HARMONY-March 2015

Within the Soka Gakkai, the month of March is one that traditionally focuses on youth. Since 1958, March 16^th has held special meaning within our organization. It was on this day that President Toda entrusted the future of the organization to the Youth. For more on this topic, please see our Significance of March 16^th article on page 14.

You will also find within our pages a number of excellent lectures and guidance’s by President Ikeda.

Our Special Features this month is a great address he gave at the First SGI-USA Youth General Meeting held in San Francisco, titled “The Key to Humanity’s Fundamental Problems”. In it you will find some inspiring words on how to cultivate a never give up spirit, be victorious in life and raise the next generation.

Also in this issue we continue with the sixth chapter of the fantastic series “The Widom for Creating Happiness and Peace”, in which President Ikeda talks about “The Path to Absolute Happiness”.

Our Youth Study Session continues this month with the second part of “Youth and the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin-Advancing with the Spirit of Many in Body, One in Mind”. In this dialogue, President Ikeda talks with some Youth Division Leaders in Japan about our organization, promoting worldwide kosen-rufu and how to overcome all obstacles. This is a very insightful discussion that should be read by all members, not just the youth division.

In the SGI, youth is not exclusive to the young. We are constantly encouraged to develop and maintain a youthful spirit in our daily life and Buddhist practice, no matter what our age. Keeping curious and open to new experiences, continuously studying and making sure that we are not set in our ways are all qualities of being a youthful person.

Fostering the youth is an idea that is held not just by the Soka Gakkai.

President Ikeda reminds us of this when he says: “Rosa Parks, the highly respected civil rights activist, said that she derived her greatest pleasure from working with and for youth. Let us, too, joyfully and wholeheartedly exert ourselves in the task of nurturing the messengers of the future, our precious youth.”

We hope that your find this issue of Harmony inspiring as we all cultivate a youthful spirit.

Skip Williams

Quotes of the Month:

“What is youth? It is the inner strength not to stagnate or grow resistant to change but to stay open to new possibilities. It is the power of the spirit that refuses to succumb to complacency and strives ever forward.”

–www.ikedaquotes.org