This excerpt is from part 4 of Ikeda Sensei’s lecture “To My Friends of Each Division Engaged in Our Shared Struggle.” It was originally published in the March 2020 Living Buddhism, p. 58.
The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) deplored how in modern times people had lost their way in life:
On the one hand, to live is something which each one does of himself and for himself. On the other hand, if that life of mine, which only concerns myself, is not directed by me towards something, it will be disjointed, lacking in tension and in “form.” In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything to which to give themselves.[1]
Even today, many are trapped in what Ortega describes as a labyrinth of egoism.[2] There is also evidence of a growing tendency for people to close themselves off from others, but that only makes them feel powerless and diminishes their lives.
We of the Soka Gakkai, however, have a lofty goal to which we devote our lives—kosen-rufu. Our student division members who embrace the Mystic Law feel the joyous fulfillment that comes from dedicating their lives to a great aspiration, their lives brimming with pride, good fortune and benefit.
In “Banishment to Sado,” which he wrote while being held prisoner just before his exile, Nichiren teaches a follower in his home province of Awa that dedicating one’s life to the great vow to spread the Law is to repay the debts of gratitude one owes to others.
I hope that our trusted student division members, who are directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin, will continue to stand up for the happiness of the people throughout their lives. Never become what Nichiren calls “talented animals” (WND-1, 258). Don’t allow your learning to make you arrogant or look down on decent, hardworking people. Don’t cause problems with your fellow members because of jealousy, resentment or self-interest and be forced to leave the organization for kosen-rufu. When people forget to have gratitude, they lose their way.
May you all live with gratitude, the true path of humanity and lead fulfilling lives without any regrets.
Calling All Student Division Members!
Seats are available for the SGI-USA Student Division conference, to be held June 13–16 at the Florida Nature and Culture Center in Weston, Florida. The conference is open to all SGI-USA student division members ages 18–25, who are enrolled in a post-
secondary education program or school. High school seniors graduating in 2025 are also welcome to attend, but must be at least 18 years old by the time of the conference.
To register, go to portal.sgi-usa.org or contact your local youth or student division leaders for more information.
Building Genuine Bonds
Name: Hema Nair
City: Madison, Wisconsin
School: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Living Buddhism: You belong to a vibrant campus club at University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison). Can you tell us a little about it?
Hema Nair: Yes! SGI members from several different countries—South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, India and the U.S.—are currently studying at UW–Madison. I moved from India to Madison last fall to pursue a master’s in speech language pathology. Each person has come with their own experiences of chanting in their home countries. We are now a close-knit group of students fighting alongside each other, encouraging each other and sharing Buddhism on campus.
At our campus organization fair in the beginning of the year, many freshmen came to our booth having heard of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo before. Students shared that their siblings or parents chanted. Many people signed up for information on Buddhism and that’s how we invited them to our campus club meetings.
Our meetings have become quite large! As student division members, we also strive to invite our friends to our campus club activities. To ensure we stay well connected with the campus club guests, we increased our meetings to twice a month last semester. It’s really heartening to see the students return and bring their friends!
What are your meetings like?
Hema: We usually start with a round of self-introductions, then a short introduction to Buddhism and an icebreaker followed by a study presentation on a Buddhist concept. Last year our topics included transcending differences, managing time and what happiness truly means. Afterward, we open it up for discussion. We alternate these study meetings with gatherings that have activities, games and food! And we always end with chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
As student division members, we get together an hour before, do evening gongyo and chant for the success of the meeting. Because the life condition of the student
divison members is so high, it reflects in our gatherings. We also try to meet with the guests one-to-one outside of the club meetings. The personal relationships we’ve fostered is the reason students keep coming back.
The local chapter is also very supportive. For example, during Thanksgiving, the men’s and women’s division members supported us in arranging food for the potluck!
Over the last year, some of the students have started chanting and a couple started attending SGI meetings in our local chapter and have received the Gohonzon!
Why do you feel it’s important to have SGI clubs on campus?
Hema: There is so much going on throughout the year with no break. On top of that, seeing what’s going on around the world can be overwhelming. Students also feel a lot of pressure to do well. Our campus club meetings provide a community that students can rely on outside of coursework and studies. It’s a space for genuine friendship. Knowing that there are people who you can talk to and understand you makes a big difference for students because many of them are away from home.
Personally, I really value this community that we’ve built over the past year and I’m grateful that I’ve been surrounded by so many student division members and youth fighting for each other and their dreams.
Do you have any determinations that you would like to share?
Hema: I have one more semester at UW–Madison so I’m determined to forge genuine bonds of friendships and have at least one dialogue every week about the practice.
I’ll be graduating in May, so I will find a fellowship that best suits my mission and eventually find an employer who sees the value in the work that I do. Wherever I go, I will continue building bonds of friendship with the people in my community.
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