SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 67 - December 9, 2022
SGI Canada Newsletter
Issue no. 67
December 9, 2022
Welcome to the 67th 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.
ENCOURAGEMENT
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s editorial: “The Path of Soka Is the Runway to a Life of Triumph”
In his December editorial in the Daibyakurenge study magazine, SGI President Ikeda pays tribute to the efforts that members make all over the world:
Over the past year, all of you, our dedicated members everywhere—not least the uncrowned heroes who deliver the Seikyo Shimbun each day—have advanced steadily in your tireless efforts for the sake of Buddhism, the happiness of others, and the welfare of your communities, societies, and the world. If we were to calculate the total distance you have travelled in your activities this year, it would be truly astronomical.
Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, is surely praising you most highly for your dedication in faith. I am reminded of some words he wrote to Shijo Kingo and his wife, Nichigen-nyo: “I wonder if Bodhisattva Superior Practices has taken possession of your body in order to assist me along the way [lit. assist Nichiren’s path]. Or could it be the design of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings?” (WND-1, 823–24).
Linked by the bonds of mentor and disciple, we as Bodhisattvas of the Earth are blazing the path of Soka—a path that follows on directly from “Nichiren’s path”—in the places we have chosen to fulfill our vow for kosen-rufu. It is the path of “attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime,” where we all challenge our human revolution, advancing together with the Daishonin and the Mystic Law. It is the path of “establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land,” where we devote ourselves to creating a secure and prosperous world for all. It is also the path of the “eternal transmission of the Law,” where we work to ensure that the lifeblood of kosen-rufu endures for all time. The honour of holding fast to this path of Soka, year after year, is higher than the heavens and deeper than the ocean.
The entire editorial will be published in the February edition of New Century.
President Ikeda’s poems
President Ikeda composed the following poems to commemorate November 18, 2022, the 92nd anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding.
May everlasting triumph
adorn the castle of mentor and disciple
built through
the selfless sweat and effort of
our dedicated members.
*
May the brilliance of
the “great wisdom of equality”
of the Mystic Law
shine in the beautiful unity
of our young women.
*
Entrusted with the propagation
of Buddhism in your lands,[1]
may you, the youth,
unleash the mighty power of the people
with the united lion’s roar of mentor and disciple.
(Translated from the November 18, 2022, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper)
[1] A reference to the Daishonin’s words “I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province” (WND-1, 1117).
NEWS
Going Paperless With Your Official Income Tax Receipt
You now have two options for obtaining the official income tax receipt for your donations to SGI Canada:
- SGI Canada can mail the receipt to you
- You can go paperless and download the receipt yourself from the SGI Canada website
Choosing to download the receipt yourself will allow SGI Canada to reduce its use of paper and devote more resources to activities for members. Once you choose to go paperless, you will no longer receive a receipt in the mail from SGI Canada.
In order to go paperless and download the receipt yourself:
- Sign in to your SGI Canada account at https://sgicinfo.org/portal/login. (If you do not have an SGI Canada account yet, please see the instructions below)
- On your personal information page, you will see a section titled Official Tax Receipt
- Click on the button in front of Your current option, and follow the instructions
You can change the way in which you receive your income tax receipt at any time between March 16 and December 30 each year.
Your tax receipt for 2022 will be available online by February 28, 2023.
Have you set up your online account yet?
SGI Canada members now have access to an online portal in which they can create their own personal SGI Canada accounts, subscribe to publications and make secure online donations.
Members can also use their online account to read the English and French-language publications to which they subscribe, and access their tax receipts and personal information.
How to set up your online account:
- Go to the SGI Canada website at sgicanada.org and click on the Online Portal button near the top right corner of your screen.
- Click on I have not created an online account and then Submit
- Fill out the personal information fields and click on Submit
- You will receive an email from accounting@sgicinfo.org . The email will confirm your username and password (which you can change once you log into the site the first time). For assistance with setting up your account, please contact support@sgicinfo.org.
- Once your username and password have been confirmed, you will be able to log into the online portal from the SGI Canada website at any time.
Many SGI Canada members have already registered. We hope you will also take advantage of this convenient method of making online donations, subscribing to SGI Canada publications, and reading them online.
Notice about Monthly Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) by Visa Credit Card
Starting on January 1 2023, we will not be accepting any new PAP forms by Visa Credit Card. Those who are currently paying by Visa Credit Card can continue to use this payment method. However, if the monthly PAP payment is declined and we are unable to retrieve the declined payment, we will have to cancel the PAP and this option will not be available thereafter.
Those who wish to pay monthly by PAP can do so by debit from their chequing account. This option will still be available.
Upcoming events
Youth Peace Committee presentation on 2022 Peace Proposal
On Sunday, December 11, 2022, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST, the SGI Canada Youth Peace Committee will host an online presentation on SGI President Ikeda’s 2022 Peace Proposal.
The event will feature a special lecture on Ikeda Sensei’s 2022 Peace Proposal by Dr. Olivier Urbain, Director of the Min-On Music Research Institute in Tokyo, followed by an interactive Q and A session.
This presentation will particularly interest Student Division members, and guests who are university and college students.
If you are interested in attending, please register in advance at:
https://sgicanada.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpc--rrTgpEtdPUu_F0i2bDxySH1dKU7Ie
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Holiday schedule
Due to statutory holidays and staff vacations, there may be short delays this month in responding to email enquiries and requests for new SGI Canada online portal accounts. Thank you for your understanding.
New Year’s Gongyo on January 1
Nichiren Daishonin says:
“New Year’s Day marks the first day, the first month, the beginning of the year, and the start of spring. A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all, just as the moon becomes full gradually, moving from west to east, and as the sun shines more brightly, travelling from east to west.” (WND-1137)
SGI Canada members will be holding online New Year’s Gongyo meetings across the country on January 1. Please contact your local leaders to find out the details in your location.
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 December 23, 2022. See you then!