When I was a YWD in San Francisco I experienced the magic of traveling in Sensei’s orbit. President Ikeda came to the United States in 1990. The old NSA became the new SGI-USA. We began laying the foundation of the new American kosen-rufu movement. Danny Nagashima was the San Francisco joint territory leader and Cliff Sawyer my youth division leader.
I engraved Sensei’s 1990 guidance into my life. This passage by Sensei defines my youth division days:
“I always place a high value on personal initiative. Spontaneity underlies the spirit of autonomy and independence; conversely, taking action because one is told to amounts to slavery of the spirit. Kosen-rufu will be advanced by brave people armed with the spirit of independence who voluntarily strive to fulfill the vow they made at the time of kuan ganjo.”
During the first Iraq war, I made a determination to work for world peace. I took concrete action based on President Ikeda’s 1990 peace proposal. He wrote about Norman Cousins, president of the World Federalist Association (WFA). I called up the local WFA chapter and attended a meeting that week. That was when I learned the United Nations would celebrate its 50th anniversary in June 1995. As the birthplace of the United Nations, San Francisco was going to be a world center for UN-50 activities.
As Sensei’s disciple, I worked tirelessly over the next few years to lay the foundation for SGI-USA’s involvement in UN-50 activities. (In the photograph above, I’m introducing the UN-50 president to Sensei during his March 1993 visit to San Francisco.) This is how I discovered the ultimate power source: the oneness of mentor and disciple.
Fast forward fifteen years . . . . Sensei is laying the foundation for the second act of world-wide kosen rufu . . . . Danny is general director . . . . Cliff is the West Territory leader . . . . Time for me to tap the power source, fly into orbit, and feel the magic all over again!
Patty Duggan, Seattle Metro Region Women’s Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment