Changing our kosen-rufu activity mode

The H1N1 Influenza A has gloom Klang Valley like a dark cloud in the sky that caused more than 80 death and thousands infected. SGM has officially announced KL will stopped all Gakkai activities effective 28 Aug. We in Selangor will implement the same as many cases were detected in Selangor (members & non-members) as well.
However, I personally do not agree on the announcement on "stopping" Gakkai activities. I would prefer it to be announced in a more positive tone where we can still encourage fellow members to challenge to change this "poison into medicine". I have trying my best to tell Selangor Region to take it as we are changing our mode of kosen-rufu for the last quarter of the year. In view of the recent H1N1 condition in the country, we are going to focus on small group (not more than 10 persons) Chant & Chat, thorough home-visit to all members to encourage them further in faith in Gohonzon and eventually leading us to achieve our shakubuku target of 10 Gohonzon applicants per Chapter.
Especially in Selangor, where the Nikken Sect is most rampant, if we were to officially announce Gakkai has stopped all activities, they will definitely seize this opportunity to approach our innocent members with their Tozan scam.
I am still chanting hard to have the wisdom to encourage the rest of the youth division leaders to keep intact and be diligent in kosen-rufu activities even though we have changed our mode of activity.

People needs a philosophy to depend on

Today I got a call from J. She told me a WD just got back from Tozan with daughter and they are very happy with the trip. I have also heard the Nikken Sect has achieved their Tozan target by recruiting more than 1700 people this time around. Be it true or not, I shouldn't be worried too much. The reason why they can recruit so many people for Tozan is because there are so many people out there that they are looking for a religion or a philosophy they can depend on. We are just too slow in approaching these people and the Nikken Sect believers are very focus on this. I strongly feel we need strong driving force to do shakubuku in the society. Get them to the right place before they are going to be misled by the Nikken Sect. I need to focus on YW & LK. I need to take care of KF so that he is strong to challenge his own karma.

Lost and Reset

My car was stolen yesterday. In a broad daylight at around 6:15pm at Sri Hartamas. Gone together with my car were my office laptop with all presentation slides and project files, my Gakkai meeting bag with loads of meeting notes and schedules, my 2 sets of prayer beads, my personal hard disk where I keep all my digital photos, my iPod, my sunglasses, my CDs, etc.
Strangely, I wasn't too sad about the lost of the car but I felt terribly upset on the items in the car that were gone together with the car. Those items are all about my life. I worked, I participated in Gakkai activities, and I travelled to different places in the world and captured images of the places. Now, that all is gone. More than 10 years of my life records were all gone just like that. I felt lost the whole night last night. Chanted 40 minutes of daimoku and went to sleep feeling lost...
This morning, continue to chant to try regain my energy but failed. I can't help but to feel lost. And this actually shows how much was I attached to my past.
At last I reckon I have no choice but to start everything anew. Once this determination is made, I feel so much alive again!
Even though all my work records are gone, but I have gained the work experience; even though all my Gakkai notes are gone, but I have accumulated great fortune; even though all my travel photos are gone, but I have captured them in my heart. The rest are insignificant lost already. Get a pair of new sunglass and go shop for a new car. It is only a "reset" button someone has pressed and I am starting afresh again! It is refreshing.

YMD Passing

Yesterday while I was on my way to the airport in Shanghai, I've got a sms from TP saying one of our YMD District leader, KS has passed away. It was truly a shock to me and I called HW immediately to find out more. It was indeed a sudden death. No one can really tell what caused the death.
I remembered noticing KS in pubs and bars in Klang Valley years ago. I was wondering what was he doing in all the pubs and bars that I went to, and i thought he must have had the same doubt in me either... I got to really know him when I was transferred to C10 as their Chapter YMD Chief. During then, KS was not having the best health condition he deserved. He needs to take care of his diet but he had fun anyway! We, YMD had a great time together in C10.
Today, B & I attended his funeral service in Cheras. B & I went to see him for the last time in his casket. He looks peaceful, just like sleeping away. C told us how KS was discovered death by his mom and the whole death thing was so quick and sudden that even KS mom wouldn't believe KS is gone. It is difficult for everyone of us to accept this, but I am not too sure if this is the best way for KS.
So long & Farewell KS! RIP~

Daimoku of Lion's Roar

I lectured on a gosho study meet in HH District last night. The gosho passage is on Reply to Kyo O, one of my favorite gosho and the first gosho phrase that I memorized by hard...

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is like the roar of a lion, what sickness can therefore be an obstacle.

This time when I read this very same passage again, it has another, more significant, meaning to me. In Buddhism, Lion or "shiji" in Chinese carries the meaning of the spirit of Mentor & Disciple. So, when I revisited the passage again, to chant the lion's roar-like daimoku, it means to me the daimoku of Mentor & Disciple. It now means more than a daimoku that is so strong that will dispel all sickness but a daimoku that is same as our mentor's. It has to be the daimoku for the happiness of ourselves & others, the daimoku of peace, the daimoku of victory, the daimoku for humanity & the daimoku for kosen-rufu. I do not think my previous daimoku of personal victory, personal fortune, personal relationship, personal wealth, personal this & personal that is in sync with my mentor! How shameful!
So, I reckon in order to dispel all sickness (not necessarily health sickness, can be problems we faced in life), I have to start chant like Sensei! In fact, this Mentor & Disciple spirit is the whole gist of Buddhism. Then I can proudly say:

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is like the roar of a lion, what sickness can therefore be an obstacle!

7.11 YMD Day

We had one of the most successful YMD Day Meeting 2 days ago. The theme for our YMD Day meeting is Human Revolution. We had an afternoon YMD All Leaders Meeting, we had YMD Night Duty appreciation dinner in the evening and followed by ALL YMD Meeting at night. It is a long day of meetings and everyone enjoyed them. We had the YMD leaders to perform the seven characteristics of Human Revolution to their fellow members, and they did great! Towards the end I talked to them about how Human Revolution is actually equivalent to Enlightenment in contemporary term. I hope they grasp the point. We should have this YMD Day meeting every year for ALL YMD to get together and go GaGa! Gakkai meetings should have ambient and spirit like that and everyone will be looking forward for Gakkai meetings.

SGM Pioneer Award

Region chief just emailed out the finalized list of SGM Pioneer award recipients today. I went through those old yet familiar names. These were the uncles & aunties that frequented my house when I was still little. These were the uncles and aunties who had fought for the Justice of Gakkai when I was still sitting on my mum laps when attending meetings. These were the uncles and aunties that risked their life for Gakkai when I was still debating whether wanna come out for Gakkai activities or not.

I had the privilege to hand the award invitation to Dato' & Datin Ch'ng, Mrs. Khoo & Mr. Lai. I read to them the significant of this award stated in the letter, I am not too sure how they feel but I felt proud being able to be in an organization that was built by these pioneers. Yes! I felt so proud that day being able to hand those invitation letters to them personally.

Among the 50 pioneer award recipient names, one of them is my father. Even though he has stopped coming out to Gakkai activities now, but he has been given me his silent support through the freedom in participating in Gakkai activities that I enjoyed today. I may be very discrete in our connection in Gakkai activities, but I am really proud to be his son who fought for the Justice of Gakkai in the 60s and 70s. And now I has the great fortune to carry on this legacy today!

Being the second generation on Soka Spirit, I am doing my best to impart this legacy to the youth divisions and many generations to come. I believe this is the tradition of Gakkai, tradition of Selangor.