Osaka Campaign

VALUE CREATION JANUARY 2007 137

THE OSAKA CAMPAIGN

Learning from the Struggles of President Ikeda in his Youth Part 1 of 3

(This collection of reflections, recollections and testimonials wastranslated by 41 members of the Kansai World Group andpresented to SGI President Daisaku Ikeda on November 18, 2003)

BREAKING BARRIERS!

I will do it

Just how does one make ones mentors vision a reality? Theanswer lies in the actions of the disciple. How does a disciplestruggle to realise his or her mentors great desire to achievekosen-rufu? What were the thoughts of President Ikeda during

his youth?The following entry dated

March 29, 1956 (Thursday) app-ears in A Youthful Diary:

1952: Built a great foundation forKamata Chapter1953: Tremendous growth inBunkyo Chapter1954: Established the foundationand achieved great progress forthe Youth Division1956: Will finally lead in earnestin this springs battle in Osaka

Will finally: The determination of President Ikeda (then ayouth of 28 years) to devote his entire being to the accomplishment

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138 VALUE CREATION JANUARY 2007

of his mentors great desire shines out clearly. The following is alsowritten. The next three years will determine the outcome of mylife.

Two years after President Ikeda made this entry, his mentorpassed away. It was without a doubt the true moment of struggle.Only one genuine disciple was aware that the time for kosen-rufuhad come, and exerting one hundred million eons of effort in asingle life-moment, he delved into the Osaka Campaign.

I am staking my whole life

What made the tremendous victory possible in the OsakaCampaign? How was the ever-victorious history established?

The second president Josei Toda told one of the leaders,Just as Daisaku said, I will take full responsibility for the OsakaCampaign, I am going to let him do it. This was around April1955.

In Thoughts on The New Human Revolution, PresidentIkeda writes: When Toda Sensei became the second president ofthe Soka Gakkai, one of the first things I said to him was: Forthe future development of kosen-rufu in Japan, we should givetop priority to constructing a chapter in Osaka, the capital of thepeople. My mentor replied on the spot: All right. If thats whatyou think, Daisaku, go to Osaka and build a chapter there.

President Ikeda volunteered to take the lead in the OsakaCampaign, which was deemed impossible to win. His dedicatedwillingness paved the way for victory.

The entry dated October 31, 1955 in A Youthful Diarystates: This battle (in Osaka) will determine my destiny. Myonly recourse is to believe in the Buddhist gods protection. No,rather than simply parroting Buddhist terms, I must first dedicatemy entire spirit, my essence. Only then can I expect protectionfrom the Buddhist gods.

Was there anyone who was even aware of President Ikedasagony in the depths of his heart?

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When President Ikeda said to one of the leaders from Tokyo,Ill take you to Osaka, the leader thought that President Ikedawould take him there for sightseeing. Only after struggling underthe leadership of President Ikeda for some time did he realiseSenseis firm resolve to make the impossible possible.

Giichiro Shiraki, then Chapter Chief of OsakaI once expressed my determination in front of Ikeda Sensei: Itseems to be very difficult for us to win in this campaign.However, even if we lose this time, I will keep fighting until Iwin. Although this was said in a spirit of earnest determination,Sensei refuted it, saying, Im staking my whole life on thiscampaign. We cannot afford to lose, no matter what happens.With deep regret, I realised my shallowness. I then felt that Icould sense Senseis unwavering determination.

Preparation accounts for 90 per cent of the task to accomplishthe goal

From September 1954, President Ikeda visited Osaka once a monthto give lectures to candidate members of the study department inKansai. The novel The Human Revolution states, He put hisextraordinary passion into every single word of his lectures.

The leaders who had fought with President Ikeda said,After arriving in Osaka, Sensei told us that preparationaccounts for 90 per cent of the battle. If you want to achieve yourgoal, you should make thorough preparation behind the scenes.President Ikeda was steadily making preparations alone withoutanyone knowing. He and the members in Kansai were tied in adeep bond since that time.

Tadashi Murata, then Vice Chapter Chief of OsakaIn September 1954, the first Gosho lecture by President Ikedawas held in Osaka. We studied the Gosho without a break frommorning to afternoon. There is one Gosho passage that I cannot


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forget. I, Nichiren, do not cry, but my tears flow ceaselessly. Ished my tears not for worldly affairs but solely for the sake ofthe Lotus Sutra (WND-1, 386).

Sensei encouraged us, saying, For the sake of theGohonzon, for the sake of kosen-rufu, we should struggle withan earnest and sincere spirit as if we were shedding tears. Liveyour life to the fullest as a Soka Gakkai member. Inspired byhis fervour, I felt as if my entire body was trembling.

In the midst of the Osaka Campaign in 1956, there was asevere shortage of leaders who could take care of new membersbecause of the rapid expansion of membership. Amidst thissituation, the members who had attended Senseis Gosho lecturesduring 1954 and 1955 developed into group or district leaders tosupport the organisation as core members.

Kotoe Ousaka, then a Womens Division Group ChiefIn September 1954, I went to Osaka from Kyoto to attend aGosho lecture as a candidate member of the study department,carrying the Gosho that I had managed to buy. Although I wasin the neighbourhood of the venue, I just couldnt locate themeeting place. While looking round on the street, I saw a smart-looking young man walking in my direction. I thought,Wow! Osaka is such a big city and so different from what Iimagined. Even men walking on the street look different. Thisyoung man looks so sophisticated. The man caught my eye andpassed by me.

At the meeting place, the Osaka Chapter Chief, Mr GiichiroShiraki, introduced the lecturer to us. Oh, he is the man I saw alittle while ago, I remembered. That very person was, to mysurprise, President Ikeda.

He delivered a lecture filled with great passion and firmconviction. I had never known that there was such a wonderfulperson in the Soka Gakkai. I was enveloped with a sense ofineffable delight when he said, From head to toe, your entirebody is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.


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Up until that moment, with the collapse of my husbandscompany, the ensuing poverty and other hardships, I hadlamented why I alone was so unhappy. But suddenly the sun ofhope rose brilliantly in my heart.

Akiko Kurihara, then a young womens division corps chiefSensei and Kansai: In Kansai, we called Dr Ikeda Senseiright from the start. We referred to Mr Toda as President.For Kansai, with only a short history of practise, Sensei hadalways been with us literally since every one of us took faith. Itwas Ikeda Sensei who taught us the greatness of President Todaand the dynamics of this faith from the beginning of our practise.

* * * * * * * * * *

FAITH IN THE GOHONZON: THE STARTING POINT

Produce fire from damp wood

It was late in the afternoon on January 4 when President Ikedaarrived in Osaka by the express train Swallow and visited theKansai headquarters for the first time.

This Gohonzon is truly great. It has been inscribed for theprosperity of the Great Law and fulfilment of all prayers. Thismeans that the Great Law will spread in Kansai and all prayers willbe fulfilled, signifying that we have already won this campaign this is what Sensei declared soon after arriving in Osaka. Thestruggle for victory starts from faith in the Gohonzon.

The first Gosho passages Sensei quoted were, praying asearnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood, or toobtain water from parched ground (WND-1, 444) and Employthe strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other (WND-1,1001).

He taught us to have the great conviction that no prayerswould be unanswered if you chanted to the Gohonzon. You


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must start from sincere and strong prayers to the Gohonzon.When everyones prayers become one and reach the Gohonzon,the path to make the impossible possible will surely unfold.

One of the leaders at the time said, None of us was awarethat behind the scenes Sensei was praying as though he wasexerting a hundred million aeons of effort. It was only after thecampaign that he disclosed to us he had been chanting so thateveryone, including people in the world of hell and even those inthe world of hunger, would all participate in this campaign.

Another pioneer leader says, One day, Sensei told us why heprayed so earnestly. The first reason was that If we were defeated,President Todas plan for the future would collapse. Second,Losing in this campaign means losing in the first campaign.Thats why I chanted, We must make the impossible possible.

Tadashi Murata, then Vice Chapter ChiefI believe it was the beginning of 1956 when the senior leaders ofOsaka gathered and did gongyo with Sensei on the third floor ofthe Kansai headquarters. The chanting started and continued foran hour. My legs hurt very badly and I kept wondering when itwould end so I kept looking at Senseis back while I was chanting.I think we must have chanted eventually for about two hours.

At that time, even the senior leaders had been practising foronly three or four years. I myself joined in 1953 and was in thethird year of my practise. Of course, I knew that chanting wasimportant and I was doing gongyo regularly but could only chantfor 20 minutes at most. Sensei sensed such an atmosphere inOsaka and taught us the importance of daimoku through hisaction at the beginning of the campaign.

During the same period there was a report from a localmember who said, Sensei was chanting in the car.

In those days it was rare for ordinary people to ride in a car.So the member thought that Sensei was chanting because he wasnot used to riding in cars and afraid of traffic accidents. Themember said to Sensei, Its okay, Sensei, I wont cause any


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accidents. But Sensei answered, I am infiltrating daimoku intothe earth of Osaka. Soon afterwards a storm of chanting wasraised in Osaka.

Senseis words still echo in my heart, Daimoku is the fountof everything.

Hitoshi Tsuji, then a Young Mens Division Group ChiefAt the Kansai headquarters at midnight, after attending theYMD planning meeting, I opened the door of the chanting room

in order to chant three daimokubefore going home. I was completelyawe-stricken with what I saw Sensei was chanting earnestly byhimself.

I straightened myself, impressed bySenseis solemn attitude of chantingalone at midnight while everyone elsemust have already been asleep. Hewas exerting a hundred million aeonsof effort in a single moment of life.

* * * * * * * * * *

ADVANCE CHEERFULLY, DANCING WITH JOY

A cheerful atmosphere attracts people

The following day, January 5, Senseis second day in Osaka, adistrict chiefs meeting was held in the evening. At first, PresidentIkeda disclosed in detail how poor their strength in Kansai wasand how far they were from victory. He did so because he knewthat only the truth could work as a springboard to help themmake firm resolutions (The Human Revolution).

Everyone was expecting strict guidance regarding theelection campaign; nevertheless, President Ikeda reacted in a


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completely opposite way. He suggested dancing toKurodabushi, saying, Why dont we dance? He said, Peoplewill be attracted to a place where there are songs, tears andlaughter.

Kiichiro Aoki, then a Vice District ChiefOn January 5, I attended a district chiefs meeting at the Kansaiheadquarters. I was astonished to hear President Ikedas voice forthe first time. It was refreshing and yet full of vitality. He wasslim but his voice reverberated powerfully in my heart.

He told us that it would be a hard-fought campaign.Although everyone was determined to do their best in thecampaign which seemed impossible to win they couldnthelp but feel anxious after realising the gravity of the situation. Iwondered if President Ikeda could have read the atmosphere. Hesaid, Lets sing Kurodabushi since we still have time. Andthen he danced composedly. His free movements were those of ayoung warriors pre-battle dance.

Then he called out, Since this is our first campaign inKansai, is there anybody who wants to dance? In response, oneperson came up to the front and danced.

Bursts of laughter broke out around the room over theridiculous motions of the dancer whose movements were not inrhythm with the song at all. Eventually, I also went up to thefront and danced.

Everyone laughed outright. My awkward dance must haveseemed hilarious to everyone, although I was doing it seriously.Overwhelmed by President Ikedas confidence-filled guidance, Imust have become so excited that I danced without thinking.

He finished up with yet another wonderful dance, and toldus, Well continue to fight during this campaign while dancing.Lets advance cheerfully. The tense atmosphere inside the roomwas dispersed, turning into a lighter and brighter one. My mindbecame as clear as a cloudless sky and I was filled with a strongsense of determination to fight.


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Powerful and strong prayers and the most effective action

The primary essence of victory is powerful and strong prayers.And the second-most important essence is the best strategy andthe most effective action. Achieving victory is not possible onlywith the primary essence, or with the secondary essence alone.Only when both are perfectly harmonised does the impossiblebecome possible. What brings about this harmony is faith.

President Ikeda asked at the district leaders meeting onJanuary 5: How can we harmonise powerful and strongprayers with the best strategy and the most effective action?Only through faith. In other words, unity.

However, nobody understood the real meaning of unity.How could they unite? A difficult lecture would not make themunderstand. President Ikeda sang a song and danced in front ofthem. He let them learn of their own accord what unity was ina cheerful atmosphere filled with bursts of laughter.

One of the leaders commented, We felt that the strugglefor the campaign started from dancing. I would practise dancingbefore going to bed. Looking back at it now, I feel embarrassedabout how ignorant I was. Later, however, I realised everything.President Ikeda taught us what unity was all about throughdancing. We would not have understood it otherwise.

* * * * * * * * * *

WHAT WE SHOULD RELY ON ARE THE GOHONZON AND THE GOSHO

Start the battle based on study

There are only two things which I should rely on, the Gohonzonand the Gosho (The Human Revolution).

President Ikeda started the struggle with study as the basis.Both on his first day of battle in Osaka, January 4, and during hissecond stay there (from January 14 to 16) he held energetic


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question-and-answer sessions for prospective study departmentmembers. On his third visit (January 29), he even acted as aninterviewer for the study examination.

Fumiko Inishi, then a Young Womens Division Unit ChiefAs I lived near Osaka Station, I would often see off PresidentIkeda with some of the youth division members. I sometimessaved a seat for him in the third-class car, because it was usualfor him to encourage members on the platform till the lastminute. Even after the train started to leave, we still asked for hisguidance, shouting, Sensei! Sensei!

I had another chance to meet him at an oral examinationheld for candidates of the study department. He was theinterviewer. He said, You always saw me off at Osaka Station,didnt you? Thank you very much. He remembered me, thoughI had never received guidance from him personally. I was somoved.

I took the oral examination with only poor knowledge ofstudy. I was asked about the Daishonins leaving of Mt Minobu.I was so overwhelmed that I answered something like, PriestNikko was so sober, and serious as a gravestone, wearing theformal attire of a samurai.

Sensei laughed and laughed merrily, saying, Who ever toldyou that? The atmosphere relaxed at once.

One of the senior members from the pioneer days told uslaughingly of an anecdote referring to how inexperienced themembers in Kansai were: We were told that if we do kingyo(gongyo) every morning and evening and do a seppuku(shakubuku) a month, we can get koutoku (kudoku). This wasduring those days when the members lacked basic knowledge ofBuddhist terms.

Setsuko Sugihara, then a Young Womens Division Unit ChiefIt was when I took the Joshi (assistant teacher) oral examination.I saw many leaders around me and that made me nervous. I did


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not feel I belonged there because I was inexperienced and soyoung. When I entered the interview room, I saw Sensei.

You are Setsuko Hara (a very famous actress at that time),arent you? he asked me with a smile. I said, No. Im SetsukoSugihara. I became totally relaxed hearing his words.

Sensei listened to me earnestly while I talked about myfamily situation and other things. I couldnt believe it was thefirst time I had seen him because I felt enveloped by his warmthand consideration. I also felt as if invited to a beautiful palace.

I clearly remember what Sensei communicated to me withhis gallant eyes. No matter what may happen to you, never letgo of the Gohonzon. Be sure to become happy. From the timeof that interview, I began to study this Buddhism earnestly.

Toshiyasu Fuwa, then a college studentWhen I was a prospective member of the study department, I hada chance to sit in on a Gosho lecture given by President Ikeda.

We studied The Threefold Secret Teaching and The Entityof the Mystic Law. They were both quite difficult to grasp. Hesaid to us, They are difficult, but if you read them ten times,youll be able to understand in the end. I did my best to followhis guidance on this matter. I studied and studied, even on thetrain.

As a result, I realised, What a wonderful faith Ive beenpractising! I was deeply moved. Since then, Ive always madegreat efforts to study the Gosho.

The Gosho is the sword of a samurai

President Ikeda emphasised that battles based on the Gosho arethe best strategies and activities. He also said, In any battle,take action with strong faith. There are no better strategies thanthe Lotus Sutra. Never think of applying strategies other thanthat. Many pioneer members say, We were all told that theGosho is like ones sword. When he found a member without a


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Gosho, he would ask very severely, What happened to yourGosho?

Masuko Mineyama, then a Young Womens Division Vice CorpsChiefAbout a year after I started practising, I met Ikeda Sensei for thefirst time. He kindly asked me about my family and job situation.At that time, I was working for a library in Ikeda City. I told himthere were about 40,000 books there. Then he asked me, Doyou have the Gosho? You are surrounded by 40,000 books butyou dont have a Gosho of your own, do you? When MrMakiguchi and Mr Toda were jailed, all the other membersexcept for them abandoned the faith because of lack of study.He taught me the importance of study.

And, on another occasion, he told us this: The mostimportant thing for young womens division members is Buddhiststudy. Without study, you cannot be of great use for kosen-rufu.Study hard.

In those days, a French roll cost 10 yen, and daily wageswere around 300 yen. Kansai members willingly spent as muchas 2,000 yen on a copy of the Gosho. They walked to Gakkaiactivities with the Gosho in their bag all the time, just as samuraiwould carry their swords.

Nobuyuki Yanagihara, then a college studentWhen I met Sensei for the first time, he asked me. Do you havea Gosho? I answered, Yes. I have one, though its myfathers. Then Sensei said, The Gosho is the sword of faith.Why dont you have one of your own? You should get one evenby doing a side job if you dont have enough money. I soonstarted a part-time job and bought a Gosho.

Mitsuo Yamamoto, then a Squad ChiefI once had to deliver some documents to the KansaiHeadquarters and when I opened the door to President Ikedas


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office I saw him reading the Gosho at his desk. He was thereholding it with both hands, studying very intensely.

Having seen me hesitating as to what to say, he said,Thank you for your trouble, then immediately went back tohis reading. I put the documents on the desk and left the office.His attitude towards study made me realise the real meaning ofa great swordsmans discipline.

Setsuko Sugihara, then a Young Womens Division Unit ChiefWe had a Buddhist study seminar for lecturers with PresidentIkeda. Since I was so curious how he could give us such

wonderful lectures, I took theliberty of looking at his Goshoduring the break.

There were a lot of passagesunderlined in red, but no notesexcept for a few circles aroundsome words. Obviously, he wastreating his copy of the Gosho as a

treasure. This was the moment I became deeply determined tochallenge myself in Buddhist study by emulating his attitudetowards the Gosho.

Setsuko Umemoto, then a Chapter Standing Committee memberIkeda Sensei once gave a Gosho lecture on behalf of PresidentToda. It was on The Offering of an Unlined Robe. I wassupposed to act as emcee. Prior to the meeting, Ikeda Sensei gaveme guidance, saying, The emcee should jot down the format ofthe meeting on a memo pad and read it out beforehand. Afterthe meeting, Ikeda Sensei encouraged me, saying, Thank you foryour efforts. You did a good job.

Tadashi Murata, then Vice Chapter ChiefIn those days we had very few members in the study department.On one occasion I had to give a Gosho lecture to the examinees.


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Sensei unexpectedly attended the meeting held at the KansaiHeadquarters and sat right beside me. In spite of my efforts tochange places, Sensei insisted I should remain in my place,saying, Mr Murata, youll be fine. Exert your utmost.

I was flustered. Ikeda Sensei was silently listening to mylecture, sitting right next to me. I was blushing, overcome withembarrassment. I didnt even know what I was saying, butsomehow got through my lecture.

Ikeda Sensei said, No matter what lecture you may give,you should imagine that I am always sitting beside you. Ianswered, Certainly. Nevertheless, I was regretful andashamed that I didnt understand his true intentions for doingwhat he did.

Later I suddenly remembered that Ikeda Sensei often said,On behalf of President Toda ... Toda Sensei was always besideIkeda Sensei. His words gave me a glimpse of the profound bondbetween mentor and disciple. After this incident, I changed myattitude towards my faith as well as study.

* * * * * * * * * *

MEET EACH AND EVERY MEMBER

All the members should stand up with faith

January 5. On the second day of his stay in Kansai, what was it thatPresident Ikeda did first with all his might? It was to give personalguidance, which he engaged himself in from morning till night.

The reason why Shinichi Yamamoto intended to giveheartfelt guidance to each Kansai member was that he knew itwas the key to winning all struggles. To achieve the most difficultaim, first and foremost, the carrying out of each activity with afull sense of joy is indispensable. To fulfil this, all the Kansaimembers must stand up with faith, then it will be accomplished(The Human Revolution).


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I meet each and every member in person to give guidance.President Ikeda took the initiative to show us how to act. Thecampaign in Kansai began with thorough sessions of personalguidance.

Fusae Fukuzumi, then a Womens Division District ChiefMy husband Hisashi, then a block chief, died of tuberculosis onDecember 30, 1955. He left me with five children, including afifth-grader and a four-month-old baby. I was also in debt.

What will happen to me? I wondered. At that time, I wasa district chief in the womens division.

On the evening of January 5, I was in a room at KansaiHeadquarters with my baby and Mrs Aya Shiraki, who wasOsaka Womens Division Chapter Chief. Sensei walked into theroom, apparently exhausted because of all the guidance he hadbeen giving. He must have been planning to rest a while before adistrict leaders meeting scheduled for the evening.

This lady has lost her husband, Mrs Shiraki said,introducing me to Sensei.

Sensei remembered that he had met my husband at theGosho lecture meeting and said, Your husband was a niceperson. He also asked about my children and present situation.

Dont cry. If you cry, the tears will make your husband sad.There were reasons why you got married to someone who diedyoung. Now you must be feeling unhappy. However, you havethe Gohonzon. It is the greatest fortune one could have. In yourhouse, you have the Gohonzon instead of your husband. TheGohonzon will protect you. You will definitely become happy inthe next five, ten or twenty years. I will also take you overseas.

The guidance, given with all his heart, lasted for one and ahalf hours.

Hisayo Owaki, then a Womens Division Unit ChiefOn the occasion of Senseis visit to Mr Shirakis residence, I triedto invite members who wanted to receive guidance as well as


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help out at the meeting place. On that very day, numerousGakkai members came and I was only one of the staff membersthat were there.

Nevertheless, one day many years after that, when I wasgoing to pay homage to our first president, Makiguchi Senseisgrave at the Head Temple, there was a group of ten peoplecoming down from the slope which we were about to climb.When I tried to make way for them, someone called out, Hi, Ihavent seen you for quite a while! It was Sensei! Senseiremembered me. He even held out his hand to shake hands withme. I was overcome with surprise.

Sadako Sakai, then a Young Womens Division Vice Corps ChiefI went to Itami Airport with my fellow YWD members hoping togreet Sensei when he came to Osaka. Sensei kindly invited us,who were nervously waiting for him, to accompany him to theKansai Headquarters. We were all so thrilled!

After arriving at the headquarters, Sensei looked at me as Iwas nervously standing in the corner of the room, and pennedsome words of encouragement for me on an airline postcard.

Although uprooted again and again, the dandelion bloomssmilingly. Then, he said, Ah, something is missing.

Oh yes, it should be all the more smilingly. He addedall the more in the poem.

I was really surprised because at the time I was havingdifficulties with various people and thought time and again ofquitting the practice. Sensei encouraged me as if he understoodmy suffering.

Yes, I will smile brightly, with faith as my basis. Thisbecame the turning point of my life.

Socks in the closet

President Ikeda paid close attention to each member. One day hecalled out to a young mens division member, saying, Dont you


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keep a number of socks in the closet of your apartment?The young man was surprised to hear this, wondering if

Sensei had come to his apartment in his absence. How do youknow that? he replied.

I myself used to live in a small apartment. Thats why I cantell how you are living now.

President Ikeda shared his own experience in his youth.Due to financial difficulties, I couldnt afford a pillow, so I usedfolded newspapers. I continued to put on torn socks because Icouldnt buy new ones. But there lies the true training andgrowth of youth, President Ikeda said, stressing the point,when they struggle to live on their own and dedicate themselvesto Gakkai activities.

Moved by President Ikedas warm consideration, the youngmens division member started to talk about himself. He had togive up going to college and work as an apprentice.

I once wanted to go to college myself, President Ikeda said.But I had to support President Todas company. In addition, Iwas busy with Gakkai activities. So I gave up the idea of going tocollege.

But youth must bear in mind, President Ikeda continued,that if you want to conquer the world, you must first overcomeyour own grief. The Soka Gakkai is the worlds foremost college.Please be assured that you can learn in the Gakkai. PresidentIkedas warm encouragement touched the young mans heart.

Sakae Tomii, then a Womens Division District ChiefMy husband, a good-natured man and the head of a Tsuruhashishopping street, became a debt guarantor, and this resulted inour having to leave our house. My husband and I lost the meansto support our family of 12. We lived under the overhead railwayat Tsuruhashi Station for a while.

We made a house by hitching up a tent to iron poles thatsupported a platform. We put tatami mats over the foundationand slept on them. People often spoke ill of us, saying, You can


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go and see at the station what will happen to you if you take upthis faith. It was awful.

We needed two buckets of water to make a living and tocook. The neighbours didnt even give us that much water.President Ikeda actually visited us in this tent.

After a while my husband, who had just returned from asummer training course, said that when he met President Ikedaand reported to him about living at the station, Sensei said, Iknow. I visited you there. He even remembered our home at thestation.

Takako Kobayashi, then a Womens Division District ChiefIn February 1956, a year after taking up faith in NichirenDaishonins Buddhism, I, a young and inexperienced 23-year-oldat the time, was appointed to the post of the womens divisiondistrict chief. When Sensei visited Osaka, I had an opportunity totell him about my appointment.

Sensei gave me guidance, saying, All that is necessary is foryou to perceive the Gohonzon, the object of devotion, asabsolute.

Moreover, seeing my square-jawed face, he encouraged me,saying, You look like Audrey Hepburn!

Sensei continued encouraging members day after day.

Encouragement with a delivery of Chinese noodles

Iwao Murata, then a Group ChiefIt was January 15. While we were having a meeting for themembers in charge of organisationalstatistics, Sensei paid us an unexpectedvisit. At the time I had assumed a lotof responsibility in managingorganisational statistics. And at themeeting Sensei spoke as though hewere talking to each and every one of us personally.


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Your duty in managing statistics is like facilitating thesmooth flow of blood in the human body. If the flow stagnates,the body dies. Therefore, the importance of your mission isimmeasurable.

Until then, our division had not been in the limelight. It wasunheard of for a top-ranking leader to encourage any member ofthe organisational statistics division. So everyone there wasamazed to hear Sensei speak to them directly.

Presently all of you are accumulating unseen virtuesthrough your hard work behind the scenes which will never failto yield visible rewards. Please take care of yourself.

Although none of us knew very much about Sensei at thetime, we were nevertheless extremely impressed by hisconsideration towards us. He is young, but what a great personhe is!

After that, Sensei placed an order for a delivery of Chinesenoodles for us as we were working late. Noodles were such adelicacy at that time. I shall never forget the taste of thosedelicious noodles for as long as I live!

* * * * * * * * * *

GIVING THOROUGH GUIDANCE TO THE MEMBERS

The springboard for great expansion

A good general will make good men. The noteworthy activity ofKansai in February was thoroughly giving guidance to members.January was the month to lay the foundation of the membersfaith through learning about the Daishonins Buddhism, andFebruary was the month for giving guidance to members. Senseitook the initiative in giving personal guidance to each memberand started attending many discussion meetings.

As a result, the Osaka chapter, which had been Number Onein the number of shakubukus till then, slipped to the second rank,


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after the Kamata chapter. Thorough guidance to membersbecame a trigger for the great historical leap in March.

Hitoshi Tsuji, then a Young Mens Division Group ChiefOne day I witnessed Sensei giving guidance to a womensdivision member by quoting the Gosho. He asked her politelyquestions such as What brought you to believe in thisBuddhism? or Hows your family doing?

She answered, It was my childs illness. The doctors hadgiven up on my child, but I was told by a friend of mine that mychild would be cured of the illness if I believed in this Buddhism.

Sensei encouraged her warm-heartedly and with confidence.I know you are having a hard time now, but please never giveup! Youll be all right. The Daishonin says, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be anobstacle? (WND-1, 412) What sickness in this passage refers toany kind of illness. There are no exceptions. However, the mostimportant thing here is to believe that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo islike the roar of a lion. The roar of a stray cat doesnt work.

All of us there were listening to Senseis earnest words toher as if he were talking to each one of us.

This is it! This Buddhism is so great! The benefits from thisBuddhism are so amazing! I was so impressed by his spirit andhis words based on the Gosho.

At that time, whenever we asked our senior leaders forguidance, they just said, You do shakubuku first and then comeback for guidance.

Faith can change ones life. If we participate in activitieswith an overflowing sense of joy, confident that we can bringabout this change, there is no reason why we cannot get positiveresults.

Miki Abe, then a Womens Division Group ChiefThe centre for all activities in the area was a small house and sowe often heard the sound of someone climbing the stairs.


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It was in early February that we had four guests at thediscussion meeting. In the middle of the meeting, we heardfootsteps of someone coming up the stairs. Good evening. Howare you? Sensei came in speaking in an improvised Osaka dialect.

Senseis familiarity made us feel as if we were beingembraced with joy. Sensei spoke to the non-members. Whydont you practise with us and become happy! Those few wordsmade the three people say Yes.

All of us present at the meeting were caught by surprisebecause although we had spent close to two hours doingshakubuku, not one guest agreed to start practising.

Mitsuko Hirata, then a Womens Division Unit ChiefSensei talked to the last person patiently. Finally he said, If youtake up this faith for a year and your wishes dont come true, Iwill take full responsibility. Sensei promised. His powerfulconviction made even that person decide to join.

Divide the organisation area-wise into five

The organisation in those days was formed along vertical lines as arule, each member belonging to the same local organisation as theperson who had introduced him or her to the practice. However,President Ikeda aimed to re-organise the Soka Gakkai organisationso as to shed light on the local area from the very beginning. He hadbeen dispatching leaders to Osaka since the end of the previous yearin order to prepare for the formation of local organisations.

He divided Osaka City into two areas and the other cities ofOsaka Prefecture into three so that he could keep the membersspeedily and well informed of his instructions and enable theleaders to thoroughly look after the frontline of the organisation.

He considered putting the right people in the right places inthese five areas of Osaka Prefecture. Leaders from Tokyo, as wellas the local leaders, were re-grouped into teams to be responsiblefor each area.


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Reminiscing about those days, the then local leader said: Ifa local leader was young, he would team up with a senior leaderfrom Tokyo. If the local leader was senior in age, the leader fromTokyo would be young. In this way, Sensei thought everythingout carefully. I was trained by his instruction, One must bear inmind the two keywords in handling human resources:conservation and innovation. Soka Gakkai aims to put bothinto practise. In order to win a victory, we must first be successfulwith human resources.

Iwao Murata, then a Mens Division Group ChiefAs a member of the organisational statistics division I developeda strong passion for my mission through Senseis warmencouragement.

Senseis fight for kosen-rufu breathed life into the blocksystem in Kansai. I devoted myself as a member of the statisticsdivision to thoroughly grasp the situations of all members. As aresult, I noticed there was a huge difference between the numbersof household memberships according to the block system andthose according to the vertical line system.

In order to bridge the gap, I suggested that we make outtwo kinds of cards, a block card and a group card for eachhousehold. This was the first trial in Japan.

Carrying these cards with us, we visited members who werenot confirmed as members of a block. Sometimes they rejectedus, saying, I am not a member. Then we immediatelycontacted the leaders of the tatesen (vertical line) written on thecards. The leaders said No kidding! and rushed over toshakubuku the so-called member again.

Woven with both warp and weft, the organisation grewstronger. The cards enabled us to grasp the real situation in ashort period of time. This became the driving force in ourpropagation activities.

* * * * * * * * * *


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THE LOTUS SUTRA IS KNOWLEDGE RELATING TO THEGENERALS STRATEGY

In tune with our mentor

One of the leaders dispatched from Tokyo reminisced: Senseihad been struggling for victory in the campaign and earnestlychanting daimoku. He then sensed the eternal truth that theLotus Sutra was the generals strategy. We had never realised thisuntil later when we read about it in the novel, The HumanRevolution. Such was our ignorance.

Despite not knowing this, we had conceitedly consideredourselves to be great leaders. Looking back, Im sure we allrealised that we must have caused Sensei great inconvenience.Therefore, we were trained and fostered by him very severely.Eventually, we learned that only when we attune ourselves to ourmentor can we tap immense capabilities from within ourselves.This was the leaders strategy.

Yoshiyuki Asai, then a Young Mens Division Corps ChiefSensei said, There are four types of leaders: great leaders,intelligent leaders, recklessly bold leaders and foolish leaders.Either intelligent or bold leaders do not suffice. We should begreat leaders of kosen-rufu who combine wisdom withcourage.

Sensei told us many times, Leaders should not think thatthey are great. Those who scold their members are disqualified asleaders. They are what I mean by foolish leaders.

Once Sensei asked us, If you take a clock to pieces andscatter the pieces on the sand of the dry riverbed, can you put theclock together again?

I said, I cant. He responded, Leaders for kosen-rufu should have precise

thinking in order to be able to do that. Both foolish and savageleaders cannot assume leadership to actualise kosen-rufu.


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President Ikeda said, Engrave this philosophy in the core ofyour mind. I can still hear the sound of his words the core ofyour mind very vividly.

The leaders ichinen, or determination, is the key to success

President Ikeda devoted himself to nurturing leaders, because hebelieved that we couldnt win any battle without capable leaders,and that it was a leaders strong conviction that led everyone tovictory.

President Ikeda said, Leaders ichinen, or determination,decides the fate of our organisation. Lets take a spinning top, forexample. A top with a stable axis can spin very smoothly. Thesame can be said about our organisation. If you have a leaderwith strong faith in your group, then your group will certainly beactive and vivid. Everything can be explained in the light of TheTrue Aspect of All Phenomena.

Nichiren Daishonin says in the Gosho, If the lord of the castleis brave, his soldiers will also be brave. If the lord is a coward, thenhis soldiers will also be cowards (GZ, 979). The Daishonin wrote,In battles, soldiers regard the general as their soul (WND-1, 613).

President Ikeda also said, We need only one great leader inorder to change a disorderly crowd of a thousand people into anelite troop. He could even change a workhorse into a fleet horse.Everything is decided by just one leaders conviction.

President Ikeda didnt miss any chance to give us guidance.For example, he gave us guidance while taking a walk with us,even in a car, and at almost every opportunity he had to do so. Hegave us actual examples. And this is how his philosophy penetratedour hearts.

Giichiro Shiraki, then Osaka Chapter ChiefSensei often visited Osaka as general commander of the battle.He attentively taught us who, like a disorderly crowd, knewnothing everything we needed to know, including the battle of


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propagation, the mission of the Soka Gakkai, how to raisecapable people, how to build an organisation, and so on.

Once I was told by Toda Sensei, All you have to do isfollow Daisaku. And I did just what he had said.

A swan in the moats of Osaka Castle

While walking along the moats of Osaka Castle, we saw a swan.A youth division leader said, Sensei, theres a swan swimmingalong at ease, isnt there?

Sensei replied, Yes, and asked him, But look at what youcant see about the swan swimming at ease. Then the youthleader answered, I cant see what I cantsee about it. He didnt seem tounderstand what Sensei was trying to say.

Finally Sensei said, In fact, the swanmoves its right leg and left leg restlessly.This is the very attitude that leadersshould have. You leaders put on airs incomfort in front of fellow members. You probably would put oneven more airs in my absence. It is not the right thing to do asleaders. Leaders must exert themselves behind the scenes. This iswhat we call yumyou shojin or exert oneself bravely andvigorously.

Win over yourself rather than winning in activities

Win over yourself rather than winning in activities being on theoffensive is the best defence. These are the two pillars for anystruggle. Theres no way you can win in activities if you cantfirst win over yourself. This is what praying means. Being on theoffensive is the best defence. This means taking action. These areall the things that I learned while training under President Toda.The leaders of that time all say that President Ikedas guidancealways shone with wisdom received from President Toda.


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One chilly day in January, our beloved mentor, PresidentToda, was in the presidents room in the Kansai headquarterswarming himself at the hibachi, or a charcoal brazier, and talkingto the then womens division chapter leader, the late Mrs Shiraki.

Dai is really great, you know. Hes a capable leader. Hesgoing to achieve greater things than me. Listen carefully now.Were all going to support Dai, do you understand? If not, youcant even imagine what will happen! Dai, needless to say,means President Ikeda.

Mrs Shiraki renewed her vow to follow President Ikeda.However, she says that at the time I didnt know what PresidentToda was trying to say. Only after President Toda had passedaway did she realise that those words were actually PresidentTodas last will and testament.

Turning into the Queen when in the enemys position

One day, President Ikeda was playing Shogi or Japanese chesswith a senior leader in Kansai. President Ikeda was moaning, andthe leader said, Sensei, there is no use moaning that way. As hesaw the Kansai leaders honest attitude, President Ikeda smiledwryly and explained plainly the reason why he was moaning.

A Fu, or pawn, is only a footsoldier when it is in its allysposition. However, when it is in theenemys position, it turns into aqueen. This signifies that if you aretrained, you can be a capableperson. If you dont advance, youcannot become queen.

He also talked about the Keima, or knight: You tend to takegood care of the members who are actively participating inactivities. However, this is not good. The Keimas presence isimportant. While the Keima sits there, the enemy cannot move.Moreover, if it moves inappropriately, your position will be thrown


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into disorder. Suppose there is a mens division member whoattends the discussion meeting, but he doesnt do anything. Youmay say that he is not a good member. Is it really true? Someonecan influence people even though he only sits down. His existenceis equivalent to the Keima. It is not true that only active persons arecapable persons. You need to be broadminded to be able to takecare of members who are not active. Otherwise, you cannot take theinitiative as a leader. Things should be viewed from both angles.

Guidance embodying hope and strictness

President Ikeda told leaders at the time about what counts in givingguidance. He said, When you talk at a big meeting, keep threethings in mind: first, talk about the benefits of taking faith. Second,talk about hopes for a bright future. And third, talk about thestrictness of faith. The audience will become strained listening to adifficult talk. But talking only about hope tends to sound fishy.Therefore, its important to talk combining all three points.

President Ikeda also advised leaders that they must becapable of giving guidance in accordance with ones own mind(zuijii), as well as with the minds of others (zuitai).

Leaders must conduct guidance sessions in accordance withboth ones own mind and according to the minds of others. In thebeginning, you must be a good listener and follow the memberspace. This constitutes preaching in accordance with the minds ofothers. Then, in turn, advise him to pray to the Gohonzon anddevote himself to Gakkai activities in order to change his karma.This constitutes preaching according to ones own mind. Leadersmust be able to use both methods.

Nobuyuki Yanagihara, then a college studentSensei asked us at a meeting, Has anyone here ever been on aplane? No one had. He said, Lets be victorious in activitiesand fly to Shirahama! In those days, Shirahama was a beautifulseaside resort everyone looked forward to visiting by hydroplane.


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Such flights existed then between Shirahama and Osaka.Sensei always gave us a dream.

Ponder and devise plans in your mind

Preparation should be given the highest priority. PresidentIkeda reiterated this point. When we hold a meeting, we needdetailed preparations to make any meeting successful. [Thegenerals in a tumultuous age] develop strategy behind drawncurtains, and victory is decided thousands of miles away [fromthe field of battle] (GZ, 183). If previous arrangements are madehalf-heartedly, you will see that in the ensuing results.

Yoshiyuki Asai, then a Young Mens Division Unit ChiefPresident Ikeda taught the importance of preparation so that itwas instilled into our lives.

I once received guidance from President Ikeda during the carride back from Wakayama Prefecture. He asked, What is thename of that castle? I answered, Its Kishiwada Castle. Andthen he asked, Who lived there? I couldnt answer hisquestion. In preparation for the next time, I investigated thematter beforehand, but this time he asked different questions. Iexperienced this kind of failure several times.

One day he went to Nara Prefecture. I determined to answerthis time or never, and I thoroughly looked things up beforehandand succeeded in answering his questions.

Sensei gave me this kind of practise repeatedly, and throughthis practise he taught me how important thorough preparationis for kosen-rufu. The essence of struggling for kosen-rufu ispreparation. This is the key to victory.

A cherry tree

President Ikeda was taking a walk with representative members of theyouth division in Sanadayama Park near the Kansai headquarters.


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Cherry buds were beginning to swell, and one of the youthdivision members said, We cant wait to see the cherry blossomin full bloom, Sensei.

President Ikeda asked him, Do you know why cherryblossoms bloom in spring? The member answered, Sensei, its anatural process.

This is the truth of nature, but what if you apply this to theorganisation? President Ikeda replied. The youth division memberswondered how cherry trees were related tothe organisation.

President Ikeda continued, Cherryblossoms cant bloom in winter even ifthey want to since its too cold. However,they bud when the warmth of springarrives.

Sensei, it is a matter of course, theyouth division members responded.

Sensei went on to explain: It is thesame for the organisation. If a leader iscold, buds will not swell, blossoms will notbloom and capable people will not grow. Buds swell, blossom andbear fruit only around a leader with a warm and magnanimousheart.

The members finally understood what Sensei wanted toconvey. Then they came to a dead cherry tree, and a youthdivision member said, Sensei, this tree is dead. The presidentreplied, It is in the state of losing its seeking spirit, of losing thewill to grow. An organisation which does not have a seeking spiritwill also die.

His endeavours for fostering capable leaders who would bethe core of the organisation continued. In March the EarlyMorning Gosho Lectures started. District leaders attended theselectures.

Gears started to mesh within the million-volt motor towardsestablishing a great Kansai.


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The Osaka Campaign of 1956

The struggles of a disciple who volunteered and dared tofight.I want to win. I have to win. And report this victory to my mentor.The disciple exerted a hundred million aeons of effort in asingle moment of life. For only herein lies the path of mentor and disciple.And now, who will tread the way?The only path that makes the impossible possible!

* * * * * * * * * *

ATTUNING ONESELF TO ONES MENTOR

Early Morning Gosho Lectures

In January 1956, taking the lead and setting the finest examplehimself, President Ikeda started to give members guidance to takeaction. As a result, the energy of faith spread across each area ofKansai.

Giving members guidance in faith thoroughly for twomonths awakened them to a sense of joy in their practice (TheHuman Revolution). At every meeting the number of membersgathering at a district was increasing remarkably.

In early March, a group of senior members were newlydispatched. The time to fight was ripe at last.

Though he was extremely busy, President Ikeda took a trainevery Friday to Osaka for the sake of Kansais victory. He stayed inKansai mainly on Saturdays and Sundays. At Kansai headquarters,he led the members in gongyo early in the morning and gaveguidance centred on the Gosho. He also gave guidance on how topractise. These meetings were eventually named Early MorningGosho Lectures.


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The Human Revolution says: Every morning, he, who kepta great desire to make the impossible possible all to himself,clarified the timely, crucial points of the contents which heshould relate to senior members for the day, and which will workas the driving force through the Gosho.

At first, the participants of the Early Morning GoshoLectures consisted of senior members from Tokyo and centralleaders of Osaka. Thereafter, even district leaders from the localorganisation started to attend these meetings.

I have very fond memories of the great campaign of kosen-rufu in Osaka. Centring on the early morning Gosho lecture, Iexplained that the principle of faith, which never fails to lead us tovictory, and which makes the impossible possible, originates fromNichiren Daishonins Buddhism (Thoughts on The New HumanRevolution).

In order to achieve victory, two things are vital: strongdaimoku and first-rate stra-tegy and action.

One leader explained thatthe first-class strategy wasclearly shown in President Ikedasbehaviour and in his EarlyMorning Gosho Lectures. Simplyput, the first-rate strategy is tobe in complete rhythm withSensei.

Another leader sent fromTokyo said that the directions

given by President Ikeda during the morning Gosho lecture was infact the best strategy.

In the early morning planning meeting, President Ikedaclearly stated the campaign targets to the leaders. In February,the shakubuku target was 4,000 households. The end resultturned out to be 3,986. In March, the goal of 5,000 householdswas set. The amazing result was 5,005 households. In view of the


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steady increase in the shakubuku goals, members thought thatthe April target would be set at 6,000. However, this time it wasset for 8,000 households.

President Ikeda decided each target precisely, sensing themembers morale and studying the situation in the organisation.The members listened to his lectures with a clear target in mindand became filled with conviction.

The April shakubuku campaign resulted in 9,002 households.Many members were overwhelmed with surprise that the finalresult was 1,000 families over the April goal. The conviction thatanything is possible when we follow what Sensei teaches us wasstrongly felt by each member.

Yoshiyuki Asai, then a Young Mens Division Corps ChiefPeople dont move because an organisation is built. Anorganisation does not function because people are allocated. It isnot the form, but life itself. This is the principle that PresidentIkeda taught us. Sensei would discuss every single detail with usduring the morning Gosho lectures. These details breathed lifeinto the organisation.

[To be continued]

(Translated from the January and February 2003 issues ofDaibyakurenge)

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VALUE CREATION FEBRUARY 2007 113

THE OSAKA CAMPAIGN

Learning from the Struggles of President Ikeda in his Youth Part 2 of 3

(This collection of reflections, recollections and testimonials wastranslated by 41 members of the Kansai World Group and presen-ted to SGI President Daisaku Ikeda on November 18, 2003)

STUDY BASED ON ACTION LEADS TO VICTORY

Victory is certain when we follow what is taught

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda often gave guidance by quotingGosho passages. His lectures were more than a study meeting,they were the practical teachings that led towards victory.

One leader recalled that Ikeda Senseis guidances in which hequoted from the Gosho led everyone to fight with a strongdetermination. When we do what he teaches us, we will surelywin. This feeling of security turned into courage. Kansaimembers vigorously sought out ways to put Senseis guidance intoaction.

Setsuko Magari, then a District Womens Division ChiefSensei always gave us guidance with his entire being. He wouldsay, This is a battle between the Buddha and evil forces. I feelsorry for the members if we lose this battle.

Senseis words touched our hearts. Senseis heart alsocommunicated to our children. My four-year-old and one-year-old, who would usually get cranky during meetings, would sitquietly when Sensei spoke. Several members brought childrenand all of them would sit quietly next to their parents. I wasamazed by the fact that President Ikedas determination eventouched the childrens hearts.

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At one meeting, Sensei taught us how important the faith ofa wife is. He cited the following Gosho passage: It is the powerof the bow that determines the flight of the arrow, the might ofthe dragon that controls the movement of the clouds, and thestrength of the wife that guides the actions of her husband(WND-1, 656).

My father-in-law vehemently opposed my faith in theGohonzon. In addition, my mother-in-law was bedridden and myhusband did not support my practice.

Sensei said, Do not lament the adversity you are in. Withthe great power that each woman possesses, she can transformher family and even her community. Through his lecture Ireceived immense courage and developed a strong conviction.

One day I attended a meeting without my children. Senseinoticed that my children were not with me. He then asked,What happened to your children today? He knew that Ialways sat in the corner with them. He noticed even this minordetail.

114 VALUE CREATION FEBRUARY 2007

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He asked me about my family. He then cited a Goshopassage, which states, ... the crows blackness and the heronswhiteness are actually the deep stains of their past karma(WND-1, 304). He then said, Never hate or bear grudgesagainst people who are opposed to this faith. They will surelyunderstand you when you revolutionise your own state of life.

Thereafter all my family members started practisingDaishonins Buddhism, enabling us to become a happy andharmonious family, struggling together for the happiness of ourfriends.

Growth is life, and retreat, death

One local leader reminisced that President Ikeda was strict withleaders. Senseis guidance was based on the Gosho passage, Forexample, if a commanding general is fainthearted, his soldiers willbecome cowards (WND-1, 464). He went on to say, Becauseyou try hard to fulfil your responsibilities as a leader, you canmanifest the power of faith and the power of practise. Likewise,the power of faith and practise will bring forth the power of theBuddha and the power of the Law. When the mentor is near,everyone will practise in earnest. Yet the true disciple is one whomakes serious efforts when the mentor is away.

Referring to this Gosho passage The situation is like thejoints in a piece of bamboo: if one joint is ruptured, then all thejoints will split (WND-1, 512) President Ikeda said: If thecentral figure gives in, his organisation will end up losing. SokaGakkai leaders should shoulder the responsibility for leadingeach and every member towards happiness. Leaders must takeaction on their own initiative towards that end.

Everything falls into the ultimate law of life and death.Growth leads to life, while retreat leads to death. Therefore, theDaishonin says, Strengthen your faith day by day and monthafter month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devilswill take advantage (WND-1, 997).


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Kaoru Nakayama, then a Young Womens Division Vice CorpsChiefIn order to attend the morning Gosho lecture, I would have totake the 5:00 A.M. train. One day, I summoned up the courageto read the Gosho aloud in front of the members. The Goshowas from The Record of Orally Transmitted Teachings, which Ihad never read before. I was very nervous, but managed to readthrough to the end.

Sensei thanked me and then continued, This is the mostimportant time in your life to establish the foundation of yourfaith. I hope you will do your best. Please keep this in mind.During the war, Gakkai leaders abandoned their faith whenimprisoned by the military authorities. They abandoned theirfaith because the Gosho was not deeply etched in their mind.

Sensei gave very detailed guidance to the young womensdivision members. Given the fact that the meeting was held earlyin the morning, I was careless about my appearance. It was thenthat Sensei pointed out to me, We are creating a circle of friendswho will stand by our side for our faith in Buddhism. However,if you are careless about your personal appearance, people willnot be attracted to the Gakkai. Young women embracing theMystic Law must be careful about their appearance.

The first one to wake up and the last to sleep

The late Yoshiko Fukuo, who was a caretaker of the Kansaiheadquarters, wrote her remembrance as follows: Senseiworked without any time to rest. He went to bed last and got upfirst. I had been told that in society, superiors generally took iteasy. I was overwhelmed by Sensei, who ceaselessly devotedhimself to others.

President Ikeda gave lectures citing various Gosho passages.

No matter how humble a person may be, if his wisdomis the least bit greater than yours, you should ask him


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about the meaning of the sutra (WND-1, 757). Ikeda Sensei: In faith, you should not be arrogant.Without a seeking spirit to learn, you will not developand grow. Even if you say you are great, people wontbelieve you. This is self-complacency. The greatness of aperson is determined by others.

Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow.When the body bends, so does the shadow (WND-1,1039). Ikeda Sensei: I dont trust people who dont work. Onemust not trust them. If you have worries about your job,you cant fight with all your might.

...you had better cut short your sleep at night and curtailyour leisure by day, and ponder this! You must notspend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousandyears to come (WND-1, 622). Ikeda Sensei: Lets carry out a fight without any regrets.Lets do our best together. This is going to be the firsthistoric struggle in Kansai. If you cut short your sleepthen you have engaged in the struggle earnestly.

One day of life is more valuable than all the treasures ofthe major world system (WND-1, 955). Ikeda Sensei: The benefit we receive in our daily practiseto the Gohonzon is tremendous. Why dont we do inone day the work of a week or even ten days, dedicatingour lives to the Gohonzon?

Tomii, then a Womens Division District ChiefIn those days, I ran a small restaurant near Tsuruhashi station. Itwas a l5-minute walk from the Kansai headquarters. I walkedthere early in the morning and sat right in front of the tablewhere Sensei spoke.


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I was having a hard time making ends meet. Senseiencouraged me with a Gosho passage: praying earnestly asthough producing fire from damp wood, or obtaining water fromparched ground (WND-1, 444). This became one of myfavourite passages from the Gosho.

Sensei would talk to us and say, I hope you will becomehappy. Although the room was packed with people, I felt thathe was speaking directly to me.

We would communicate Senseis guidance to our fellowmembers before the day was over. Members looked forward tolistening to what Sensei had said at these lectures.

Destroy the impossible barrier with the sword of faith

When one comes to the end of ones good fortune, nostrategy whatsoever avails. When ones karmic rewardsare exhausted, even ones retainers no longer follow one(WND-1, 1000). Ikeda Sensei: When you no longer have good fortune,nothing will go smoothly, no matter how hard you tryor how excellent your strategies are. Good fortunemeans faith. As long as you doubt the Gohonzon, youwont accumulate good fortune or benefit. Buddhism isthe body and society is the shadow.

Those who embrace this Lotus Sutra should be preparedto meet with difficulties (GZ, 742). Ikeda Sensei: We should practise faith while overcominghardships. The Daishonin says, Dedicate yourself torebuke the powerful enemies just as Nichiren has doneinnumerable kalpas ago (GZ, 1589). Never fear anything.

Break down the impossible barrier with the sword of faith.Senseis confident guidance taught the Kansai members whatneeded to be done.


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Sadako Sakai, then a Young Womens Division Vice Corps ChiefIf you exert a hundred million aeons of effort in a singlemoment of life, the three enlightened properties of the Buddhawill appear within you at each moment (GZ, 790). This isunforgettable guidance.

Life means making decisions, Sensei said. No matterwhat happens, it is important to advance tirelessly, with aresolute mind. The attitude that I will make anything possible isthe driving force to forge ahead.

Gosho manifests guidelines for practise

In his early morning Gosho lectures, President Ikeda clearlypointed out that the guidelines for practise lie in the Gosho.

The characters of this sutra are all without exceptionliving Buddhas of perfect enlightenment. But because wehave the eyes of ordinary people, we see them ascharacters. ... To the eyes of ordinary people, they looklike characters. Persons of the two vehicles perceive themas the void. Bodhisattvas look on them as innumerabledoctrines. Buddhas recognise each character as a goldenShakyamuni (WND-1, 486).Ikeda Sensei: In terms of the characters in the LotusSutra, ordinary people see them simply as letters. Personsof the two vehicles see them as the void. Bodhisattvassee them as innumerable doctrines. And the Buddhasees it as a golden Shakyamuni. Likewise we all feeldifferent depending on our own life-condition. When youare in the world of Hell, everything around you feels likein the world of Hell. If you have a strong single momentof life filled with joy, you can control your environmenteven though you may be in the world of Hell or the realmof Anger. Without exception, you can change all yoursufferings into happiness and ride out all difficulties.


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People acting out of their own discretion will meet a deadend. Conceited people will be deadlocked in the end. You neverknow exactly what your mind is telling you. No one can avoidthe influence of his environment.

Be determined to put the Gohonzon at the centre of your lifeand continue practising based on the Gosho. The Gohonzonshould be the master of your mind.

* * * * * * * * * *

BE CHARGED WITH A MILLION VOLTS!

Latecomers never make it

One day, the Early Morning Gosho Lecture by President Ikedawas held in the Gohonzon room on the third floor of the Kansaiheadquarters building. The members who attended this meetingsaid later: What a tremendous spirit Sensei radiates when he sits

in front of the Gohonzon! Heraises our spirits so hightowards the Gohonzon!

This is dynamicgongyo! This is realdaimoku! One of the leaders

recalls: Gongyo with Sensei inthe morning was conducted withabsolute seriousness. We used torun to the chanting room, neverto be late. Then, we all came torealise the one truth in the battlefor kosen-rufu. This one truth is,to seek Sensei single-mindedly,

stay with him, and be withhim wholeheartedly. When


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you do this, you will experience tremendous energy, like highpower voltage of, say, a million volts. This energy will prevail inevery corner of your organisation. This truth has never left mesince then.

Akiko Kurihara, then a Young Womens Division Corps ChiefDuring the early morning meeting, we would report the results ofthe campaign. Reports were given by each division, and I wasresponsible for the YWD results. One day I was late in reportingthe results by about five minutes. Very few telephones wereavailable in those days, so that was the reason I gave for being late.

Sensei pointed out: Members fought hard in the battle forkosen-rufu and accomplished results, but you were not prepared toreport the results they achieved. This is simply because your life asa leader is half-hearted. Reports have to be made swiftly, and theymust be done on time. As it is said, Latecomers never make it.

Heres another story from a meeting at that time. One of theleaders was concerned about when the meeting would end. All ofa sudden, looking at his watch, he said, Sensei, time is up.Sensei always allowed us to voice our opinions freely at suchmeetings so the leader probably didnt hesitate to speak up onthis occasion. We are all here to discuss seriously thecommitment of many years to come. How can you be incommand of our victory when your mind is not synchronisedwith mine? Sensei gave him this strict guidance. We all felt tenseand realised the truth of what he was saying.

Without touching the right chord in Senseis heart, noamount of efforts will bring about satisfactory results. On thecontrary, the situation may get worse and we could lose thebattle.

This is what we learned from him: Report swiftly!

To be in gear with our mentor, we have to ask ourselves: Howdo I seek the mentor? How do I react to the mentor?


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In those days President Ikeda trained each leader withcareful consideration. The late Mrs Matsuko Shigoku, whostruggled predominantly as one of the three womens divisiondistrict chiefs called the three crows! wrote that Senseistressed the importance of liaison and reports. Sensei himselfcalled us and sent us telegrams several times each day. He said,The next time, you should communicate with me.

One of the leaders, to whom President Ikeda gave a gift inencouragement, said: About three days after I received the gift,I acknowledged it and said: Thank you very much for what yougave me the other day. To this, Sensei responded: You are latesaying that. When I was presented with another special item, Ithanked Sensei the very next day. However, he again said, Youare late. Through such everyday events, he taught us to imbibehis fighting spirit and his speed.

Things that slip through, like a sieve

A visiting central leader said, I spoke before Sensei at a leadersmeeting, and as soon as I returned to my seat Sensei said, You arenot in rhythm with me. He said this every time I spoke at meetings.Therefore, I studied Senseis guidance even harder, and the nexttime I spoke Sensei was nodding while listening to my speech.

We must struggle and think how we can make our mentorsheart our own. Then we will be in rhythm with our mentor.

The same leader was admonished by Sensei time and timeagain: You are always forgetting things. You are like a sieve.

What shall I do? the leader asked himself. How can Iovercome my weakness? He sat in front of the Gohonzon in themiddle of the night and chanted earnestly. He kept chantingseriously for many hours. Finally he realised that he really was asieve. I was arrogant, and puffed up, he thought to himselfwith regret.

He made a deep resolve: As a sieve, I will be what I am. A sieveis useful in its own way. I will become the greatest sieve in Japan.


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Once he realised his real nature, a joyous feeling surged from withinhimself. From the following day, he worked to his hearts content.After that, President Ikeda never again made this comment to him.

To receive Senseis guidance with your mind is one thing. Tounderstand it with your whole being is quite another. You canwork in perfect harmony only when you chant daimokuvigorously and make a resolve.

Maki Nakao, then a Womens Division District ChiefWe used to go to the Kansai Headquarters early in the morning.The door was always closed when morning gongyo started. Ifyou were late even one minute, you were not allowed to enter theroom. You had to do gongyo on the stairs in front of the room.

When it comes to trains, Sensei said, if you are late byjust one minute, you cannot get on the train. He trained us tochange our attitude towards faith.

Once he gave me guidance. My husband joined the SokaGakkai before I did. Since I was busy raising our children, I waspractising just following the lead of my husband.

Fully aware of my attitude towards faith, Sensei said to me:Dont hide in the shadow of your husband. Practise for yourown sake.

After the Gosho lecture, he would lead us in singing Gakkaisongs. We all enjoyed being with Sensei.

The core of unity is faith

During briefing sessions, President Ikeda directed his admonishingremarks to the district and chapter chiefs who were absent: Atsuch important meetings, the representative leaders of everysection should be present. It is their presence that helps the wholegroup realise its full potential. The whole system should be ingear. And it is your faith that gets you in gear with the motor.

President Ikeda taught us about unity by sharing concreteexamples. At a district leaders meeting, one YWD ward chief was


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not present. A ward chief at that time would be a district chieftoday. Sensei asked, What happened to the YWD districtchief? The MD district chief answered, I guess she couldntmake it because of work. Sensei told him, Please give my bestregards to her.

The district chief conveyed Senseis words to her when hewent back to the local organisation. She was impressed bySenseis sincerity. At the same time, she was ashamed because shehad not contacted the MD district leader. She determined to bemore in contact with him in the future.

Thus, President Ikeda taught us what is unity in faith.

Fusae Fukuzumi, then a Womens Division District ChiefI took the earliest train to Kansai headquarters. I sat in the frontrow of the room to do gongyo with Sensei.

Senseis Gosho lectures were full of spirit and touched ourhearts deeply. I learned from Sensei how grave our mission wasand how great our fortune was: Look at the world this year as amirror. The reason that you have survived until now when somany have died was so that you would meet with this affair(WND-1, 829).

Noticing that some members were missing at a meeting,Sensei asked other leaders why they were absent. When theleaders could not answer, he cited the words from the Gosho, Ifthe spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among thepeople, they will achieve all their goals, whereas if one in bodybut different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable(WND-1, 618).

Thus he pointed towards our egoistic tendency and said thatwe truly did not care for others.

Like awa-okoshi or millet cake

Osaka is famous for its awa-okoshi or millet cake. One day, weenjoyed a wonderful conversation with President Ikeda while


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eating awa-okoshi with him. Afterwards, Sensei said, Now thatyou have eaten millet cakes, you can become united, cant you?

United? we exclaimed. We Kansai members could notunderstand what he meant.

President Ikeda explained, with humour, Awa-okoshi ismade of awa (millet) stiffened with caramelised sugar, isnt it?This is, exactly, a form of unity.

In this way, through daily, close communication withSensei, the Kansai members learnt the correct attitude ofpractising faith.

One womens division district chief said her district wassuffering from stagnation. President Ikeda encouraged her, saying,Its lack of unity. You need to unite!

Since then, all the district leaders made strong efforts to chantand fight. As a result, some 80 friends attended a discussionmeeting and all of them became new members.

* * * * * * * * * *

THOSE WHO STRENGTHEN THE FRONTLINES OF THEORGANISATION WILL TRIUMPH

Capture the hearts of those on the frontlines

In March, the groups within a district became the focus of ouractivities. Why is the group very important? President Ikedagave this guidance to the central leaders: Those who grasp theactual conditions of their groups will be victorious. Chapterswhich build their groups solidly will achieve victory. It isimportant that we revitalise the groups in order to gain victoryin our districts. The district is supported by its groups.

President Ikeda taught us how to communicate with eachand every member on the frontline and how to capture theirhearts. He taught us that from there we could generate thevitality to struggle and the rhythm of victory.


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Ayako Matsumoto, then a WomensDivision Group ChiefSensei came all the way to Suita city.He said, Please ask me anyquestions today, but no one raised ahand. We did not know what to ask.

Let me talk to you insteadthen, said Sensei, andconfidently spoke to us about the

stupendous power possessed bythe Gohonzon.

After about twomonths, I received a postcard.

It was from Sensei! I hope youwill dedicate yourself to achieve

kosen-rufu no matter what and takeleadership with vigorous action and strong faith.

I leapt with joy! I was just a womens division group leaderat the time. I walked all over the city every day to show this cardto each and every member.

Giichi Kitagawa, then a Mens Division Group ChiefPresident Ikeda attended a general discussion meeting held in theFuse Public Market in Fuse city [now Higashi-Osaka city]. Themeeting was a dramatic one, in which 17 of the 18 friends whoattended joined the Soka Gakkai. After the meeting, President Ikedasaid, I would like to visit some other meetings for members.

I shouted without much consideration, Please come to mygroup! Its near here. Accompanied by President Ikeda, membersof my group walked to our meeting place. After a while, PresidentIkeda said, Although you said its near, this is quite a distance.

The distance was two bus stops away, and it took about 20minutes to walk. Later on, a senior member said, PresidentIkeda was tired because of his hard struggles. I felt so sorry forhim, but he walked together with us anyway.


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Every member was poor. We could not even serve him teaor refreshments. Still, President Ikeda listened to each memberattentively, asking in a frank manner, How many children doyou have?

All of us were deeply impressed. One Youth Division memberwho was deeply moved by President Ikedas attitude said, PresidentIkeda, shall I massage your shoulders? We were like a family.

From then on, every member walked around doingshakubuku with joy, from morning till night. As a result, weshakubukued 73 households in just one month. We were sosurprised with the results.

Flash the searchlight on the frontline

At a guidance meeting for unit leaders on April 1, President Ikedaannounced a new policy for our activities. He put emphasis onthe encouragement for groups rather than districts, for unitsrather than groups. Unit is the equivalent of the block unitof today. Our frontline was instantly multiplied. This became thefoundation for our future victory.

A leader at that time said, quoting President Ikeda: Shine asearchlight on your organisation. In order to nurture yourmembers, let them realise their responsibilities. For example, takewater in a bucket. If you stir the water in the bucket, the water willstop in a short while. But if you stir again before it stops, the waterkeeps moving. In other words, to keep the organisation moving,you have to visit it frequently. The same things can be said forleaders. You have to visit the frontlines often. Visit various areas inyour organisation as if stirring water in the bucket.

Sensei implemented this guidance as a role model. He oftenvisited small meetings to encourage each member.

Terue Kitagawa, then a Womens Division Group ChiefWhen we welcomed President Ikeda to our place, we had just leftmy husbands parents house in Yao city and moved to Osaka.


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Due to the distance from my in-laws, I was very worried aboutthem. I talked with President Ikeda about this. He said, Pleasedont worry.

After encouraging me, he went to Yao city to see myhusbands parents. He told them, Please dont worry about yoursons family. I will take care of them.

I will never ever forget his warm consideration. That wasthe prime point of my practise.

Utmost encouragement even to those who are not Soka Gakkai members

President Ikeda attended a meeting for group leaders at the homeof a district womens division chief. The mother of the districtwomens division chief had firmly refused to join the SokaGakkai. However, she wondered what Ikeda Sensei looked like,so she came to glance over the meeting. She was dressed plainly,wearing an apron. She bumped into Sensei. The husband of thedistrict womens division chief introduced her to him, saying,This is my mother-in-law.

Are you practising this faith? President Ikeda asked her.She could not reply to his question. Holding her shoulders withhis hands, he said, Your daughters husband is a great person.Lets practise together. Yes, she answered.

President Ikedas behaviour touched the hearts of memberson the frontline of the organisation.

Fumiko Inishi, then a Young Womens Division Unit ChiefAbout five oclock in the morning, Sensei visited our house,which served as an activity centre. I am sorry that I woke youup so early, he said. He then asked me if he could get some restas he had just arrived in Kansai by an overnight train.

Our business was making tatami-mats, but it was very hardfor us to make a living. We did not have any charcoal withwhich to heat our house. I tried to find something to warm


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Sensei on that cold day, but couldnt find anything. My motherfinally found a piece of sakkasu, or sak lees in the cupboard,and with that we made a sweet drink of amazake (a sweetalcoholic drink made from fermented rice) for him. He sipped it,saying, This tastes good, so good.

Sensei never forgot this. When he saw us again some timeafter that, he thanked us, saying, Im sorry to have causedyou so much trouble on that early morning. He told theleaders around him, Your responsibility is to support andencourage her with all your might. If she leaves the Gakkai,that is your fault. His words were too generous for me.

Ayako Ohmi, then a Young Womens Division Group ChiefSensei encouraged me when I was a young womens divisiongroup chief. One day when I went to the Kansai Headquarters, Isaw he was waiting to ask me to draw his portrait. He thenhanded me a pencil and a piece of paper. I was surprised at hisrequest. I had once attended an art school, but I was unawarethat Sensei knew about it.

I do not remember what the picture looked like. What Iremember is that I was very nervous, Senseis shy smile, and thewords that he uttered: Does it look like me? I am stilloverwhelmed when I recall this incident.

* * * * * * * * * *

WE WILL DEFINITELY WIN, SENSEI! PLEASE COME TO KANSAI

Osaka stadium in the rain

It had been decided that the Joint General Meeting of Osaka andSakai chapters would be held in the Osaka stadium on April 8,1956 and that Toda Sensei would participate in that meeting. Allthe Kansai members wanted to do their best because Toda Senseiwas coming.


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President Ikeda was different. His attitude was, TodaSensei, we will be victorious in this campaign, please come toKansai! The members learned that this is the attitude of agenuine disciple towards his mentor.

Akiko Kurihara, then a YWD Corps ChiefIn March that year, the Osaka chapter determined to shakubuku5,000 households and welcome President Toda to the joint generalmeeting with the Sakai Chapter on April 8. President Ikeda told ushow we should greet President Toda at the meeting. He said, Weshould welcome President Toda with complete victory.

Once the deadline of March had passed and we had reachedour target, we devoted ourselves to doing more shakubuku untilApril 8, accomplishing another 4,000 shakubuku within a week.As a result, the total number of shakubuku in April that year was9,000 households.

We learnt a very important lesson from President Ikeda. Tous, welcoming our mentor meant achieving a victory.

You can do it!

Despite torrential rains, all the 20,000 participants who filled theballpark for the joint meeting were undaunted. The torch offaith lit by President Ikeda could not be extinguished by the rain.

Members of Kansai developed a strong conviction after thegeneral meeting. We can do anything if we are determined. Nowthey knew that there was nothing impossible for them as long as theyfollowed President Ikedas guidance (cf. The Human Revolution).But no one knew at the time that the heavy rain would seriouslyaffect President Ikedas health as he was suffering from exhaustion.

Behave as though ones mentor is always there

Day and night I reported every little thing about our battles toPresident Toda, while I made a tireless effort to carry out many


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things for the victory, writes President Ikeda (cf. The HumanRevolution).

Mr Shiraki, then Osaka chapter chief, says, PresidentIkeda reported each result of the struggle to President Toda overthe phone. When we saw President Ikeda on the phone, hewould sit up straight, as if President Toda was actually in frontof him.

Everything begins and ends with the mentor-disciplerelationship (cf. Thoughts on The New Human Revolution).This is the foundation of the Ever-victorious Kansai spirit.

Setsuko Umemoto, then a Standing Committee member ofOsaka ChapterWhen President Toda was with us in the Osaka ballpark, IkedaSensei, who was busy leading us to prepare thoroughly for thegeneral meeting, said to us: When we disc

Osaka Campaign

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Transcript of Osaka Campaign