Ngee Ann Poly Student Division

2010-11-25T22:36:00.001+08:00

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Thursday, November 25, 2010:

Please do not forget your mother's love or the hardships she has endured for you. I am convinced that while people keep the memory of their mothers' loving faces alive in their mind, they will never go far astray. Similarly, as long as we bear in mind the Daishonin's profound compassion and live in deep appreciation of it, our lives will be illuminated brightly by the light of Buddhahood. And enveloped in the Gohonzon's great compassion, we will walk along a path that is filled with tranquillity and immeasurable joy.

Sensei's daily encouragement14-11

2010-11-14T18:22:00.000+08:00

Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Sunday, November 14, 2010:
In a family, if one person is unhappy, then so is the entire family. Therefore, I would like you to sincerely pray for and protect one another so that there are no people who are unfortunate and unhappy, or who abandon their faith, and that every person will become happy. These are the kinds of humanistic bonds among fellow members that give birth to true unity. Coercion or force stemming from power and authority is ineffective at critical moments.

Sensei's daily encouragement

2010-11-11T12:39:00.002+08:00

There are various kinds of careers and roles that people fill in society. While each role of course has significance, the fundamental role that we each play as a Buddhist is that of philosopher of life and of humanity who can impart eternal value to humankind. We are leaders of happiness and creators of peace. In this sense, our role is unique.

in this encouragement , sensei is trying to say that there are many types of jobs and careers in society , and every type of job , no matter how poorly we are paid , or how boring or useless it is , the jobs that we do are still important as it affects the organisation that we are working for as a whole. However , beneath the significance of our work , our true role and main significant contribution to society is that we are Buddhist that spreads the philopsophy of life for humanity who truely create value within our society as well as happiness to our immediate surroundings and peace. that way , our roles in society is truely unique indeed!

-Criss

Daily Encouragment

2010-11-08T22:55:00.004+08:00

"Be the pencil that never forgets the happy that guides its step. Be the person who never forgets to repay debts of gratitude. Be the pencil that suffers pain from the sharpener and becomes sharper in the end. Be the person who never fears suffering and use it as an opportunity for growth. Be the pencil that allows an eraser to rub out mistakes. Be the person who dares to make and learn from mistakes. Be the pencil that revels in its shiny graphite despite its lackluster woody appearance. Be the person who accumulates treasures of the heart rather than monetary gains. Be the person who finds and fulfills his mission in life" ~ Daisaku Ikeda

Counting down to 2011... What have you achieve this year?

Sensei's Video Review by Chin Peng (July 2010)

2010-09-12T22:33:00.002+08:00

This time Sensei video covered quite a bit of things.

As far as I can remember, the meeting started with the woman division presenting a award to Mrs Kaneko Ikeda for her accomplishment on her book Kaneko's Story. She deserves the award as she really is the role model for the YWD and WDs

Sensei told the MD present at the meeting to support the YWD,WD and YMD to show proof with their experience. He also stress that the 3 founding president are from MD showing that he expects great result from MD.

He also mentioned that he did not live a life of regret as he never fail a promise with Toda sensei, as a sign of wanting us as his disciple to do the same of not leading a life of regret nor failing a promise. To proof his point, he mentioned how many academic awards he has been awarded, assuring us that we are not following a wrong mentor.

In my option he is also encouraging us and especially the Europe members to hold more dialogue as he mentioned that he had many different dialogues with different famous people of Europe.

Sensei also took that chance to encourage the Chief of culture of USA who was present, not only that he also asked a Africa leader to lead the whole meeting in 3 cheers of banzai and giving that leader bookmarks to encourage his members and leaders who could not meet sensei in person. Sensei could not encourage all the members especially those who are overseas, so he take any chance he can to encourage such members as seen from the above 2 example.

SD KENSHU is HERE!

2010-01-27T14:22:00.002+08:00

24 hours til our annual SD KENSHU-kai!!
(Here's a love letter from our trailblazers!)

Hey all NPSD SOS (Successors of Soka) !!

Are you all prep up and looking forward to the kenshu this weekend? =)
Please rest well as I'm sure this is going to be a tiring (physically) but revitalizing (spiritually) event.

*For those who want to sign up for Personal Guidance, please let us know asap! Slots are closed when kenshu starts.

See u 12PM (Exam starts at 1pm) at SENJA this Saturday =)

*** Very Important Kenshu Update ***

Please pass the information down to your Members & Invited Friends

Recommended Packing List

See table below.
This information will be available on the website.

Request for YWD

Wear Tee-shirt with sleeves and at least 3 quarter trousers. i.e. no shorts and sleeveless shirt.
Reasons: We'll be doing some exercises & games outdoors.

Personal Guidance Sign up

Please encourage your members & yourself to sign up as early as possible before the kenshu.
Reasons: We need to anticipate and request the support from our seniors in advance.
Sign up are still open untill we start our kenshu.

Kenshu Registration, Exam & Reporting Time

Please do not be late. (It is a form of kenshu training)

CICs & Members taking SD Exams to register from 12pm onwards till 1pm.
CICs & Members Exam start @ 1pm sharp.
CICs & Members to register from 2pm onwards till 3pm.
Kenshu will start @ 3pm sharp.
Kenshu Day 2, Daimoku will start @ 6:45am sharp.
NPSD MEMBERS meet @ 10am, Senja Level 2 for 80 Seconds of Fame rehearsal

SD Exam

Please do not be late. (It is a form of kenshu training)

Please inform all exam takers to bring your own pen.

RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST

Basic Essentials

Water bottle

Umbrella

Notepad (Writing Materials)

Pen / Pencil

Gongyo book & Beads

Personal Medication (if any)

Jacket / Sweater

Payment (Please bring exact change)

If you have ordered SD Tee-shirt, it is $6.50 per piece

If you have not paid for SD Kenshu Registration Fee

Overnight Essentials

Towel

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Body Soap

Hair Shampoo

Facial Wash

Slippers / Flip flops

Change of Clothes

Sleeping Bag

Spare Plastic Bag (eg. used clothes)

Second Day (Outdoor)

Outdoor Light Exercise Wear

Socks

Track Shoes / Covered Shoes

3 cheers,
NPSD IICs.

2009-11-27T23:11:00.004+08:00

Ikeda sensei had mentioned this poem by German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

He says, “Wealth lost is something lost, honor lost is something lost: Courage lost all is lost.”

We can see that courage is that important in our daily lives and practices. If we don't have courage to do something right, then everything is lost. We would hence not be able to achieve anything remarkable. In short, when we practice faith, the important thing is to manifest courage and boldly challenge all obstacles that comes into our lives, one after another. In this way, we can then say we are practicing correct faith and showing it through action. Jia you NPSD!

NPSD CAMPUS REACHout!

2009-10-26T17:36:00.004+08:00

Hey Comrades!!

I'm sure everyone's heard about the recent (frequent) natural disasters around the world, particularly in Asia. Typhoons Ketsana and Parma slammed into Southeast Asia about two weeks ago, leaving destruction in their wake. Two powerful earthquakes rocked Indonesia's Sumatra island soon after.

Major floods hit India, Nepal, Bangladesh and much of East Asia, with thousands killed. Two-thirds of Bangladesh was inundated for months, leaving millions homeless. More than 3,000 died in China's catastrophic Yangtze River flood and millions were displaced.

Let's ask ourselves why are disasters like these happening more frequently now.

We know that human communities will always have to face natural hazards, whether floods, droughts, storms or earthquakes. But today's disasters owe as much to human activities as to the forces of nature. Indeed the term ‘natural’ is an increasingly misleading.

This is why we must raise awareness among our community and take action. There is little that can be done unless the flood waters recede. The people need a clean and dry place to stay and that will require evacuation. Most victims are not able to leave. Flood waters are dangerous because it is unclean and the waters become carriers of diseases. This is where medical teams come in. Unfortunately, disaster relief require specialized skills.

That does not mean we cannot do anything. The rampant occurrences of these disasters is beginning to disappear from public consciousness & interest. Because it is no longer exciting. But more people actually need crucial help to rebuild their lives.

Attached to this post is a link for all of us to indicate our availability for next week. Our reach-out project will be held from 2 to 6 Nov 2009, to raise funds for many of the above mentioned disasters. (Campus venue to be confirmed)

We have contacted Mercy Relief and will be working closely with them to provide monetary aid for those affected.

If anyone has suggestions how we can reignite the interest and awareness for the public to donate, pls voice them out!

PLS FILL IN THE FOLLOWING. THANKS!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHVpMDVOZUdCS2hKN1ZLS3dkcENha0E6MA

Ikeda Sensei has the following guidance to share regarding the Oneness of Man & Environment, how we all are inherently interconnected.

"We need to awaken to a common consciousness of all being inhabitants of Earth. This consciousness is not to be found in some distant place. It will not be found on a computer screen. It lies in our hearts, in our ability to share the pain of our fellow human beings. It is the spirit that says: "As long as you are suffering, whoever you are and whatever your suffering may be, I suffer also."

NPSD Reach Out: Phase 1/2

2009-08-01T12:22:00.004+08:00

Thanks for everyone's participation so far!!

Hope you've received the email on August 1 2009. We are halfway through PHASE ONE of the reach out now, which is the thinking and organisation process. Our survey conclusions are:

Objectives: Unite and bond NPSD together. Raise awareness, how as youths we can contribute to society and actually, TAKE ACTION for it.
Campaign style: a movement or an exhibit.
Theme: "Humanitarian Competition".

-=-

What is Humanitarian Competition?

This is proposed by SGI founder, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi 100 years ago. He was an educator who believes that competition need not be a "winner-takes-all" style, but a "win-win" situation for all competitors.

"What is important is to set aside egotistical motives, striving to protect and improve not only one's own life, but also the lives of others. One should do things for the sake of others, because by benefiting others, we benefit ourselves."
- Tsunesaburo Makiguchi.

In the 2009 UN Peace Proposal, Sensei talks about how as individuals, companies or even the countries' government can compete healthily for some common goals stated below:

- The current Global Economic Crisis
- Poverty in the world (Proposed: create a World Food Bank)
- The abolition of nuclear weapons
- Global Warming (Proposed: Renewable Energy)

YOU may download the peace proposal from: www.sgi.org/peace2009sum.html

-=-

Here are some campaign ideas proposed by those who managed to attend the last meeting. We sincerely hope to hear more input from everyone too. You may insert new suggestions or comment on some of the ideas mentioned below.

WeiLun: Photo Competition & Exhibition
Jiawei: Petition for an issue
Jerry: Host foreign students in campus
Henry: Collection notes from NPstudents abt deeds they do to impact others' lives and their own
Jeff: Collection of used books for those who need
Criss: Skate-a-ton for a cause (To be shared further)
YingLin: Cultural Understanding through a racial FOOD FESTIVAL.
Zijing: Raise money to support third world children's education for a year.
Wen Hui:
1)Clean up the school grounds
2)clear our utensils after meals at canteen

RuiZhen:
1)Reforestation
2)Sculpture making - using recycled materials

-=-

To comment or suggest new ideas, just click on the 'Comment' link below.

To those who have suggested the above ideas, feel free to elaborate more on the ideas or create new ones.
Please describe briefly: (Include your name! :D)

- The Purpose of this idea.
- The Value or Impact you wish to leave to the NP family.
- How the idea can be carried out.

Every idea contribution is highly valued and cherished.
So, don't wait anymore!! Start thinking how we can create value in our campus NOW!!

NPSD: CAMPUS REACHout!

2009-07-15T00:40:00.005+08:00

Some of the NPSDians are hoping to embark on a Campus ReachOut within NP. Please take the following survey to express your views!

Really hope to see everyone's responses! THANKS!

Click Here to take survey

*thanks, YY! changes have been made. it's on friday! 24/7/09

*sorry! you'll be required to fill in your name for Qns 5. For reference. Would like to contact everyone interested and for those not interested, we could update you through emails.

Meanwhile, please take good care of your health and all the best for all Formation Day activities!

See you all soon!

"i RUFU-ed!"

2009-06-10T11:19:00.001+08:00

NPSD! TOGETHER, WE WIN!

Hope everyone enjoyed SD RUFUrun 2009!

Here are some of the pictures!

Even though we didn't received the physical prize, i'm sure everyone would agree our spirit and the friendships forged through this race and even the memories created during the plannings and trainings are priceless.

Thanks for everyone's effort! Due to the H1N1 pandemic, many of the member-based activities had to be cancelled. Despite that and all your busy schedules, (tons of projects and CCA commitments) you were there physically or in prayer, and made a difference to this.

The RUFU marble. (Souvenir)

This marble carried with it the following piece of guidance from our mentor, SGI President, Daisaku Ikeda.

"Life is like a marathon, even if you should fall a bit behind others during the race, there is no need to be impatient, as long as you win in the end. The person who breaks the tape in the finishing line is the true victor."

Please take good care of yourselves!

NPSD, 'Gong Sheng'!!

2009-06-05T09:29:00.003+08:00

How's everyone doing?

Hope those with common test coming up next week have completed their assignments and started revision!! Time management and prioritizing our activities are important.

With the RUFU run scheduled on this Sunday, 8am to 12pm, all the more we should aim to excel in the common test. Let's not let our kosen-rufu efforts be a hinderance but rather, be a consistent accumulation of wisdom and good fortune in our lives. We must win!!

Some updates on the race. NPSD is gathering two proper teams this Sunday. We will be going through the route and cheers once we gather. Your individual roles will be briefed to you all again. We are sincerely praying that we are able to gather 50 NPSD members to participate in this event so that we are able to form up two teams. Therefore, we would really appreciate that for these two days, we are able to encourage more non-active members and new friends to come and join us. Those who have been coming for the past trainings, I extend my warmest thanks to you all! THANK YOU!!!

This period of time is a challenge for us to strive to cope with the Rufu-run as well as our common tests. We must show the other institutions that despite this challenge, we are able to become an outstanding institution for the event! Therefore, we urge all of you to revise for your tests before and of course after the event.

Things to take note:
- water bottle
- wear NPSD t-shirt

Meeting Times:
- Chua Chu Kang > 6.30am
- Woodlands > 6.45am
- Toa Payoh > 7.30am
PLS BE PUNCTUAL!!

Note: Helpers and medics to be at the town park by 7.30am.

If we win, lets win it proudly. If we were to lose the race, lets lose it with dignity and honor.
We do not strive to be number 1 but we are aiming to win the prize for UNITY. This is our goal in mind =)

Everyone, Pls drink more water and take good care of your health. For those who are not feeling well, pls inform your CICs or IICs that you are unable to make it for the event.
Lets rest well and chant for the success of the event!! Lets JIAYOU together and we shall see each other on Sunday!!!

LOVEE`
trainers.

R.U.F.U RUN

2009-05-06T19:37:00.003+08:00

Though our SD activities for the month of May have been canceled due to precautions taken for the safety of everyone, we all can still participate in small group homevisits and dialogues, but let's exercise our Buddha wisdom in all these activities, always putting the interests of our members first. Continue to pray for the early containment of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus and the good health of every single member and family.

In the coming month of June, we will still be having of June SD Outdoor Sports Event that everyone's been looking forward to.

Theme: "Rufu" Run (Race of "Unity", "Friendship", "Uniqueness" Run)
Date: 7th June 2009
Venue: Toa Payoh Town Park
Time: 8am - 12pm
Objectives of the race:

To bond each institution together
To reach out to new friends and inactive members
To grow together through this event

Judging Criteria:

Race

(Race only requires each person to run about 400 m.
Those who don't like to run can join in 7 Legged Race.)
- will be tested on Buddhist fundamentals at 1 station.
- Study materials: Discussion on Youth Book 1
Topic 5 & 6: Friendship & Perspective of Life during Youth Part 1 & 2.

o Run: The fastest time to complete the race
(Note: For institution with many teams, will take the average timing of the teams)

o 7 Legged Race: Which team fall down the least number of times
(Note: For institution with many teams, will take the average number of fall down)

Institution identity presentation (Everyone! Let's chip in ideas on how to portray NPSD!)
3 Criteria

Creativity
Unity
How spirited is the whole institution

Attire

Comfortable shoes
Clothes that identify the different institution (Let's wear our NPSD T-shirt!)
To bring as little belonging as possible

Recruitment form

1) Need to fill in all information before submission date on 23^rd May.

Let's reach out to all members and friends to tell them about this "Rufu" Run and encourage them to come down to exercise together, have fun and know new friends. Interested participants, pls inform the IICs and CICs!

2) Total of 25 participants in 1 team: Minimum 10 (YWD) and 10 (YMD) per team.
(Can form as many teams as we like)

3) 2 Trainers per team. (1 YMD & 1 YWD)

Role of trainers:
- take care of welfare of runners
- submit recruitment form of runners
- take attendance of their team of runners on actual day

(Anyone in the institution can apply for the role of a trainer. Please inform IIC/CIC asap!)

4) NPSD Training dates and venue:
1. 24 May 09, Sun, 9am @ Fort Canning
2. 30 May 09, Sat, 9am @ Fort Canning

Manpower (Who would like to volunteer as helper, please inform IIC/CIC asap!

1 IIC, 1 CIC and 1 member per institution

- to help out with actual day logistics, will not be running =)

For your info, there will be a trial run on this coming Saturday.

Date: 9th May (Sat)

Venue: Toa Payoh Town Park

Time: 9am

Objectives for the trial run:

- enable every institution to familiarize with the place (look out for safety etc.)

- have a feel of how the run will be like

- gauge the distance and timing of the run

In addition to 2 IICs, trainers and helpers are encouraged to come for the trial run as well. Please let IICs know who will be coming for the trial run asap, ok? Thank you thank you! :)

May 3rd.

2009-05-03T23:30:00.006+08:00

"MAY 3 is our initial starting point, and simultaneously, the day we make our final declaration of complete victory. It is the grand anniversary which celebrates our efforts to realise a golden age of supreme spiritual triumph and glory. May 3 is invincible, unshaken by raging tempests. May 3 is filled with jubilation and ever-victorious hope. May 3 is the day which our friends around the world rejoice, celebrate and deepen their determination to keep striving for kosen-rufu."

- Daisaku Ikeda

____________________________________________________________

Latest news!

All member-based activities including 4 Division, Individual Division, Function & Cultural Groups and Student Groups Activities will be cancelled for the month of May 2009.

This includes the Daily Chanting sessions at centres, Sunday morning prayers meetings, Sensei's Guidance Video, Members District Study, 4 Division Discussion Meeting, Gohonzon Conferment, Lecturer's Study, Indian and Japanese Discussion Meetings.

Note: All leaders and members are encouraged to chant at home either at 8-9pm or 9-10pm.

____________________________________________________________

Let's do this together, comrades!! This is the true test of faith! This is the crucial moment we must unite, even though meetings are cancelled. For now, the coming NPSD Institution meeting and NPSD 25 Daimokukai will be cancelled too. But our kosen-rufu progress must not!

We have to be responsible for our own health, our families, our friends and for everyone around us, be it the auntie sitting beside you on the bus or the little boy who takes the same lift as you every morning. The swine flu pandemic and the world's financial crisis couldn't take place at a better time. We can encourage our loved ones and support each other in many ways. There's no need to wait for campaigns like VIVO to help others.

We can continue to keep in contact through one-to-one dialogue, small group lunches in campus, phone calls, letters, our NPSD blog, NPSD facebook account, anything you can think of. This is also the best time to practise for ourselves and others. With single-minded & fervent prayers, I'm sure our activities will resume in no time! All the best!! Take care!!

NPSD, Together We Win!

PRACTICING FOR ONESELF, PRACTICING FOR OTHERS

2009-04-04T22:29:00.003+08:00

Solomon Ibn Gabriol (1022-1058/70), Hebrew poet and philosopher, wrote:

In seeking knowledge,the first step is silence, the second listening, the third remember, the fourth practicing, and the fifth — teaching others.
Today, a number of educational programs emphasize the power of teaching others to facilitate one’s own learning and mastery of the subject matter.
In addition, the tangible benefits of helping others, of altruism, are coming to be recognized widely in scientific and other circles as well. In the book The Healing Power of Doing Good, one researcher chronicles the results of a study about the positive effects of helping strangers. In the introduction he writes:

Now, with the findings from my survey, it has become evident that the dramatic improvements in health produced by helping have specific, identifiable stages. They begin with a physical high, a rush of good feeling. What I now call helper's high involves physical sensations that strongly indicate a sharp reduction in stress and the release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. This initial rush is then followed by a longer-lasting period of improved emotional well-being. (Allan Luks, The Healing Power of Doing Good [New York: Ballantine Books, 1991] p. 10)

It seems, then, that no matter how hard we try to be unselfish—to forget about ourselves in the service of others—we cannot avoid gaining something ourselves from the act. This is all the more so in the realm of Buddhism, the purpose of which is to enable human beings to perfect themselves while helping others to become happy. Buddhists work to help others at a most basic and essential level of life; hence the benefits to the helper occur on a deep and fundamental level.
The foundation of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism exists in the essentials known as faith, practice and study. The element of practice is further divided into "practice for oneself" and "practice for others."

"Practice for oneself" refers to Buddhist practice to obtain the benefits of the Buddha’s teachings. For practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, it means to reveal Buddhahood from within through faith in the Gohonzon and exert ourselves diligently in the morning and evening ceremony of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reciting the sutra. "Practice for others" means to enlighten or educate others. It is providing people with a means to refine, educate and develop themselves. In Buddhism it means efforts to enable others to receive the benefit of the Buddha’s teachings, that is, to enable others to awaken their innate Buddha nature. For practitioners of the Daishonin’s Buddhism, this means to share the great power and benefit of chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon.

Buddhist practice for others has its roots in the Buddha Shakyamuni’s (of Gotama’s) first public sermons. Immediately after his attainment of enlightenment, Shakyamuni wondered whether the Law or Dharma to which he had awakened was not too profound and inexplicable for people to understand, and so he hesitated to preach it. At that time, it is said, the Indian god Brahma appeared to Shakyamuni and beseeched him three times to teach the Dharma to the people. With this, Shakyamuni embarked on a lifetime of "practice for others."

He called upon new converts to join him in walking among the various countries and provinces of India to teach the Dharma. From his first sermon on, Shakyamuni and his disciples devoted themselves to educating people about their potential for enlightenment and teaching the law of life to benefit others. The Buddha’s lifetime of teaching and practice thus set the original example of Buddhist "practice for others." Shakyamuni’s teaching was not exclusivist like many Indian religious teachings of the time, but was open to all people. Regarding this, Buddhist scholar Hajime Nakamura writes:

It was unheard of in Gotama’s contemporary India to preach one’s teaching to all the people. This is obvious when we compare his situation with the various philosophers of the Upanishads, who limited their audience and often confined themselves to preaching to their own children, or distinguished individuals whom they deemed were qualified to receive instruction. Gotama Buddha broke this traditional restriction and doing so must have required considerable determination and courage. (Hajime Nakamura, Gotama Buddha. [Los Angeles: Buddhist Books International, 1987] p. 69)

After Shakyamuni’s death, such open and active teaching gradually diminished. The Buddhist monastics began to focus more on individual practices and disciplines thought to lead to enlightenment and became less engaged with the non-practicing community. This form of self-focused Buddhism was later dubbed Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) by its critics, who felt the monks had lost the Buddha’s original spirit of "practice for others." The reformist movement called Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) began to flourish and advocated a return to Shakyamuni’s original spirit. That spirit was expressed in the ideal of the bodhisattva—a practitioner dedicated to the enlightenment and happiness of others before his or her own happiness.

We can view the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin as a crystallization of Mahayana practice that contains within it both practice for oneself and practice for others. The Daishonin writes; "Now in the Latter Day of the Law, the daimoku that Nichiren chants is different than that of previous ages. It is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that entails practice both for oneself and others" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1022).

He is saying here that the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the goals of one’s own happiness and that of others constitutes the correct and most effective Buddhist practice in this age.

A useful analogy in viewing the relationship between the basic elements of our Buddhist practice is that of an automobile. The running of the car’s engine is compared to faith, the turning of the wheels, to practice, and the driving of the car with knowledge of the directions and destination, to study. Further, the two wheels that transmit the engine’s power to the road are practice for oneself and practice for others. However much we rev the engine or how familiar we are with the route, if both wheels aren’t engaged and turning, we’re going to sit still. If one tire is flat (if either practice for self or practice for others is missing), then naturally we won’t arrive at the destination without repairing it.

Only when the power of faith (the engine) and the confidence derived from study (the ability of the driver) are strongly and consistently expressed as "practice for oneself" and "practice for others" (the wheels) will the car of our life make consistent progress toward the destination of enlightenment or happiness. From another perspective, while enlightenment is our destination, we are actually out to have a wonderful and enjoyable drive. When we harmonize these elements of Buddhist practice, our lives will be rich and enjoyable—even if there are bumps and hills to climb along the way.

We might also view "practice for others" as a lever, while our own problems and goals are like a large rock. If we try to move the rock directly, we may groan and strain against its weight without it budging. But if we use a good lever in the proper manner, we can move even an enormous rock with relative ease.

Agonizing and praying over our own problems alone may not give us the "leverage" required to move them in any meaningful way. By praying and acting for the sake of another person’s success, growth, and happiness, we can achiever the "spiritual leverage" to transform our own seemingly heavy burdens. Our own triumph then becomes "leverage" to encourage others. In this way, practice for self and practice for others are never separate.

Living Buddhism October 2000 p.6

2009-03-03T18:58:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

I have attached the "SGI Chapter" from the New Human Revolution courtesy from YWD IICs. Please read it as this is the chapter that we will be discussing for March Institution meeting.
Click here for reading material

March Institution meeting
Date: 14/03/09
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Venue: Senja Sunrise room

Reminder
This coming thursday 05/03 @ 8pm will be our NPSD Daimokukai at Rachael's residence. For address please contact your respective IICs.

Thank you.

2009-03-02T14:34:00.004+08:00

A big applause for the wonderful victory we have attained for the SD 25th anniversary!!

Thanks for all the efforts!! Now's the time we prepare ourselves for our upcoming March NPSD Institution mtg and the next NPSD 25 daimokukai @ Rachel's place! This thursday, 8pm! (For more details, please contact IICs, CICs or our dearest hostress, Rachel!)

Here're some pictures for the most recent NPSD-SUJ exchange!

More photos will be up soon... meanwhile, let's all wish our dearest comrade, Jerry a safe and fun trip in China! He's going WuHan on the 3rd of March, 8am to study for SIX weeks. haha...I guess, in our own way, we will miss him and his antics alot. Take Care!

NOW is the crucial moment!

2009-02-26T18:08:00.005+08:00

The coming SD Anniversary is themed "Humanitarian Competition! Be Catalyst of Hope!", named after Ikeda Sensei's 2009 Peace Proposal to the UN.

Let's go out there and invite as many people as possible to this anniversary, be it our inactive fellow members, our schoolmates or friends.

Renew our Conviction

NPSD has targeted to invite a total of 50 YMDs and 60 YWDs to this gathering. In a campaign, we must know how far are we from victory. How strong or weak we are. 110 attendees is not a small number, yet, if each of us just reach out to 2-3 friends, we can easily reached or even surpassed our goal!

Remember the 'Ever-Victorious Kansai Campaign' in HR Chapter, Determination? To be victorious,EVERY member must have firm conviction in faith!

The more difficult the goal, the more necessary it is for every member to joyfully strive to fulfill the objective.

Chanting concrete and confident Daimoku

Despite the hostile encounters or countless rejections we might face, we (of the SGI) pray earnestly to the Gohonzon no matter what happens, with 'a mind that is gentle and forbearing'. Chant sincere daimoku with the thought, "This person also has the Buddha nature. I will send daimoku to the pure reservoir of Buddhahood in their lives."

Offering prayers is a decisive struggle. The prayers we make reflects on our life state. The thoughts in our hearts are clearly expressed to the Gohonzon. So we have to make concrete, earnest and determined prayers.

Believe in yourself and the power of the Gohonzon.

We are not practicing an authoritarium Buddhism, we cannot say that only leaders, or high priests or people who 'rub shoulders with a higher power (God/Immortal) are capable of propagating this Mystic Law. We ALL are capable!!

Genuine leaders are those who believe that ALL people have the potential to grow and develop. We must never forget that this Buddha nature in inherent in each of our lives.

Never belittle another human being or think they are just capable of attending meetings or going out for fun. We need to help our friends to be better than before! We have a duty to help every member breakthrough their lives and be significant Buddhas, who will in turn contribute to society as well!

Of course, inviting them to this meeting might not be easy, but with sincere dialogue and the thought that each of these members is a precious younger brother/sister of Ikeda Sensei, we can eventually invite them to this gathering.

If our mentor were to ask us to look after his younger siblings, we would be concerned about their faith, but also their lives and even their eating habits. We would encourage them daily and no matter how hostile they might be, we will want these members to grow.

Let's go out there NOW and speak to everyone about this wonderful Mystic Law and invite them to our coming Anniversary. Yes, we might not have time on our side. But within the next 24-36 hours, let's do our utmost to light the life of one more person, and lead them out of the sea of suffering!

If not now, then when?
If not me, then who?

Lighthouses of NPSD!
Together We Win!!

The battle of our time

2009-02-23T01:35:00.004+08:00

Hi Npsdian,
the "hell" week have finally arrived for some as this week there will still be exams going on for some of our comrades.. Let's really pray to the Gohonzon for the wisdom to win in our exam. "Nothing can stop me, I am going to achieve victory this time round.I will win!!" Please pray earnestly with this inchinen in mind. The iics will all be praying for your success.. Rest assured it will be done..

Admist this decisive battle that you all are waging, some of you have still went all out to introduce and speak to your friend about our impending SD 25th anniversary. Sensei and Nichiren Daishoni have always assured us that no efforts for kosenrufu will go to waste, the gohonzon will surely reward your efforts and will definitely showered you with immense good fortune..

Ikeda sensei once wrote this poem:

" Having battles to fight,
makes life exciting.
Encountering great difficulties
provide us opportunities to develop
our buddhahood.
By confronting every obstacles,
we enable our Buddhahood
to strive brilliantly within our
lives."

All this battles we waged during our youth will be "treasures" in our life. It is through over-coming difficulties that we break out from our own comfort zone. It is through all the sweat and tears, all the self-doubt that we conquered that memories are entrenched in our heart for eternally. Remember, advance, struggle and win!!

Whatever the outcome maybe, carrying the spirit of NPSD, let's forged ahead with the awareness that we are the youthful master of lighthouse. "A small yet strong light that illuminates great hope in the sea of hummanity". With less than 7 days till the end of your exams and the commencement of SD/ NPSD 25th anniversary, i urged all of you to live out to the motto, NPSD, : " Together we win!! "

-Testimonial-

2009-02-19T23:45:00.003+08:00

Kapo this from a webby.. Please read!!!

Testimonial from Sept 2008 YMD VA daimokukai!!!

N was shakubuku back in 1988. In 1988, N and I were taking our O levels exams, so we attend tuition together.

During one of tuition session, N asked , “Where can he buy a bible?”

I replied, “Why do you want to buy a bible?” Cos N got very poor results for his preliminary results in early Oct. He got 27 points and he thinks that he got no where to go. He cannot go to junior college(JC) or polytechnic. So, I asked him, “Why don’t you come and chant with me? I’ll give you free tuition.”

“So, every day you chant with me I teach you.”

At that time I was quite a good student. I has already work the 10 yr series by 2 rounds. We chanted together every morning, study and chant together in the evening again. Within 1 month, N turn the impossible possible. He got his results in 1989 March. His score decreases from 27 marks to 7 marks…That was a tremendous improvement…

From then on, he was truly convince on the power of the Gohonzon. He can go to his dream JC, Victoria JC. For a while, I lost touch with N as I got into AJC. As N went to JC, he forget about everything. Play, and went out with lots of rich people,. 2 yrs is fast. It’s time for exams again.

This time round, N didn’t practice anymore. N pass his A levels, but cannot make it to local university. So, N had to go overseas to study. As his parents are pretty well off, decided to send him to study Chemical Engineering in USA.

The real turning point came when he graduated in 1998. He return back in Jul and one day he called me. He told me that he got to make a difficult decision because his girlfriend in USA give him a choice; If he don’t return in a month, she’s going to end their relationship. He really loves this girl so much, but he felt bad cos his parents sent him to university.

Within a month he didn’t even collect a pay check yet and he got to make this tough decision whether to leave his parents to go for his love ones or to stay. He asked me for advice. I really can’t tell him anything. The only thing I had to remember is that wherever he is, as long as he have the Gohonzon, there will not be dead-end. He took my advice with so much confidence that he decided to move off and went back to USA.

That was really his turning point. When he returns to USA and back there, he participates in SGI USA activities. But he‘s like a leisure type of practitioner. When he goes over to USA, he doesn’t have the necessary work permit. He cannot find job. He bought 15 thousand and within about a year, he is left 800 hundred bucks. As he didn’t had the work permit and it’s not easy to get the job. There is nothing he can do and basically he had to try everything, i.e. like work in MacDonald’s, part time. His most difficult time is he got relegated to work in a lingerie department as wall mall.. Every time when he calls me, he will always cry.

In 2001, I went to USA and met him at Texas. After many years, I was shock that he’s no longer the old N who got branded goods n stuff all over his body. Now he got the cheapest stuff, cheapest shoes and anything he can save he will save. When we met each other at this pan cake shop, he was really pouring all his struggles that we are like hugging each other n cried. He just couldn’t help it. He could not called his parents for help as he choose to leave everything in Singapore. He doesn’t have the face to call his parents. However, one thing he has really developed tremendously over the last few yrs was his faith and practice has strengthened tremendously.

In 1999, He couldn’t take it anymore and he received the Gohonzon. That was when he feels the great power of the Gohonzon. Since 1998 to 1999, he never had the Gohonzon. He never felt the need to have the Gohonzon. But, when he had no one to turn to, Gohonzon become the biggest fortune he could had. That was everything he could had and he was so poor that the only furniture had was the Butsudan. Even the mattress he slept was donated by another member. That was at his poorest state. During the very poor time, he had chanted lots of daimoku. Because he got no job, he got lots of time and he spent time chanting and chanting. To save on money, he cannot even afford to turn on the air condition. As he stays in a very hot part of USA, Houston, whenever he chants, the whole room felt like sauna. Yet he cannot turn on the air condition, he got to save every cent he had.

He remembers a passage in Human Revolution (HR), Toda sensei is actually in prison. Toda sensei had a happy and successful business before, but all of sudden, he got into the jail. He had to leave everything behind, but he did not choose to worry in the jail, like how is his family, and how is his business. He chooses to do one thing, which is to embark in vigorous daimoku campaign. It was really upon reaching 1 million daimoku, Toda sensei was enlightened with the fact of attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.

N basically had adopted every method from the HR, he had chosen not to worry about things he cannot believe . He chants to focus on things influence him, chant a lot of daimoku and go all out for kosen rufu.

During that time when he has no job, he focus on doing gajokai, and volunteer for daimokukai. In the places where they live always had lots of typhoons. The kaikan is flooded. He will help to move the things like tables, to make sure that things don’t get spoilt. When they move kaikan in every 2 or 3 yrs, he will goes around to fix the sound system, roll the carpet, paint..

Basically he was doing all these when he was jobless, without being paid a single cent. But as I will review later, all his efforts that he give was never short change. More importantly he got married with this girl he loves so much. Because of the financial difficulty that he was facing, he never give up to a lot of problems..

His wife is from a very rich family. How rich she can be? Their house is as big as this kaikan (telok blangah kaikan in Singapore). She force N to stay with her and she allows N to enshrine the Gohonzon, but had to put it under the staircase.

Whenever they quarrels, he will ask N to move the Gohonzon to the garage, the car had a separate house like the garage. What was actually pushing N never to give up his relationship was he had this single ichinen that even he had to divorce his wife, the day that they divorce,. the wife must be chanting. That is the single ichinen that was pushing him on. That he don’t want to break up this relationship. Even he had to go, he must had shakubuku and convince her the great power of the Gohonzon. So, he never give up.

Indeed, he was very protective to the Gohonzon. In order not to cause any harm to the Gohonzon, when being instructed to move the Gohonzon to the garage, he will stay with the Gohonzon in the garage. He will not stay in the house. When it’s time to move back to the house, he and gohonzon will then shift back to the house. It’s really this kind of oneness to the Gohonzon. Never giving up, because the Gohonzon has being his only support throughout his very tough years in USA.

Of course, he will be worried, but always told himself not to worry on those things, just keep focusing, really involving and practicing the “Ho Nin Myo” spirit. Keep working on the causes and causes, forget about the effects. “I know the effects will come”, always told himself that, for sure in one day.

True enough, his 1st big benefit comes in year 2000, his green card application was approved. Actually he applied his green card in 1999, while they are still processing the applications in 1998. But somehow, 1 year later, when he went to the immigration department to check the status of the application, miraculously, the previous application files was unknowingly deleted. Hence, they are still retrieving the files. Therefore, they straight away process 1999 applications. There and then, his green card was applied.

With green card, he can start applying for job. But in year 2000, top markets in USA were weaken, and banking crashed. Though he got green card, he can find job, but every job he found cannot stay more than 2 months. Companies start retrenching people.

From 1999 to 2002, he never had a job related to his training. He always wanted to be a chemical engineer. He wanted to work in the oil and gas industry, but he never get a change to step into the industry he wants. He will sell insurance, financial software, all sort of things that is not aligned. But he never give up, he kept chanting. Each time he get fired, he was so used to it again, that every time he see the boss holding the letter, he knows he’s fired.

But he begin so used and convince to the power of the Gohonzon. That once he receives the letter, he always had a box stand by for him and he will straight away went to the kaikan in Houston and really prays for 3 hrs, to set the cause for his next job.

Very majestically, every time within 1 month, he will get a new job. Even though it is not in the industry he wanted, every time he will get 100, 200 bucks of pay. It’s sort of Gohonzon telling him that “don’t give up, the big benefit is coming. He keep telling himself to just keep believing, keep chanting and keep doing kosen rufu. He never give up.

In 2003, finally, he got into a small oil refinery. After being 6 or 7 years away from the industry, he had no industry experience. But his karma never stops, because the refinery is so small that there are news of the refinery going bankrupted or somebody is going to take over.

As he was so well trained in fighting job karma, he is not scared at all. He just keep chanting and do kosen rufu. In 2004, his big turning point came, he volunteer to be the driver to pick children for their culture festival. His driver’s role is to pick up the kids to their training ground, because USA is so big that he had to cover several areas. So if the practice started at 8’o clock on a Sunday morning, he actually had to wake at 3 o’clock on a Sunday morning, to do gongyo and start picking up the kids so that they can reached the training ground 8 in the morning. They will practice the whole day, probably until evening. Usually people go for vacation in weekends, so there may be jams. By the time he sent all the kids home, it is about Monday morning 1am.

After the cultural festival, his job karma changes for better tremendously. 1 week later, he got a phone call from the head hunters. He got a job from a fortune 5 hundred oil n gas industry(Congo). He couldn’t believed it cos never in his dreams he could work in fortune 5 hundred oil n gas industry. In 2004, it is also the precious year for oil and gas industry. That is the year when oil prices moves from 30 bucks to the recent of 150 bucks.

In 1 or 2 years, he get head hunted by one of the world wide companies, then move on to BP(British Petroleum) and most recently he is in Exxo Mobile, holding a senior position. His job karma from then on, sort of totally eradicated. His dream is always to go back to school to do his MBA. He had save money, but he once make a promise that if he ever he had enough money, his 1st priority is to buy his 1st apartment, because he wants to contribute his place for meetings.

When he was face with a difficult decision to buy an apartment or to go for his studies. He made a total decision to give up his studies and to use the money to buy an apartment. So that he can live on his own with his wife and contribute this place for kosen rufu. When he made this decision, at about 1 month later, he was in BP then. Very miraculously, the boss asked him to do an audit for their budget. What he found is they got an extra of 100 thousand. At the typical cover act operation, the boss rejected and asked, “How come there is a over budget of 100 thousand for the department year training budget ?” Hence, the boss claim to him why not he used it for his study?

Within 1 month, his destiny of not able to go to school for 1 or 2 years was totally transformed. Because he had this sponsorship of these 100 thousand bucks, he made an arrangement with the boss that every week he only work 4 days and every Friday he goes to school. He don’t have to take leave and company will cover his travels, air tax because he need to fly to Texas to study. Everything is bonded by the company. Because of this single ichinen that he will used his paid to buy a house to donate to kosen rufu. With this single ichinen, he got a 100 thousand to study. That he didn’t even plan before.

In Aug, he called that he had completed his studies for 2 years. Today he holds a position as a negotiator for oil and gas dealing in the gulf area. No one will ever believe that with his kind of start up that he will ever go to an important position in the big oil company. Because of the oil prices boom, whatever pay he loses up in the 1st 5 to 6 yrs, he more than earn it back 2 to 3 times. The Gohonzon never short changes him.

To share this important message in this testimony, the essential of this Buddhism is really to chant that as long as we practice this Buddhism, wholeheartedly, committed, patiently, there will never be any death end that we can’t break through, the issue lies how deep our faith is. How committed our practice is and how sincere we are. As long as we fulfilled all these criteria, there will be no dead ends we cannot break through. The Gohonzon is absolute whether we believe it or not. The fundamental is how strong is our faith. As long as our faith is unlimited, the gohonzon power is unlimited for us.

To also encourage on the importance of daimoku, we had to migrate from being a leisure practitioner, like chanting 4 to 5 mins daimoku, 30mins daimoku, to seriously chanting professional daimoku. We only heard of being professional in our job, but we seldom hear of being professional in our daimoku, in our practice. It’s time that we had to reflect and .to tell our self on that. If had to be professional in our job to earn lots of moneya,we had to be equally professional in our faith, then we can live with boundless benefits.

Burning Midnight-Oil.

2009-02-17T23:10:00.003+08:00

The time of the semester has finally come again! I'm sure no matter what course we are currently pursuing, how many examinable modules are left or how many projects we have to rush, I'm sure we are all working hard.

Here's something to share with those who hasn't felt the urgency to revise and the rest who have been working hard yet are struggling from time to time. The following excerpts are taken from NHR Volume 4, "Fresh Leaves" chapter.

-=-

Regarding study.

When Shin'ichi met with some youths at a garden in the newly completed Jitsudo-ji, a temple donated by the Soka Gakkai.

"Are all of you studying hard?"

Looking at the young people around him, he saw that some nodded while others blushed and dropped their eyes.

"Studying is what counts. No matter how busy you are, you still should read one or two books a month. Those who realize great success in society, even if they've no formal schooling, all study very hard. This is the time you need to work hard, study earnestly and develop your abilities."

-=-

Regarding time management.

"Again, in trying to strike a balance between work and activities, you have to consider the problem of time. It is only natural that a student, for example, should study hard before an examination. And there are similar critical times on a job. At such times, it's natural to devote most of your time to work.

"While we are young, however, we should exert ourselves so that we can honestly say that we've done our best in both our work and Gakkai activities. That's because our efforts during this time will become the foundation for our entire lives. President Toda often said,

'In faith, do the work of one; in your job, do the work of three.'

"There are two sides to everything. Not seeing things just one way is very human. Life involves striking a balance amid the tensions of conflicting issues while striving to always improve ourselves and move ahead. While we may think that concentrating on one thing - work, for example - would make life a lot less complicated, it's a mistake to cast aside other committments or pursuits on that account."

-=-

Let our current struggles be treasures of our future! All of us should advance with courage, wisdom, strength and emerge victorious!!

Let's give in 100% in practicing this wonderful Buddhism!
Let's put in 300% in our studies and work!

NPSD! Together, We Win!

NPSD tees design poll!

2009-02-13T16:52:00.009+08:00

Hi beautiful people of NPSD!!
Here're 3 designs. Choose your favorite and poll it on the tagboard! Thanks!!!

Closing date: 15 Feb 2009 (e day after Valentine's)

(1. White background, Red fonts)

(2. Navy Background, Yellow/Gold font)

(3. Yellow background, Black font)

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY!!

Lovee` yourbelovedcomrade.

2008-12-30T23:36:00.002+08:00

Do you believe in the
possibility of lasting happiness?

Or does this seem like something forever out of
reach, a dream on the distant horizon? Would you
react skeptically if told that you were born—just as
you are—with everything it takes to cultivate an
indestructible state of happiness?

According to Aristotle, “Happiness depends
upon ourselves.” But just what is happiness? Is
it the fulfillment of our every wish and desire? Is it
the absence of all suffering?

We believe that happiness is being able to
experience profound joy that comes from
never being defeated by any problems in life.
In fact, we use the challenges of our lives as a catalyst
to deepen and expand our inner lives. Despite a
culture of instant gratification that influences so much
of modern living, happiness is not a quick fix attained
overnight. Rather, it results from our efforts to
manifest life’s highest potentials—wisdom, compassion,
courage and vitality—on a daily basis. Nichiren
Buddhism provides a concrete means to tap
into these traits that every human being holds
in unlimited supply.

Even amidst the most difficult times, happiness is
definitely not out of reach.We can indeed move in
the direction of our dreams and face our problems
wisely and courageously.We can come to savor the
greatest of all joys: the ability to live life with a deeper
and stronger sense of confidence, appreciation and
hope. We have the power to take charge of our
own destiny and become a source of positive change
in our family, local community and the entire world.

The notion that every human being is
born with the ability to become
happy is not new.This is what the
Buddha taught more than 2,500
years ago.The word “Buddha”
means “one who is fully awake”. It
means to ‘awaken’ to the workings
of the universal law within our own
lives.The Lotus Sutra, the foremost
of the Buddha’s teachings, asserts the
inherent dignity and equality of all people
and indeed of all life. It points to an enduring
sense of happiness and compassion that is, in fact,
our birthright. However, it wasn’t until Nichiren
Daishonin, a 13th century Japanese Buddhist reformer,
turned this philosophy into a concrete daily practice
that the message of the Lotus Sutra became accessible
to all people. In doing so, he established a practice
that is both simple and very profound.

Nichiren revealed that Nam-myohorenge-
kyo is the law that permeates
all life and the universe.This phrase
literally translates as: devotion to the
Mystic Law of cause and effect
through the Buddha’s teaching, or
sound. Nichiren describes this phrase
by saying,“Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is not
only the core of the Buddha’s lifetime
teachings, but also the heart, essence, and
ultimate principle of the Lotus Sutra (The
Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 860). By chanting
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with confidence in our innate
Buddhahood—or highest human potential—we can
dispel self-doubt, challenge our problems
courageously and reveal our innate wisdom
and compassion.Through chanting,
studying Buddhist philosophy and
taking action daily for the well being
of others, we can establish a state
of profound happiness and make
each moment of our lives joyful and
meaningful while contributing to peace
in our families and community.

Extract from article: What is Happiness? SGI-USA

Words from our mentor

2008-12-04T14:06:00.000+08:00

From Ikeda Sensei:

"Even places that have been shrouded in darkness for billions of years can be illuminated. Even a stone from the bottom of a river can be used to produce fire. Our present sufferings, no matter how dark, have certainly not continued for billions of years-nor will they linger forever. The sun will definitely rise. In fact, its ascent has already begun."

"Why doesn't constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those whose who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them."

"No one can better bask in summer's balm than those who have endured winter's bite. Similarly, it is those who have suffered through life's darkest hours who are able to truly savor the bright dawn of happiness. The person who has transformed the worst of fate into the best of fortune is life's champion."

"There is a saying that the earth upon which we fall is the same ground which enables us to push ourselves up again. There's another which maintains that barley grows better after it has been trampled on. Human relationships are sometimes painful, but there is no such pain from which we cannot recover. It is up to us to decide to live a life free from self-doubt and despair in spite of our failures. Indeed, it is during our most humbling moments that we should show greatest poise and grace. Then the dignity of our lives will truly shine."

Posting

2008-09-26T02:20:00.001+08:00

It is said that
"the person who makes the first move gains the advantage."
One courageous action can influence as many as ten thousand people.
Let's quickly take the initiative,
with lightning speed,
and engage as many people as we possibly can
in conversation about justice and truth.

Sensei

NDP2008

2008-07-31T00:59:00.006+08:00

Hello!!
This year alot of NPSD-ians joined ndp..old and young..hehe...we took some memorable photos to share..enjoy=)

the older npsd-ians..hehe..dunno where they looking sia

This is better..

heheh..this batch is the freshies!!! 1..2..3..

Year Twos only got 2..相依为命

Me..Rachel..Felicia..Elda - Taken during NE3=)

Featuring NPSD in NDP2008!!!

Twist~

funny faces?hehe..Alright..no more~

Hey people!!! Hope you have enjoyed NDP08 so far..For some of you, though it may be a struggle between school and NDP..but please rest assured that after challenging yourself to overcome all the difficulties, you will savour great Joy after that..and grow to become stronger..this morning i received Rachel's encouragment and felt real energized..so i like to share with all of you...

" I know some of you are very very busy with school work,projects,presentations,cca,problems and all.But let us not be defeated easily and really go back to the gohonzon and chant earnestly that everything must go smoothly yes? :) I came across this quote and thought it will be nice to share with all of you.:) As I quote from Ikeda Sensei,"As long as we are alive, we cannot be free of difficulties nor spared from problems. The question is how to overcome and resolve them. And there is only one answer: to Confront and Challenge life's trials head on. In doing so, we can actually change them into sources of JOY. Hardships builds character. I firmly believe that one can never become a person of extraordinary character jsut by leading on ordinary and peaceful life and avoiding difficulties." So lets really overcome every obstacles in our life positively yes!JiaYou!!!!!"

many Thanks to Rachel for sharing this great encouragment. No matter what we are facing now, presentations, exams,CFG and NDP..please really muster the courage and challenge it head on. Go back to the Gohonzon and chant when we feel deadlocked.."No prayers will be unanswered"..Let us create a great Victory together for this year NDP for NPSD Yea! ALL THE BEST!! for everything that we all do!!!

Smile always=)
<3 maymay

MILK Run 2008, 6 Jul @ RV Pri Sch

2008-07-08T12:24:00.009+08:00

photo courtesy by Huixian
With our HR dancers, Jeff and Yvonne

photo courtesy by Huixian

photo courtesy by Liyu

Dedicated to our NPSD stompers, mass dancers & HR dancers
Thank you so much for all your efforts in putting up such wonderful performances at the parade! They were fantastic! We were proud of you all! =)

Waterfall

2008-07-05T01:30:00.002+08:00

Like the waterfall ,fierce
Like the waterfall ,unflagging
Like the waterfall ,unfearing
Like the waterfall ,merrilly
Like the waterfall ,proud
A man should have a bearing of the king.
-Ikeda sensei

Common Test results

2008-06-28T00:28:00.002+08:00

To all the people who have already or still awaiting your common-test results, let's all read this sensei poem sincerely.

" Present circumstances are
not the point.
What matters is what you do,
starting from now,
And how much you are
willing to strive.
From this, the future develops."
-Ikeda sensei

NPSD @ SD Nationwide Meeting 140608

2008-06-19T17:00:00.001+08:00

Lay Leng has graduated!!! she will work hard at her faith.. she will be a beacon light...

2008-06-16T02:09:00.001+08:00

Thanks for your efforts

2008-06-08T01:37:00.002+08:00

Today, i will just like to take this post to thanks all those had been making first-rate efforts behind the scenes. Behind the scene people like the committee that make the pot luck a reality yesterday. Behind the scene people who responsed to our iic call. Behind the scene people who always went out of their way to represent us and sensei to show extra care to the members.

Sensei always used to praise behind the scenes personel, stating that they are the ones that progress the Gakkai into todays modern organization. Likewise, without you all, NPSD will never exist. I will like to also reassure you that no efforts for kosenru-fu will go to waste and if you are wondering whether your actions are validated?? Just to show the soft side of me, these unseen efforts, never once failed to touch me. Once again, i like to say , THANKS!!!

From: wL
2gether we win!!!

Sensei Guidance

2008-06-06T01:26:00.001+08:00

"Those who are earnest in what they are doing are naturally bright.
Those who are sincere in their actions are always cheerful.
And those who have conviction never give up,no matter what the circumstances.
With strong optimism and an indomitable spirit,
let's all try to advance cheerfully and unceasingly!"

IFU DODO NOUTA

2008-05-31T00:58:00.007+08:00

Hello NPSDIAN, how are all of you all coping with your struggles ?? Me too is facing lots of "stress" as this period, just for your info, i am in-charge of over-seeing the SD nationwide meeting. Please give the other iics your fullest support and as i had been informed, i believed this 2 weeks is also in conjunction with your common-test week.

Buddhism teaches us that life is itself a struggle. A struggle to the very end where none can escape and none can avoid. However, with ND buddhism, we can actually use the power of faith to transform everything into our own unquie mission and happiness. By putting in double, triple effort in whatever we are doing, coupled with strong determined daimoku, we can bring about wonders

Learning from your iic, jefferson, i recently just found out that he actually repeatly do 3times, over and over again, for a pass-year paper. This is the dedication we should put in when we want to achieve what we want at the bottom of our heart. Buddhism is reason, buddhism is logic.

The ichinen of not leaving any chances out, not leaving any "stones" un-turned, is the key to making things successful. My seniors used to tell me to struggle so hard till the sweat drop from th eye brown, that is only then, can it be considered an all out effort.

We need to spare no effort to understand our subjects. If we don't understand it the first time, its ok, try again.Try till you get it.

Time management is also one of the important factor. Always remind yourselves how early you want to start revising your tutorial and throw in your life while doing it. That is the kind of ferocity my seniors pass it to me!

Have found this video featuring sensei dancing to the song of indomitable champion. Like to share it with you all as in this video, sensei , who is currently 80 yrs old, is dancing with all his might each time on stage,to really wanting to encourage all the members, so that they can achieve break throughs in their fierce, life and death struggles.

As sensei says in one of his poem:

"Whether i'm forced to eat dirt
Or hang by my nails at the
edge of a cliff,
I will move forward,
Even if just an inch or two,
Determined to break through
adversity."
(Ikeda sensei)

NPSD, come what may be our struggles, or persecutions, let's face it like a lion king, like sensei, determined to move forward, even if just an inch or two.

wL
2gether we win!!

Lighthouse Sharing

2008-05-27T18:40:00.002+08:00

Hi NPSDians! Our lighthouse is alive and kicking again and we have shifted to the atrium becos of the lack of space at our old lighthouse. To help us kickstart our campus dialogue this semester are our lighthouse keepers Xueyun, May and Zijing. Please keep the light burning by coming down to support everyday from 12 to 2pm. We not only need your physical support but we need other lighthouse keepers to do the sharing. It can be just a short 10 mins sharing and need not be a gakkai article or book. Something that inspires you can also inspire and encourage others too. While we study together, we encourage one another, deepen our own understanding of buddhism, polish our own characters and accumulate good fortune together =) right now we are collating timetables to see who can make it for sharing on different days and we will find a lighthouse ah tao to allocate the slots. i hope that all can participate!! please email me the days that you are free from either 12 to 1 or 1 to 2 ok? My email is layleng17@gmail.com.

Faith is not an obligation. Likewise, lighthouse sharing is not an obligation. With an unenlightened eye, we see it even as a hassle and burden but nevertheless, the foundation we build in our youth enables us to stand strong in times of trouble. Would you rather idle your time away? why not spend that half an hour in a day or a week creating some value and learning something? these are things that cannot be taken away from you whether in times of happiness or troubles.

When we light a lantern for ourselves, we light the way of others too. Let us live up to the name of our mascot, the lighthouse and not just let it be a symbol which means nothing at the end of the day and take action now!

SD members must be the first to study, first to pray, first to take action!

Lay Leng =)

Yubari Chapter Part II

2008-05-17T00:57:00.000+08:00

Is our presence a worry?When the coal mine union challenged the Yubari members to the debate, Mitsubayashi and another leader from the youth division was told to fly to Tokyo immediately. Shin'ichi had sincerely encouraged the leaders. They flew back to Chitose and were staying at an inn in Sapporo. They had trouble sleeping that night as the next day was the open forum requested by the Hokkaido Shimbun. Just as they were falling asleep, Mitsubayashi was awaken by knocking on the door and found Shini'chi standing at his bedside. '[t]he two had been surprised by Shini'chi's sudden appearance, but their astonishment instantly transformed itself into a feeling of reassurance.' Soon, they were able to sleep soundly.

Is our presence a worry for those around us? Or does it put others at ease? Amidst the coal mine incident, the Osaka incident was also unfolding at the same time. Though Sensei definitely had troubles of his own to worry about, he could still be so thoughtful. Within a few hours of them meeting each other, Sensei wanted to be with them as soon as possible knowing that they will be worried. His presence was able to put their minds at ease. If people have to constantly worry for us over the minutest things, it only goes to show one thing- that we are weak and not able to take care of ourselves. Is that the kind of life we want to lead? It also goes to show that our faith is not independent. If the people around us are taken away we will just crumble. To truly have the stand alone spirit, we do not hanker after transient happiness. We must possess absolute happiness that even when these things are taken away from us we will still be able to remain strong. Instead, we must become people whom others can depend on, not so that we can use the dependence to control others but so that we can lend support when others are down.

Yubari Chapter Part I

2008-05-15T02:05:00.013+08:00

I typed a long post just the other day but somehow it didn't autosave $#%^&*(I**)()W#$#

haha well well since we are looking into the Yubari chapter of The Human Revolution for the month of May I just thought of sharing something that we did not have time to discuss in depth. Reading HR always makes me think of so many things and I am able to relate it to so many things that are happening and unfolding around me. Would like to share some of these thoughts in case you all read too fast forget to take note =)

Actual Proof
In the attempt to make members give up their faith and deter them from spreading the faith, the union's welfare committee conducted research into the minutest matters in the members' daily lives. The companies' labour management even probe into gakkai members' work performance. They were ready to pounce on any evidence of gakkai members' negligence in their work so as to attribute blame to the Daishonin's Buddhism. However, 'contrary to their expectation, the investigation established that all miners belonging to the Soka Gakkai had excellent service records' (HR, P1570). The compnay became no longer nervous about this religion after that although the union remained so due to political reasons.

I think it is not just that because we are Gakkai members therefore we must put on our best behaviour so as to protect the image or reputation of our organisation like what our secondary school principals always tell us. If we are practising the Buddhism that we all claim to be good, how can anyone of us fail to do our human revolution and excel? If we practiced and remained slack/lazy/unmotivated/careless/sloppy/fill-in-your-own-adjective, how can we claim that this Buddhism can change your life if it can't even improve some small undesirable habits? Having said that, I must add that that is if you ever reflect on yourself and I remember Sensei saying that chanting is the best time to reflect on ourselves cos it is the time we are able to do so unflinchingly. That's the keyword. Do we just reflect then comfort ourselves, stroke our ego and find some excuse or do we actually do something to make the situation better? Are we able to be honest with ourselves even though sometimes lying to yourself is less cruel? =)

Of course, the members' testimonials were great actual proofs of protection from the Gohonzon. Then again, we do not need to wait for big things to validate this Buddhism. Actual proof is found through our daily actions and words. Showing that we are reliable people who can be trusted in our communities is in fact a very big actual proof. And this will be seen and felt by people around you. I think human beings sometimes very funny one. You tell them who-and-who got some sickness, chant then ok already people feel very skeptical. But they see a person's attitude good, positive they think maybe it's chanting that helps them become like that.

For Arakawa, the first time he attended a Gosho lecture in Toda Sensei's home, he did not have the opportunity to meet Toda Sensei. The lecture was not easy for him to understand but it provoked him to think about his unhappy situation. He also decided to take up faith by the end of the meeting because the participants were 'lively, had healthy complexions and smiled brightly and happily' (HR, P1577). The thing that 'impressed' him were 'the participants'.

Actual Proof is the most important of the three truths namely Documentary Proof, Theorectical Truth and Actual Proof. Nichiren writes: "In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact" (WND, P599). Remember you don't always need a crisis to show actual proof, we can show actual proof from the way we live our daily life. Use our lives to create those actual proofs regardless of them being big or small ones!

Three Obstacles & Four Devils
T'ient'ai (538-597) states in Great Concen-tration and Insight: "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.... One should be neither influenced nor fright-ened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching."

The above is one of my favourite passages cos when i was young i always hear them say san zhang si mo =) but are we able to recognise them as obstructions to our practice? (If you dunno what they are exactly please click here haha: http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php) . The Yubari members certainly did. Whenever they met they would read this passage together so as to renew their determination.

Conviction
How confident are we that this faith, the Gohonzon, can help us confront our difficulties in life? I was arguing with my sister while we were discussing the situation of her YWD. This YWD questions is it a must to have targets? Why do leaders always say that we must have clear goals and prayers? She thinks that she is busy enough but why do leaders always ask people to push themselves further. Also it adds a lot of pressure to her practice. This reminds me of what weiliang shared during CIC meeting about goals, prayers and vows. Sensei says praying without specific concrete prayers is like shooting an arrow without a target. You dun really know where you are shooting but just anyhow shoot hopefully the spearhead ends somewhere, hopefully can hit something but you dun even know what that thing is exactly. But targets are more than just numbers but the concrete steps you take to fulfil what you set out to, what you learn in the process and your victory at the end.

I believe that people are able to tell if they are busy. I do not believe in dumping everything on a member and leaving the member to struggle by herself thinking that she will grow a lot more alone in stand-alone-spirit. I think the question we should be asking is whether we are struggling based on faith and are we struggling hard enough? While we are not able to transfix our thinking onto someone else, we can always encourage. This is perhaps why there is a need for dialogue, so that we can talk it through and decide if this person can take it in. To different people perhaps a different approach is needed. Some people can take the nudging but some will run if we push them too hard. I'm not saying that i always use the correct approach (haha disclaimer). Maybe i did wrong somewhere sometimes. The intention is always good, in hope that the person will take up the challenge, and push themselves way past their preconceived limits of themselves through faith. Well, like i said, we have to use different approach with different people. Some yes, can be left alone to struggle, the stand alone spirit. But we as comrades must be able to be there for this one person should this person feel down at any point of time. Some need constant encouragement along the way. True unity is not so that weak people come together to make up quality with quantity or have one another to lean on. It is really for individuals who are able to stand alone to rise up together like the gears we discussed in the Yubari Chapter. Each one of us plays a part.

And regarding the point about feeling pressurised becos of faith, i say maybe you have not awakened to your mission yet. Like what Xueyun shared, what is the point of us doing all these things? If we realise that our fundamental practice is for oneself and for others, will we still think that becos we have enough things on hand we dun want to try?

Bottomline: I am not trying to say you should just shove everything down your throat whenever someone shoot arrow at you (although i usually accept first then ask questions later). Try to discuss and solve everything based on faith. If we already set boundaries for ourselves then we can only achieve so much but the mystic law goes beyond logical thinking. We constantly push not just to expand our own lives but for the happiness of others too. Seeing so many people suffering around us especially after the sichuan earthquake, can we really just sit and chant while ignoring the harsh realities of life? Seeing the myamese die while we just meditate in front of the gohonzon? Good question! what are we doing all these for? Sensei says "For people to awaken to their mission and follow the great path of human revolution is actually the most important thing of all."

When Arakawa was returning to Yubari to spread the mystic law in his hometown, he thought 'he had the Gohonzon with him. No matter where he went, he wouldn't have to fear anything. Nothing could have given him greater courage than this conviction." As we challenge our problems be it gakkai activities like propagation campaigns or our daily struggles, do we hold the same kind of conviction? If we dun, we might just end up like the 2 leaders who went to other prefectures to spread the law. They had been zealous and both firmly pledged to open a new field for kosen rufu at their respective destinations but later backslid and became unheard of. Do we want to be Arakawa or the two leaders? i think at the end of the day, it is us who decides.

=) Lay Leng (Contributions welcomed! Just drop us an email at npsdivision@gmail.com)

Big lessons from little Kids

2008-05-11T23:02:00.007+08:00

Hello there, here an article that is not from Gakkai. I find it interesting so i just have the impluse to share it with you all. Sometimes, it takes the "child" in you to do the great extra-ordinary things u dream yar. So, let us too, learn from kids at times, especially, in their convictions in their goals on what they want to be when they grow up. (Many a times, money wasn't even their considerations)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when there's not a prize in the bottom of the box
Sometimes, it's best to be completely blunt with people, as you used to be with relatives who wanted you to do something embarrassing or tedious for a shiny quarter.
Asking questions is how you figure things out . Lots and lots of questions.
An older wiser Gordie Lanchance says in Stand by ME ," I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when i was young." Lanchance is right. The trick is to try to be the friend you were when you were young: fun-loving and loyal, with no string attached.
Playing is work. Approach your downtime with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old with a secret treasure map.
Real guys don't dip their toes in the water. They jump right in.
You hated it when a grown-up told you,"We'll see." It's still unacceptable. Don't say it yourself.
The only way to know how something works is to completely disassemble it.( This is still a good advice when takling a complex problem. Your plasma TV? Not so much)
There's a reason they don't give credit cards to 8-year olds. You're supposed to save up money before you buy a new toy
Your body was designed for throwing baseball, shooting hoops and jumping off diving boards and stuff. In the secret language of children, the word "fitness" doesn't exsit. It's called "having fun."
Your world can be half-real and half-imaginary.
Homework blows. Bring work home with you and it'll ruin your night. And you marriage. And your family. And your life.
Too much of anything will give you a tummy ache. Like say, bourbon.
The coolest adults were the ones who took the time to listen to you. You still want to grow up to be a cool adult right?
Treasure Island, Dracula: The best books are consumed after dark with a flashlight. Where is your "reading spirit" right now??
Use adrenaline as your drug of choice. You don't need beer, pot , cigarettes to have a good time.
Seeing a thunderstorm roll in is better than watching HDTV. And rain isnt something to curse, but to enjoy. Hurry up, before it clears.

Let's all have an ever-youthful spirit in our lives. Just like kids, I will mantain my dreams and convictions in the goodness of the world. Sensei once says that the happiness in our world will depend on how loud is a kids' laughter. Let's all become the"coolest" MD and WD 20 yrs from now. Till then , we must formulate the elixir of "never ageing" right now in our youth!!

From: wL

NPSD

2gether we win!!

sensei guidance

2008-05-05T23:45:00.002+08:00

" A little rain falling in a time of pro-longed drought... only makes the plants and trees more parched than before,[while] dispatching one's weakest force to lead the attack on a powerful opponent ... only makes the enemy more confident than ever." (Gosho Zenshu pg 37)

In a struggle, half hearted efforts result only in giving advantage to the opposition.

Mediocrity does not make for a great leader.

May all the in-charge including me take this to heart..

By: wL
2gether we win!!!

April CIC training Cheerful hearts in Unity!

2008-05-03T12:32:00.000+08:00

The BIG NPSD Heart!

Linking with everyone else!

In preparation to expand our hearts and life =)

2008-05-03T12:26:00.000+08:00

She is making a heart with her hands!

Aiyo so sweet wahaha

Smile!

Emcees for CIC training!

2008-05-03T12:21:00.000+08:00

Let there be love! It's super nice!

Love NPSD! =)

NPSD Orientation cum Graduation 2008

2008-05-03T12:02:00.004+08:00

Hey guys i know i said wednesday. but layleng the procrastinator was a bit under the weather so here are the photos! but before that, i want to thank those who organised and helped out for the Orientation cum grad meeting. They are Jaymie, Wenbin, Hongbin, Xueyun, May, Soo Shan, Zijing, May, Derrick and everyone for coming =) i hope i din miss out anybody!

The very nice souvenir courtesy of Zijing! =)

And of course many others helped along the way!

A little something for the Grads!

Everyone smiling happily!

Why suddenly all open mouth sia? hungry already right!

Head for lunch!

2008-05-03T12:00:00.000+08:00

May May!

Dialoging during lunch =)

Shumin and Xueyun =)

Weird person wahaha. vanessa!

2008-05-03T11:57:00.001+08:00

Off to Sentosa to enjoy the sun!

Ready on your mark!

The behind-the-scene person =)

The lao jiaos graduating (except for LL)

The Nurses =)

2008-05-03T11:56:00.000+08:00

Leaping forward.

though we sometimes turn round and round in life.

We can jump out of it somehow.

2008-05-03T11:54:00.000+08:00

Looking to propel forward.

Where got space for me?

Hey concentrate!

Beware the crocodiles!

2008-05-03T11:51:00.000+08:00

planning strategy.

Teamwork!

Posing by the side while people are busy at the side haha.
Thanks jaymie for helping out! =)

Tigger joined us for the day too!

2008-05-03T11:49:00.000+08:00

We're cleaning toenails.

Always got time for pose!

Wenbin! thanks for helping out!

Deep in thoughts.

2008-05-03T11:46:00.000+08:00

Wad's the weird thing on the floor?

Nice formation haha.

Woah going to fall!

Managed to steady ourselves.

2008-05-03T11:43:00.000+08:00

Lay Leng and May =)

Me and Yiling.

Always got time for a pose =)

This is wad i call xiu shou pang guan.

2008-05-03T11:38:00.000+08:00

Stand so straight.

Liyu and Soo Shan.

Weather hot must drink more water!

2008-05-03T11:36:00.000+08:00

The couple.

First Prize.

Playing games.

2008-05-03T11:33:00.000+08:00

We saw someone weird.

2008-05-03T11:29:00.000+08:00

she is communicating with the tree.

see i told you.

NPSD orientation cum graduation

2008-05-03T11:22:00.000+08:00

The Freshies.

The Dare.

Student Division: always with a notebook in hand.

Sabo.

Well Done!

2008-04-26T21:25:00.005+08:00

Hi guys,

First of all, i wished to thank all who came down today for cic training. On top of that, i want to express my sincere appreciation for those who came down early to help out. Esp, cutting the hearts, song rehearsal and involving in logistics. It was a successful meeting =) Congratulation! I think that the song is very impressive, i can really feel how the song actually relate to us.

"Our hearts unite for humanity we strive"

Many body one in mind. I believe it is the same for us, if we are determined to do something and set a goal, we will definitely achieve it no matter what. I enjoyed myself, i hope you guys feel the same. On the bigger picture, we must never forget our purpose as a Young eagle, that is to lead others out of their suffering and allow them to realise that they all possess limitless potential that are yet to be explore.

Please really reach out to all members and friends to bring them closer to Gohonzon and this wonderful organization. Especially, with the upcoming event of milkrun and institution meeting. Do your best and immerse benefit will also come back to you. Please be reassured.

*Those who want to share articles or experiences, or things that will benefit all of us, please pass your email to me(me.weilun@gmail.com). Access permission would be granted for you to post your entry.

Good Night!
Weilun

Sunday July 6, 2008

Please read.

2008-04-20T21:00:00.008+08:00

Hi npsdian,

Thanks for taking the initaitive to inject some fresh life into our blog. I really had very high expectations of this blog. Maybe, i will just like to take this post to express some of my thoughts and share about how this blog was found.

This blog was actually one of an idea belonging to a cic, happened during the blog craze where everything on earth seems to have a related blog. I supported the idea not because it is cool or hip but because i just simply wanted to make this blog a place for people to

1) Find out more about NPSD
2) A training platform to the successors of NPSD
3) A place to keep our graduates and seniors relevant to the progression of NPSD
and if
3) When anybody have a major obstacles in his/her's life where it just so happen to be in the wee hours of the night and there is just no one to talk to , he or she can just come to this blog to find some inspiration.

Being young and "childlish" , i believed real guys or real YMD don't dip their toes in the water. They jump right in.

I thought it was a splendid idea and sensei always wanted the YMDs to carry through ideas that will benefit the members into reality. Immediately, i ask some cic, together with weilun, to come out with a blog and finally, our NPSD blog was born.

During this one year of blogging, numerous people help out and i sincerely thanked each and everyone of them from the bottom of my heart.

Prior to this blog, we had actualy web pages for NPSD and as Layleng mentioned in the comments box, we too are "listed" in Wikipedia. All this are the unseen efforts being done by our seniors in NPSD. I like to thank them too.

The world we live in today is not a simple society. Problems arise everyday and our life conditions fluctuate. We certainly need more listening ears and more encouraging words in our daily life. Most blog that i visit, are ones that talk about their own daily lives or are filled with lots of self-posing pictures. In fact, many of them are in their youth. While some are encouraging, most fall short into just daily updating of the author's life.

Immersed in material concerns, clamor and bustle, have comtemporary soceity forces us to sturggle with feelings of isolations and conformation?

Sensei says: "It is one of the sad ways of the world that when things are going well, people gather around you, but as soon as you find yourself in difficulty, they abandon you. They will even slander and criticise you, making a bad situtaion worse.But the way of life of those of us who practise the Daishonin's Buddhism is the exact opposite. We are committed to warmly supporting and protecting those who are suffering, those who are earnestly, struggling to overcome hardship and adversity. We encourage them so they can feel hope for the future and triumph over their present situation. We advance together in a spirit of unity."

As disciples of Ikeda sensei and youth of Soka Gakkai International, we cannot afford to be a bystander of all this negative culutre in society

This blog represent the spirit of npsd. Everyweek, i remind myself to post at least somethings into this blog for i know, if this blog remain inactive, it just reflect the state of my life and my commitment towards NPSD. I will not, and must not allow that to happen. Though we may not see results immediately, the "flame" of "2gether we win" must not be extinguished. We need to adhere to the conviction of wanting to warmly encourage those who are suffering silently.

Sensei wrote this message to the student division held in March 11, 1973 where he stated," A thorny path lies ahead of us. I may fall by the wayside, but tens of thousands of you will take up the torch of the philosophy of life and continue the struggle. If i do not entrust you with this mission, my life is meaningless. Here today, i give the future of Soka Gakkai and the attainment of kosen-rufu into your hands."

With our palms firmly gripping onto the baton of kosen-rufu, how can we fail our mentor's expectations. Sensei is always fighting alone, shouldering everything. We need to do something. It doesn't have to be grand. Do not ask yourselves what can you do for sensei but rather ask yourselves, what you can do for sensei.

For me, as long as i am in npsd, i will uphold this blog till i graduate.

Please pardon me for having such a long post. If you are reading it , and you feel something about it, let us create something for our mentor together. I just like to end off with this words i read from an interview between interpress serivce and sensei (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41775)

"I have a very deep faith in the capacities of young people. I believe there is nothing young people cannot do -- no reality they cannot change -- if they set their minds to it. In writing these proposals, my greatest hope, my determination and commitment is to sow the seeds of change in young people's hearts"

Yours, sincerely
wL
2gether we win!!

Just Dropping By =)

2008-04-20T00:31:00.002+08:00

Hello hello! I'm just dropping by to say a BIG HELLO to everyone! Welcome to all your NPSD freshies, i hope you have a great stay with us. And a BIG THANK YOU too to all our graduates. Thank you for having worked so hard here and i hope you have created a lot of fine memories here to keep you company for a long long time. when my ywd graduate i feel like i 'jia nu er' like that. haa yes i'm the ever-naggy mother hen. for those who came to the institution meeting this morning i hope you all enjoyed yourselves. of cos right cos i'm so nice haa! i shall upload the photos another dae! soon soon i promise.

In these 2 yrs in NP there have been plenty of ups and downs both in my personal life and in the institution. plenty of things to worry about. worried if i'm not taking good care of the members, worried i'm not pushing myself yadder yadder yadder but i must say I AM SO GLAD I'M HERE! It's indeed a pleasure to be working with everyone here, so many people who have inspired me to do more. well i guess i can't say that i haven't grown cos i have. breaking through a lot of self limits i never thought i could like juggling a lot of things in trying times. i think this is part of the training like sensei always mentions; to expand your life to become like the sea so that whatever shit(my own word) that is thrown in gets engulfed. when our life expands to become like the sea, we can take a lot of hardship without it getting to you. we will always be able to handle them. i remember something that GD said recently during the youth prayer meeting. He says that growth is not trying your best to do something. Trying your best is somthing expected of you. Growth is when you break through your own limits. Growth occurs only when you do something that you have never done before. Are you growing? =)

Don't you ever give up!

2008-04-13T14:37:00.008+08:00

Realised recently, especially the IIC, has a lot of obstacles ahead of us. So been reading and this struck me. Like to share this to everyone who are battling their negative karma currently.

"When everyone has given in to the idea that something is impossible, it is important to have confidence and the wisdom to realise that there is a way to make it possible. I believe this is the mark of truely excellent leader. When a difficulty confronts us, the question we should ask ourselves is not "what's going to happen now?" but rather, " what should i do next?"

When you have a dream and hope for what you like to do or what you will like to become, you be focused and have a goal. When you are burning with enthusiasm and the will to win, your true potential and ability will shine. However, if you lack hope and a goal, it is as if you have "run out of battery"- your eyes lack sparkle, and you have lost your power, ability, and sense of purpose in life.

We can expand our capability by tapping our will to advance, always pushing forward. Bigger dreams may take a longer time to fulfil than smaller desires, but with abundant daimoku and consistent effort, one step at a time, you will accomplish what you have set out to do, in course of time. So if something looks quite impossible to you right now, summon your determination , pray sincerely to the Gohonzon and challenge yourselves first-more often than not, you will find the solution within your grasp."

With the insitutional meeting next week, let approach it with a "fully-charge battery" and i await to be blinded by the sparkles from your passionate eyes. Don't give up!! Advance, struggle and win!!

wL
2gether we win!!

sensei guidance

2008-04-06T22:20:00.000+08:00

"The Daishonin writes:"'My wish is that my disciples will be cubs of the lion king, never to belaughed at by the pack of foxes.

It is hard to encounter a master likeNichiren, who since distant kalpas in the past down to the present day hasnever begrudged his body or life in order to expose the faults of hispowerful enemies.' (WND-2, 1062)."

The cubs of the lion king have the potential to become lion kings as well.In order to do so, they need to struggle selflessly, brimming with thespirit of propagating the Daishonin's Buddhism. Embodying the mentor'sspirit means fighting against and defeating powerful enemies."

The essence of leading a noble existence is to be found in you who are dedicatedto kosen-rufu."The Scottish poet Robert Blair (1699-1746) wrote: 'Those only are the bravethat keep their ground, / And keep it to the last.'"

50th anniversary of 3.16

2008-03-16T23:57:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to everyone. Though i am very exhausted after my young lion duties, but i am extremely happy as this is really one of the most meaningful 3.16 i had ever spent. I believed sensei will feel all your efforts and like to thanks everyone who contributed to this event.

We had managed to gather 4000 over people and though there maybe hip cups here and there, our faith in wanting to educate and spear-head peace will surely move people. Without saying much, please spend some time to take a look at the link pasted in this post and once again,

THANKS!!

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/335354/1/.html
(remember to see the video)

Guidance

2008-03-14T00:23:00.001+08:00

“‘There is no type of ship that can avoid being exposed to violent storms and waves, once it sets out on ocean navigation. Unless it conquers them and continues to advance, it will never be able to reach the wonderful port of its goals. If we, who aim at the “port” of enlightenment, are frightened by storms of difficulty and are defeated by waves of hardship, we will never be able to arrive at the “shor ” of enlightenment. In short, our practice of faith is a constant battle between devils and the Buddha, and the correct road to true peace and happiness is to establish such a powerful state of life that we can surmount any obstacle in our battle.’”

Ikeda sensei

7 more days to 3.16!!

2008-03-09T23:33:00.002+08:00

Just like to share this to everyone.

"Don't ask
Whether or not this mighty flow of kosenru-fu
Will turn out to
be a historical necessity.
Rather, always ask yourselves
Whether or not you carry the passion of heart
To make kosenru-fu inevitable,
Through your own sweat and toil."

Ikeda Sensei

sensei guidance

2008-03-08T00:16:00.001+08:00

"It is said that "those who make the first move gain the advantage."Speedy response and action to things is the key to determining whether we win or not.Let's take the initiative!With our fresh new momentum,let's launch a vibrant opening to a victorious year." Ikeda sensei

March insitutional meeting

2008-02-29T00:36:00.005+08:00

Hi npsdians, finally, its the holiday period.*yeah!!!*Hope that all of you have exerted your best in your examinations and congratualtions as all of you will move on to your next acadmic year in the poly.

Till the release of your results, the only thing that you can do now is to chant for what you desired. As the exam u take will only be check by the staff and lecturers, let's really pray that there will be no marking error and if really there is one, the error actually gives u addiontional marks. Details in this sense is very important and if we want to achieve something, we should not leave anything to fate but try to challenge fate with daimoku.

Another thing i like to highlight is the upcoming March insitutional meeting. This will be the first insitutional meeting/gathering for npsd so let's make a determination to be there. Your attendance will surely be an encouragement to another person as Ikeda sensei says this of the soka gakkai,

"It is one of the sad ways of the world that when things are going well, people gather around you, but as soon as you find yourself in difficulty, they abandon you. They will even slander and criticise you, making a bad situtaion worse.
But the way of life of those of us who practise the Daishonin's Buddhism is the exact opposite. We are committed to warmly supporting and protecting those who are suffering, those who are earnstly, struggling to overcome hardship and adversity. We encourage them so they can feel hope for the future and triumph over their present situation. We advance together in a spirit of unity."

With that in mind, every apperance in the meeting is of paramount importance. Some attend a meeting like a meeting whereas some attend a meeting , treating it a turning point in their lives. Our attitude towards attending a meeting is therefore, crucial. Attitude begins and change only from one's determination. It is a battle with ourselves alone.

In conclusion , i like to end off with this poem, once again from our mentor who is 80th this year.

"People cannot escape themselves.
Attempting to change
the enviroment,
without changing oneself,
changes nothing.
To win happiness and accumlate
good fortune and virtue,
we must choose the way of
human revolution."
Daisaku Ikeda

2gether we win!!

Ocean of Harmony 2008 !!!

2008-02-24T21:40:00.012+08:00

Our dearest Chingay participants!
(Siew Yoong, Jie Ying, Suet Yieng, May, Zi Jing, Jaymie and
of course, not forgetting Kok Sheng behind)

Hee.. With Me & Huiling included
(Thanks Jefferson for taking the picture!)

The YMDs: Kok Chuan, Jefferson and Kok Sheng

With the corals: May & Jaymie

Jie Ying, Suet Yieng and Siew Yoong in front of our float

Full view of our float (It's very beautiful, isn't it?)

Lastly, would like to thank you all for making Chingay 08 a great success! Guess you all must have enjoyed yourself and made lots of friends in the process. This whole process definitely will remain as beautiful memories in our youth. Let's continue to keep in touch with one another and move on from here. =)

Chingay

2008-02-15T23:36:00.001+08:00

Hello all npsdian. I just like to wish all that had been taking part of the chingay performance despite of your exam a big, thank you. Really thanks you for all your efforts and please bring the most wonderful performance to the whole of singapore. We will all sit tight and watch the performance that you all had been training for months.

As Leonardo da Vinci says,
" A a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death",

i am certain that this experince in 2008 chingay that you all had, will bring upon a smile when you all recall back in times ahead.

Take care and once again, thanks.

Gandhi, King, Ikeda

2008-02-02T00:51:00.000+08:00

The sequence of the video is as follows: Top(part1), Middle(part2), Bottom(part3)

value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MDUaz5Jeung&rel=1">

From SSA times issue 309

2008-02-01T00:24:00.000+08:00

Behaviour and integrity are the True measure of a person's worth.

Allow me to share some other quotes of Goethe:
" He who remains true to himself and to others has the most attractive quality of the greatest talents.
Search inside yourself, and there you will find all.
I believe that[ the virtue of ] humanity will triumph on the end."

Please become people with big hearts and big aspirations- people who shine. First-rate indiviuals stand out from the crowd in even the smallest things,such as the way they greet others. Behaviour and integrity, not looks or clothes, are the true measure of a person's worth. No one has ever become a great person without personal integrity. Integrity is the ultimate aim of every philosophy, the light illuminating our world.

Ikeda sensei's words

2008-01-30T23:48:00.000+08:00

Sensei shares on the opening of the eyes:

In my mind, i can hear daishonin calling out vigorously to his followers:"if you are not going to fight now, then when will you fight? MY followers, stand up with courage! If you fight with the heart of the liong king, you can expiate all past offences and transform your karma! let us lead to enlightenment even the icchantikas who persecute us, and help free humankind from fundamental darkness.

2008 Peace Proposal

2008-01-29T18:18:00.000+08:00

In his 2008 peace proposal issued today (January 26, 2008) to commemorate the anniversary of the SGI's founding in 1975, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda calls for the humanization of religion as one path toward peace.Commenting that the current trend towards fundamentalism is found not only in the religious sphere, but also in excessive attachment to national or ethnic identity and even to market principles, Mr. Ikeda stresses the need to put the human being at the center of all issues. He identifies dialogue as key in combating fanaticism, mistrust and dogmatism. More details at:http://www.daisakuikeda.org/index.php?mid=resources&sub=works&sub2=proposals&quid=8

生命尊严五字诗

2008-01-26T22:53:00.000+08:00

青蛙是青蛙，
乌鸦是乌鸦，
人始终是人。

不幸同阵线，
福运不止流。
贬低不幸群，
价值何言也。

众人群目睹，
反复思而行。

生命的尊严啊~~
妙法莲华经。

德坤

-words-

2008-01-24T15:51:00.000+08:00

Frogs in the pond croak all day and night till they are hoarse.
Yet passers-by take no notice and crush them beneath their feet.
The cock crows only a few times at day break, but the whole world will wake and begin their day.
It is useless to say much; rather learn and be wise so that even a word from you will be of value. Let us all lead a value creating live . Shall we .

wL

-sensei guidance-

2008-01-09T15:39:00.000+08:00

"The daimoku chanted by those who exert themselves bravely and vigorously for the cause of kosen-rufu -even if only just one daimoku-has more benefit and power than 1000, or 10 000 daimoku chanted without any goal or accompanying action. Having faith that is dedicated to kosen-rufu is what counts. "
Ikeda sensei.

The power of chanting

2008-01-03T00:18:00.000+08:00

Hi npsdian, i was catching up on my reading when i came across this words. Will engrave this words into my heart. Hope you all will like it too.

"Even though one neither reads nor studies the sutra, chanting the title alone is a source of tremendous good fortune. The sutra teaches that women, evil men, and those in the realms of Animality and Hell-in fact, all people of the Ten worlds- can attain Buddhahood. We can comprehend this when we remember that fire can produced from a stone taken from the bottom of a river, and a candle can light up a palce that has been dark for billions of years. If even the most ordinary things of the world are such wonders, then how much more wondrous is the power of the Mystic Law."
Nichiren Daishoni.

Let's chant to make the impossible possible. Remember, it is not immpossible, rather, it is I-m-possible.

wL

-Resolution-

2007-12-23T16:40:00.001+08:00

Hello npsdians. So sorry as i have not update for the past few weeks. The reason being my internet connection is down. Anyway it has been solved but i like to address something in today's post

The year 2007 is coming to an end and the start of 2008 is nearing. I hope all of you will set down your new year resolutions and if able, share it at the kenshu.

It is extremely important for us to have resolutions or goals because just like when we want to shoot things, we need to have a target. The same theory applies to this. A goal, if it was never to be reach, is perfectly fine to me as i believed one will always move at a much quicker pace than your old self without a goal.

As Ghandi says, "Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory." What matters most is whether we have given our all till we have no regrets. We ourselves know whether have we try our very best or not. If 2007 was not a very good year for you, then make 2008 the best one for you. Joy and happiness in life does not lies behind you, but in front of you.

Hereby, i like to recall what i have resolute in 2007 where i share this poem of ikeda sensei as part of my determination in front of all the student, attending the year end kenshu for last year.

" Today i rededicate my life to kosen-rufu.
To be strong, so that nothing can upset the peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and hope to every person i meet.
To make my friend feel that there is something good and beautiful about them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and to be optimistic about them.
To think only the best, work towards doing and expecting only the best.
To be just as happy about the success of others as i am about myself.
To forget any mistake in the past and press forward to greater achievement in the future.
To give so much time in improving myself, so that i have no time to criticize others.
To be too strong for fear, too kind for anger and too happy for worry.
To lift my heart in faith each day,
So that the Gohonzon may show forth in my life
Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo."
Daisaku ikeda

Sensei guidance

2007-12-09T20:07:00.000+08:00

"Life is an everlasting struggle with ourselves.It is a tug of war between moving forward and regressing, between happiness and unhappiness. Outstanding indiviuals didn't become great overnight. They disciplined themselves to overcome their weaknesses, to conquer their lack of caring and motivation until they became true victors in life. One reason Buddhists chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo each day is to develop strong will and discipline and, along with those, the ability to tackle any problem seriously and with the determination to overcome it."
Ikeda sensei

Winning

2007-11-29T11:03:00.000+08:00

Hello all npsdian, how have all of you been struggling in your daily efforts to create value in your lives? No matter what the outcome, just carry on with daimoku as the core in out lives. I had just read the 300th issue of SSA times and , really, Nicihren Buddhism have really gone a far way since the start of the soka gakkai. In this issue, we can see members urging one another to read the sekiyo shimbum as they believed they have already entered the age where buddhism is a struggle of words. Similarly , i hope those that have been regularly reading this blog will encourage another person to read up although i know the languauge and the words for this blog are not that professional enough.

To further improve my english, (as some of you all know, i actually fail my o-level english) , i will read a lot more. My struggles are nothing compared to Sensei as i believe the unending struggle waged by sensei is the force that propell the gakkai into today magnificent organisation. In the Nationwide Executive Conference 2005, Sensei says

" I am proud of the fact that i shouldered complete responsibility for the Soka Gakkai from a young age. I was 32 when i became the third president. The three obstacles and four devils always arise on the road to kosen-rufu. My life have been a nonstop battle against devilish forces bent on destorying the Daishonin's Buddhism. My mind is never at rest 365 days a year; I am thinking unceasingly of the welfare of my fellow members in Japan and around the world. That is the honest truth."

and in Nationwide Executive Conference 2005 session 1, sensei also says : " My vow as a disciple whose spirit was at one with Toda sensei was to protect him no matter what, even at the cost of my life. I did not reveive a salary for months on end, and i didn't even have an overcoat to get through winter. I was so tired every night that i sometimes didn't have the energy to take off my shoes before i collapsed in my room."

Eversince sensei have taken the lead for kosen-rufu, there is no such thing as rest in his mind. To repay Toda sensei's gratitude, sensei fought to the very last ouce of his energy. Likewise, please prove to sensei that we too, will spare every effort to lead a winning life through human revoultion.

" Life is here for us to win.
There is nothing that we need be afraid of !
Buddhism is the power source for us to be
able to win, no matter what problems or difficulties we may encounter!."
(Ikeda sensei)

Recalling my poly days, i will always remember this words whenever i meet any problems. "Winners never quits, quitters never win." Never lose heart and forge the way ahead in our lives. Faith is for us to be happy, not for others to see.

From this moments on , Npsd, 2gether, we win!!

Ikeda Sensei guidance

2007-11-25T18:19:00.001+08:00

"Buddhism is a struggle to be victorious. So, too , is life and our efforts to achieve kosen-rufu. Happiness is the laurel won by life's winners. World peace is nothing other than the triumph of humanism. Victory starts with conquering one's own weaknessse. A powerful wave of outstanding victory arises from a person of earnest, determined effort."

Daisaku Ikeda

NPSD Nov Institution Meeting

2007-11-19T12:19:00.000+08:00

NPSD Nov Institution Meeting

A big Thank You to everyone who made our NPSD last institution meeting of the year a great success! It was truly a joyful and rejuvenating meeting, whereby I can see the smiles displayed on all of your faces and the fun that you all had enjoyed at the meeting.

That day, we also witnessed the graduation of our "Da Ge" IIC, Song Heng (dressed in blue, see below), from NPSD, whereby he shared with us his life-changing experience through faith. He had become what he is today all thanks to the training that he had received in SD. It was truly a hearfelt sharing.

Song Heng, thank you so much for all your contributions to NPSD! We will always remember you as our "Da Ge". All the best for your future endeavours! =)

Our Big NPSD Family

1st Informal Shot

2nd Informal Shot

Finally, a formal shot "p

What matters now

2007-11-09T23:15:00.000+08:00

An excerpt from message of ikeda sensei was sent to the SGI-USA youth in the pioneering efforts where only 1 or 2 members will turn up for a meeting only.
" What counts is not the number of people who are engaged in our challenge. Rather, what matters is if one earnest indiviual resolutely stands up, he or she can bring about victory for all people. "
What we should think now is not how many people can turn up for meeting but rather, make our meeting so amazing that everyone that attend can really realised their mission in life. Let's really have this conviction in whatever we do now.

2gether we win
wL

2007-10-31T12:23:00.000+08:00

Dear all, here's something that I would like to share from NHR vol 11, Dynamic Advancement Chapter, which is in line with the study that we had on Monday:

"Human beings tend to allow themselves to be defeated by suffering and as a result lose their joy and shining smiles, their lives becoming dark and spiritless, filled with sorrow and regret. Buddhism, however, teaches the path to overcoming those sufferings and bringing one's life to shine with brillant splendour.

So how do we do this? The first step is to establish a fundamental purpose in life. The Daishonin teaches that this is accomplished not by wishing solely for our own happiness and seeking such things as wealth, status, honour, fame, authority or power, but by dedicating our lives to kosen-rufu.

Where do we see the brillance of humanity in people? Isn't it found in those who have broken through the shell of their ego and who dedicate themselves to helping their suffering friends, to their fellow human beings and to society at large, even though at times they must make sacrifices to do so? This is what it means to dedicate one's life to kosen-rufu.

Furthermore, nothing is wasted on the path of kosen-rufu. Every hardship we encounter becomes a source of great good fortune and benefit.

Life's true brillance is born from awakening to our personal mission and initiating courageous action to advance kosen-rufu. Faith is not a duty. It is a right. But if we become passive and just do as others tell us, our faith will come to feel like a duty and we will experience no real joy.

On the other hand, if we stand up on our own and take bold action, we will savour the greatest joy that life has to offer. It is also important to strive to improve ourselves day after day. This means perservering in faith. To persevere doesn't mean simply doing today what we did yesterday. It is to challenge oursleves anew and to make a fresh resolve each day. Faith is a constant struggle against devilish functions, and a Buddha is one who never ceases in that struggle.

I want you all to know that it is by engaging in such struggle that we bring our lives to shine; it is here that a golden life is realized." ~ Shinichi Yamamoto

2007-10-26T12:53:00.000+08:00

NPSD-WEB REVOLUTIONZ

hi NPSDIANZ, this is going to be the new look of npsd-web, comments please, hehe.

gratitude

2007-10-22T23:57:00.000+08:00

Hi all Npsdian,
firstly will like to thank teck kun for such a wonderful article. He have already taken the first step to post something nice for us. Actually, the setup of this blog is really for u all, yes the ppl u are reading, to encourage u and to let u all have space to say somethings and i will very much like to see more such initative going on..
Will also like to take this opporunity to report to all of you tt today, i haf met up with boon keng and zhong hao. I am determined to struggle for npsd this round and i recall one of the words song heng told me and i have write it down in my notebook, : "In order for NPSD to soar to greater heights, the central figure have to work doublely hard than any other person. " In the recent guidance of Ikeda sensei, sensei also call on all leaders to take on the most ardous task yourself.
For the sake of my mentor and my seniors who i owe so much, i will do it! Come what may that will stop npsd from growing, i urge all of the ymd to steadfast and challenge each obstacles head on , juz like our mentor and our seniors.
With that i have composed a poem for the seniors who i owed so much : "

Gratitude

Having encounter such compassionate senior,
like a north star,
guiding me to my mentor
What can one ask for.
I pledge,
with your upmost protection for me,
resolutely live out my mentor's calling.
From this moment,
as proud disciples of Ikeda Sensei,
together we win!

(dedicated to my seniors in faith
by your humble junior, wL)

2007-10-18T02:41:00.000+08:00

Hi NPSDianZ, this is Teck Koon.
Would like to share something i've read from http://www.ikedaquotes.org

It's quite lengthy,
so please read it with your whole heart.

Title "What is Happiness?"
Exact link is over here: http://www.ikedaquotes.org/contents/short_essays/happiness.html

What is the purpose of life? It is to become happy. Whatever country or society people live in, they all have the same deep desire: to become happy.

Yet, there are few ideals as difficult to grasp as that of happiness. In our daily life we constantly experience happiness and unhappiness, but we are still quite ignorant as to what happiness really is.

A young friend of mine once spent a long time trying to work out what happiness was, particularly happiness for women. When she first thought about happiness she saw it as a matter of becoming financially secure or getting married. (The view in Japanese society then was that happiness for a woman was only to be found in marriage.) But looking at friends who were married, she realized that marriage didn't necessarily guarantee happiness.

She saw couples who had been passionately in love suffering from discord soon after their wedding. She saw women who had married men with money or status but who fought constantly with their husbands.

Gradually, she realized that the secret of happiness lay in building a strong inner self that no trial or hardship could ruin. She saw that happiness for anyone — man or woman — does not come simply from having a formal education, from wealth or from marriage. It begins with having the strength to confront and conquer one's own weaknesses. Only then does it become possible to lead a truly happy life and enjoy a successful marriage.

She finally told me, "Now I can say with confidence that happiness doesn't exist in the past or in the future. It only exists within our state of life right now, here in the present, as we face the challenges of daily life."

I agree entirely. You yourself know best whether you are feeling joy or struggling with suffering. These things are not known to other people. Even a man who has great wealth, social recognition and many awards may still be shadowed by indescribable suffering deep in his heart. On the other hand, an elderly woman who is not fortunate financially, leading a simple life alone, may feel the sun of joy and happiness rising in her heart each day.

Happiness is not a life without problems, but rather the strength to overcome the problems that come our way. There is no such thing as a problem-free life; difficulties are unavoidable. But how we experience and react to our problems depends on us. Buddhism teaches that we are each responsible for our own happiness or unhappiness. Our vitality — the amount of energy or "life-force" we have — is in fact the single most important factor in determining whether or not we are happy.

True happiness is to be found within, in the state of our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However much you try, you can never run away from yourself. And if you are weak, suffering will follow you wherever you go. You will never find happiness if you don't challenge your weaknesses and change yourself from within.

Happiness is to be found in the dynamism and energy of your own life as you struggle to overcome one obstacle after another. This is why I believe that a person who is active and free from fear is truly happy.

The challenges we face in life can be compared to a tall mountain, rising before a mountain climber. For someone who has not trained properly, whose muscles and reflexes are weak and slow, every inch of the climb will be filled with terror and pain. The exact same climb, however, will be a thrilling journey for someone who is prepared, whose legs and arms have been strengthened by constant training. With each step forward and up, beautiful new views will come into sight.

My teacher used to talk about two kinds of happiness — "relative" and "absolute" happiness. Relative happiness is happiness that depends on things outside ourselves: friends and family, surroundings, the size of our home or family income.

This is what we feel when a desire is fulfilled, or something we have longed for is obtained. While the happiness such things bring us is certainly real, the fact is that none of this lasts forever. Things change. People change. This kind of happiness shatters easily when external conditions alter.

Relative happiness is also based on comparison with others. We may feel this kind of happiness at having a newer or bigger home than the neighbors. But that feeling turns to misery the moment they start making new additions to theirs!

Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is something we must find within. It means establishing a state of life in which we are never defeated by trials and where just being alive is a source of great joy. This persists no matter what we might be lacking, or what might happen around us. A deep sense of joy is something which can only exist in the innermost reaches of our life, and which cannot be destroyed by any external forces. It is eternal and inexhaustible.

This kind of satisfaction is to be found in consistent and repeated effort, so that we can say, "Today, again, I did my very best. Today, again, I have no regrets. Today, again, I won." The accumulated result of such efforts is a life of great victory.

What we should compare is not ourselves against others. We should compare who we are today against who we were yesterday, who we are today against who we will be tomorrow. While this may seem simple and obvious, true happiness is found in a life of constant advancement. And the same worries that could have made us miserable can actually be a source of growth when we approach them with courage and wisdom.

One friend whose dramatic life proved this was Natalia Satz, who founded the first children's theater in Moscow. In the 1930s, she and her husband were marked by Soviet Union's secret police. Even though they were guilty of no crime, her husband was arrested and executed and she was sent to a prison camp in the frozen depths of Siberia.

After she recovered from the initial shock, she started looking at her situation, not with despair, but for opportunity. She realized that many of her fellow prisoners had special skills and talents. She began organizing a "university," encouraging the prisoners to share their knowledge. "You. You are a scientist. Teach us about science. You are an artist. Talk to us about art."

In this way, the boredom and terror of the prison camp were transformed into the joy of learning and teaching. Eventually, Mrs. Satz even made use of her own unique talents to organize a theater group. She survived the five-year prison sentence, and dedicated the rest of her long life to creating children's theater. When we met for the first time in Moscow in 1981, she was already in her 80s. She was as radiant and buoyant as a young girl. Her smile was the smile of someone who has triumphed over the hardships of life. Hers is the kind of spirit I had in mind when I wrote the following poem on "Happiness":

A person with a vast heart is happy.
Such a person lives each day with a broad and embracing spirit.
A person with a strong will is happy.
Such a person can confidently enjoy life, never defeated by suffering.
A person with a profound spirit is happy.
Such a person can savor life's depths
while creating meaning and value that will last for eternity.
A person with a pure mind is happy.
Such a person is always surrounded by refreshing breezes of joy.

Ciaozz,
be TRUE happy :)
smile~~

--Start--

2007-10-18T01:06:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone, hope each and everyone of you usher in the start of your new study term with high spirits and vigor. Each new semseter brings about fresh determinations and hopes. However, it is only with unyielding determination in chanting, having faith and taking initative in all your endeavors that will ensure success. Allow me to use this post to also apologise to all of you as recently due to unforseen challenges in my NS duties( i never use the word problems as i believe that all the challenges i am facing are chances for us to grow and i am also convinced that i be able to overcome them ) but nevertheless, all the other iic have already planned out fresh activities for npsd. In fact, all of them, drag their body out from bed on a sunday morning, reach TBSC at 8am sharply, to chant and plan for the growth of NPSD. Mind you that all of them live quite far from tbsc but they make it in time.

I remember reading this in one of the sensei guidance, it was somewhat like this, Soka is another word for winning. Being in the soka families means that to be a winner. As buddhism ulitmately is either win or lose, all the more, we must win. Perhaps you must be choking now as the words winning keeps appearing in your mind right now but the winning we are concerned is not like we buy 4D then we win. The winning that what i am looking for is to win against yourself. To dare yourself to do something you never imagine you will. As lao tzu says, " He who gains victory over other men is strong; but he who gains victory overhimself is all powerful." By winning over our weakness, we will definately become capable people that will produce mega-watts smile.

I do not wish to bore you with another lenghty post as i know that already not a lot of people is reading this blog but it is okay for me as i vow to keep this blog alive and this blog is also a chance for me to win over my laziness. I really hope that in this fresh new start of your new journey in your studies, you can adhere to these words by sensei

"Fight to the very end. You must beat the forlorn and irresolute side of you that says," I cannot go on anymore,"That is enough." You must emerge victorious in the battle against yourself, and tell yourself " i must not lose heart," I must not give in." Ikeda Sensei

In closing, let us all, to keep it simple, as i cite Mr Toda's words," Now, all i can do is ADVANCE, STRUGGLE and WIN. Now, i move FORWARD , ever FORWARD!!." The essential phase for npsd and your lives have arrived. Live out your live to the fullest now. NPSD , lets really, ADVANCE, STRUGGLE , WIN!!!

2gether we win!!
wL

2007-10-12T11:33:00.000+08:00

Dear NPSD bros & sis,

Just to share with you all: Above is the poem that our SD chiefs have written to Sensei on behalf of all of you in response to Sensei's high hopes for SD. It was presented to Sensei as part of the gift Jinhao & Mabel brought to Japan for Kenshu in September. The gift photo is also shown above. It's very cute, isn't it?

Thank you so much for all of your efforts! Very encouraged that you all have taken the initative in arranging homevisits and dialogues with your members. Due to everyone's efforts, we have achieved another victory for SD in this HEARTS campaign. SD have achieved 5200 homevists from March till 6 October 07! Through this HEARTS campaign, we realised that it is only through dialogue and homevisit that our beloved members start to open up and join us for activities. Hence, for NPSD, let's continue with HEARTS campaign and continue to reach out to our members through dialogue and homevisit. Let's continue to advance valiantly! NP must grow even more! Every NPSDian must become happy!

While chanting

2007-10-09T21:11:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone, after chanting and was flipping through sensei daily guidance, i came across this,

: " There may be times, certainly, when being a member of an organization seems bothersome and we just want to be alone. But how sad it is if we are left alone without any support and then lose our faith. True growth comes from striving together with our fellow members in the living realm of human beings, ourselves experiencing the rich gamut of human emotions. (Daily encoragement 15th feburary volume 4) "

No matter what happens, faith is our's. The faith that you should have is not for others to see but for yourselves to become happy!

2gether we win!

Battlles

2007-10-04T21:12:00.000+08:00

" Having battles to fight
makes life exciting.
Encountering great difficulties
provide us opportunites
to develop our Buddhahood.
By confronting every obstacles,
we enable our Buddhahood
to shine brilliantly within our lives."
Ikeda sensei

2007-09-24T23:50:00.001+08:00

(I am reposting this again as i think this is a very importance guidance that we should learn from)

President Ikeda's Guidance to Soka High School Baseball Coach:SHS finally made it to the playoffs, only to lose in the first round.

The Coach wrote to PI:"Our ace pitcher was drafted and is gone. We are not as strong as wewere; I believe our capability is lower, but we will chant and becomea greater and more capable team."

President Ikeda: "You are wrong. You should have enough capability to win without having to go back and chant. Become capable and then your Daimoku will become a strong wind behind your capability. If you are relying on Daimoku to make it happen rather than on your own capability, then you are just using faith like a superstition. You should practice, and therefore, become capable. The team which becomes the most capable will be the one which practices and works hardest and has the most perseverance. Capability is very important because it requires constant courage and training, but if your capability counts only 50% and you base the other 50% on Daimoku to the Gohonzon to bring it about "somehow", then your religion has become a crutch for you. Religion is not there to hide yourshortcomings, but to strengthen you as a human being."

--never give up--

2007-09-16T18:25:00.000+08:00

Recently i have try to reach out to the ymds and find out about their results. The outcome, i must honestly say, is not that encouraging. I think that it is due to my inability that so many of the ymd members have not reached their full potential.I like to apologise to all of you all. I am sorry!

However, i hope this will be a lesson to all of us. I am confident that if you strive for kosenrufu, the protection that you get will be immensed. Having said that, i also have to strictly warn those that uses daimoku as an excuse. Please do not seek the law outside of yourselves! I do not wish to say much. From now on, action will take center stage. I will also like to take this opporiunity to clarify something. It is not the grades that is important but how much you have actually sweat it out.

As sensei says: " The important thing is that you get into the habit of challenging yourselves to the limit. In a sense, the results you get are not so important. The actual grades you received in high school, for instance, won't decide you for the rest of your life. But the habit of pushing yourself to the limit will in time bear fruit. It will distinguish you from others w/o fail. It will bring your unqiue talent to shine."

I will not say much as if you are reading this post, let us together reflect upon ourselves how much did we push ourselves to our limit in everything we do??

2gether we win : wL

2007-09-12T11:51:00.000+08:00

WHAT IS THIS THING??

HI NPSDIANS!! This is deckun, this is a logo created by me. i don't think

it's a good logo afterall, but for the moment, please bear with it, lol. anyone is interested, PLEASE, please help me in making the NPSD logo. :)

how this logo comes about?

mm, when i anyhow play around with my mac fireworks, lol.

what is this afterall?

to me, it looks like a aftermath when u use ur own eyes look directly towards to the the light of the lighthouse or the sun(LOL)

.. it also looks like the lotus flower (with 5 petals only, LOL)

it's like the website is not update for long time, so i think it's time to start something

New...

so i come out with this :)

NEW NPSD TEE-SHIRT??

2007-09-12T11:25:00.000+08:00

NEW NPSD TEE-SHIRT??

Hi NPSDIANS!! this is deckun, i am looking for help in making a new NPSD tees. anyone

interested??

this is my 10mins unfinished product, have a look (Above text) :)

to those who wanna help me interested, please help me in it, ur support can make

a difference, :)

2007-09-01T15:22:00.000+08:00

(A very strict but true guidance.. Hope everyone will take time out to read it)

President Ikeda's Guidance to Soka High School Baseball Coach:SHS finally made it to the playoffs, only to lose

in the first round.

The Coach wrote to PI:"Our ace pitcher was drafted and is gone. We are not as strong as wewere; I believe our

capability is lower, but we will chant and becomea greater and more capable team."

President Ikeda: "You are wrong. You should have enough capability to win without having to go back and

chant. Become capable and then yourDaimoku will become a strong wind behind your capability. If you are

relying on Daimoku to make it happen rather than on your own capability, then you are just using faith like a

superstition. You should practice, and therefore, become capable. The team which becomes the most capable

will be the one which practices and works hardest and has the most perseverance. Capability is very

important because it requires constant courage and training, but if your capability counts only 50% and you

base the other 50% on Daimoku to the Gohonzon to bring it about "somehow", then your religion has become

a crutch for you. Religion is not there to hide yourshortcomings, but to strengthen you as a human being."

2007-08-22T16:06:00.000+08:00

TO BECOME A PERSON OF HIGH SELF-ESTEEM
By Danny Nagashima, SGI General Director

You can analyze your situation all you want. You have to get to the root of why "I don't believe in the greatness of my life". You have to grab it by the roots and yank it out of your life. The answer is probably so simple, but we tend to over-analyze, it gets complicated and the solution seems far away. Your mission as a Buddhist is to become happy - not to master suffering. We have the negative and positive sides of us - one says "who are you kidding", the other "you can do it". You have to fight to not to give in to your negativity. This is not about being a writer, an artist, an actor, etc. It is about becoming the man or woman that you always wanted to become, a man or woman who really values his/her life.

The obstacles you face are the answer to your prayer.

Those feeling of self-doubt, those feelings that "I am a failure" - those are the feelings that I have to face and to address. How you feel about yourself, that feeling of self-loathing, of not being good enough, of being a sham. Those are the feeling you have to face. Your talent is not being questioned; it is about how you feel about yourself. That is the karma; You have to value your own life, to appreciate that it has nothing to do with anybody else validating you. Follow your heart, follow your buddhahood, and the effect from that , the benefit from that will be massive.

You need to follow your heart, truly treasure your life. When Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the gohonzon, he was already chanting daimoku out of the greatness of his life, his buddhahood, his enlightened state, he inscribed the gohonzon for all humanity so that everyone could relieve his or her suffering. When you sit in front of the gohonzon and chant, you have to have the most reverence for your life, the same as the Daishonin's, therefore your life deserves that kind of reverence.

If you chant for two weeks to really be a person of unlimited self-esteem and to really, truly appreciate your life including your flaws, your accomplishments, your defeats and your losses, your victories, all that you have created and to truly appreciate your talent as XYZ for two weeks, everything will change.

Forget about the past garbage. Put it away. That will only make you feel impotent. From today on really chant about being that man/woman of unlimited self-esteem. Really appreciate everything about your life; all the things that make you incredibly unique and wonderful. All your sufferings, problems, heartaches, will be the stuff you need, in order to share your experience, to encourage and to inspire others.

Focus on really, truly awakening to your greatness. This is the opportunity (sufferings, obstacles, lack of self-esteem) you needed to go through in order to become outrageously successful - so you can fulfill your dream. If you focus on this - really valuing your life mow, then everything will fall into place in a much bigger way. This is something no one can give you; the universe is showing you what you need to tackle. When you first chant this way, a lot of garbage may come out of your life, a lot of negativity, awful feelings may surface, let it enlightened side of your fear. We always bring into our lives what matches our life condition. Chant to feel incredible joy about your worth. You will feel and know self worth and greatness.

You not being able to do whatever you determine is a manifestation deep down of your feeling of fear, that you are not good enough, that you do not have it in you. You must get yourself to a place where there is the greatness of your life, then everything will be transformed. We have to believe in our buddhahood. When we face the Gohonzon, we should say, " I am going got praise my wonderful life". It is important to awaken to your own greatness. Your life is the Gohonzon. Now is the time for you to start over.

When you pray to a deity, your prayer becomes passive. Our voice is the Mystic Law. This law is not outside of you. When you get a benefit, it was you who created it. You must awaken to your greatness, appreciate and value your own life. It is no different to the enlightened life of Nichiren Daishonin, embodied in the Gohonzon.

Just as a beautiful piece of art elicits a response, or a great book touches your life in a certain way, we must elicit the Buddha nature from our own lives. It is right there, and the Gohonzon is the perfect vehicle to bring out that strength, joy and vibrant life condition then you take that to the world and change the environment. We are not necessarily chanting for the house, the car, the job, the relationship; but we are chanting to elevate out life condition to attract that happiness. The result that we see in our lives are a reflection of our life condition.

Every day as you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo consciously call forth your Buddhahood to manifest itself consistently. Chant to rise above your basic tendency of disbelief,or continually thinking that you are a common mortal who does not deserve good fortune in this life. Do not negate your life when you sit in front of the gohonzon. Do not beg. Do not scream. Do no berate the gohonzon. Believe in the greatness of your life; manifest the extraordinary side of you. The gohonzon is the toll we need to bring out our buddhahood.

My life is the gohonzon. Do not slander your life. The doubt is necessary to prove to myself that " I am a Buddha. I will fulfill every one of my dreams for myself". We already possess something incredible - our Buddha nature, the gohonzon. But we do not believe that the good fortune, the "million dollars" is truly mine. I will not be able to get it, or to enjoy it. Trust that the gohonzon, your prayer is the absolute means for you to transform your life. Trust and faith are the key words.

Chant with the expectation that every one of your wildest dreams will be fulfilled beyond your wildest imagination. Chant to believe in your buddhahood. Trust in the greatness of your life of your life. In "On Attaining Buddhahood", Nichiren Daishonin made a primary point. To free ourselves from the suffering of birth and death which we have endured in this lifetime after lifetime, and to attain absolute happiness, we need to awaken to the mystic truth that has always been within our lives. That truth is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That truth is I am a Buddha. Trust that you have everything you need for your happiness.

TEN POINTS TO BECOME A PERSON OF HIGH SELF-ESTEEM:

1) Chant to become a person of unlimited self-esteem.

2) Chant to awaken to your own greatness.

3) Chant to appreciate your life, including flaws, accomplishments, defeats, losses, and victories and truly appreciate all that makes you a unique and wonderful person.

4) Chant to make the impossible possible.

5) Chant to consistently manifest your Buddha nature and rise above your basic tendencies and overcome your inherent negativities in your life.

6) Believe that you are a Buddha and create all the benefits for yourself.

7) Believe you are the gohonzon.

8) Trust that in the gohonzon, you have the means to fulfill each and every desire to become extraordinarily happy.

9) Chant to display your buddhahood and to bring forth that strength, joy, vibrant life condition,

10) And then take it to the world and then change the environment.

Think Positive

2007-08-16T22:38:00.000+08:00

If you want to get somewhere, you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up. The secret of life isn't what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.

Help other people to cope with their problems and your own will be easier to cope with. Never use the word impossible seriously again. Toss it into the verbal wastebasket. Self-trust is the first secret of success. So believe in and trust yourself. Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have.

Joy increases as you give it, and diminishes as you try to keep it for yourself. In giving it, you will accumulate a deposit of joy greater than you ever believed possible. How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself - so always think positively. Go at life with abandon; give it all you've got. And life will give all it has to you.

NPSD meeting on 22 July 2007

2007-07-22T18:47:00.000+08:00

NPSD meeting on 22 July 2007

Dear all,

Above are the photos that we have taken at the meeting just now.

Thank you so much to everyone who was there just now, you all have made the meeting a great success!

Thank you to Jefferson, Xue Yun, Derrick and Zi Jing who planned the whole meeting.

Thank you to Xue Yun for being doshi and for bringing her friend, Fiona along.

Thank you to Cai Ling and Jefferson for being emcees, you all did a great job!

Thank you to Zi Jing for taking charge of games and preparing jelly as refreshments for us. The jelly was very nice, too bad for those who missed today's meeting =p

Thank you to Hong Bin and Yvonne for the inspiring testimonials. They touched us in the hearts.

Thank you to Jefferson, Kok Sheng, Vanessa and Sherlene for joining the dance, though you all didn't have a chance to perform due to time constraint. Let's save it for our next meeting, ok? So that we will have a chance to see your superb dance. =)

Thank you to Song Heng for the video and drinks.

Thank you to Soo Shan for the sweet goodies from China and Xue Yun for the snacks.

Thank you to May, Derrick, Soo Shan and Vanessa for preparing the NPSD song and Xue Yun for the song lyrics and emcee script.

We didn't sing well enough for the NPSD song. Huimin, our SD vice chief, commented that our NPSD seniors sang much better than us. Let us really learn this song and sing it well during the next meeting. Cos it's our very own song, we must be proud of it!

For those who could not make it today, thank you to you all for your daimoku behind the scenes. Hope to meet up with you all soon!

Flutter Intrepidly, The Banner of Youth!

2007-07-06T10:28:00.000+08:00

Flutter Intrepidly, The Banner of Youth!
-Dedicated to our successors, my beloved youth division members who are the treasures of the SGI-July 3rd, commemorating the day of my mentor's release from prison and the day I was imprisoned.- Sensei

Fierce winds, blow!
Angry waves, surge!

I am a youth
I am the scarlet banner fluttering in the storm-
Nothing daunts me,
Nothing defeats me,

Here where I stand
Is the headland from which I set forth;
Today, this moment,
Ever a fresh, new campaign-
When I think of my future
Boundless strength and courage
Well up in my heart.

Winds! Waves!
As an indomitable youth,
I will bravely battle
Your relentless onslaughts.

Wow! : ) Let's all achieve great advancements and victories this year (its 3&4Q already)

Refusing to Accept Failure

2007-07-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

Refusing to Accept Failure

Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. On May 29, 1953 he scaled the highest mountain then known to man-29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for his efforts.

He even made American Express card commercials because of it! However, until we read his book, High Adventure, we don't understand that Hillary had to grow into this success.

You see, in 1952 he attempted to climb Mount Everest, but failed. A few weeks later a group in England asked him to address its members.

Hillary walked on stage to a thunderous applause. The audience was recognizing an attempt at greatness, but Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure. He moved away from the microphone and walked to the edge of the platform.

He made a fist and pointed at a picture of the mountain. He said in a loud voice, "Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I'll beat you the next time because you've grown all you are going to grow... but I'm still growing!"

"To live is to be engaged in constant struggle.
The cells in our body, the blood flowing through our veins, are all
engaged in unending struggle. Life is a struggle both on the individual and
social levels. In a poem, the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
cried out: "For i was a human being/ and that means to be a fighter."
(Ikeda sensei)