HARMONY-January 2015

Tue, 23rd Dec 2014  
Category: Harmony, News (All), Publication

2014jan_harmony
DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF SGI,

Happy New Year in the “Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu”! On behalf of the Harmony Team we wish you a wonderful 2015 and look forward to your continuing patronage in the coming year.

The beginning of the year is traditionally a time when people the world over set new goals and renew their determinations for the coming year.

As members of the SGI, we are encouraged to set lofty goals for our lives. At the same time, not just focusing on ourselves, we also include the well-being of others when making our resolutions. As Buddhists, we recognize and embrace the concept of the interconnectedness of all things. Thus, it is not simply a wish for the environment and all those in it to thrive, but it is a crucial part of our own well-being and happiness.

Members of SGI strive to spread the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, which places the highest priority on respect for the dignity of human beings and indeed, all life. And as we strive in our human revolution, such inner transformations will lead to absolute happiness for ourselves and ultimately for society, far and wide.

As President Ikeda says in his New Year’s Message, we are “committed to spreading the SGI’s hope-filled philosophy of respect for the dignity of life even more widely throughout our blue planet, the grand stage of our endeavors.”

As members of the SGI, we speak again and again about the great mission of kosen-rufu. We have dedicated this issue of Harmony to explain this concept in greater depth and to help clarify what it is and is not.

President Ikeda has written:”Kosen-rufu means sharing with our fellow human beings through heart-to-heart dialogue and friendship, striving together with them to find the way to become better and happier people. That alliance of individuals working for the happiness of all constitutes kosen-rufu.”

We have a daily practice, which effectively makes every day like New Year’s Day – an opportunity to start afresh with hope and determination. In light of that, I would like to close with the following two quotes.

“Be bold, Be bold, and everywhere, be bold.”

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

Skip Williams

Quotes of the Month:

“In Buddhism, we either win or lose-there is no middle ground. Now and in the future, let us advance, determined to win in every sphere of our lives. By winning in our lives, we advance kosen-rufu; and by advancing kosen-rufu, we win in our lives.” - Daisaku Ikeda FIA p.74