“While it’s of course important that you become a great scholar in Australia, your underlying responsibility is to advance kosen-rufu here. That is your fundamental mission as a Bodhisattva of the Earth.”[1]
—SGI President Ikeda
Australia is the world’s sixth largest country, with a wide range of landscapes that are home to wildlife found only in that country.
When Soka Gakkai President Daisaku Ikeda first visited Australia in 1964, the membership there consisted of less than 10 people. In addition, the Australian media carried negative reports about his visit due to the influence of a well-known American magazine and its biased and error-filled article on the Soka Gakkai.
Since those tumultuous early days, SGI-Australia has grown dynamically and become trusted in society. Both its local organizations and President Ikeda have received numerous awards and certificates of recognition for their long-standing contributions to world peace.
Opening New Frontiers
In volume 9 of The New Human Revolution, SGI President Ikeda encourages the newly appointed Melbourne Chapter leader, Osamu Teino, who was unsure at the time about whether to stay in Australia due to the “White Australia policy,” which made it difficult for non-Europeans to find work. President Ikeda appears in the novel as Shin’ichi Yamamoto.
“Every nation has its own forms of discrimination and injustice. That’s reality. It would be wonderful if we could transform this situation by merely pointing out the contradictions and complaining about them, but it’s not that simple.
“In our movement to achieve worldwide kosen-rufu, we have faced this reality head-on and opened new frontiers. The Soka Gakkai advocates the spirit of global citizenship. The first step toward the realization of that goal is for you to develop yourself and show actual proof of your faith so that you may earn the trust and respect of the people here.
“The times are inevitably moving in the direction of global citizenship. This means that the attitudes of the Australian people will have to change. But achieving this will not be easy. It is a struggle that must be undertaken with tremendous perseverance at the grass-roots level. I want you to be a pioneer in that struggle.”[2]
You are reading {{ meterCount }} of {{ meterMax }} free premium articles