HARMONY - August 2012

Special Feature: Q & A

As always, we thank you for picking up this month’s issue of Harmony.

The purpose and mission of Harmony, and all SGI publications, is to provide study material, experiences and encouragement to assist in our practice of Nichiren Buddhism.

Whether you are a new member, have been chanting for many years, or have just been exposed to the benefits of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, questions will naturally arise. And they should. As practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism, we are encouraged to raise questions, thus deepening our understanding and faith in this practice.

As Francis Bacon said:

“Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.”

Asking questions is a sign of a seeking spirit, and a seeking spirit and study are essential on the path to enlightenment. Our chanting needs to be supported by study and thus a deeper understanding of our practice, so that we do not stumble and succumb to obstacles that come our way.

In fact, almost all Buddhist scriptures consist of questions asked by a listener and the Buddha’s sermons are given as answers to them. Thus, the sutra itself takes the form of a question-and-answer meeting.

Many of the letters that Nichiren wrote were in the format of answers to questions that his followers had or he anticipated they would ask.

President Toda conducted many question-and-answer meetings, thus helping the members deepen their faith.

Faith in Nichiren Buddhism is not blind faith. It is a faith that develops through actual proof and by actively searching for answers to the many questions we may have.

Buddhism is a vast topic, and we can only ever touch on a small part of the many questions that will arise. We sincerely hope that this Q&A issue of Harmony will shed light on some of the questions that you might have about this wonderful philosophy, and that it will help you to develop and seek out more answers.

skip Williams

Quote of the month

“Human beings are inherently endowed with the power to bring out the best possible result from the worst possible circumstances.”  (www.ikedaquote.org)
Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres