President Ikeda's Poem to Chubu Region
What was the cause of Chubu's defeat
at that time [December 1969]?
First -
There was no unity.
Not all were serious
About achieving victory.
Many had lost
the powerful conviction
that Buddhism is about winning.
Second -
The top leaders weren't in rhythm
they were out of step with each other.
They did not pray deeply nor take action
to win without fail
for the sake of the people.
Third -
They forgot to read the Gosho
and they only listened
to their mentor's guidance intellectually.
They lacked any spirit of responsibility
For waging an earnest, all-out struggle for victory.
Fourth -
The top leaders didn't challenge
themselves unceasingly,
nor did they reach out to others
and engage in dialogue with all their might.
They were lazy and complacent.
They failed to chant wholeheartedly
With a deep powerful resolve
to definitely triumph.
Fifth -
The top leaders failed to show
tireless, dedicated leadership.
They had no compassion
to truly treasure and care for the members.
They failed to impart confidence and conviction.
They failed to convey
the joy that comes from victory.
In other words, the top leaders
were arrogant and irresponsible
No one supported or followed them
wholeheartedly.
And sixth -
The top leaders did not battle courageously
against those who meant us ill.
Succumbing to cowardice,
they lost sight of the need
to have a fighting spirit.
They pretend to lead,
but their leadership was only a show.
(Translated from the June 3, 2007 issue of the Seikyo Shinbum)
President Ikeda's Poem to Kansai Region
There is always a clear reason
why those who continually
succeed and triumph to do so.
Our members in Kansai
have a surefire formula
for scoring absolute victory.
First -
They all share the same spirit
and commitment as their mentor.
When you unite your heart
with a great teacher of kosen-rufu,
strength will well forth
and a path will be opened
without fail.
When your heart, your resolve,
is in sync with that of your mentor,
you can manifest
your inherent power and potential
without limit.
Second -
They employ the "strategy
of the Lotus Sutra."
They have strong resolute faith
to pray powerfully
"as though to produce fire from damp wood,
or to obtain water from parched ground."
Basing themselves on the Gosho,
the eternal teachings for unceasing victory,
they achieve great triumphs
by bringing the wisdom of Buddhism,
which can respond to all circumstances,
to shine vibrantly in society.
Third -
They possess the strong and beautiful unity
of "many in body, one in mind."
In egalitarian Kansai,
no one is above or below.
All are equal based on
the shared bonds of mentor and disciple.
All are humble foot soldiers working
for the great desire of kosen-rufu.
Hence they are able to advance
dynamically toward victory.
They refuse to put up with
cunning leaders, arrogant leaders,
self-serving, irresponsible individuals,
who disrupt the harmonious community
of true, pure-hearted practitioners.
Fourth -
They have the courage
to "refute the erroneous
and reveal the true."
They actively take on
formidable adversaries
who seek to destroy Buddhism,
"raising their voices all the more
and admonishing [slander of the Law],
just as the Daishonin urges.
They speak out for what is right,
hitting back with ten words of truth
for every word of malicious falsehood.
"The voice does the Buddha's work" -
this is the essence of Buddhism.
The sound of voices of valor
are the exhilarating driving force
of undefeated victory.
Fifth -
They act with lightning speed.
They are incredibly swift
In their communication and reporting,
which are the organization's lifelines.
They coordinate seamlessly
with their voices and with their hearts.
Their ability to unite as one
is the hallmark of Might Kansai's agility
and its alert, ever-victorious organization.
They don't idle or dawdle,
but move with vibrant, responsible spirit.
This is because they always
share the clear sense of purpose
of fighting to win for the sake of good.
Sixth -
They all put action first.
They are all self-reliant lions
of practice over theory,
who take personal responsibility for victory.
There are no fainthearted
passive bystanders among them.
This is because they keenly recognize
that as members of Ever-victorious Kansai
they themselves must always be victorious.
Seventh -
They are firmly determined to win,
Proclaiming, "We can't afford to lose!"
Our friends in Kansai
know too well the bitter taste of defeat.
They have the pride
of the "Kansai spirit" -
a passionate challenging spirit
to fight and strive fiercely
to the very end.
This inner resolve,
Pervading three thousand realms,
Powerfully activates the workings
of the protective forces of the universe
characterized by Brahma and Shakra.
(Translated from the June 10, 2007, issue of the Seikyo Shinbum)
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