Seems every time I write it’s about study.
I like study, I like to study.
Our new SGI study direction is, hands down, a continued improvement over previous programs. Everyone I’ve spoken to shares this feeling. Our Study Journal, Living Buddhism, is now an utterly more sophisticated publication than it’s predecessor Seikyo Times.
A bi-monthly journal, Living Buddhism now contains two months worth of study. The March-April edition has in it both study sections #11 for March and #12 for April. Oh, the joy of a numerically indexed program!
It is becoming clear to me that in official publications the truly controversial topics of Nichiren Buddhism are left out. We don’t refer to the Daigohonzon any longer, nor the Buddha of Kuon Ganjo. These sorts of holdover doctrines from our previous affiliation are still out there, but they’re mostly sitting on the shelf collecting dust.
Soka Gakkai International is focusing these days more on what I believe in my heart is our most valuable treasure, our tradition of practice and our tradition of member care. This is what I believe to be the true Soka Spirit, the spirit of introducing others to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, and continuing to help them learn how to practice this wonderful law.
We in SGI have some hugemongous (my kid’s term) challenges ahead of us. Our fear of the internet, our incongruence regarding Buddhist history and our evolving awareness of how to effectively run a world-wide religious corporation. If you’re been IN SGI, you can see these things evolving, slowly but certainly.
More and more we are developing a true Soka organization. Not a Japanese one, but neither soley an American one, rather a true Soka organization”. It’s a long time coming, and has a long ways to go, but I have faith we will all get there.
Donald Shimoda