2012 May Harmony

In this month’s Harmony, we look at some of the challenges of parenting from the perspective of faith.

We have a natural desire to want to be good parents, to nurture our children as they grow. Promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of a child, from infancy to adulthood, can be very challenging at times. Parents are on a steep learning curve the moment the baby arrives, as they don’t come with an instruction manual.

Young parents often get advice and opinions from a lot of people; doctors, nurses, their own parents, relatives and friends, all advising them on what they should do.  A quick Internet search on “parenting” gives an overwhelming 288,000,000 results, with many differing thoughts as to how to raise “successful” children.  Putting the child first and balancing the needs of the child with one’s own is a constant juggling act, especially for a single parent.

As Buddhism teaches, each of us operates with the best intentions, but we act within the boundaries of our own and our family karma. We have the tendencies to copy and repeat what we learned from our own parents.  This is why a strong Buddhist practice is crucial for parents, enabling them to change their karma and give the child a solid foundation based on the wisdom developed through their chanting.

As you will read in our special features, one of roles of a parent is that of being a child’s first teacher.  Children are keen observers and will do as you do, not as you say. The lessons of right and wrong, compassion and conviction, individuality and unity, as well as gratitude and respect, are learned by copying the parents and are key for developing capable children. A parent’s unconditional love and care is also a crucial factor for the child to develop a healthy self-image and confidence.

President Ikeda has written on the importance of parenting and has a keen insight on raising children to become capable people. His advice is founded in the Buddhist principals of reason, compassion and love, for each individual and all humanity.

As President Ikeda says:

“All children are gems, full of precious potential. There is hope in every child since life itself is full of hope. Should the hopes of children be stifled or broken, that would be our responsibility as adults. It pains my heart to see what goes on in today’s society. I do not want to see the eyes of children darkened with fear and clouded with tears of sorrow. Society must be absolutely transformed. Children are mirrors that reflect adult society. When adults are ailing and their vision clouded, children will also suffer. Let us wipe away the tears of sorrow from the face of each child! We must protect children and give them courage, strength and vitality. It is parents who nurture children, the hope of humanity. How noble parents are! What a great mission and responsibility they fulfill.” (Buddhism Day By Day, p.174)

Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres

2012 Apr Harmony

It is very simple, just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Simple, yet very profound.  Chanting enriches our life and by doing so we become truly happy.

With that spirit in mind, this month’s theme is “A Journey Within”.  As you will read in the special feature and viewpoints, the foundation to a happy life lies within us. No external deity is worshiped in Nichiren Buddhism nor do we seek salvation from our sufferings outside of ourselves.

What we adhere to is the realization that each and every person on the planet, without exception, has an enlightened life-condition, the Buddha nature, just waiting to manifest from within.

Revealing the Buddha within is something that only we can do for ourselves, it cannot be delegated. Other people can’t do it for us, not our family or friends. We change our karma, no one else.  We alone manifest our Buddhahood, right where we are, right now.

There is no magical place we need to visit to change it all. Nor do we need priests, monks or nuns to pray on our behalf, their prayers have no special powers. There are no intermediaries between believers and the power and teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. We are all the same. Each person chanting has the same ability to achieve the highest life-state of Buddhahood.

Nichiren Daishonin makes it clear that much of our suffering and unhappiness results from the futile search for happiness outside ourselves.

This concept is extremely prevalent in today’s consumer driven, quick fix society.  All to often we feel that happiness can be found in the external. “If only I had (insert name of your favorite possession) I would be happy. I’m not now, but if and when I get it, then I will be.”  Or, “if only I had more money, or looked a certain way, then I would be truly happy for the rest of my life.” And when we don’t get what we think we need, we become miserable and suffer.

Nichiren made it very clear that what matters most is our faith. And our faith is not enhanced or deepened by something or someone for us. Faith and happiness comes from within. True happiness is unshakeable and independent from any external event. This is the true challenge – seeing everything we face in daily life as an opportunity to grow and deepen our faith so we can be happy, no matter what.

Our journey toward genuine happiness is an inward journey, one based on our own faith. Bon Voyage!

Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres

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2012 Mar Harmony

I have no idea who first claimed that women were the “weaker sex” but obviously he never met anyone from the Women’s Division of the Soka Gakkai.

I’m not sure why, maybe it is insecurity, maybe arrogance, but past events have shown that men have a tendency to under estimate the ability of women.

Even in these modern times, in many parts of the world there exists large disparities and inequity. Women are thought to be less then men, second-class citizens, and sometimes livestock is even revered more than a mother, daughter or sister.

But this is not about comparing men to women, or who is better. It is about acknowledging, respecting and appreciating the special role that women play in all of our lives: from birth to raising us, from the home front to the world stage, and how they do things differently than men. Perhaps it is because they are coming more from a level of compassion than ego.

From a Buddhist standpoint, there is no difference between the sexes. One is not superior to the other. All people, men or women, equally possess the Buddha nature, the ability to achieve enlightenment, just as there are. All people are equal and worthy of the upmost respect.

Please read our special features for more insight into the strength that women have, and what powers it.

Also, this month we celebrate March 16th, the day that, in 1958, the youth division were entrusted with the noble mission of striving for world peace and tenaciously working for the happiness of all people.

We hope that you will enjoy this issue of Harmony and celebrate kosen-rufu day with a great victory in your life.

Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres
Quote of the month

“March 16, Kosen-rufu Day. The spirit of this day lies not in magnificent ceremonies or high-sounding words. It lies in being victorious. That is the most crucial thing in all endeavors. In life and in kosen-rufu, we either win or lose. I would like you to be absolute victors in both. No matter what excuses we try to make, giving in to defeat brings misery and loses us the respect of others. I hope each of you without exception will adorn your life with indestructible triumph.” (Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow)

(more)

Holding this summit on the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of these cities, and in the year of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, would bring home to world leaders the terrible destructive capacity of nuclear weapons and help ensure the necessary action toward their abolition, thereby marking the effective end of the nuclear weapons era.

In this year’s proposal, titled “Human Security and Sustainability: Sharing Reverence for the Dignity of Life,” Ikeda points to the possibility of a more hopeful phase in the struggle to realize a nuclear-free world, seeing signs of a tipping point where a “cascade” of governments will support adoption of a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC) to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons.

Ikeda, who has been engaged in the antinuclear movement since the late 1950s, strongly reaffirms his endorsement of the idea of an NWC, stating that we must take “the determination … that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist, and give it concrete form as a binding legal agreement expressing the shared conscience of humankind.”

He calls for formation of an action group for an NWC, comprising supportive governments and NGOs, and urges that if arguments from the perspectives of human rights and sustainability are mustered alongside those from international humanitarian law, this will expand the groundswell of grassroots efforts pushing for nuclear weapons abolition.

Reflecting on the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, Ikeda urges Japan to make a rapid transition to energy policies not reliant on nuclear power generation, and to intensify its involvement in renewable energy technology and research, both domestically and to support efforts in developing countries. He calls for a strengthening of the global role of the IAEA in dealing with the impacts of nuclear power plant accidents and the decommissioning of obsolescent reactors.
Considering the suffering caused by an increasing prevalence of natural disasters around the world, Ikeda calls for responses to be centered on a human rights approach and proposes that UNHCR’s mandate be officially expanded to include provision of relief for people displaced by such disasters. He also stresses the importance of empowering women to play a greater role in disaster prevention, mitigation and recovery efforts.
Toward the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development being held this year in Rio de Janeiro, Ikeda calls for a broader debate on the concept of Sustainable Development Goals to follow the Millennium Development Goals from 2015. He urges a comprehensive approach that will address the full range of sustainability and human security concerns in both developing and developed countries.
Read a synopsis of the proposal at: http://www.sgi.org/sgipresident/proposals/peace/2012.html

Daisaku Ikeda, 84, has issued proposals analyzing the key issues facing humankind on January 26 every year since 1983, commemorating SGI’s founding on that date in 1975. He offers insight from a Buddhist perspective and makes concrete suggestions in a spirit of contribution to the global dialogue centered around the United Nations. Many of his proposals have borne fruit.
Soka Gakkai International is a socially engaged Buddhist association with over 12 million members around the world.

2012 Feb Harmony

This month we look at the way we can help people become absolutely happy and overcome any suffering or negative situation they might be experiencing.

Let’s face it, the world today is a difficult and challenging place. The headlines are full of people and nations doing unspeakable things to each other.  The respect and care for another person’s dignity and life seems to stop with ones immediately family and sometimes it doesn’t even extend that far.

Anywhere you turn, you can find people who are at a loss as to how to fundamentally change their circumstances, let alone positively impact the lives of others.

It seems that people are all to often ruled by greed, anger or foolishness. But they don’t have to be.

As Nichiren Buddhists, we know that the key to be able to transform our lives, the lives of our family and friends and the people around us, lies in the heart of the Lotus Sutra, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

When we chant we tap into our inherent Buddhahood, and as a result we manifest our hope, courage and confidence.  We realize that we can definitely change any situation. Unless we share this transformative ability with others, they will never know that they also have the key within to change any situation and possess the ability to be absolutely happy.

As President Ikeda says:

“Each person possesses a precious inner treasure of infinite worth. To remain unaware of this and stumble about in spiritual poverty is a tragic waste. In contrast, a person fully awakened to the jewel-like dignity of their own life is capable of truly respecting that treasure in others.”

If we are to change the direction of the world from its current situation, we must help others awaken to the inherent value of not only their own life but the lives of others.

Let’s share the happiness of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with others.

Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres

On Dec. 19 the United Nations General Assembly, meeting in New York, adopted a historic new U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. (more)

2012 Jan Harmony

One of the greatest benefits of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is that, quite naturally, a sense of hope is created within us. ?Regardless of the circumstances, with a strong Buddhist practice, anyone and everyone can be triumphant. ?This is a natural result of chanting. We are challenging and overcoming our fundamental darkness and opening the door that allows our inherent Buddhahood to shine forth.

When we lack hope, we allow our negativity to take hold. We question ourselves, our worth; we succumb to the situations around us, and can feel that there is no way out or that no better future lies ahead.

But as President Ikeda reminds us, “A life filled with hope is strong. Hope is the greatest weapon in the world.”?(DOY p. x)

As is discussed in our special features, hope is something that we create; it is something that comes from within us, not from outside ourselves.? Sure, we all respond to our external environment, but to seek hope just from the outside is setting us up for disappointment. Especially when we are constantly bombarded by news reports that seem to focus only on negative events or the dark side of humanity.

So again the question becomes, how do we create hope, especially when things look so bleak? How do we find and open that door, revealing the beauty and wonder that awaits us on the other side? Simple, we chant.

“Whether in suffering or in joy, even in the face of an insurmountable deadlock, if one continues to chant daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) wholeheartedly, then tremendous hope will naturally well up from within.” (Daily Guidance vol. 2 p. 352).

Hope is optimism.?

“There is no pessimism in Buddhism-not in the past, present or future. There is only optimism.? Therefore, let us advance eternally with hope and optimism, come what may.” (FIA p. 127)

Nichiren Daishonin teaches us how to live our life to the fullest and reminds us that courage and perseverance are essential qualities to attain happiness. Let’s create hope and encourage others as we move along this path.
Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

Available at all HKSGI Culture Centres