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SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 56 - July 8, 2022

July 8, 2022

SGI Canada Newsletter

Issue no. 56

July 8, 2022

 

Welcome to the 56th issue of the SGI Canada Newsletter, a bi-weekly summary of news, upcoming events and encouragement. If you are not subscribing to the SGI Canada Newsletter, you may do so by clicking on the button below. Subscriptions are free of charge, and the SGI Canada Newsletter will be emailed directly to you.

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 ENOURAGEMENT

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s Editorial: “Shining Brightly as Ambassadors of Soka!”

In his July editorial in the Daibyakurenge study magazine, SGI President Ikeda offers Shijo Kingo’s courage and respect for others as a model for all of us:

Dynamic progress in human revolution begins with the fierce courage to surmount hardships.

Amid unrelenting persecution while in exile on Sado Island, Nichiren Daishonin called out to Shijo Kingo: “Bring forth the great power of faith, and be spoken of by all the people of Kamakura, both high and low, or by all the people of Japan, as ‘Shijo Kingo, Shijo Kingo of the Lotus school!’” (WND-1, 319). It was a time when identifying oneself as a disciple of the Daishonin would bring down a torrent of slander and abuse, hatred and jealousy. But that was precisely why Shijo Kingo and his wife, Nichigen-nyo, took great pride in being his disciples, bravely faced and overcame their difficulties, and dauntlessly supported and protected their fellow disciples. 

For Shijo Kingo, this also entailed the challenge of controlling his short temper, staying vigilant, and always being respectful in his behaviour toward others, in accord with the Daishonin’s instructions. Through showing actual proof of his human revolution in this way, he came to be spoken of highly by those around him, a triumph of mentor and disciple that rang out far and wide. 

The full editorial will be published in the August 2022 New Century.

   

NEWS

Announcement from SGI Canada - visiting members in person

While the public health situation is generally improving across Canada, recent reports of an unexpected 7th wave of COVID-19 infections this summer mean that it is important for us to remain cautious at all times and follow local public health regulations. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) notes that COVID-19 is still circulating and that hospitalization rates are still high. 

However, transmission of COVID-19 is decreasing in most areas, and fewer people are becoming seriously ill. PHAC continues to urge people to be cautious and to reduce the risk of infection by wearing masks, avoiding crowding, and getting the best possible ventilation in indoor spaces.[1] 

Considering the above, and after discussion with regional leaders, we believe that there are now ways in which SGI Canada members can safely visit other members. 

We encourage members to take advantage of the summer months to visit with other members outdoors or in other spacious and well-ventilated locations. We recommend that visits involve only a small number of members (3-4 maximum), and that members still wear masks and practise physical distancing. 

In all cases, the safety and comfort level of all members is most important, and we ask everyone to use caution and common sense, particularly when around vulnerable people. We should recognize that not everyone will be comfortable visiting other members in person at this point. 

Whether online or in-person, visits with members are a vital part of our practice. Referring to the 1956 Osaka Campaign, in which 11,111 new member households were introduced to Nichiren Buddhism in a single chapter in just one month, President Ikeda says:

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo constantly in my heart, I travelled all over Osaka to visit as many members in the chapter as I could. I wore out a pair of shoes and rode a borrowed bicycle until it fell apart. I gave my all to encouraging each person I met, and built an invincible, ever-victorious citadel of capable people. 

*

There are people in your community that only you can encourage. There are people that only you can help. The seeds that you are sowing now will bloom boundlessly in the future. President Toda declared: “Foster capable people! That is the surest path to future victory!”[2] 

This will be a new opportunity for some of us to reconnect with members we have not seen in person for over two years. It is particularly significant at this time, as we enter into a new phase of our advance toward 2030 and our goal of 20,000 members. Whether online or in-person, our individual encouragement and support of each person are essential to our personal development and to the growth of SGI Canada. 

On the heels of our very successful Gohonzon conferral program in the spring, this new visiting initiative will take us a step closer to the resumption of in-person activities. However, for the moment, all other activities will remain online, and SGI Canada centres will remain closed. SGI Canada’s national leaders will continue to monitor the public health situation and adjust SGI Canada guidelines accordingly, always keeping members’ safety first and foremost. Thank you for your support.  

SGI Canada National Leaders

July 2022

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[1] “Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on June 30, 2022”, Public Health Agency of Canada, June 30, 2022, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/06/statement-from-the-chief-public-health-officer-of-canada-on-june-30-2022.html 

[2] Daisaku Ikeda, Guidelines for leaders striving on the front lines of kosen-rufu, SGI Canada, 2016, pp.2-3.

SGI Participates in Meeting of Parties to Nuclear Ban Treaty 

From June 21 to 23, at the historic First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), held in Vienna, Austria, SGI joined civil society groups calling for universalization of the treaty; co-hosting workshops highlighting perspectives of affected communities and youth. 

On June 21, at the Youth Meeting of States Parties (Youth MSP), the SGI and the Italian Senzatomica anti-nuclear campaign held a workshop on grassroots educational movements. Youth discussed reshaping the discourse around nuclear weapons and alternative educational approaches that empower learners. Click here for a short video on the event. 

For more information, please visit the Soka global website.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Men’s Group General Meetings: "Building Peace through Dialogue"

The annual Men’s Group General Meetings will be held from mid-August through September, commemorating Men’s Division Day, August 24, the date when Daisaku Ikeda joined the Soka Gakkai in 1947.

The theme for the meetings will be “Building Peace through Dialogue”. SGI Canada Men’s leader Ian Mattinson says:

I wish to offer my most heartfelt appreciation and respect to all of you who have endured and challenged yourselves despite life-changing restrictions on your everyday lives! I pray that your gatherings, whether by district, chapter or area, are imbued with happiness and heartfelt exchange. I pray that we have many guests who can participate and experience your sincerity and warmth! 

We hope you found this newsletter beneficial. Please email your questions or comments to contact@sgicanada.org. Please note that the next SGI Canada Newsletter will appear on July 22, 2022. See you then!

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