Powerful study seminars at Taplow Court - SGI-UK E-Bulletin and ...

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Reunion for
shakubuku
family
Students
advance
fearlessly
Lion’s roar
from Soka
group
Seeds of
Change in
Kinross
Kick-off
for 2010 in
Hillingdon
Courageous
faith in
Thames Valley
Trust through friendship. Peace through trust.
e-bulletin
SGI-UK online news bulletin Issue No18 17.2.2010
Please send
your news and
pictures to our
email address:
roystone55news
@yahoo.co.uk
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Powerful study seminars at Taplow Court
SGI-UK study lecturers and assistant
lecturers came together at Taplow
Court for a day of intensive study –
an opportunity to deepen both our
understanding of the philosophy of
humanism contained in the teachings
of Nichiren Daishonin and the
profound insights of President Ikeda
and to reflect how to apply them and
realise peace and happiness in the 21st
century, writes Roy Stone.
European study leader Mrs Sakae
Takahashi powerfully conveyed Sensei’s
guidance on the way for all members to
win great victories in our own lives and to
advance Kosen-rufu in Europe.
At both a seminar on Saturday
February 13 for regional study lecturers
and assistants, and a session the following
day for their London counterparts, Mrs
Takahashi said that she had personally
reported about the seminars to Sensei
and he had sent his very best regards and
warmest wishes to everyone.
In addition to the study sessions by
Mrs Takahashi and SGI-UK Women’s
Division leader Suzanne Pritchard,
Q and A sessions were also held, joined
at the Sunday seminar by SGI-UK Vice
General Director Kazuo Fujii, which
enabled people to grapple with many
issues surrounding the development of
study meetings within SGI-UK.
Speaking about being with Sensei at
the start of the year, Mrs Takahashi said
she had realised at the New Year HQ
leaders meeting in Japan that Sensei’s
vision for Europe is far greater than
turn to page 2
Picture: Yoichi Masumoto
Picture: Ricky Baynes

SGI-UK online news bulletin Issue No18 17.2.2010 Page 2
Powerful seminars
from page 1
she can imagine. She said she has now
started to chant as if reborn, with the
determination to fight every day with the
same spirit as Sensei; no matter what, to
begin an all-out struggle for Kosen-rufu;
that every action will take us one step
closer to his vision.
Realising that a half-hearted
determination would never lead to
victory, Mrs Takahashi said that she is
chanting every day for every member
in Europe to win and become happy,
adding that she is determined to give her
entire being for the rest of her life for the
Kosen-rufu movement of Europe which
has been created by Sensei.
The seminars were a great boost
for SGI-UK’s study programme in this
significant year, the 80th anniversary of
the founding of the Soka Gakkai, the
50th anniversary of Sensei becoming
president and the 35th anniversary of the
SGI’s founding at Guam. Next year will
also be significant, since it marks the 50th
anniversary of President Ikeda’s first visit
to Europe as part of his mission to lay the
foundations for worldwide Kosen-rufu.
Mrs Takahashi recalled that – although
she had not attended the SGI founding
ceremony on the island of Guam – on
Sensei’s return from the meeting, he had
presented her with a copy of the Gosho
that had the inscription: “This is the book
that will save humanity.” At that time,
she was Secretary General of the Young
Women’s Division in Japan and the idea of
worldwide Kosen-rufu had seemed like a
fantasy to her. She could not have imagined
A shakubuku family
On January 23, 16 old friends shared
dinner, affectionate memories,
laughter and old photographs of people
wearing giveaway 1970s flares and
kipper ties, write Steve Smith and
Fiona Nogawa.
These were the former members of
Heathrow district, first formed in 1975,
the same year as the founding of SGI,
with Steve Smith and Yuki Hill as the
district leaders.
Among the district members at the
time were 4 and 5 generation ‘shakubuku
families’ and their growing offshoots.
Discussion meetings at the time were
held every Sunday afternoon at Michi
and Steve Smith’s house in Staines, and
members travelled there for meetings
from places as various as Luton, Clapham
Common, Earl’s Court and Surrey.
In the early days, the district also
that 35 years later she would be attending
and giving study lectures in the UK!
Reminding us that because of President
Ikeda’s efforts the Kosen-rufu movement
is beginning to flourish in 45 European
countries, developing into a fragrant flower
garden 100,000 strong, Mrs Takahashi said
she is filled with gratitude to Sensei and to
all of her comrades in Europe.
She said there are no free gifts in
Kosen-rufu but no effort is wasted either.
She called on us to solidly unite our hearts
with our mentor and commit ourselves
wholeheartedly so that we can win in this
year and 2011 – two milestone years in the
development of European Kosen-rufu.
She shared a story about how at the
start of the 21st century a boy had asked
President Ikeda what kind of century
it was going to be. Sensei told the boy
that the question was not what kind of
century it was going to be but what kind
of century was he going to make it.
Mrs Takahashi reminded us that
our study is very different to academic
study. Our study meetings are not about
passing on theory, but encouraging
all our members to win as disciples of
Nichiren Daishonin and of Sensei.
Suzanne gave a study preparation
looked after the precious handful of
pioneer members in Ipswich, Cambridge,
Oxford and Wales; we regularly piled
into a minibus and travelled to Wales
to visit the very first pioneers there. On
those trips, there would be time for not
much more than evening gongyo and
tea together before the journey back to
London.
At our recent reunion, the evening
session based on the theme ‘It is the
heart that is most important’. (This will
be transmitted at the study meetings that
will take place in May.)
Her talk was largely based on wisdom
and insights from President Ikeda that
SGI Study Department Chief Mr Saito
conveyed at the European Study Seminar
last summer.
On the subject of transforming our
hearts and our prayers, she observed
that President Ikeda has been talking a
lot recently about making the impossible
possible, just as he did in the Kansai
campaign in 1956. Sensei had realised that in
order to win in Kansai, each member would
have to be convinced of the power of this
practice. In order to have that confidence,
we need to see proof in our own lives.
At the end of the activity it was clear
that the time has come for us to make a
shift in our determination and launch our
own two-pronged attack, resolving to win
in our own lives so that then we will have
the confidence to share our practice with
others, convinced that it has the power to
lead all people to happiness.
The study material for the seminars was
lectures by Sensei on The Supremacy of the
Law and The Drum at the Gate of Thunder.
was full of such encouraging, happy
and proud memories and a tremendous
warmth born of having travelled a long
way together. We all know it was a real
privilege to have been there.
It is interesting to note that the
total combined practice of this group
is 500-plus years and consists wholly of
individuals who introduced each other, a
true shakubuku family.
Picture: Yoichi Masumoto

SGI-UK online news bulletin Issue No18 17.2.2010 Page 3
Students advance fearlessly like lion kings...
Under the theme Total
Victory of Soka & Dynamic
Development of Youth
– Building on Sensei’s
Foundation for Kosenrufu,
120 Student Division
members who originate
from 17 different countries
overcame all obstacles and
challenges to attend the
SGI-UK National Student
Division Training Course
in Wolverhampton from
February 12 to 14, write
Yen Kuan Gan and Dominic
Clarkson.
In their written message
to the participants, Mr and
Mrs Ikeda said: “The benefit
you receive through your
unsparing efforts in making
history of expanding the
Kosen-rufu movement is
unfathomable.” They further
called for each precious
member of SGI-UK to
become shining examples of
good citizens in society, to
win great victories towards
the 80th anniversary of the
Soka Gakkai’s founding,
“fearlessly like the lion king,
and composedly as the great
eagle, through prayer and
unity based on the spirit of
many in body and one in
mind”.
Despite the cold, the hall
at Kingswood Centre was
filled with the warmth of high
spirits.
Students shared
wonderful experiences and
determinations to inspire and
encourage each other.
Participants were moved
after watching Sensei’s video,
in which he was presented
with one of only 12 medals
from the Goethe Society of
Weimar, in recognition of his
contribution to peace and his
embodiment and profound
...and lion’s roar is heard from new Soka dedicated group!
Brimming with youthful energy, young men from all over the
UK attended their first training and induction day as new
members of the Soka Dedicated Group on January 31 at
Taplow Court, writes Sriram Vaidyanathan on behalf of the
national Soka team.
An unprecedented 84 young lions joined the Soka Dedicated
Group this year! For many it was their first journey to Taplow
overcoming all obstacles, for some it was their very first
national activity; indeed some had only just received Gohonzon!
And yet, when our SGI-UK General Director Robert
Samuels led gongyo, the lion’s roar of the Ikeda disciples
filled the Ikeda New Century Hall. Through his own joyful
experience of being a Soka, Robert inspired everyone and
shared the purpose of this training group established by Sensei.
He congratulated everyone and together we studied an essay
by Sensei addressed to the Soka group.
Following encouragement to welcome hardships as great
opportunities for growth, we learnt about the history and mission
of the Soka group from Masashi Inoue, our national Soka chief.
We each got a beautiful determination card, boldly illustrating
the motto of the Soka group and encouraging us to make big and
understanding of Goethe’s
philosophy.
SGI-UK Young Women’s
Division leader Lisa Cowan
inspired the participants with a
talk emphasising three themes,
namely “treasuring each other”,
“the spirit of shakubuku”
(introducing others) and “the
spirit of daimoku”.
She said student members
should live with great
awareness of their mission to
bring hope and joy to those
seemingly impossible determinations, as we forge our lives with
Soka training. We also heard a touching and inspiring experience
of his journey as a new Soka by Carl Hodson, the Vice-National
Soka Chief. After animated group discussions and a sincere
Q & A session, the auditorium was filled with joyful sounds of
Soka determined to fight and win alongside their mentor.
Following regular reports by Masashi, Sensei replied
by thanking everybody for their hard work, and presenting
cookies and tea for the next training day on March 6.
Picture: Antonio Di Muro
surrounding them. SGI-UK
Young Men’s Division leader
Manuel Fernandez stressed
the significance of discussion
meetings and dialogue, calling
on each member to sincerely
embrace and treasure
everyone.
He added that shakubuku
is “not just signing someone
up to SGI”, but rather a
deep prayer to truly respect
everyone’s life and sincerely
pray for their happiness.
Picture: Sriram Vaidyanathan

Picture: Phil Becque Picture: Dave Penman
SGI-UK online news bulletin Issue No18 17.2.2010 Page 4
Round-up of news from Scotland to South coast...
Over 40 members and guests from all over Fife, Angus, Dundee and Perth travelled
to Kinross for Strathtay and Fife Chapter kick-off, writes Dave Penman. The theme
was “Seeds of Change”, which symbolised the new growth in our districts with
the start of six discussion groups at the end of 2009, as well as the exhibition on
display. Two Gohonzons were bestowed and, after a video of President Ikeda shown
by popular demand, a lively Q&A session was chaired by Michiko Samuels.
Hillingdon HQ held their kick-off meeting for 2010 at the West London Centre,
writes Steve Alcorn. Everyone went away determined to “encourage the person
right in front of them”, as Sensei urged in his New Year message.
Thames Valley East HQ course kicked off with the announcement that our two
chapters are now four chapters, and the formation of eight new districts. So with
a new fresh spirit the theme of our course, Victory Through Courageous Faith
(Breaking Through Our Limitations), was truly alive in each of us.
Having been too young to benefit from
the wonderful Cherry Tree meetings for
the over 60s instigated by the late Dick
Causton, I decided to start having them
locally in Bournemouth, writes Anne Flude.
The one pictured was brilliantly hosted
by Joyce Thomas of Poole district. Over a
scrumptious buffet tea, there was time for
friends, who see less of each other as the
HQ expands, to catch up. We’re looking
forward to more lovely meetings.
World News
Modica, Italy: The city of Modica
named SGI President Ikeda an honorary
citizen, with the ceremony taking place
on January 30. The mayor of Modica
presented the proclamation to SGI-Italy
representatives on behalf of Sensei.
Quezon City, Philippines: The
Order of the Knights of Rizal awarded
President Ikeda the Jose Rizal Model
Students of the Philippines Achievement
Medal, with the conferral ceremony
taking place on January 23. The award
was accepted by SGI Board Member
Masatoshi Konno.
March AoL:
Youth –
treasures of
humanity
At the 35th Headquarter Leaders
Meeting President Ikeda said: “At 81,
I still feel like a youth. I’m still moving
forward, taking every possible step to
ensure our victory in all spheres” and he
quoted Spanish painter Pablo Picasso,
“Youth has no age.”
In the month in which we celebrate
Kosen-rufu Day and SGI-UK Youth
Division host friendship meetings
throughout the length and breadth of the
country, ‘Youth – treasures of humanity’,
this month’s AoL is also brought to you
by Youth Division members. Including
powerful experiences, it’s packed with
inspiration for youthful people of all ages!
Gohonzon ceremonies
Gohonzon receiving ceremonies are
now being held at the London Ikeda
Peace Centre on the last Saturday of
each month.
Gohonzons continue to be bestowed
at Taplow Court and the South London
National Centre on the first Sunday of the
month as well an increasing number being
presented on courses around the country.
Notices
Northern Ireland Spring Course will take
place from Friday May 21 to Sunday May
23. Few places available. Please contact
Patsy Shillingford on 01628 591212 or
email to patsy.shillingford@sgi-uk.org
Can you help once a month or at a
moment’s notice to serve lunch in the
canteen at weekends at SGI-UK National
Centre, Taplow Court? If so please call
Annemarie Smith on 01189455412 for
more details or email annemarie28@
hotmail.com with all your details.