdom to perceive and honor our interconnectedness is a core attribute of the global citizen.
The second commemorated the Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, by considering various aspects of the imperative of nuclear disarmament.
Introducing the dialogue’s focus, Preandra Noel, the center’s program and office coordinator, said that it was chosen “because we believe that the threat of nuclear weapons is indivisible from other threats to our world and that it’s important to amplify the voices of the atomic bomb survivors, who have been courageously sharing their stories for decades to protect our future.”
Placing this imperative in the context of Buddhist humanism, Noel shared this quote from Mr. Ikeda: “We need to awaken to a common consciousness of being all inhabitants of Earth. This consciousness … lies in our hearts, in our ability to share the pain of our fellow human beings. It is the spirit that says, ‘As long as you are suffering, whoever you are and whatever your suffering may be, I suffer also.’”
To provide context for discussions on the topics, Noel and Becca Faber, the center’s summer program intern, presented key issues in nuclear disarmament and diverse aspects of our global interconnection.
One of the most relevant points was that in meeting the nuclear challenge, we must understand that the past and present are fully interconnected. For example, the suffering of the atomic bomb survivors and others still exists, and grasping this is vital to developing the compassion that could impel us to work actively for disarmament.
After the presentations, participants engaged in a “rotational group activity” in which groups of four moved from station to station to view panels displaying images such as the immediate aftermath of the bombings and atomic bomb survivors’ stories and their advocacy efforts.
Next, the groups discussed questions such as how the evening’s experience impacted their understanding of wisdom, how a true grasp of interconnectedness might change our world, and what their engagement with the ideas expressed that night looked like.
To conclude, some participants shared insights and inspirations from their conversations. For example, one person highlighted the “beautiful concept” that you are “a human being through other people.” And another underscored our shared humanity, saying that knowing that “you are not the only person going through challenges reminds us how our lives are so much [more] interconnected” than we think they are.
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