HARMONY - September 2013

DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF SGI,

Like our cover image suggests, in this month’s Harmony we are addressing old baggage, and how to let go of it with the support of a strong Buddhist practice.
We all too often venture on the journey of life weighted down by the baggage we carry with us. We may not even want to, let it go thus lightening our load. Sometimes it can seem so heavy and burdensome that we feel we can go on farther. We may feel that it is all just too much. We are stuck with this load that will stay with us always.
So why don’t we just let go of what is holding us back and make it easier for us to move forward? Easier said then done!
I really like the analogy of the elephant that is tethered to the ground by a rope. This rope could easily be broken by the adult animal, but the elephant has been tied up since a very young age and is now conditioned that this is as far as he can go, and deems it impossible to break free. It might have been the case when he was small, but not now. However, the elephant thinks that what was once true in the past must be true now, so doesn’t even try to break free.
How often do we – just like the elephant – use the past as an excuse, a justification, to hold us back from achieving what we really want?
The choices we make in the present are shaped by our past, our karma, our experiences, and we decide on our action or inaction. Are we letting ourselves be held back like the elephant? Are we stuck in the past and not moving forward because we are carrying around heavy baggage that can be discarded if we just let go?
You can’t move forward if you’re always looking back.
When we let our past dictate our future, we are allowing our fundamental darkness to take hold. We need to recognize this and believe in our own Buddhahood so that we can break through.
By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can push back this critical voice of our fundamental darkness and re-determine ourselves to be victorious. When we raise our life condition by chanting, we can win even in the most adverse conditions. We prove to ourselves and others that our past doesn’t have to control or inhibit our forward movement.
As you will read in this issue, our past does not limit the potential of who we can become in the future. Let’s develop unwavering trust that through our prayers and sincere actions, we will change our karma and make even the seemingly impossible possible.
So let’s drop the bags and break the rope; travel light, and enjoy the journey!

Skip Williams

Quote of the month
“Our live are ruled by impermanence. But simply realizing that changes nothing. There is no value in bleak pessimism. The challenge is how to create something of enduring value within the context of our impermanent lives. The lotus sutra teaches us how to do this.” – Daisaku Ikeda FIA p.16

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