Siraput and Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhism

It was summer of 2018 when one fine day at my office I took a coffee break. One person approached me and started asking about my well being. I am not a complete loner so I have my share of friendly colleagues. But this person was an Intern in my office and had no specific reason to talk to me. I was amused because in labor code-of-conduct generally this is a breach of social ladder! And anyways in that pre-pandemic World who used to ask for welfare of a stranger?

I learnt over the next half an hour that this person is working in our ML team and is a PhD graduate student at Caltech, California. Next I learnt that his subject is to study the satellite images and gauge Carbon Dioxide percentage in the atmosphere. This was great because I couldn't believe that somebody with that kind of work pressure can be so cheerful.

I studied over the course of a few more coffee breaks that he is a Buddhist follower. And he chants every morning. Again I couldn’t believe that a 25 year old chants in this age of AI & ML. Then he explained that he chants “Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo”. So as a curious mind and given the fact that Purple collar jobs have enough time to gossip in this World; I asked him that what exactly does that chanting mean?

He described that this is a Japanese chant. And Nam means Naman in Sanskrit. Myo is Maya (the material World), Ho means To Happen. So together MyoHo means the numerous possibilities in this World but something which did happen. This is a noble concept of cause and effect. Renge is lotus flower. Kyo simply means chanting. It took me a few churns to comprehend the authenticity of those four syllables and appreciate its brilliance.

Siraput and I have become good friends and now when he is finishing his final thesis and graduating in this Isolated Spring I wish him all the best.

We are both proud members of Soka Gakkai International (SGI). SGI has one core message of Kōsen-rufu (広宣流布). It is a Japanese phrase in Buddhist scripture of Lotus Sutra, which vaguely means “world peace through individual happiness.”

Yesterday we all attended the virtual World Youth General Meeting along with approximately a million people worldwide. I was thrilled to see so many young people associated and inspired by the teachings of Daisaku Ikeda. 

I think SGI has done a commendable job in propagating Nichiren Buddhism to the World. I congratulate all the participants and members for making this grand event and grassroots revolution possible.

***

One of the excerpt I like about the movement:

When SGI president Daisaku Ikeda went to his very first discussion meeting 73 years ago on August 14. Right after he met with his mentor Josei Toda, he was so moved at the philosophy and he composed this poem on the spot!

Springing from the Earth

Traveler, 

From whence do you come? 

And where do you go?

The moon has set, 

But the sun has not yet risen. 

In the chaos of darkness before the dawn 

Seeking the light, 

I advance 

To dispel the dark clouds from my mind

To find a great tree unbowed by the tempest

I emerge from the Earth.