The Spirit of Contribution (Jan 2020)

The Spirit of Contribution

With the recent inauguration of the two grand citadels, BSG has entered a new phase of
trailblazing the advancement of worldwide kosen-rufu. As we continue this dynamic advance into
‘2020 - The Year Of Advancement And Capable People', the financial closure of the two citadels,
the constant upkeep and enhancement of BSG’s various support and infrastructural facilities as
well as culture centres across the country are paramount. This together with the myriad other
requirements of an ever-growing organization make financial contributions assume even greater
significance.

At the same time, the number of members making financial contribution has been steadily on
the rise in the past few years, giving increasing strength to the financial stability of the
organization. This has led to the emergence of wonderful experiences in the lives of members
across the BSG. As we enable more and more members to partake in this most joyful activity of
making financial contribution, let us once again reconfirm the noble spirit of contribution in the
Soka Gakkai from Gosho and Ikeda Sensei’s guidance.

A means of expressing our deep sense of Gratitude and accumulating
immeasurable Good Fortune

“Shin’ichi thought about the offerings made within the Soka Gakkai. The offerings and financial
contributions the organization solicited were exclusively to accomplish the Daishonin’s
mandate to widely propagate the Mystic Law. Offerings made towards this end are equivalent
to offerings made to the original Buddha. There was, then, no greater offering, no greater good.
Certainly, nothing could bring greater benefit. This thought filled Shin’ichi with a sense of
immeasurable good fortune and joy at having had the chance to make such offerings as a Soka
Gakkai member.” (NHR 4 – Triumph Chapter P 126)

This spontaneous spirit underlies the Soka Gakkai’s tradition of making offerings based on
sincerity, appreciation and the vow to support the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law.
What matters most is that financial contribution is joyful arising from pure faith, which as the
Gosho says is like “…… sowing good seeds in a field of fortune.” This spirit of joyful offering
elevates our state of life and produces immeasurable benefit. This, in turn, deepens our
conviction in faith. It is an unchanging equation for consolidating the foundation of happiness in
our lives.

In other words, making financial contributions and supporting BSG activities based on a sense of
appreciation and earnest faith is the key to revealing and enjoying the highest state of life -
Buddhahood. Such sincere action is the way to “become a Buddha easily.”

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A means of expressing our Determination and Responsibility for Advancing
Kosen-rufu

“Faced with members’ growing insistence that they be allowed to help finance the
organization, Toda sensed that the time had finally come to open the door to such a
development. Still, Toda had remained extremely cautious. He felt it imperative that finances
for kosen-rufu derive from donations made with the utmost sincerity and purity of intention,
and he was very strict as to which members could participate in making financial contributions
to the organization. He initially chose seventy-eight people whom he deemed to be both strong
in faith and financially secure, and appointed them members of the Soka Gakkai’s finance
group, responsible for all the Gakkai’s funds.
The finance group, officially inaugurated on July 3, 1951, grew steadily over the intervening
years, becoming a great force in sustaining the Gakkai’s economic foundation. The members
selected to belong to the group were filled with pride, joy and appreciation at being able to
make offerings for kosen-rufu. Nothing gave Toda greater pleasure than to see this spirit
pulsing in the lives of the group’s members.” (NHR 4 – Triumph Chapter P 118)

BSG members consistently experience the mutually beneficial and inspiring relationships of
supporting and being supported by others while striving for kosen-rufu. And our financial
contributions support the continued growth of this beautiful Soka network. Ikeda Sensei says:
“Being grateful for the support so many others have given us - that awareness, that feeling, that
joy - will bring us even greater happiness.”

Through making financial offerings in the BSG we get an opportunity to contribute to the eternal
existence of our most treasured organisation which is engaged in the united struggle of mentor
and disciple to elevate the very life-state of all humankind. This contribution then becomes an
expression of our determination to take complete responsibility for the advancement of kosen-
rufu with the stand-alone spirit of ‘I am Shin'ichi Yamamoto’ and ‘I am that One Disciple’.

A means of challenging our circumstances and Transforming our Karma

“The Buddha, being truly worthy of respect, never judges by the size of one’s offerings. In the
past, the boy Virtue Victorious offered a mud pie to the Buddha, and was reborn as
King Ashoka and ruled over all of Jambudvīpa. A poor woman cut off her hair and sold it to buy
oil [for the Buddha], and not even the winds sweeping down from Mount Sumeru could
extinguish the flame of the lamp fed by this oil. Accordingly, your offerings of two and three
strings of coins are far greater even than those of the ruler of Japan, who may offer the nation
and build a pagoda adorned with the seven kinds of treasures that reaches to the heaven of
the thirty-three gods.” (Reply to Onichi-nyo – WND1-1089)

Challenging the limitations imposed by one’s immediate circumstances to contribute whole-
heartedly is the quintessence of the spirit of offering in the Soka Gakkai. And it is Ikeda Sensei
more than anyone else who has shown us through his life what it means to practice selflessly

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without begrudging one's life. As a youth, Sensei would drastically cut his living expenses – even
willing to endure the freezing cold of winter without an overcoat - to save whatever he could in
order to support Gakkai activities. As he himself says, the benefit and good fortune he gathered
as a result of these causes enabled him to transform the debilitating karma of illness and acquire
a robust disposition thereby extending his lifespan many times over.

Similarly in Nichiren Daishonin’s time, the young Nanjo Tokimitsu unable to maintain a horse for
himself and lacking adequate food and clothing for his wife and children, challenged to offer the
Daishonin one kan of coins out of his sheer concern for the Daishonin’s well-being in the winter
cold of Mt Minobu. When we make financial contribution in the BSG with this same spirit of 'not
holding back', we will be able to do our human revolution and overcome even the most
insurmountable karma.

With a spirit to repay our debt of gratitude to our mentor, let us enable all our members to
enthusiastically participate in the forthcoming BSG contribution to be held on Sunday, 12th Jan,
2020. As foremost leaders of kosen-rufu, it is important that we first pray and imbibe the above
points in our own life and then encourage our fellow-members towards the same.

To once again reconfirm the true Spirit of Contribution:

• Contribution is a voluntary activity and is a spontaneous expression of our trailblazing spirit
for the advancement of kosen-rufu in our land.

• The Spirit of Contribution entails two aspects - i) a deep sense of gratitude to our mentor for
all his support and encouragement and ii) our passion and commitment for the advancement
of kosen-rufu.

• It is very important to take the initiative and set our own personal determination/target of
contribution. With personal examples, we can encourage others.

• Having made a personal determination, it is important to pray to the Gohonzon and actualise
that determination.

• Challenging ourselves to contribute joyfully will help us to have :
➢ Limitless good fortune and a magnanimous heart.
➢ Great conviction in the guidances of Ikeda Sensei.
➢ Deep gratitude to the Gohonzon and our mentor.
➢ Conviction in the profundity of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.
➢ The spirit to challenge and overcome any difficulty in life through faith.
➢ Eternal memories of fighting in most difficult times.
➢ Conviction in upholding the spirit of Soka Gakkai.

***

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All rights reserved. This document can be photocopied for the exclusive use of activities of Bharat Soka Gakkai. This report may not be forwarded,
circulated through email or internet to any person other than the recipients of this report.