Extending Hands, Connecting Hearts

I was feeling feverish and my coughing had been persisting. It is really irritating to be sick during the holidays.


Anyways, last Saturday (13 December) I proceeded to the Vivocity to support the Harmony for Humanity Concert (The 4th one I think) as a Gajukai of Singapore Soka Association (SSA), a partner of Mercy Relief who organised the concert. The Guest-of-Honour was the Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

GD was to receive an award of commendation on SSA behalf from Mr Goh. Alas, I was not quick enough with the camera. But I took this picture which doesn’t need quick fingers instead.


Incidently, it was GD’s birthday. The YMDs got him a golden egg and we took the opportunity to take a commemorative photograph.

Marching towards the end of the year

This blog is overdue for an update. But I am having a December with a long to-do list for the first time. *sigh*

Regardless, X'mas is coming...

The Soka Movement

A new departure for me as I am returned to Serangoon South Chapter to promote our Soka Movement there. It is time to get back to basics. What exactly is our Soka Movement? Sensei explained it in the NHR - Dance of Life:

Buddhism is an eternal and unchanging law that pervades human life and the entire universe. It is also the guiding principle for the realization of peace and happiness for humanity. As such, it in no way contradicts modern science. Rather, it is a philosophy that can lead science and technology in a direction that will contribute to people’s happiness and well-being.

The Soka movement aims for what we call human revolution, the inner transformation of the individual through the teaching of Buddhism. Society is made up of human beings; we are the creators of our reality. As a result, we believe that by cultivating our lives, our hearts, we can change society. The purpose of the Soka Gakkai is to enable people to forge their character on a fundamental level, thereby bringing the fragrant flowers of peace and culture to bloom. We emphasize the view that all things arise from the human heart, the human spirit.

Staff Retreat 2008

Staff retreat could be done locally. Alas...

Seven Blunders

Sharing something from one of my heroes -- Gandhi

A few weeks before he was assassinated, Gandhi the Mahatma had a conversation with his grandson Arun. He handed Arun a talisman upon which were engraved "Seven Blunders," out of which, said Gandhi, grows the violence that plagues the world. The blunders were:

1. Wealth without work.
2. Pleasure without conscience.
3. Knowledge without character.
4. Commerce without morality.
5. Science without humanity.
6. Worship without sacrifice.
7. Politics without principles.

Gandhi called these disbalances "passive violence," which fuels the active violence of crime, rebellion, and war. He said, "We could work 'til doomsday to achieve peace and would get nowhere as long as we ignore passive violence in our world."

1 = 2 = 3

Something interesting I stumbled on for the mathematical mind.
Source from http://www.hunkinsexperiments.com.

Another bites the dust

Finally back to work after the ICT. There was some degree of resentment after my return and I sort of expected it as I know that I have unfinished work which I was unable to complete on time when I went on my leave. Naturally these year-end administrative duties had to be covered by my colleagues. I am grateful for their assistance and apologize for their extra workload but in my defense, I would very much not to have to go for reservist if I had a choice. Anyone who knows anything about me would understand my stand of absolute pacifism and is against war (or the training for it). I am in the army only because I am law-abiding. But regular work resumes.

The secondary three students are back daily for supplementary lessons and I have my year-end work review coming up, as well as the markers’ report which I am not complying yet as there is a test to be set for those who failed their regular examinations. Moreover, the deadline for the major assignment for my Masters course is drawing uncomfortably near.

This coming vacation will also see me plow through my notes to prepare a localized package for Cyberwellness in my school. An unnoticed and generally thankless task.

Am I ranting? Maybe.

It is said that teachers have to be mindful when they blog and should not complain and whine so much on the cyberworld. “It sets a bad example.”

A week ago, a fellow teacher was blasted by the media for posting pictures of her in bikini online. To be honest, I am sure she is not the only one but was unfortunate to be brought to the attention of the media. And to be even more brutally honest, I think the media is making a mountain out of a molehill.

Please do not quote me wrongly. I am totally in agreement that responsible blogging is necessary. Posting an explicit sexual picture online is definitely wrong by my reckoning or any standards. But bikinis? Some people had obviously not visited the beach for a long time. If the media is to blast teachers for setting a negative example based just on bikinis, then they should take a closer look at the pop-stars whose influences on the young may not necessary pale in comparison to teachers.

Some standards should be adjusted. To be explicitly honest, our teenagers today do not need such influences to influence them to don a bikini. They probably have more pairs than an average teacher and are more proficient in tying the knots of those swimsuits than us tying our shoelaces. Like many vices in this world, bikinis as a fashion statement have gone beyond prevention. It is how to cope with it and liberate our mindset to a point where we understand that less cloth does not equate to sexual provocative.

I have been blogging for years as I find it a good exercise for some mental exercise and for self-reflection. In my younger days, there are bound to be some posts which I am not proud of. (No, I am a guy, so there are no pictures of me in bikini... ever!) Mainly it is the language I used which may be vulgar sometimes. But I would like to state that with maturity, I had weeded out such language from my usage. It was who I was and I don’t see why I should hide it. In fact, we know that anything posted online is never truly deleted. If anything, I would love to educate my students on the foolishness of my younger days and the anger in the heart such foul language brought. And if they are in the same situation I was, they should accelerate their maturing process.

We can be honest and responsible at the same time. So should the media be fair and the general public understanding.

Idealistic? Maybe. But we have to dream.

ICT 2008

Midway through my reservist.

The armed forces are just getting nuttier. I stand by my conviction that the idea of deterrence to justify the maintenance of an armed force is lame. It still felt like the classic analogy of two neighbours holding a dagger each and placing at one another's throats and then declaring that since no blood was shed, they were friends. It is silly.

But the system is not without merit though. I had to concede that it serves to toughen many individuals who went through the system and also as a platform for employment for many others.

Post-CFG

You simply cannot say that the past weeks have been uneventful. On the global scene, the collapse of Lehman Brothers will probably trigger episodes of financial drama through the world economies. Closer to home, the China Milk Scare is creating a quite a stir and affecting countless diary products.

But amidst all these, the Singapore Soka Association continued our efforts to promote friendship and social cohesiveness through our Chapter Friendship Gatherings (CFG) this September. My chapter’s concluded ours on the 21st September. It was an exciting period for those of us who were involved. Through a series of amateur performances, passages of encouragements were transmitted to all the participants and audiences spurring them to have courage, and live life with vitality.

Today and everyday, let's give out very best to all the challenges we face, keeping a positive attitude and persevering towards achieving all our goals and targets. Let’s make every effort to advance so that we can say at the end of each day, with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
~ Daisaku Ikeda

Now that the CFG is concluded, I guessed it is time for me to return to my studies. I am finding myself attracted to the educational learning theory of constructivism. I somehow find myself identifying this theory with the Buddhist concept of Shakubuku.

I would probably discuss it further after I read up more and give it a deeper thought.

Beginning again with the end in mind

There is nothing wrong with being successful in society and enjoying a degree of fame. But ultimately, the lives of those dedicated to the welfare and happiness of others, even if they remain unrecognized, are the ones truly of respect.

How painful and frightening is the prospect of death for human beings! No matter how wealthy or powerful we may be, all is vanity before death. Everything is empty, like a dream or an illusion. But people do not fact this fact. Nichiren Buddhism teaches us that we can transform our karma and attain a supremely peaceful death that is the start of a journey to our next lives.

Again today the sun rises. And, in the same way, again today we chant daimoku, causing the inner sun to rise in our hearts. Once the sun rises, everything is illuminated. The challenge is to keep this sun blazing brilliantly in the depths of our lives, to each day renew our determination to chant, strive on, live victoriously and accumulate good fortune. Herein lies the ultimate path of happiness

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Reasoning

I am a teacher who teaches mathematics. And one of the most common requirements a teacher has of his or her students when working on mathematics questions is to present the workings to the solution clearly. Why is this so?

It has everything to do with reasoning. One of the main aims of education is to impart the skills of logical reasoning to students. And Mathematics is the key to understanding deductive reasoning. Everything that happened has a reason and everything that we do have a reason. The problem is not the absence of reason but the communication of reason. There are reasons which are valid and there are reasons which are not. But a teacher will never know the reasoning of a student unless the reason is communicated clearly. And that is the purpose of clear working. It is for the teacher to examine in order to validate the reasoning without which, the teacher cannot educate the student properly on the right way to exercise reasoning.

There are a few major categories of reasoning. The most fundamental of them has to be analogical reasoning, inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning.

Analogical reasoning is the act of transferring information from one context to another context. Another way of saying would be to reason based on examples. This is the most direct and straightforward way of reasoning and is commonly found especially when we see the words “for example,” in any article. This form of reasoning is useful because it is easy to digest for the learners and connections can be made instantly.

An elaborate way of applying analogical reasoning is the use of case studies. We use case studies in the educational field of humanities mainly because the subject matter simply has too many factors to be considered for the reasoning to be portable. We cannot know what will definitely happen is we were to adjust our taxes in a certain way or when we change any major governmental policies in the country. So all we can do is to case studies of similar situation and make a prediction.

We use analogical reasoning when we have no other choice due to the nature of the subject matter. This is because analogical reasoning is not always valid. In fact, analogical reasoning is a major source of errors students make in mathematics.

In algebra, we know that a(b + c) = ab + ac. This is always true. However, if we were to apply analogical reasoning, then we might say that sin (A + B) = sin A + sin B which is false. In the former, it is algebraic operation while in the latter, it is a function. Analogical reasoning failed here.

Another example is when a fellow teacher said in jest that “we learn mathematics to be mathematicians, we learn science to be scientists and we learn humanities to be human.” This is another analogical reasoning. But while is true that mathematicians and scientists tend to be good in mathematics and sciences; they are identified with their skills. But being a good human has nothing to do with skills, but rather, it has to do with our values. Hence, the reasoning is invalid here.

Inductive reasoning is stronger than analogical reasoning whereby the focus is only on a single context and that it does not use one, but many examples. Inductive reasoning is the bedrock of the sciences.

Inductive reasoning involves observing instances of certain phenomenon and then creating a general theory to explain it. This is done in all science experiments. Let’s say we hang a weight to stretch a mechanical spring. When we use a different weight, the spring stretches a different amount. By having enough sets of data from this experiment, we can induct that the amount by which a material body is stretch is linearly related to the force (weight) acting on it.

One of the most common ways to test inductive reasoning in mathematics is number patterns. Let say we have 2, 4, 6, 8, _ , _ . Getting students to fill in the blanks is a form of inductive reasoning. By using the samples and recognizing the pattern, we can induce that this is a list of even numbers.

But inductive reasoning can only provide a probable generalization because it is vulnerable to exceptions. Using algebra again, we have (p + q)/x = p/x + q/x. This is mostly true and we can test it using many different values p, q and x to test the statement. But because the statement is false when x = 0, this statement is not always valid.

It is for this reason the basis of science is that it will never claim to be the absolute truth but only offer a probable answer to any phenomenon because it allows itself to be falsified by exceptions.

Finally, deductive reasoning is the system of reasoning where we figure things out by using premises. Now, let’s say we are given that x^2 – 4x + 3 = 0, we can solve for x if we are to use the premise that when AB = 0, then either A or B must be equal to 0. Hence, we factorize the statement to become (x – 3)(x – 1) = 0. And then from the premise, we have (x – 3) = 0 or (x – 1) = 0. That gives us x = 3 or 1. We have just managed to solve this quadratic equation because of deductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning is a form of reasoning that works all the time and is the most powerful form of reasoning. It is for this purpose that mathematics is often emphasized in schools or as a foundation for advance scholarly pursuit. Deductive reasoning is always valid.

But of course the problem with deductive reasoning is that it must begin with a strong premise. But this is not always possible, which is why the study of inductive reasoning and analogical reasoning is still necessary.

In conclusion, when we want to understand any phenomenon, we begin by trying to perform deductive reasoning like in mathematics. But when there are no suitable premises, we use inductive reasoning to make sense of the world around us like the sciences. But in cases where the factors are too numerous and complex like the humanities, we have to resort to analogical reasoning. And this is how we learn reasoning in our schools through mathematics, sciences and humanities.

29

Ok.

I'm 29 as of 21 August 2008. After some time, Birthdays are just Birthdays. Seriously, I find myself thinking that I want to continue teaching Mathematics to my students when they arranged a mini-celebration for me. They are sweet kids however. THANK YOU!
[ See http://threediligent08.blogspot.com/ ]

Played football after that because of the upcoming football competition the next day. (We won 1-0 in the first match and drew 0-0 in the second.)

Met my girl for dinner at Jack's Place. She actually skipped her night classes to celebrate the evening with me. So sweet. And she bought me a new watch.Nice not? :)

17

An ex-student is having her baby shower later this month. She is only 17. In today's context, that is simply too young for parenthood. Seriously. Praying that she would endure and that the child could eventually live a creative life.

"So, while you are here, you must leave some trace of your struggle for kosen-rufu in this place. The moment you are so resolved, your vital force will naturally appear."

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Elephant

Our lives are chained elephants. It is known that circus owners captured young elephants and held them in chains to prevent them from escaping. Naturally, the young calves attempted to break away but the chains held firm. Soon, the calves lost their will to break away from the chains and be free. Even into adulthood, where the elephants are strong enough to break free, they do not try.

This is the same with the Buddha Nature within us. We were chained by the shadows of delusion when our life-force was weak. But we all grow and a cultivated Buddhahood in our lives can break any chains of delusion. Yet many do not try.

Buddhahood is within us. Just like a profound music is within us. It is in our minds and in our hearts. Music is neither the instruments nor the scores. Similarly, Buddhahood is neither the incenses nor the temples. They are but tools to activate the “music of Buddhahood” in the depths of our lives.

少年不知愁滋味，却满腔的惆怅。吾曾道：寂寞只是因为在这一刻，忘了该爱。爱创价，爱广布。这才是生命中最崇高的荣耀。

Racial Harmony Week

Today marks the first day of Racial Harmony Week in my school. I find myself speaking relentlessly during Character Education lesson. I guessed that had to be due to the fact that I really felt strongly for this topic. My education in the Soka philosophy had taught me the evil that is discriminations against others. I cannot allow such insult to our common humanity within my scope of influence.

I pulled out an old poem I composed to share with my form class. It is just a simple poem yet I loved it. It was composed during a Mid-Autumn Festival many years ago. I remembered we were staring at the second anniversary of the infamous 9-11 incident.

Why do we quarrel
When we are on the same side of the family
Why do we fight
When we are on the same side of the nation
Why do we war
When we are on the same side of the moon

Peace is not the absence of war. Peace is a constant struggle to respect the dignity of life. My mentor, Dr Daisaku Ikeda once said, “Every war, when viewed from the undistorted perspective of life’s sanctity, is a ‘civil war’ waged by humanity against itself.”
I totally agree.

Who are we?

The Cycle of Life and Death

This is a question we will eventually ask ourselves. Understanding what is life is the single most important thing in our journey through life for that is that gives our existence meaning. And the understanding of life cannot be complete without trying to figure out death too.

There are many different thoughts on death. There are those who believe that life is ultimately random chemical reactions and death is the termination of life. However, such understanding of life seems lacking as it does not consider the mystical nature of life but only its manifestation. On the other extreme, there are many who see life as consisting an eternal soul and a temporary physical body. But this is also incomplete as it does not explain how or why the souls have to manifest as physical reality.

Life, when we get down to it, behaves somewhat like energy. Advances in natural sciences have allowed us to be familiar with the workings of energy. One of the main characteristics of energy is that it cannot be created or destroyed. Rather, it constantly shifts from state to state. Our lives also constantly change from state to state. From anger to hell, from hunger to rapture, from beastly instincts to eerie calm. We are in a constant flux. Factor death into this observation and we have a continuous shift from life to death then to life and then death again. Just like a pendulum moving from potential energy to kinetic energy to potential energy to kinetic energy and so on and so forth.

I was just a child of about 5 years old when I witnessed a funeral at the void deck of a HDB flat. As a curious child, I venture to examine the decease and wondered why people have to die. I remembered asking a few adults around then and none could give me a clear answer. Soon, I got my hands on a set of “Charlie Brown Encyclopedia” which explains simple science to children. I remembered pondering hard on the fact that electrons orbits about the protons and neutrons just like how the planets orbit around the Sun and how the moons revolves around the planets. And then I learnt about the water cycle, the life cycle, the weather cycle, etc. It became crystal clear to me. Life and Death is a cycle. All lives observed goes through the process of birth, mature, decay, death and then rebirth. It is so from tiny bugs to towering trees, from the heavenly bodies to even the galaxies. Having said that, does that means that Earth will die one day? Actually I believe it will. But that would be billions of kalpas later maybe. Is it a bad thing? Actually, Buddhism taught that the idea of death as the end of life is a serious delusion. Death is necessary for life to continue as I will investigate later in this essay.

The Nature of Life and Death

One way of understanding Nichiren Buddhism view of life is to see the entire cosmos as a single living entity. This entity is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Although each of our individual life appears to be independent, we are actually closely linked together based on the concept of dependent origination. Just like our hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys may appear to be independent living organs; they cannot function without one another. Therefore, to live our lives without compassion is to be detached from the true nature of our life. We are in fact living like a cancer cell, hurting this macro-life of which we are part of.

Nichiren Daishonin described our lives as phenomenon. What it means is that the fact that we are alive is as nature as the Sun rising from the east and setting in the west. So is death. Imagine the ocean and then the waves. We can see that each wave as it rises from the surface of the ocean when the wind blows. But is the wave not of the same nature as the ocean. They are all water, no? We can imagine the truth of life as that like the ocean. And when the right conditions of karma, acting like the wind blowing on the ocean, finds a match of karmic relations in our parents, our individual lives are manifested. Seen in this way, our lives are phenomenon – an act of nature.

And if life is natural, so is death. The difference is that when we are in the state of life, we can change our destiny while death is a static state where we lay in wait for the right conditions to be reborn again.

Sensei explained that those who worked hard for the happiness of others by teaching this Buddhism to others and giving hope, will be quickly reborn after they die to join the forces of the Buddha again. What exactly does this mean? Our perception of time is relative. I am sure we can all agree that time flies quickly when we are having a good time and crawls slowly when we are feeling miserable. So that means that when we live well and attain a high life-condition by the time we die, we continue to enjoy that high life-condition in death. Therefore, time seems really short before we are born again. The inverse is also true. That is why the important thing about Life and Death is that we have to live well, so that we may die well. And enjoy our deaths.

Changing our Life and Death

Now the question turns to how we can actually enjoy our deaths?

The practice of Buddhism is to continuously strive to change our lives for the better. In Soka Gakkai, we call this proactive determination as Human Revolution. What we really do is to refresh our lives. And we refresh our lives on many various levels. Since at the most fundamental level, we are all one with the life of the Buddha, refreshing our deepest level is to reveal the Buddha Nature within us and imbuing us with wisdom, courage and compassion.

The first level of change is to change our behaviors. The way we carry ourselves, see, hear, smell and speak. These changes correspond to refreshing our first five consciousnesses.

The second level of change is to change our mind and perception. This is done by meditating, positive thinking and sleeping. This corresponds to refreshing the sixth consciousness.

The third level of change is to change our self identity. This happens when we die and then be born again. This corresponds to refreshing the seventh consciousness.

The fourth level of change is to change our karma. This happens when we chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and perceive the Buddha Nature within us. This corresponds to refreshing the eighth consciousness.

And finally, the most profound change is when we change the “honzon” (The Object of Devotion) of our life. When we dedicate our lives to the Gohonzon or the Buddhahood of the interconnectedness of all lives and perform the Bodhisattva Way, we refresh the ninth consciousness and manifest our Buddhahood.

When we refresh our ninth consciousness, we are revealing the fact that we are one with the Mystic Law of Life. That the essence of this single individual wave is the same essence of the entire ocean. In light of the eternity of life of the cosmos, this fusion transcends life and death. This is what Shakyamuni means when he teaches that enlightenment is to be free from the sufferings of the cycle of life and death.

This means that the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and teaching this Buddhism to others can change our lives at a level so fundamental that not even death can achieve. Problems that not even death can solve, the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can. This is the conviction of Nichiren Daishonin. This is also my conviction as a disciple of the Daishonin and Sensei.

History of Education

The mid-year holiday his finally concluded and a week of re-adjustment just flew by with a flurry of activities. I was tasked to perform a professional sharing during my departmental meeting. With the mind to let more people come into contact with the thoughts of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, I drew from his research on education and shared a small section on the history of education as well as the evolution of teachers to meet the times. The following summarized the 3 ages of education and schooling identified as well as the 4 stages of evolution of the roles of educators:

History of Schooling

1. The Age of Specialized Education directed toward providing individuals with skills appropriate to their social class. Members of the aristocracy were taught the morality and literary skills expected of their status, warriors were trained in chivalry and martial arts, and merchants in business and bookkeeping skills.
   
2. The Age of General Education common to all classes as necessary to round out individual life. In this stage education is seen primary as a means to one’s own gain; individual existence is the central concern, and the importance and needs of social life are largely unrecognized.
   
3. The Age of Total Education in conscious acknowledgement of individuals as constituents in the overall body and life of the society. The true realization of complete social well-being is seen as the greatest good. Members of a society, educated in this condition no longer perceive education as the means to their own individual ends but offer their contributive learning efforts to meet the needs of society.
   

Evolution of Teachers

1. The Stage of Direct Transmission of knowledge. In oral cultures, the three qualifications of the perfect teacher are extensive knowledge of what is to be taught, ability to transmit that knowledge, and exemplary personal character as a model for children.
   
2. The Stage of Experiment where trial-and-error improvements towards transmitting knowledge in more readily absorbable form were made. At first, the choice and arrangement of lessons is left up to the teacher. Then, the boom in student population and the growth of printing industries leads to the use of backup texts, although many skills must still be acquired through trial and error. Much practical experience is lost because information is passed on only in the form of raw notes.
   
3. The Stage of Specialization. Further increases in student numbers resulted in higher demands for teachers. The government joins the search for more efficient means of teaching. Isolating one qualification of the teacher – the knowledge of lessons to be taught – from the total person of the teacher brings greater focus upon experience and command of teaching methods. In this division of labor, scholars devote their time to the compilation of texts, away from the actual task of teaching. Teachers need not be expert in the subjects to be covered to be effective as long as the text is authoritative and they are practiced in getting the message across.
   
4. The Stage of Guided Studies. Natural and social phenomena of the immediate living environment are studied through direct observation, with text only as related reference material. The advancement of the Internet and public libraries are also key factors in this stage of evolution.
   

With the perspective from the above, we can understand that many of the frustrations and challenges facing educators today are due to the fact that we are in the transition state from the 3rd stage to the 4th. But the change is inevitable and teachers are trying their best to cope. I pray sincerely that I would be about to adapt according and play a part in propelling education in Singapore towards such a development. I further highlight the distinction in the roles of teachers in the 2 stages concerned

• Organizer of information (3rd Stage)
  Educational Institutions are designed based on the concept that Education is to prepare children for adult lives. But the idea that satisfaction from learning is postponed till a successful career is attained caused much frustration to students. It focused on self-mastery and competition which feeds a materialistic society where wealth and status is the measure of success.
  
• Arousers of Interest and Curiosity (4th Stage)
  To recognize that learning on its own is a source of Happiness. Happiness from Education is not the shallow, ego-centered hedonism but the development within each person of a social consciousness that enables understanding and appreciation of the extent to which all humans are indebted to the society in which they live.
  

Medicine and Poison

The Law of Cause and Effect is strict. It is not hard to believe that. Hence a good person with a kind heart will be rewarded with benefits. This is the most natural. And it doesn’t matter which school of thoughts this person subscript to. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh. As long as you can muster a good heart, you will have good things happening to you. This is just like gravity working whether you are aware of the Law of Gravity or not.

There are many people who claimed that their faith is one and absolute by saying that miracles are evidence. It is true that evidence in the form of miracles is important in demonstrating that there is something positive about the faith. However, I have to point out that there is not a single school of thoughts which has a monopoly on such miracles. Therefore, I have to conclude that miracles are part and parcel of life and due to cause and effect instead of the faith. You have compassion for others, you get the benefit. This is most natural.

Even people with no adherence to any faith have shown miracles when they are imbued with strong willpower. This like the body’s natural healing ability and the antibodies when we are sick. Positive teachings are just like medicines which complements our antibodies to help us get well.

But as we all know, there are many different types of problems in life just as there are many countless types of sicknesses. Good medicine can cure many sicknesses. They provide hope and encouragements. This is what positive faiths and religions do.

Now, those of you who know me will know that I am a strong supporter of Nichiren Buddhism taught by the Soka Gakkai. Why did I choose this particular religion?

I recognized the positive effects that many good religions and faiths are doing for their followers. However, even good medicine cannot cure all sicknesses. My study of this Buddhism allowed me to realize that this school of thoughts can. Why?

Because the focus of Nichiren Buddhism is not about seeking external factors to strengthen our lives but instead, about inner transformation.

Using my earlier analogy, Nichiren Buddhism, instead of an external medicine to aid our recovery from sickness, strives to understand our body and strengthen our natural antibodies and healing power. We believe in the indefinite potential of each human and seek to tap this inherent potential. This, I believe, is the strategy to truly “cure all sicknesses”. It is much like the people with no faith but performing miracles with willpower except that with the understanding of why willpower works, we further enhance its effects.

This is with this understanding that while proclaiming the superiority of Nichiren Buddhism, we managed to maintain a healthy respect for people of other faiths. We can truly appreciate the good that they have done also.

But it is also well-documented that while Soka Gakkai has good relations with people of other faiths, it is highly intolerant of other sects who also practice some form of Nichiren Buddhism, especially the Nichiren Shoshu. Why is this so?

There are many reasons really. To list them all would not be suitable for a blog entry like this but for a proper full dialogue and discussion. So I will only state one clear example here. Let’s look at it from the foundation of these organizations. During WWII, the founding fathers of Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda fiercely opposed the war and call for peace. They were harshly thrown into prison. Makiguchi died in prison while Toda was released after the war with his health shattered. But he reconstructed the Soka Gakkai with the fiery desire to rid of the world of miserly [especially from warfare]. In contrast, the Nichiren Shosho caved in to the pressure from the military government during the war and even conducted prayer session to support Japan’s war efforts. Not hard to see which organization truly inherited the spirit of compassion of Nichiren Buddhism.

Soka Gakkai is currently an organization of 192 countries and territories (and still growing rapidly) with millions of practitioners constantly changing their lives for the better. This growth would not be possible if the teaching is not a positive force for humanity. The Law of Cause and Effect is strict.

The main reason why the Soka Gakkai would not tolerant Nichiren Shoshu of today is that their corruption of the teaching will hurt innocent people. The Soka Gakkai respects the other religions because they actually bring about a positive influence on people. But the corruption of Nichiren Shoshu is like taking the most powerful medicine of all, but applying it in the wrong way. For example, a medicine which is supposed to be applied on a cut, if you were to take it orally instead, it becomes poison.

Therefore, corrupted Nichiren Buddhism to Nichiren Buddhists is not the same as alternative medicines like Christianity or Islam. It is poison and ought to be eradicated.

Polishing our mirror

Like the path of birds or the path of fish, in a sense, the path of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the most natural way for human beings to achieve enlightenment. This is because it is the means for us to reveal “the mystic truth that is originally inherent in our lives”. The Daishonin emphasizes the very natural way in which chanting daimoku allows us to manifest this innate mystic truth.

There exists a law that leads us to enlightenment even though it is not visible. This law is the practice of chanting daimoku. And this is the most natural state of human behavior. It is the fundamental way in which human beings grow spiritually.

However, because it is not obvious to us just like the paths of fishes and birds are not obvious, it is not easy to understand this immediately. The main reason for humans not to recognize this path is the obstructions from their negative karma.

So what exactly is karma?

Cause and Effect is easily understood. In fact, the relationship between cause and effect is the foundation of classical science which modern educated people are all familiar with. There are many ways to understand karma. But the most straightforward way would be to see it as an account of moral bank. Good deeds give us good karma which will be the good causes resulting in good effects. And the reverse is true for evil deeds. Hence the need to regularly perform good deeds.

But seriously, can the good deeds ever match the evil?

Karma is created with our action, words and deeds. Even if we do not actually slap someone, we definitely thought about it whenever we are angry. And gosh… can us human complaint. We complaint about anything and every complaint is an addition to our negative karma.

Add that to the violence and wars waged by our ancestors, humans are sinking in the sea of negative karma. Therefore all of us will suffer. From illness to financial problems. From emptiness in the soul to disappointment in love. We suffer as a child and we suffer in old age. All these is due to negative karma.

Therefore, at its core, the purpose of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to clean away the tainted residues of karma.

A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

In the depths of our lives, we are all clear shiny mirrors. That is our Buddha Nature. But like a mirror, if we do not clean it regularly, it will gather dust and dirt. Just like the negative karma covering this Buddha Nature.

Or we can understand it like musical instruments. All of us are capable of producing wonderful music of happiness and joy. But like a guitar or a piano which suffers knocks and abuse of daily hardships, we go out of tune. No matter how hard we try to play the guitar, and no matter how skilled we are with the piano, if we do not first tune our lives to the rhythm of life which is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we cannot produce wonderful music.

Spotlght

An interview with Grammy award-winning SGI member Herbie Hancock on Beliefnet, a spiritual web site not affiliated with any particular spiritual organization or movement. [Read interview]

Higher than the Sky

It is strange how the vacation always seems to be busier than regular days.

It was a hectic start to the vacation for me. It began with the SL camp starting from last Friday to Saturday (23 May - 24 May). It was also the same days where the schools had many parents coming down to meet the teachers to collect their report books. Hence, I was running from places to places catering to the parents and the demands of the camp. At the end of the camp, I was totally exhausted complete with the lack of sleep.

I remembered driving home lacking in alertness. It was dangerous indeed. I chanted daimoku continuously on my journey to ensure it was a safe one.

The next day, I had Gajukai duty. An overnight one. Steven failed to turn up for duty and I was facing the prospect of staying overnight alone. But Minwei stayed on eventually. Hence, It was with this condition and lack of proper rest again that I rushed off the next morning to be the presiding examiner for the ‘O’ Level examination (MT). I was grateful that it was incident-free. I finally rested well that evening.

The next day was the panel meeting session for some of my students who needed additional attention. Only 2 out of 4 turned up. I prayed sincerely that it will be a genuine turning point in their lives.

On Wednesday, the Cute One flew off to Los Angeles business trip. She was still not back yet at the time of this blog entry. I missed her greatly.

Thursday and Friday (29 May and 30 May) was another camp in school. This time was with the basketball team boys. The boys did well and behaved appropriately throughout. It was a physically tough camp. But I was glad to go through it with them.

GD advised that we ought to better our health today. I think the camp did me lots of good.

Anyway, after the camp, I attended my first lecture for my M. Ed. Course. I clumsily forgot to sign my attendance and collect the student package. Hence, that means I have to make a trip to NIE sometime next week to collect it. NIE is all the way in the western corner of Singapore for those who do not know. *Sigh*

But the crazy week ended in the best manner possible. It was the YMD Kenshu! This year’s theme was “Arise as Ikeda’s Direct Disciples in the 2nd Act of Kosen Rufu! The seniors’ sharing really touches many of us in the depths of our lives. I will organize my notes and share them here soon.

I am also determined that all my faithful comrades those who failed to attend received the same encouragement as soon as possible.

It was rightly pointed out by YMD chief that with every human disaster like what happened in Shenzhen, our movement is made even more urgent and significant.

Higher than the Sky

Together always we must fight
Together we must win
Happy together side by side
Sharing tears of happiness
Shining within our hearts
Hope for all mankind
Tomorrow’s golden dreams
Always higher than the sky

We are reminded at the closing of the Kenshu that we are Sensei’s representatives here in Singapore. We must not fail. We are contributing to Toda Sensei’s eternal vow: To rid the world of misery. It is a truly noble vow. We have to take pride in that!

Mothers' Day

We took our Mother to the Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental for lunch over the weekend. It was not cheap. But the food was excellence. Hence the trip is worth it. Good for the occasional celebrations.

Read this poem recommended by Sensei:

The sprouts of happiness resides in each person's heart.
If those sprouts are fostered, how big they will eventually grow!
The source of life lies within me.
I have no reason to long for some distant heaven!
~ Ivan Franko (1856 - 1916)

Happiness doesn't come from others. It's something that we must build within our own lives. There is no need for us to compare ourselves to others or envy them.

Our happiness depends on how much we can foster another person. To share the path to absolute happiness. This is very true. I promise to never slacken in my efforts despite my part-time studies.

Back to School

I have been accepted for a Masters Program in Education. It's back to school as a student for me. Pretty excited about it.

5.3

"A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and further, can enable a change in the destiny of all humankind."

~ Daisaku Ikeda

May 3 is the most significant day in the calendar of the Soka Gakkai. It is somewhat like the “New Year” for the forces of the Buddha.

1. Is my life going in the direction I wanted?
   
2. Is my country developing in the direction I wished?
   
3. Is the world evolving in the direction I hoped?

These are essential questions for a person of conviction.

Life is eternal. It is like energy which continuously change state. Just like a pendulum in a vacuum fluctuating from potential energy to kinetic energy to potential energy to kinetic energy…. So does life moves from death to life to death to life to death to life in an eternal cycle.

We know that time seems to pass quickly when we are happy and slowly when we are sad. Hence, if we die with a high life condition, our joyful death will seem only a short moment and we are back alive again. However, if we die with a low life condition, then our torturous death will seem to last an eternity. Since we are only able to affect our life condition while in the kinetic state of life, we should really treasure it.

Life is an eternal series of moments. If we are able to treat each moment as our last in the “kinetic state”, then our thoughts will naturally be focused on what matter most to us. That will be our priority in life. That will be the mindset with which to answer the 3 questions I state earlier in this entry.

Watched “Hamlet” with my students some time ago. Was inspired. I always wanted to be a writer when I was younger. But social conditions resulted in my becoming a school teacher instead. Due to my lack of training in the area of narrative writing, this dream is going further from me. But I realized that I may be handicapped in narrative writing, I might be able to handle dialogues. Maybe I should try writing plays.

Dreams are meant to be pursued.

The Middle Way

At some point in our lives… correction… at many points in our lives, we wonder about the true nature of life. What exactly is it?

The first point of view recognized only the physical aspect of life. Many empirical minded people tend towards this view. To these people, life starts when we are born and ends when we are dead. Simple and straightforward. In other words, “all living beings will come to non-existent after death” and that since “everything will be gone when we die, we should live to enjoy our lives to the fullest while we are alive.”

But there is a flaw in this manner of thinking. If life only exists when we are conscious, then we will only can for the attainment of relative happiness as explained in my earlier blog entry. This will result in a hedonistic society and decadence into the level of beasts eventually.

The second point of view is to recognized that life exist in a different plane from just the physical body. In fact, the body is viewed merely as a vessel to observe life. It is the mind that is life. We cannot observe the existence of our mind but there is way too much evidence of the existence of our mind to exclude it from our considerations. We have thoughts and dreams and memories. The culmination of these experiences is attributed to the soul in many theistic thoughts.

What it means is that “Everything in the universe is the creation of God and hence, all is predestined and nothing will change.” But this second view is also flawed. Overemphasis on the soul resulted in one treating the soul as pure and the body as being corrupted. This distinction causes people to practice asceticism physically or mentally or both. Life before death is devalued and life after death is treated as a reward or punishment of some kind.

But there is a third point of view. As we mentioned earlier that we perceive life as our mind, hence, as Nichiren shared, “The mind cannot be considered either to exist or not to exist. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It s neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myo (mystic) is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and ho (law), to its manifestations of the mind.”

Therefore, the true nature of life is not just the body or the soul. It is BOTH the soul or myo and the physical body or ho. This holistic view of life is the Middle Way expounded in Buddhism. The Middle way is not just the path of least resistance often misunderstood. The “middle” actually translates to “accurate” path.

The Middle Way takes us away from the flaws of just focusing on the body which is predominant among the thoughts of atheists, and also away from the flaws of just focusing on the soul which is predominant among the thoughts of theism.

The Middle Way recognized that everything that is existent at this point in time are in the state of constant flux – transforming from the state of existent to non-existent, and from non-existent into existent. This change will continue on eternally.”

Life is not something that has a starting or an ending point. It is a profound type of energy. And like energy which follows the law of conservation, it is neither created nor destroy, just constant changing from state to state. Just as life changes from life to death and then from death to life again and again and again.

Good and Bad Priests

There were 2 events that took place on March 16, 2008 at the Singapore Expo:

The first was an event by the Nichiren Shoshu. It was scheduled to start at 11am. What took place was the arrival of the members at about 8am. The members then waited for almost 3 hours for the priest of Nichiren Shoshu to arrived. They were left there without any briefing, entertainment, food, water, reading materials, etc.

They were cold as it started raining at 11am. After a short speech by the priest, the members were coax to pay a fee.

The second event was the Interfaith Symposium organised by the Singapore Soka Association (SSA). It was scheduled to start at 2pm. The priest of SSA arrived at 12pm to wait for the members. When the members arrived, there was an exhibition on peace for their viewing pleasures completed with guides.

The event was graced by Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs. There were representatives from many different faiths in Singapore declaring their committment for peace for the sake of humanity. There were also delegates from 6 countries from various parts of Asia.

This event was reported in many newspapers and was highly praised by many in the society. The members went home with a beautiful book launch by the Minister and containing many inspirational quotes.

The rain stopped at 2pm just before the event started.

I think the contrast is clear on which organisation is really working for the good of society and which is only trying to enrich their own pockets.

One priest made the members wait while another came early to welcome the members. The distinction between a good and bad priest is also clear.

Even the weather agrees.

3.16

Post 3.16 Thoughts
(Expressed in a Letter to the Overseas Delegates)

Greeeting all!!

I am belated in this outflowing of emotions following 3.16. But it was a crazy week for me. After the 3.16, I was out camping with my students and followed immediately by a mini-kenshu (A chalet) for my Student Division members.

And as expected, my mailbox is totally flooded.

But I still have to give my thanks for the wonderful experience for this very significant 3.16. This particular 3.16 will lindering in my memories forever for a couple of reasons:

• I met with you! Overseas members.
  
• The WD chanting 6 million daimoku for us.
  
• The sunny weather after weeks of horrifying rain in Singapore.
  
• And the continued bad weather for Nikken Sect.

50 years ago, Mr Toda called for a 3.16 rehearsal for Kosen-Rufu because he declared that he had completed the 750,000 households foundation for the future of Soka Gakkai.

Earlier this year, Sensei declared upon his 80th birthday that the foundation of worldwide Kosen-Rufu is established. How amazing that we hold a 3.16 of not one, or two, but many representatives from various countries?

When countries come together, does it not signify the "worldwide" in worldwide Kosen-Rufu?

We have moved from Toda's 3.16 to Ikeda's 3.16. I can strongly feel that. The very thought of me being involved in this celebrated overwhelmed me with deep joy.

There is a Buddhist concept of "Adapting Buddhism to the Culture of the Land". This unique Interfaith Symposium is also an adaptation of Buddhism for the entire world. We are indeed in the 2nd phrase of Kosen-Rufu.

Advance!

Raymond Chng

Letter to my Mentor

Dearest Sensei,

I am glad to inform you that the 50th Anniversary of March 16 held here in Singapore is a great success. I am sure you would have received a more comprehensive report from my Youth Chiefs, GD Ong and GD Oba.

In this March 16, I was tasked to play host to Asian delegates who came to Singapore to give us their support. It was an enriching experience and exchange with them.

This exchange had been plagued with Sansho Shima. On March 14,, my mobile phone was damaged, to make matter worst, I was actually having a slight fever when the foreign delegates’ arrival. But I was determined to be part of this significant event. I prayed hard to the Gohonzon and was able to muster enough energy to fulfill my responsibility. My body finally gave way after the event and I am now recovering from my illness at a school camp. My students and fellow teachers were understanding and allowed me to rest undisturbed during the camp. But I have no regrets as I learned a lot from this experience, on the humility of leaders and the revitalization of the Soka Spirit.

Immediately after the camp, the NYPSD of our Students Division had a chalet over the Easter weekend. We had many discussions on the joys of our involvements in the events over the 3.16 weekend. It was really an environment full of hope and vitality.

This is the first anniversary since I wrote my first personal letter to you. I have completed all twelve volumes of the Human Revolution as I promised I would. I will remember your verbal reply via the staff of Singapore Soka Association that you will be looking forward to my development.

I will never forsake training myself to be even more capable.

This year, I pledged to complete one million Daimoku. For many years, I had tried to chant to reach that milestone but was always unsuccessful. But I will definitely do it this year. With this 50th Anniversary of 3.16 as my prime point, I will continue to train myself. I will also give my utmost to support the youth division leaders in Singapore as well as our General Director, Mr Ong.

I also vow to forever fight evil in Singapore with you Sensei.

On this significant 3.16, I wrote the following words on my Daimoku chart:

一品人才
一品师子
一品同志
一品教官

I will bear these words in mind always as I challenge the one million Daimoku.

Raymond Chng

Back to Basics - Relative and Absolute Happiness

The fundament goal of anyone is to become happy. There are however, two kinds of happiness. Relative and Absolute.

Relative happiness is what results from acquiring material gain or possessions of fulfilling mundane desires. These are triggered by getting a bonus, winning a lottery, doing well in school examinations or even finding out that a guy or girl you have a crush on actually likes you back.

But relative happiness depends on external circumstances beyond our immediate control and can be easily jeopardized. Moreover, human desires are limitless. We will always desire for more and more endlessly. Just happiness are temporarily when a desire is fulfilled and do not last very long.

Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is a state of life in which people continue to experience joy in living and creating the greatest value in their lives. This happened when we developed an indomitable character that never gives up trying and is fearless. It is unconditional.

As long as we are alive, we will encounter various hardships be it financial problems, health problems, or relationship problems. For those who have established the life condition of absolute happiness, however, life’s vicissitudes become opportunities to develop inner strength and to experience profound fulfillment every day.

Regardless of what happens, people with this kind of spiritual fortitude regard every hardship as a springboard for their further development, and they overcome each challenge with composure. It is analogous to a marathon.

If we are trained to run 1,000 meters everyday, we will have no problem entering a race for 100 meters. But if we only run 100 meters, we will struggle when we run a 1,000 meters race.

For those who have developed the life-force and wisdom to overcome any difficulty, the constant ebb and flow of life are motivation for the creation of value rather than reasons for suffering and despair.

Ultimately, relative happiness, which is dependent on external circumstances, ends at the moment of death.

But the state of absolute happiness, also know as the life-state of Buddhahood, having been firmly established in this lifetime, will remain indestructible transcending even death.

Attaining Buddhahood means to develop such a life-state overflowing with wisdom, courage and compassion.

Adapted from Creative Life (March 2008)

Reflections

As my students pointed out, this blog of mine is overdue for an update. I like blogging. I like it not because of any exhibitionistic instinct that causes me to want to share my life and thoughts with the public, but mainly because I find it a suitable catalyst to make myself reflect upon my life and my aspirations. I keenly believe that self-reflection is the joy of life after a fulfilling struggle. The lack of a blog entry also indicates that I was probably overwhelmed by the demands of daily life that I neglected self-reflection.

With that, I thank you who prompted me to update.

My Family Life:

I have to mention Chinese New Year celebration here. Nothing out of ordinary here besides the usual fare of growing nephews and niece, as well as aging aunties and uncles. It is a reminder of the unceasing flow of time and our mortality.

My dad had been home for a few months already. I am still not able to communicate comfortable with him. When necessary, I can always speak to him, but I do not feel any motivation to initiate any conversation. Some of my paternal relatives whom I had not seen in years finally came to visit during the Chinese New Year. I had not seen them for years ever since my dad went to prison. It was awkward entertaining them.

My mum is healthy. For that I am grateful.

My brother got a promotion. Good for him.

My sister is still living a relatively comfortable life.

My Love Life:

This topic will naturally go to Valentine’s Day. Well. No celebration. She was overwhelmed by her job and her involvement in Chingay for the past few months. So much so that her fatigue had rendered her unable to celebrate this day dedicated to love.

It pained me deeply to see her buried under her fatigue. Yet at the same time, I was helpless about it. All I can contribute was to offer to be her personal chauffeur, ferrying her whenever she needs to. I hope that helps even a bit to lighten her burden.

My Religious Life:

I have to admit that I had spent less time with the Gohonzon for the month of February compared to January. This is something that I must rectify for the month March. To my Soka Gakkai friends who read this blog, please remind me.

I will be one of the hosts for our coming 3.16 commemorating meeting. I am rather excited about it. I am also taking a Buddhist examination in 2 weeks time. But I haven’t prepared for it yet. Need to get down to it soon.

I am also taking a back seat with regard to NYPSD. This is due to the emergence of Daniel over the past month. I am really happy for him and is ready to totally trust him to give NYPSD a boost before he flies to Australia. Jin Wen should be even more ready by that time. I am seriously thinking I can graduate with a peace of mind. Cheers.

My Work Life:

I took Meng Kiat’s advice. I focused on my core business ever since the beginning of the new school term. I spent a lot of effort on my regular teaching. I prepare way in advance and ponder hard on how to motivate my students to enjoy the process of learning mathematics. I am not too sure how effective my methods yet but I find myself loving my job more than a year ago.

But of course with such priorities, I admit that I slowed my pace in my other duties. Among them are my CCA, my Student Leaders, the Speech Day, Math&Science Week preparations, Work Reviews. LMS, Cyberwellness, Webmaster, Etc.

I know that it will eventually come back to bite me and may hurt my standing with the management and my co-workers when they have to “rush” me for work due to my new pace. But the advice is making sense to me. I will want to be a super-efficient Education Officer, no doubt about it. But I must not be impatient. Focus on my core business first. Then slowly learn to expand from there. Trying to rush everything will only lead me to the thought of changing career again.

There! A summary of the happenings in my life for the past 2 months. Self-reflection is a refreshing mental exercise. I do need to do this more often.

CNY 2008

A very Happy Chinese New Year to my readers!!

Sharing the Chinese New Year Message from my mentor:

The brilliant sun of hope is rising on the New Year. Happy New Year! My sincere congratulations on holding your glorious Chinese New Year gathering with good fortune and virtue permeating your lives.

I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome to our friends and distinguished guests. We are now living in a world filled with discord. No place in society is as bright and enjoyable as a gathering like yours that is filled with trust and friendship. Please have a meaningful time together.

At the beginning of a new year, Nichiren Daishonin once wrote to the family of Nanjo Tokimitsu that was moving on despite its sorrow at the loss of a most beloved family member, “The joy we feel at the beginning of spring is like the blossoms that open on the trees or the plants that spring up in the mountains. I, as well as others, am filled with joy” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 982).

Buddhism is a philosophy of infinite hope. Teaching us to change any hardship into the source of joy, it expounds the great Law that enables us to change poison into medicine.

Nichiren Daishonin refers to, “… the great joy that one experiences when one understands for the first time that one’s mind from the very beginning has been the Buddha. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all joys” (The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, pp. 211-212).

We don’t have to bemoan our destiny. We don’t have to envy others, either. While proudly and confidently living up to your own identity, please live out your existence while seeking happiness for yourself and others, as you share the joy of living with everyone you meet.

Noble members of the Chinese Group! I am praying that you will advance along the path of victory, brightly and cheerfully staying in good health all the time, burning with hope, and becoming the happiest and most fortunate of people. Please take care.

Daisaku Ikeda
February, 2008

Respecting Humanity

I often wondered why I blog. Many did so just as a form of an electronic diary. There is nothing wrong with that except that a blog is accessible to everyone. It is more than that. Might be an irresistible urge to share our thoughts with the world. But since thoughts have to be shared responsibly, then too must blogging be done responsibly.

A responsible blog can be boring for the masses though. Most people take blogs only as entertainment.

I tend to believe that beyond just sharing my random thoughts, I really wished to share my mentor’s greatness with the world.

On his 80th birthday on 2 January, the President S R Nathan of Singapore wrote a congratulatory letter to him. This news feels me with pride. The highest leader of my country had endorsed my mentor in life. This encourages me greatly that my chosen path is noble indeed. I will forge on.

As we continue to advance towards a more peaceful world, my mentor offered the following guidelines for the sake of humanity to start the new year:

1. Respecting the human rights of others and tenaciously seeking peaceful solutions to problems
   
2. Upholding the sanctity and dignity of all life and never ignoring the suffering of others or larger social problems
   
3. Respecting each other’s difference and being willing to learn from each other’s cultures
   
4. Promoting communication and exchange and pooling our wisdom for the benefit of allhumankind and the planet on which we live
   
5. Always having faith in others’ humanity, based on our common identity as human and living beings, and striving especially to foster the positive development of youth

Onwards!

放心

She was unwanted. Not the father. Not the mother. She did not know the love of her parents. Orphaned and lonely, she struggled to find love to sustain her young heart. But her foster mother was not one to give love easily. She had only profit on her mind and used her adopted child in many ways to achieve her objectives.

It took courage. But when the child finally leaves the cold embrace of her foster mother to the embrace of her new husband, she thought she found salvation.

She was wrong. The man was not one to endure the hardships of reality and turn to abusing his wife. Silently, she endured for the sake of her children. But eventually, her heart hardens and she became increasing bitter and when her children grew to adulthood, she realized that she can no longer accept the loves of her children.

But that was when she found hope. A kindly friend inspired her with teachings from Buddhism. Renewed, she struggled day and night to provide hope to others who are suffering. Daily, she seeks to help the poor, the sick and the distressed. And slowly, her life revolved. From an uneducated and unfortunate child, she learned to quote many teachings and could even explain many of life’s concepts. She had become a lady respected by thousands.

She developed compassion. It was an impressive achievement for a heart which was closed for so many years. But much emotional baggage continued to plague her. But her passion to help others never wavered.

She had declared after learning that there are plans for a new headquarter for the Singapore Soka Association in ten years time that she would be too old to enjoy the facilities, so she plans to pass from this world and be reincarnated quickly to witness the event. A few weeks ago, her schedule became increasingly hectic. She had told a friend that she would be busy until the 6 Jan 2008. And true to her words, 6 Jan was to be the day she was cremated at the veteran age of 80.

A few days before her passing, she entered into depression, telling her children that she was suffering from heart pain. She also mentioned that she was remembering more and more things from her past. Many doctors she consulted all told her to放心. She did not understand immediately.

Then a day just before her passing, her mood picked up and she was so cheerful that everyone was amazed. She declared that she understood everything now. She had 放心 discarded all her emotional baggage. She knew that her children love her and she accepted all the loves around her. She was happy. She was enlightened.

The day she passed away, she was making her way to the Singapore Soka Association Headquarters to encourage her fellow members. To her last moments, all she could think of was to help another person to find hope. It was the perfect ending.

That was the story of Mdm Wong as I heard from her eulogy. It was one of the most touching eulogy I heard. I did not know her personally though the GF did. I wished I did

But I did learn a valuable lesson. That no matter how hard life is, it is important to learn how to 放心.

Osaka – 28

Many will come
Many will leave
But I will remain
Planting my staff
I will hold my faith

The years will pass
The tides will flow
But I will paddle
Swinging my axe
I will fight my evil

Determination aroused
Perseverance awaken
And I will forge on
Striking my hammers
I will win my battle

The kindly father
The kingly teacher
And I will come forth
Raising my sword
I will honor my mentor

~ Ra
Dedicated to my mentor on his 80th Birthday on 2 January 2008

立正安国论 2008

Another threshold is crossed and 2008 arrived. This year is themed as the Year of Capable People and Development for the SGI. It should be an interesting year. I am also 28 years of age now. This is the same age which my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda scored an overwhelming victory in the Osaka Campaign in 1956. I wonder what sort of challenges awaits me and whether I would have the wisdom, courage and compassion to overcome each one of them. I must win for my mentor.

It is also my mentor’s 80th Birthday today. Happy Birthday Sensei!!

The New Year is also a time for resolution. On this significant day, I should make the following vows towards 2010.

1. I vow to become a first-rate disciple for my mentor
   
2. I vow to become a first-rate Buddhist for my loved ones
   
3. I vow to become a first-rate educator for my students
   
4. I vow to become a first-rate leader for my comrades in faith

As the journey for kosen-rufu is said to begin and end with the Rissho Ankoku Ron, I decide to take this opportunity to share a little about this treatise written by Nichiren Daishonin years ago.

I should focus on this particular passage:

If you care anything about your personal security, you should first pray for order and tranquility throughout the four quarters of the land, should you not?

On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land (立正安国论) was submitted to Hojo Tokiyori via a government official, Yadoya Mitsunori who acted as his intermediary on the 16th day of the 7th month in the year 1260.

The passage above is an excerpt from the original treatise. The full text for this treatise come be found here for those interested.

Why Hojo Tokiyori?

• Retired Regent
• Lived in temple called Saimyo-ji
• Thirty years old
• Wielded the actual power behind the government

Why do we say Nichiren Daishonin’s lifetime teachings begin and end with On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land?

He formally began his propagation effort by submitting this treatise.

The inscribing of the Dai-Gohonzon for the sake of Kosen-rufu in 1279 was Nichiren Daishonin’s ultimate purpose in this world.

The Dai-Gohonzon was established to achieve the ideal of On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land which is to establish peace by propagating the teachings of Buddhism.

What does On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land mean?

Establishing the Correct Teaching means to establish righteousness or to establish the True Law of Buddhism. It also implies refuting erroneous teachings. Hence, Establishing the Correct Teaching can also mean propagation.

Peace of the Land means security of the land. Land implies both society and nature. Hence, Peace of the Land means both to bring order to society and harmony to nature.

Establishing the Correct Teaching is a religious activity while Peace of the Land is a secular activity. Therefore, Establishing the Correct Teaching Peace of the Land is also the act of Human Revolution where we contribute to the secular world through religious efforts.

What is the writings of the On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land like?

The On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land is written in the form of a dialogue with questions and answers between a host and a guest.

The host represents Nichiren Daishonin. The guest represents Hojo Tokiyori specifically. But in generally, it reflected the attitude of the general population during that time.

Therefore, it must be noted that what the guest says is not a reflection of the Daishonin’s teaching.

The format of a dialogue also represents the Daishonin’s conviction that one-to-one dialogue is the only way to achieve the objective of Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land.

Why did Nichiren Daishonin write the On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land?

The three calamities of high grain prices, warfare and pestilence are rampant despite people’s devotion to Buddhism. The Daishonin identified that the problem lies in the incorrect interpretation of Buddhism.

The three poisons of Greed, Anger and Foolishness is said to affect the people of the Latter Day of the Law.

High Grain Prices is caused by the poison of greed which resulted from man’s conflict with the natural environment.

Warfare is caused by the poison of anger which resulted from man’s conflict with other man.

Pestilence is caused by the poison of foolishness which resulted from man’s conflict with themselves.

The On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land is born from Daishonin’s compassion to solve the problem of these calamities as well as other disasters predicted in the Sutras when people turned their backs to the Lotus Sutra.

Compassion included both aspects of removing suffering and to give happiness. Since turning against the Lotus Sutra has been identified as the cause for suffering, On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land was written as a harsh denunciation of the distorted teachings.

Because of the harshness of this treatise, he knew that he will incur the wrath of numerous powerful people in the government who supported the distorted teachings which the Daishonin is refuting.

But the Daishonin was fully prepared and courageously speak out for truth and justice.

He did encounter many persecutions since submitting the On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land but he never wavered in the least.

What can we learn from the above passage excerpts from the On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land?

The religiousness of Establishing the Correct Teaching and the secularity of Peace of the Land have an intimate relationship. Religion is related to the individual and the Secular is related to the society. We cannot be safe or happy as an individual if the society is disordered and the people around us are miserable.

SGI President Ikeda once wrote that one can never enjoy genuine personal happiness selfishly for oneself alone. He asserted that true happiness can only be savored when one becomes happy together with others and that in order to achieve this, it is important for the lives of each individual to be firmly rooted in the humanistic philosophy of Buddhism.

The three poisons mentioned earlier cause people today to live in a world where the spirit of altruism is scarce and where people are generally indifferent to the sufferings of others. Some people even attempt to pursue their happiness at the expense of others, or building their happiness on other’s suffering. This attitude is exactly what the Lotus Sutra is against and is the one great evil that destroys peace and creates conflict.

Based on the Lotus Sutra, Ikeda Sensei teaches us to always uphold the spirit of cherishing others as fellow human beings and to treasure our social network in our community.

That is why we often say that our practice have to be a practice for oneself and others. While we practice for our enlightenment, we have to strive for Kosen-rufu by sharing this life philosophy with people around us. And that is the meaning of Attaining Happiness for Oneself and Others.