Pres. Ikeda's Poems - May 3, 2001It has come at last! The sun shines On the bright, smiling faces Of fellow members Ten million strong. ***** Nichiren Daishonin teaches That all who strive assiduously With selfless devotion, Will, without exception, Attain Buddhahood. ***** Together We have prospered and triumphed -- Our lives, Dedicated to fulfilling a lofty vow, Are a paean to the human spirit. --------------------------------- Our Brilliant May 3! By Shin'ichi Yamamoto [the name President Ikeda uses for his character in "The Human Revolution"] Finally, we have won! You and I have won! Earnestly striving to achieve A solidarity for humanism and peace Ten million strong, My beloved comrades in faith Energetically celebrate This day -- The first May 3 of the 21st century. We have triumphed, Amid cheers and jubilation, We have triumphed, Overcoming every obstacle and hardship. May 3, 2001 Was a momentous target For our movement, The years to which Were marked by continuous struggle As we fought to surmount Every criticism and slur. Now finally we greet that day; We have scaled that towering peak And conquered it! Thank you, Each and every one of you, my dear friends! Thank you, My fellow members around the world! We have won. The mother Wholeheartedly wishes To celebrate the triumph Of her beloved son Whose greatest pride Is working selflessly For the happiness of those suffering, Never ignoring their plight. The father Is proud Of his daughter Who speaks out fearlessly: "Peace! We want peace!" While many of her friends Are off enjoying idle pleasures, She, the admirable young woman she is, Shines her brilliant, Star-bright light on all around her. With gentle eyes as luminous as the moon And a smile as lovely as a flower, She makes her way in the fresh air, Exerting herself tirelessly To encourage many friends Who are racked by sadness and sorrow -- How noble she is! The father Prays that his wonderful daughter, Shining with brilliant hope, Will walk the golden way of happiness Throughout life, With joy, strength, and integrity. He watches after her, A broad smile on his face, His happiness in full bloom. Those others [traitors of the SGI] Boast the rampant bad taste of the vulgar; They brag of their wealth and prosperity, Blind to the fact That they are the laughingstock of all. They do not know That they emit a stench More foul Than stinkweed. And so, They lack that most important eye For discerning the essence Of a life of supreme good, Of the most noble deeds, Of excellence of character, Of real truth and justice. Those others! Oblivious to the new age, They constantly repeat old sins, Over and over! For us, however, An age of peace and tranquillity Is always waiting. We always wear Our jeweled crown Of happiness. Here, Absolute, eternal happiness, True, unsurpassed happiness, Awaits us. No matter how fierce The storms of sorrow that may beset us, We will never succumb. No matter how others may inflict Savage wounds on our hearts, Their efforts will only backfire And rage as storms of mental torment In their own minds. And, eventually, These individuals, Who are obsessed with title and status, Power and fortune, Will be tortured By endless agony. There is no force That can alter our truth and justice. Those who have tormented us Will only suffer retribution Inflicted by their own hand. A cursed blood flows through the veins Of such odious individuals And they will end their days Suffering for the offenses Of their utterly corrupt beings And cursing their own evil lives. As for us, We need no crown of authority; We possess no dark ambitions; We commit no offenses That will give us cause for regret. We will never become The kind of people who pretend to goodness But suffer the torments of hell inside. No matter how many fabrications People broadcast throughout society, We fear nothing. Such pitiful schemes And the cold winds of malice Are no more than the shadows of phantoms To those who possess a state of life As indomitable as a majestic palace, To those who are strong and true. We merely laugh At the black-hearted, Quivering, Pitiful wretches Who resemble petty thieves. Our citadel of truth and justice Remains completely unshaken By the harsh blast of arctic winds, By the storms of cruelty, By the wild cacophony. Oh May 3! A day When ambassadors of peace, Emissaries of happiness, Who have appeared all over the world, Set forth with fresh energy and joy! Oh world citadel of kosen-rufu! Standing firm and unmoving Against every underhanded And vile attack -- At times, the persecution of authority, At times, the treachery of priests, At times, the violence of words! We have laid the foundation For global kosen-rufu -- Our organization is solid, Our bases, sound, Our network, strong. There is no doubt That the next thousand, ten thousand years Will be our age. My fellow members, Comrades of shared mission, Never be defeated! We must win without fail. To do so, Advance, run -- Forward, ever forward! The wise Are always learning. Let us, You and I, Striving each day As people of outstanding wisdom, Calmly meet the challenges Of every new age And win. As we achieve Victories that create value And bring spiritual fulfillment -- The greatest desire of all human beings -- We will adorn our lives As victors who have won honestly in society. All of us Must eventually experience death, Which evokes feelings of darkness and sadness. A great philosopher Once described life as but a reprieve Before that inevitable destination. Therefore, We who have unshakable belief In the eternity of life Know the boundless joy Of devoting ourselves unceasingly In the pursuit of unsurpassed value Throughout our lives. And we, In our struggle toward our lofty goal, Constantly seek to elevate ourselves. Those others, however, Toying as they do with petty goals, Only lower themselves further. Human beings Must live In the most human fashion. But what does that mean? This seems easy to answer, But it is actually quite difficult. It is Buddhism And our faith in the Mystic Law That provide The ultimate, all-encompassing Answer to that question. Those who have earned the right to shout "Hurrah for humanity! Hurrah for myself!" Are happy, Are people who have won over themselves. Those who have won over themselves Enjoy day after day of happiness. Such people Traverse a realm of supreme happiness And, as people of outstanding humanity, Have built an indestructible fortress of character. Even among our comrades, There have been many who, Though in the past Burned with sense of justice, Mission and commitment, And worked earnestly for kosen-rufu, Eventually grew arrogant, Forgot the purpose of their faith, Fell prisoner to baseness, And left our gathering of kosen-rufu. There have been foolish people Who took lightly The goodwill And the pure, profound realm of faith Of the SGI -- A realm of pure-hearted members Dedicated to truth and justice -- And who caused trouble for others, Acting in such a way As to disrupt the harmony of believers. We absolutely refuse To compromise with evil. We sever our ties with -- And, moreover, fight rigorously against -- Those who share the life-state Of the treacherous and destructive Devadatta. No matter what they may have achieved in the past, Buddhism is concerned with the present and the future. We cannot forgive those who, While holding the highest leadership positions -- Just like the five senior priests Who betrayed the Daishonin -- Behaved like degenerate madmen. How immense must be The Daishonin's anger, And that of his successor, Second high priest Nikko Shonin! The anger of the SGI, Which has inherited the Buddha's intent and decree, Is no less. We cannot forgive evil If we are to protect the good! We must drive out the corrupt If we are to protect the SGI! If we are to protect truth and justice! How pitiful Are these Prisoners of delusion, Without principle, Without faith, With vindictive eyes, Their basest animal instincts exposed, Howling wildly at the good and just! Cringing before truth and justice, The arrogant authorities Try to flee, to escape its hands. They, with their many celebrated titles, Combining their personal interest and pleasure, Unknowingly tread on a path that leads Into a scorching, inhospitable desert. Oh how futile Are all their fine-sounding words! We, in contrast, are living Lives of integrity. We have chosen the path leading to truth. And Without allowing a single person to fall victim To the insidious schemes of the jealous and deceitful, We will continue to advance With invincible passion and energy. May the lofty song Of our chorus of peace Take us from the discord Of a world of dark envy, To a world that rejects conflict and war! Above all, How joyous it is to forge A world of unity that extols The duet of justice and conviction! Following the path of the wise, We gaze down, >From our lofty palace, On the crazed World of barbaric strife. The foolish remain eternally Ignorant of virtue, Choosing intentionally the path of evil And stupidly pursuing it Until they arrive At a place that is human hell. Oh May 3! Fighting together, Working together, >From times of suffering, >From times of sadness, >From times of frustration, To a new age of certain victory Of the spirit Of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth! Forever without confusion, Without self-contradiction, We gather At that citadel Of deep abiding respect, Of the noblest heights of human existence, Where the spirit shines with truth. May 3! May 3! Oh our proud May 3! This brilliant day On which ordinary people, Who have sincerely been seeking The truth, Awaken! May is the fifth month: It corresponds to the deeply profound Five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo As well as to the five guides for propagation Set forth by the Daishonin -- The teaching, the people's capacity, the time, the country And the sequence of propagation. Oh the sacred undertaking of the SGI, Which, in accord with these five guidelines, Has propagated the great teaching of Buddhism To the five continents of the world -- Asia, Africa, Europe, The Americas, And Oceania! At the same time, The "3" of May 3 Corresponds to past, present and future. For, as the Daishonin writes: "The heritage of the Lotus Sutra Flows within the lives Of those who never forsake it In any lifetime whatsoever -- Whether in the past, the present, or the future" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 217). The bonds of mentor and disciple In the dedicated pursuit of kosen-rufu -- Both across the three existences And across three generations -- Are as indestructible as a diamond. The 130th anniversary of the birth Of our first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi! The 50th anniversary of the inauguration Of our second president, Josei Toda! The great honor of the third president On May 3 of this milestone year, Who joyfully shares with all SGI members And proudly dedicates to his mentors, Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda, The more than 100 Honorary degrees and professorships Received from five continents! Oh my beloved comrades! With the vast sky unfolding high above you And your hearts, too, open wide to infinity, You ride on a rhythm Of cheers, applause and jubilation, Together, always together With the law of the universe! We possess wings With which to soar on high; We possess a diamond-like spirit That can endure all; And We possess compassionate hearts That deeply and broadly embrace and shield People throughout the world. Our lofty dream Will never succumb To the bitter winds of adversity. It is not a weak, fragile Armchair conviction. A state of life that strives ever higher And yet higher again. The more we fight, The more we obtain An absolutely invincible, everlasting strength. Oh hearts Gazing down serenely on all From the skies of a lofty state of being, Always shining with golden light In times of prosperity And on dark night roads alike! Buddhism is a struggle to be victorious. It is a struggle for truth and justice For happiness, For peace. Buddhism without action Is not the Daishonin's Buddhism. It is only An exploitation of Buddhism. And Nichiren Shoshu today Is the epitome of this. People all around the world Are seeking true Buddhism. Therefore, We must state the truth With firm conviction. The same action if carried out In a weak, halfhearted manner Will not serve the cause of justice. A true pacifist Shares the spirit Of a genuine practitioner of Buddhism. We both seek to transform The tragedy of war Into a lasting peace. The foundation for this quest is humanity; It is the human spirit. That is why human revolution Is absolutely necessary. May 3! Once again, Let us, the eloquent, The great unsung champions of kosen-rufu Who shine with glory, Fight and take the lead In every situation, in every season, As we, together with wonderful companions, Rise above the uncaring and the indifferent, And triumph over the cowardly Spinning their unending lies. Because you, my friends, Know That this struggle Will bring you the eternal reward Of a life of supreme value. Now, For great victory In countless future undertakings, Let us advance, Our hearts brimming with excitement, Aspiring for the distant golden horizon. May 3! A day on which The skies are clear, the earth illuminated, And our hearts are filled with joy! May 3! A day on which the spirit Of fresh advance, Of fresh determination, Toward kosen-rufu Burns bright! NOTE: SGI President Ikeda is recognized throughout the world as a poet laureate. |