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SGI-UK online news bulletin
Beth Dahill
Please send your news and pictures to our email address: roystone55news @yahoo.co.uk The deadline for items to be considered for the next issue is Sunday, August 4
Issue 100
17.7.2013
Issue 100
17.7.2013 Page 2
August kosen-rufu gongyo meetings to be dedicated to prayers for a world without nuclear weapons and war
August 6 and 9 mark the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively in 1945. As in recent years, the Directorate would like to propose again that we use our August kosen-rufu gongyo meetings (scheduled for August 4) across the UK to reaffirm our united prayers to realise a world without nuclear weapons or war. The following quotation from the Gosho and extracts from Senseis 2013 Peace Proposal were chosen as study inspiration for those meetings by SGI-UK Youth Peace Committee. The extracts from the Peace Proposal have been sent by email to all district leaders and can also be downloaded from the Youth Division section of this e-bulletin website (www.sgi-uk.info) The Gosho passage for August kosenrufu gongyo meetings is There can be no doubt that all people, from the ruler on down to the general populace, rejoice in and desire the stability of the nation and the peace of the world. (WND-I 23)
The evening of July 12 saw a musical exchange and demonstration of the power of culture when local Maidenhead Community Choir and the Maidenhead Gospel Choir staged their Summer Concert at Taplow Court, together with the Glorious Life Chorus. Altogether 110 singers took part, writes Denise Roudette. Tina Reibl, the local choir mistress, hosted the evening, which was a wonderful opportunity to welcome and embrace local choir members and friends. Taplow Court looked beautiful in the setting sun with the gentle breeze wafting through the wild flower meadow, resplendent in its many colours. Excited conversations took place as choir and audience members enjoyed the grounds. We were treated to a wide-ranging repertoire, culminating in local choir members joining the Glorious Life Chorus on stage. There was genuine warmth and excitement as the three choirs sang For The Sake Of Peace. It was a stirring community event and we all look forward to meeting again.
The third monthly Central London Area Young Eagles and Mimosa activity for boys and girls aged 7-12 was held at the London Ikeda Peace Centre on June 30, writes Moni Shrestha. It was attended by Kenza (9), Sydney (7) and Mohan (11), supported (in daimoku or in person) by the Womens Division Childrens Champions from each HQ in Central London. While in the past all the Future Division activities in Central London used to be wonderfully organised by the Youth Division, the Womens Division and Mens Division have gradually taken over supporting the younger children, in communication with their parents. This activity was the first such meeting completely organised by the WD. We created our own story together and sent it with a report of the meeting and pictures to Sensei. We hope he will like it!
Faith Tingle-Bartoli
Emma L Shellard
Issue 100
17.7.2013 Page 3
l Central England Area held the second of its summer courses at Wokefield Park near Reading, writes Clifford Marcus. 300 members from all divisions attended. The theme was Challenging my human revolution anew. Lectures, presentations and experiences all brought out important aspects of this. SGI-UK Mens Division leader Robert Harrap encouraged us to consider the importance of discarding the transient and revealing the true, while Kim Uptons experience underlined the need for study to keep our practice dynamic, particularly apposite for myself as I celebrated 30 years practice on this course. All the men have a memento of the course in the shape of toy aeroplanes given to us by the women and young women. I feel more than determined to take to the skies anew. The best thing to do after 30 years is to start over again. l The women of Northern Ireland gathered in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, for our summer course on June 30, writes Noelle Houston. Together with guests from SGI-Ireland and Mitzi Delnevo we lived the theme Women shining with actual proof. Collages representing visions of our actual proof were created over discussion groups and formed the course banner. Dialogues, experiences and study gave everyone the confidence to believe, as Mitzi Delnevo said, that women chanting and revealing our Buddhahood are irresistible! l 127 women, from Cornwall to the Cotswolds gathered at Exeter University from July 6 -7 for the South West Area Womens Summer Course with the theme My human revolution anew and my vision for kosen-rufu, writes Gillian Hollyn. Dotty Lapham, Area leader, reminded us that Sensei suggested we take at least one significant thing away from this course. My light bulb moment was Fiona Harrow, Womens Division Secretary General, saying, profoundly happy people dont destroy. Fionas words, our adversaries rather than our friends power our growth; the Buddha is in our DNA were a great inspiration. A Q & A with Barbara Cahill and Fiona looked at taking responsibility for unity and dialogue within our districts. We celebrated with poems, music and sketches. A gift of flowers from the Mens Division and Gohonzon receiving added to a truly memorable weekend.
Linda Devo
On the last weekend in June, bicycles, cars, taxis, buses, trains and planes brought 127 women from South West London HQ and overseas to Wokefield Park, Berks, to learn how to become Experts in the art of happiness, writes Antonia Macarthur. It was apparent from the opening ceremony that the course was grounded in hours of organisation, human revolution and daimoku, daimoku, daimoku. We were encouraged to have great dialogue together, praise each others efforts, and reminded that listening is part of dialogue for it is when we learn. President and Mrs Ikedas message touched our hearts: Every day, my wife and I are earnestly praying for the good health and happiness of all of you, adding We are always, always, watching over you. How could we now fail? Our MCs, experts in the art of happiness, informed, joked, sang, and laughed. Members gave experiences sharing their struggles and triumphs. The sun could not outshine the beautiful, radiant women who gathered at Taplow Court on July 6 for the North London Inner riches Womens Division summer course, writes Sally Summers. We kicked off with two experiences based on the eternity of life. Natalie Paris and Meena Jacques challenged and won over their fears when confronted with the death of loved ones. These courageous women are proof that when we transform our destiny, we pass on the benefits to our families, eternally. Michiko Samuels urged us to deeply take to heart the spirit of the Daishonin
Rabab Ghazoul
We in turn cried, rejoiced and saluted their human revolution. With Jane Orr, Vice WD leader of SGI-UK, we studied The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra and looked at the essence of human revolution through casting off
the transient and revealing the true and highest potential of life. Jane spurred us on to break sweat when we chant, with her life-changing experience of supporting and winning within her family.
Dianne Minnicucci
and win over our personal obstacles by November 18. In this way we can cast off the transient and reveal the true potential we all possess. A Q & A
inspired us to strengthen our faith in our Buddhahood. The women, creating eternal treasures, will continue to lead victorious lives for kosen-rufu.
29 Womens Division members and naitoku from Cardiff West, Valleys and Vale HQ gathered in the Dare Valley Country Park for our summer course from June 29-30 with the theme Making the impossible possible, writes Judith James. In his summer course message, Sensei urged us to expand the circle of trust and friendship in our local community and by holding our course in this popular outdoor centre we took our vibrant spirit into the heart of the community. Powerful and poignant experiences created a tissue fest and reminded us how the mentor disciple spirit will overcome illness, transform relationships and open up new horizons and careers. The entertainments, with a new pub style quiz, were hilarious!
On a gloriously hot sunny day, 37 women from all over Mid Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire assembled at Aston on Clun village hall on July 6 to celebrate and study together under our theme of My actual proof my human revolution on the Mid Wales and the Marches Womens Division summer course, writes Jenny Bartlett. Michele Lamb inspired us with a brilliant lecture on The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra. She shared with us memories of early pioneering days, encouraging us not to be defeated, but to reveal our incredible life state and always follow the mentor disciple path, never begrudging our lives. After invigorating group discussions, we enjoyed a magnificent cream tea. The day was rounded off with a joyful double Gohonzon receiving ceremony.
Jane Edwards
Lesley Butler
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17.7.2013 Page 4
SGI-UK member Ilinca Cantacuzino writes: I visited Bucharest on June 8 to support members marking the 30th anniversary since Sensei first visited the country! In 1983 Sensei gave a lecture at the University of Bucharest. At this point there were no members. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that Buddhism was free to spread, aided by the inspirational support of Italian members. As well as Romanian members and their guests, the meeting was supported by members from other countries. It was extremely moving to witness this activity. The emphasis was on communicating the joy of this practice to newcomers. A message from Sensei was read out, and SGI-Europe Chairman and general womens leader Mr and Mrs Takahashi were present. The experiences were remarkable, with great energy and a strong sense of the mentor disciple relationship. Three women received Gohonzon during the afternoon. Songs were sung with gusto, and we enjoyed a gift of refreshments from Sensei. Over the weekend, discussion meetings were held, again with extraordinary experiences. I was overjoyed to be present at this historic occasion, especially as it marked a victory for my family, exiled from this country until 1989 and also, mystically, my own 30th anniversary of practice this year. l Under sunny clear skies, 30 valiant young men from East London Area came together for a three-day course at Taplow Court with the theme Awakening to your true mission through actual proof, writes Dominic Virgo. We heard great lectures on the oneness of mentor disciple and on the spirit of unity, and six brave young men shared immense experiences of joyfully overcoming daunting obstacles. This, combined with plenty of good food, discussion meetings and heartfelt entertainments, made for a truly profound course where heart-to-heart bonds were forged and we deepened our vow to keep fighting alongside Sensei.
Michael Owoo
Tokyo, Japan: On July 6, President Daisaku Ikeda conducted gongyo together with Mrs Kaneko Ikeda, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and General Director Masaaki Masaki at the Soka Gakkai Mentor and Disciple Memorial Hall in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the persecution of founding presidents Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda. Tokyo, Japan: Soka University founder President Ikeda visited the university on June 29. He visited the newly established Faculty of Nursing, the Student Centre and the General Education Building. He met with the universitys president, Yoshihisa Baba, chair of the Board of Trustees Yasunori Tashiro and Keiko Ishikawa, Soka Womens College president, and expressed his gratitude to all those contributing to the universitys development. Osaka, Japan: An exchange group from Timboon P-12 School in Australia presented a Founder of Global Citizenship Education Award for Soka High School founder Daisaku Ikeda on July 10 at Kansai Soka High School.
l Seven SGI-UK members from West London took part in a pioneering activity at the Glastonbury Festival, writes Phil Craigie. The group determination was: Through the colossal power of daimoku we determine to draw to us as many people as possible who are open to hearing about the Mystic Law, that every member of the group has a personal breakthrough and experiences great joy from engaging in sincere dialogue, and that the activity opens the way for similar events in future, including a regular SGI presence at Glastonbury. We set up a stall stocked with introductory literature and a gazebo which doubled as a butsuma in the green futures field, a beautiful and relaxed corner of the festival. We received a warm welcome from fellow stall holders and members of the public, whom we were able to engage in dialogue about Nichiren Buddhism. A number of SGI members were delighted to discover the SGI presence and would join the group for gongyo. The stall was open for seven hours a day from Wednesday to Sunday, affording plenty of opportunity for dialogue.
Nick Hayles
Can you help once a month or at a moments notice to serve lunch in the canteen at weekends at SGI-UK National Centre, Taplow Court? If so, please call Annemarie Smith on 0118 9455412 for more details or email annemarie28@hotmail.com with your details.