SGI President Ikeda gave the following address at Shikoku executive conference held at Shikoku Ikeda Culture Center, Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan on December 1, 1993.

(SEIKYO-T1MES MARCH 1994)

To struggle for the sake of everyone's happiness—this is the conduct of a Buddha.

To victimize others "for the sake of personal fame and wealth—this is the nature of devilish functions, the opposite of the Buddha. The Nikken sect epitomizes this tendency.

The SGI is the "order of the original Buddha." We are the wondrous "family of the original Buddha."

Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, went so far as to say, "The Soka Gakkai organization is more precious than my life."

He attached such importance to the SGI because it is the only body that can realize kosen-rufu. It is the only organization that exists for the sake of the happiness of all people.

To help suffering people become happy—this is the reason for the existence of the SGI organi­zation and of the SGI leaders.

Nichiren Daishonin speaks of the "great wis­dom of equality" (hyodo daie). This refers to the vast wisdom and compassion of the Buddha to save all people equally. The Buddha definitely does not discriminate.

Human Happiness Is the Objective, Everything Else Is a Means

 

SGI leaders, too, who are emissaries of the Buddha, should behave toward everyone— regardless of position in the organization or social standing—with the same warmth and kindness. Respecting our fellow members as entities of the Buddha, we should treasure each and every person.

Our organization does not have leadership positions so that leaders can lord it over others. Rather, these positions make it possible for everyone, without a single exception, to advance Unerringly toward attaining the state of absolute happiness that is Buddhahood.

We have positions so that we can enable everyone to feel hope and peace of mind, to grow and to practice faith with a sense of exhila­ration so that, with strong unity, we can realize total victory in the struggle against devilish forces that obstruct the people's happiness.

In this sense, the real objective is to reach the Mystic Law and enable people to become happy. And the organization and leadership positions are a means to this end. Accordingly, leaders who put on airs are definitely not true SGI lead­ers.

The second requirement for leaders is that they must make prayer their foundation.

On learning that Toki-ama Gozen, the wife of Toki Jonin, had become ill, the Daishonin wrote to encourage his lay follower, saying, "I think of your wife's illness as if it were my own, and am praying to heaven day and night for her recovery" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 978).

When we speak of "treasuring a single per­son," the fundamental thing is to offer prayers for the sake of that person. It is impossible to help people become happy with specious guid­ance that is not based on prayer and lacks sin­cerity. True sincerity is the only way. It is not a matter of tactics or maneuvering.

If you have deep, unwavering concern for others and offer prayers on their behalf, then in the end they will be able to resolve everything in the best possible way.

Saying, "I think of your wife's illness as if it were my own," Nichiren Daishonin offered prayers for Toki-ama Gozen's recovery. The Daishonin was a genuine Buddha.

Learning from the Daishonin's immense com­passion, we should—with even a minute fraction of the compassion that he showed—pray and take action for the sake of friends and people who are suffering. One who does so is a true disciple of the Daishonin, and a true SGI leader.

The Spirit of a Person of Faith Is To Help Others Become Happy

In the SGI organization, no effort is wasted. The more difficult responsibilities one assumes, the greater the benefits one receives.

President Toda said: "To become happy one­self is nothing special. It is a simple matter. The spirit to help others become happy, too, is the fundamental spirit of faith." The important thing is faith. It is to chant daimoku and take action with the ichinen, or determination, to raise capable people and help tens, hundreds, even thousands of others become happy and enable them to receive benefit—nor just oneself. If one exerts such power of faith and practice, then the great power of the Buddha and of the Law cannot tail but manifest in one's life.

Struggle Against Bureaucracy

President Toda loathed authoritarianism and bureaucracy.

The SGI organization is nor an organization with a political nature, nor is it one that exists for the sake of profit. It is nor merely a bureau­cratic organ.

It is a world of life-to-life relationships. It is a world of trust and comradeship, of mutual respect and enhancement. The SGI is a body dedicated to humanism.

In general, the defects of bureaucracy are as follows: Persons [having a bureaucratic mind­set] curry favor with those above, while lording it over those below. They see other people in terms of their standing or title. Being self-cen­tered and primarily concerned with protecting themselves, they lack a sense of responsibility.

They are self-righteous, discriminatory and secretive. They are hard-headed, sticklers for rules and have narrow outlooks. They strongly adhere to precedent and dislike what is new or creative. They lack consideration and a human touch.

I don't imagine that there are many Soka Gakkai leaders in Shikoku who would fit such a description. In short, such persons exhibit ten­dencies that run exactly counter to the ideals of value creation and putting people first. They are rigid and seek to control others. They lack fresh inspiration. And they cannot get along harmoniously with others.

SGI leaders absolutely must not fall into bureaucracy. They must not lead by decree, or become "organizationalists," people who think only in terms of the organization.

A warm, vibrantly pulsing organization can be realized only when leaders are concerned with and attentive to even minute details, and when they earnestly treasure everyone.

Becoming such a leader entails waging an unremitting and all-encompassing struggle against one's own lazy nature.

"Challenge bureaucracy!" I say to you. "Conquer laziness and authoritarianism!"

Guidance Must Help People Gain Understanding

President Toda also said, "If guidance is being given, it must be given in such a way that the person will be satisfied."

Once people understand something from their hearts, they will take action on their own initiative. Action that is self-motivated is joyful. The spirit of joy produces benefit; it produces results.

Guidance that is one-sided, theories that no one else can understand and talk that is unsub­stantiated cannot possibly touch people's hearts. President Toda remarked:

In short, it ought to be said that only those who, as friends, give guidance that is per­vaded with strength of belief in the Gohonzon and with compassion have - attained an awareness as leaders.

One must give guidance "as a friend," he said. Guidance is not a matter of giving orders. The emphasis needs to be on conducting dia­logue; on giving guidance that "points" and "guides" toward hope, with the spirit of advanc­ing together toward a target.

In a letter sent to encourage his disciples dur­ing his exile on Sado Island, Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "In this defiled age, you should always talk together and never cease to pray for your next life" (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 6, p. 78).

He encouraged his followers to "always talk together." We are zenchishiki for one another-The term zenchishiki means "good friends." We are related in such a way that -we can help one another grow in faith. In this sense, we should impartially listen to everyone's opinions. Wisdom is found on the front lines.

President Toda said, "An organization will nor develop unless there are people who put out constructive contrary opinions." We need to have the magnanimity to accept the valuable opinions of everyone.

 

The World of Buddhahood Pulses With the Faith of Itai Doshin

The next requirement is that leaders must be on good terms with one another. No matter how splendid the things they say, and no matter how much ability they may have, if there is disharmony among the leaders, then no one will listen to them, and their effort will fail to produce results. The members of such an organization are truly unfortunate.

The power of the world of Buddhahood pulses with the unity that exists among leaders, based on faith practiced in the spirit of itai doshin (many in body, one in mind). No matter what happens, we should always maintain harmonious relations, listen to one another's opinions, and treat each other with mutual respect.

When we are close to a person, his or her shortcomings become apparent, and there is a tendency to want to find fault with that person. However, fault-finding knows no end and ulti­mately serves no purpose. Since we are common mortals, all of us have faults. The key is to make up for one another's shortcomings and allow each person to develop his or her strengths.

Rather than being preoccupied about who's above and who's below in the organization, or with thoughts of "since so-and-so is such-and-such ..." or "if so-and-so does such-and-such ... ," you should stand up resolutely and initiate a vig­orous struggle. You should stand up alone. From such resolve true unity will be born.

Also, leaders should be liked by others. President Toda often said: "If you're hated by everyone, it's a lost cause. There's no way that people will accept your guidance."

That you should "be well-liked" doesn't mean that you should court popularity or engage in flattery. What this indicates, rather, is a sense of trust that naturally arises in response to the great sincerity that you manifest in your concern for everyone's happiness, and your sense of responsibility in struggling behind the scenes for the sake of everyone.

You Must Stand Firm

President Toda once discussed the fundamental attitude for a leader. He gave the following guid­ance upon hearing leaders talk about how the chapter chiefs are supposed to protect the presi­dent, the district chiefs are. supposed to protect the chapter chief, and so on.

If that is the case, then am I being protect­ed by all of you? Am I being protected by the chapter chiefs? I most certainly am not. On the contrary, I am defending the chapter chiefs. 1 have not been defended by them. Nor have I been protected by them. And I want to say that I hope they will not cause me too much trouble. If there is any chapter chief who is being protected by his district chiefs, he should get out right now. The chapter chief must protect the district chiefs. This I ask the chapter chiefs to do. Again, it is no good if the district chief is being protected by his group chiefs. [Rather, he must protect them.] Having said this, there might be a group chief who will say that he is not being protected by his district chief. If there are any group chiefs who feel this way, they should resign their positions today. What does it matter if you're not being protected? Group chiefs should pro­tect the unit chiefs and the unit chiefs should protect the unit members. This is the Soka Gakkai spirit. (Soka Gakkai Headquarters leaders meeting. May 1954)

Since we are all advancing toward one and the same objective, it is only natural that we should protect the central figure. If only this is emphasized, however, then people will appear who court favor with those above while lording it over those below. And leaders will take it for granted that others will do things for them, and so become easygoing and arrogant.

Thus, President Toda taught that the Soka Gakkai spirit is for leaders to protect everyone.

I have always protected others. It could even be said that I have protected them to the point of being overly protective.

A leader does not seek to use others or make people do things, but works hard to protect everyone. The royal path in life for human beings is found in this solemn spirit. Herein also lies the path whereby both oneself and Others may receive benefit and prosper.

Why has the SGI achieved the magnificent development it has? It is because we have always fought against great evil based on the supreme good that is the Mystic Law and because we have always made the members our first priority.

I am living for the sake of all of your happi­ness. I have no ambition apart from this. I have become a roof for all members and have person­ally born the brunt of persecutions, doing my utmost to protect them. And I shall continue to live out my life with this resolve.

The American Revolution Was Fought by Women, Too

Exchanges between the region of Shikoku and overseas countries is expanding. Today, I would like to talk briefly about an American woman who lived about 200 years ago.

In my mind, the image of this brave woman overlaps with that of the members of the SGI women's division, the foremost gathering of women in the world. It is an episode from the American Revolutionary War that I would like to introduce.

The woman was Molly Pitcher (1754-1832; her real name was Mary McCauley). Together with her husband, John Caspar Hays, an artilleryman, she accompanied the army to the scene of battle.

There, she cooked and carried water for the soldiers, and also tended their wounds. Performing a variety of functions, she whole­heartedly threw herself into the struggle for inde­pendence, in a manner true to herself.

"Pitcher" was the nickname that the soldiers gave her out of appreciation for her selfless efforts in always providing them with precious drinking water.

Those who work behind the scenes are great. A struggle will not advance merely by the efforts of those on center stage. Nor can leaders who are only good at speaking compare to those who struggle behind the scenes.

Behind the accomplishment of the SGI's great advance to this point are the down-to-earth actions and the tenacious efforts of many people behind the scenes. There are many who, though having struggled for ten, twenty or thirty years, have not yet become leaders of any partic­ular standing.

Such persons are hundreds or thousands of times more respect worthy than those leaders who, without making any real effort, rise in the organization by leaps and bounds. I urge you to treasure such people.

"In That Case, I Will Do It"

It was the summer of 1778. The day was June 28. A fierce battle was taking place near Monmouth, New Jersey. The heat was sweltering. On that day, as on others, Molly Pitcher was carrying water from a nearby spring and handing it out to the soldiers to drink.

On that day, however, her husband was wounded by enemy fire. (Another account has it that he succumbed to sunstroke.)

The loss of even one person operating a can­non was a great loss indeed.

Molly decided what she would do: "If my husband cannot fight, then I will. I will battle our enemies!" And, without wavering, she trans­lated her resolve into action.

Bravely, she began to fire the cannon in her husband's stead. A cannon makes an easy target for the enemy. It is a post fraught with the greatest peril. Yet, without any fear, she stood up to the danger and continued firing the cannon on the enemy forces. How her high-spirited valor must have roused the other soldiers. The story of her noble conduct, like a famous painting, has been handed down to this day.

American independence was won by the marshaling of the courage of the people. Nothing is as strong as the people. Nothing is as strong as the earnestness, sincerity and enthusi­asm of SGI members which is itself the greatest force for changing people's hearts, the age and the world.

In any event, nothing can match faith. This is the conclusion, after all is said and done.

The Daishonin says, "If the mind of faith’s per­fect, then the water of the great wisdom of equality will never dry up" (Gosho Zciishii. p. 1072).

The wisdom of the Buddha equally guides all people toward absolute happiness. All that we need to make our life—the vessel of the Law— overflow with the water of this wisdom is faith. If the vessel of one's faith has the defect of being broken, dirty, closed or contaminated, then one will not be able to acquire the pure "water of wisdom."

For this reason, it is impossible that the faithless Nikken could possess the water of wis­dom of the Buddha. All he has is the devilish nature to use Buddhism and prey upon believers.

Faith exists in the SGI. Therefore, our lives are ceaselessly nourished by the water of the great wis­dom of the original Buddha. And for this reason, the SGI never comes to a dead end or an impasse. We are limitlessly expanding the path of kosen-rufu, the path of happiness, and the green field of hope for humankind.

I hope that the Shikoku members will uphold this kind of organization. Shikoku, the "kingdom of faith," is simultaneously the "king­dom of wisdom" and the "kingdom of hope."

I have taken this opportunity today to dis­cuss a number of points relating to the conduct of leaders for the sake of members both in Japan and throughout the world.

Everyone suffers in an organization where leaders do not grow. When the car in front stops, those behind cannot advance.

Leaders themselves must advance and devel­op their state of life. This is the key to every­thing. This is fundamental springboard for advancing toward brilliant glory. On this note, I would like to conclude my speech.