July 3 came to be known as Day of Mentor and Disciple in Soka Gakkai. It was on July 3 that President Toda was released from Prison in 1945. It was also on this particular day 12 years later in 1957 that SGI President Ikeda entered prison. It signifies the mystic bond of mentor and disciple.
By the early 1940s, Japan's militarist government was steadily tightening controls on thought and expression as part of the war effort. Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda refused to bow to pressure from the state-controlled war machine and as a result, the meetings organized by the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai came under the surveillance of the Special Higher Police, responsible for the suppression of "thought crimes." On July 6, 1943, Mr. Makiguchi and Mr.Toda were detained on suspicion of violation of the notorious Peace Preservation Law and accused of showing disrespect to the emperor. On November 18, 1944, Mr. Makiguchi died of malnutrition and the privations of his long imprisonment, a martyr to his convictions. Mr. Toda was released on parole on July 3, 1945. Amid a war ravaged Japan, he set out to reconstruct the organization, renaming it the Soka Gakkai in 1946.
Mystically on July 3, 1957, SGI President Ikeda returned to Tokyo after three days of battling the unjust actions of the Coal Miners' Union in Yubari, only to find himself summoned by the Osaka prefectural police and arrested on a charge that was later proven to be entirely groundless. After a drawn-out legal proceeding, he was found innocent of all charges in January 1962.
This lofty principle of oneness of mentor and disciple is the epitome of humanistic values. On July 3 Daily Guidance, Sensei said, "When we steadfastly dedicate ourselves to the path of mentor and disciple, we can boundlessly manifest the wisdom and power that is inherent in our life. In this world, nothing is stronger than the united struggle of mentor and disciple. Nothing is more joyful."
"FAITH is not a matter of appearances. Nor does it have anything to do with position in the organization. It depends entirely on a person’s “fighting spirit”. Those who burn with a “fighting spirit” are true SGI members and disciples of President Makiguchi and President Toda."
( http://dailyguidance.blogspot.sg/2007/07/3rd-july.html )
Human has the tendency to view thing from a shadow perspective. One great example which clearly demonstrates such traits is from the recent incident of a fast growing religious community. In spite of sufficient evidences produced to substantiate their charges on their founder, the followers persisted in their blind faith to protect him. Likewise in SSA, similar characteristic arises. We received emails from our readers stating that the Student Division(SD) Chief clarified absurdly on what transpired in Leonard Koh's Facebook that showed 'Orgasm on Roller Coaster'. The reason furnished was that Leonard's Facebook account was jointly shared by his wife and it was his wife who liked and commented the 'Orgasm' site. It resembles closely to the reason used by a new political incumbent at that moment she was accused of contravening elections rule. Perhaps Leonard Koh or the SD chief can breed more creativity or originality in concocting future excuses.
As clearly instructed by our mentor, organizational position has got no relation to faith. The higher the responsibility one shoulders, the more prone he is to the devilish inducement. Especially when one's fighting spirit is weak, he will be easily drawn into the devil's domain. In the recent incident of 'principal saga', Leonard Koh, being the principal of Northland Secondary School, visited the Facebook wall of young girls to comment 'Nice', 'Cute', 'Pretty' and 'So womanly' on their photographs. The number of girl's photographs Leonard visited and commented, was not merely restricted to one or two but extended to more than a hundred in the Facebook. Worst still, he commented them at the graveyard hours, before he retired to bed and after he awoke, as though performing some kind of ritual. Could he be replacing morning and evening gongyo with this ritual? Comparably, his YMD comrades could be busily sloughing themselves in shakubuku campaign or conducting dialogues at these hours.
On one of the photographs he commented 'cute' on Facebook, the Northland Sec's female student jokingly called Leonard Koh a stalker. Leonard Koh reciprocated by saying sorry to haunt her in this way as he was accessing FB randomly. He continued by saying that he sometimes liked to kpo here and there. In spite of how kind natured a principal was, the lingo he used on his student is deemed, without doubt, flirtatious. On another girl's photograph he commented, due to the girl who carries the same name as his wife, Leonard Koh stated his intent to meet the girl one day.
As it was clearly highlighted by the guest speakers and the parents who called in to Good Morning Singapore talk-show (Mediacorp Channel 8), they regarded the behaviour of the principal as inappropriate. They further reiterated that although the words 'Nice'... may be commonly used but to utilize these words to comment on the pose of the girls, will mean otherwise. This opinion raised by the ex-educator fits well into the numerous photographs commented by Leonard Koh which are poses of the girls with revealing cleavage, etc.
To add on, Leonard Koh - Youth Chief of SSA, visited, liked and commented on some adult's site and left traces on his Facebook wall. The sites that he visited on include:
1) This woman has an orgasm on a roller coaster!
2) Wet & Wild Bikini Girls
3) Sport Illustrated Swim Suit Edition
As quoted by the worried parent, Nel in STOMP, "What kind of message is this educator sending to his pupils when these postings can be openly viewed by all?" Precisely to the point that not only his students could view these sites but our YWD too.
From the Youth chief saga, it teaches us not to view matter solely from one perspective. I believe nobody can fault Leonard Koh on the words he chose to use. Neverthless, if you piece up the bits and pieces by linking the number of girl's photographs he visited, liked and commented repeatedly at wee hours, via his flirtatous remarks to the girls with attempted invitation, to the adult's site he visited, we are very inclined to share the same worries and concerns of the troubled parent, Nel. Who else in this world, who has accumulated much life experiences, allows their daughters to be stalked in this manner?
Thanks to the top leadership of SSA. Instead of addressing the issues confronting our youth chief by reprimanding his mistakes, our dearest top leaders advance in quick pace to prevent this matter from erupting into public shame by defending Leonard Koh's interest. In the most recent RZC leaders meeting held in Regional level, the top leaders defended Leonard Koh by stating that the MOE has done its investigation and concluded that there has not been any evidence pointing to the professional misconduct on his part. Although the ministry, as of this point in time, found no new evidence of the misconduct of the principal, nevertheless it does not mean that Leonard Koh is not guilty of crossing the boundary on the moral and ethical aspect of an educator. In other words, he is morally wrong to indulge and bury himself in the photographs of those 'sweet young things', as named by netizens. Moreover, what the Ministry lacks, at this point in time, concrete evidence. Henceforth, Leonard Koh can get away scot-free at this moment, but that does not mean that he is not guilty of misconduct.
Interestingly, the top leaders further defended that on Jun 24, Leonard Koh had presented himself in front of SSA central committee and also the management committee to give a full explanation on that Saturday and the central committee and the management committee are fully satisfied with his explanation. However, the report did not cover on how extensive the investigation was conducted by the CC and the MC. Were all evidences extracted from STOMP to the various newspapers to Temasek Times presented and tabled for investigation? Did Leonard Koh show his part of evidences that he commented on both the male and female students? If all of the above-said steps were not established, how can we be assured that the investigations were carried out in an impartial but not haphazard manner? By the way, the CC and the MC are made up of almost the same personnel. Besides, Leonard Koh sits in both of the committees. Needless to say, the members of the committees will protect their common interest by protecting Leonard Koh.
Although the top leaders had dwelled quite a fair bit into defending Leonard Koh during the RZC meeting, the report was only a partial of what it was shared in the media. Many of the facts were intentionally omitted in the official statement as follows:
1) LK visited and commented on more than a hundred former and current female students' Facebook photographs at graveyard hours.
2) Numerous of the girls' photographs which Leonard commented were rather revealing with exposure of the girls' cleavage, etc.
3) LK's lingo in his comments on the girls' photographs contained certain degree of flirting.
4) LK left traces of his visit to sexual websites on his Facebook wall.
Why was so many pointers being omitted by the top leaders in their official statement to clarify the Youth chief's saga? It is an indisputable fact that by presenting merely the surface aspect of this whole issue will somehow deceive our members into believing that the matter has already been addressed. This is to forbid members from further queries so that they can put the matter to an immediate closure. This is indeed the practice of bureaucracy on the part of SSA top leadership.
In NHR, SGI President Ikeda writes:
"What, then, would be the fundamental cause for the Soka Gakkai growing bureaucratic? It would be when leaders forget the organisation's original purpose - that is, of working for kosen-rufu and serving the members, who are the children of the Buddha - and instead lapse into self interest. It would happen when leaders no longer focus on kosen-rufu but on themselves."
[NHR Vol 10 Crown Champions, pg. 268-269]
Inheriting from the spirit from our mentor, it is imperative that we should speak the words of truth, without reservation, to dispel the falsehood generated by the top leaders of SSA. We shall continue to speak against injustice till the top leadership of SSA re-channel their focus back to kosen-rufu and serving the members. In conclusion, we would like to present the following words of wisdom from our mentor, SGI President Ikeda to you.
Sensei teaches, "The truth is the truth. We must speak out with righteous anger to defend it, fighting resolutely against falsehoods with words of truth. We must make the 21st century an age where human rights shine brightly.
[Value Creation Vol. 1, Pg 16]
By the early 1940s, Japan's militarist government was steadily tightening controls on thought and expression as part of the war effort. Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda refused to bow to pressure from the state-controlled war machine and as a result, the meetings organized by the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai came under the surveillance of the Special Higher Police, responsible for the suppression of "thought crimes." On July 6, 1943, Mr. Makiguchi and Mr.Toda were detained on suspicion of violation of the notorious Peace Preservation Law and accused of showing disrespect to the emperor. On November 18, 1944, Mr. Makiguchi died of malnutrition and the privations of his long imprisonment, a martyr to his convictions. Mr. Toda was released on parole on July 3, 1945. Amid a war ravaged Japan, he set out to reconstruct the organization, renaming it the Soka Gakkai in 1946.
Mystically on July 3, 1957, SGI President Ikeda returned to Tokyo after three days of battling the unjust actions of the Coal Miners' Union in Yubari, only to find himself summoned by the Osaka prefectural police and arrested on a charge that was later proven to be entirely groundless. After a drawn-out legal proceeding, he was found innocent of all charges in January 1962.
This lofty principle of oneness of mentor and disciple is the epitome of humanistic values. On July 3 Daily Guidance, Sensei said, "When we steadfastly dedicate ourselves to the path of mentor and disciple, we can boundlessly manifest the wisdom and power that is inherent in our life. In this world, nothing is stronger than the united struggle of mentor and disciple. Nothing is more joyful."
"FAITH is not a matter of appearances. Nor does it have anything to do with position in the organization. It depends entirely on a person’s “fighting spirit”. Those who burn with a “fighting spirit” are true SGI members and disciples of President Makiguchi and President Toda."
( http://dailyguidance.blogspot.sg/2007/07/3rd-july.html )
Human has the tendency to view thing from a shadow perspective. One great example which clearly demonstrates such traits is from the recent incident of a fast growing religious community. In spite of sufficient evidences produced to substantiate their charges on their founder, the followers persisted in their blind faith to protect him. Likewise in SSA, similar characteristic arises. We received emails from our readers stating that the Student Division(SD) Chief clarified absurdly on what transpired in Leonard Koh's Facebook that showed 'Orgasm on Roller Coaster'. The reason furnished was that Leonard's Facebook account was jointly shared by his wife and it was his wife who liked and commented the 'Orgasm' site. It resembles closely to the reason used by a new political incumbent at that moment she was accused of contravening elections rule. Perhaps Leonard Koh or the SD chief can breed more creativity or originality in concocting future excuses.
As clearly instructed by our mentor, organizational position has got no relation to faith. The higher the responsibility one shoulders, the more prone he is to the devilish inducement. Especially when one's fighting spirit is weak, he will be easily drawn into the devil's domain. In the recent incident of 'principal saga', Leonard Koh, being the principal of Northland Secondary School, visited the Facebook wall of young girls to comment 'Nice', 'Cute', 'Pretty' and 'So womanly' on their photographs. The number of girl's photographs Leonard visited and commented, was not merely restricted to one or two but extended to more than a hundred in the Facebook. Worst still, he commented them at the graveyard hours, before he retired to bed and after he awoke, as though performing some kind of ritual. Could he be replacing morning and evening gongyo with this ritual? Comparably, his YMD comrades could be busily sloughing themselves in shakubuku campaign or conducting dialogues at these hours.
On one of the photographs he commented 'cute' on Facebook, the Northland Sec's female student jokingly called Leonard Koh a stalker. Leonard Koh reciprocated by saying sorry to haunt her in this way as he was accessing FB randomly. He continued by saying that he sometimes liked to kpo here and there. In spite of how kind natured a principal was, the lingo he used on his student is deemed, without doubt, flirtatious. On another girl's photograph he commented, due to the girl who carries the same name as his wife, Leonard Koh stated his intent to meet the girl one day.
As it was clearly highlighted by the guest speakers and the parents who called in to Good Morning Singapore talk-show (Mediacorp Channel 8), they regarded the behaviour of the principal as inappropriate. They further reiterated that although the words 'Nice'... may be commonly used but to utilize these words to comment on the pose of the girls, will mean otherwise. This opinion raised by the ex-educator fits well into the numerous photographs commented by Leonard Koh which are poses of the girls with revealing cleavage, etc.
To add on, Leonard Koh - Youth Chief of SSA, visited, liked and commented on some adult's site and left traces on his Facebook wall. The sites that he visited on include:
1) This woman has an orgasm on a roller coaster!
2) Wet & Wild Bikini Girls
3) Sport Illustrated Swim Suit Edition
As quoted by the worried parent, Nel in STOMP, "What kind of message is this educator sending to his pupils when these postings can be openly viewed by all?" Precisely to the point that not only his students could view these sites but our YWD too.
From the Youth chief saga, it teaches us not to view matter solely from one perspective. I believe nobody can fault Leonard Koh on the words he chose to use. Neverthless, if you piece up the bits and pieces by linking the number of girl's photographs he visited, liked and commented repeatedly at wee hours, via his flirtatous remarks to the girls with attempted invitation, to the adult's site he visited, we are very inclined to share the same worries and concerns of the troubled parent, Nel. Who else in this world, who has accumulated much life experiences, allows their daughters to be stalked in this manner?
Thanks to the top leadership of SSA. Instead of addressing the issues confronting our youth chief by reprimanding his mistakes, our dearest top leaders advance in quick pace to prevent this matter from erupting into public shame by defending Leonard Koh's interest. In the most recent RZC leaders meeting held in Regional level, the top leaders defended Leonard Koh by stating that the MOE has done its investigation and concluded that there has not been any evidence pointing to the professional misconduct on his part. Although the ministry, as of this point in time, found no new evidence of the misconduct of the principal, nevertheless it does not mean that Leonard Koh is not guilty of crossing the boundary on the moral and ethical aspect of an educator. In other words, he is morally wrong to indulge and bury himself in the photographs of those 'sweet young things', as named by netizens. Moreover, what the Ministry lacks, at this point in time, concrete evidence. Henceforth, Leonard Koh can get away scot-free at this moment, but that does not mean that he is not guilty of misconduct.
Interestingly, the top leaders further defended that on Jun 24, Leonard Koh had presented himself in front of SSA central committee and also the management committee to give a full explanation on that Saturday and the central committee and the management committee are fully satisfied with his explanation. However, the report did not cover on how extensive the investigation was conducted by the CC and the MC. Were all evidences extracted from STOMP to the various newspapers to Temasek Times presented and tabled for investigation? Did Leonard Koh show his part of evidences that he commented on both the male and female students? If all of the above-said steps were not established, how can we be assured that the investigations were carried out in an impartial but not haphazard manner? By the way, the CC and the MC are made up of almost the same personnel. Besides, Leonard Koh sits in both of the committees. Needless to say, the members of the committees will protect their common interest by protecting Leonard Koh.
Although the top leaders had dwelled quite a fair bit into defending Leonard Koh during the RZC meeting, the report was only a partial of what it was shared in the media. Many of the facts were intentionally omitted in the official statement as follows:
1) LK visited and commented on more than a hundred former and current female students' Facebook photographs at graveyard hours.
2) Numerous of the girls' photographs which Leonard commented were rather revealing with exposure of the girls' cleavage, etc.
3) LK's lingo in his comments on the girls' photographs contained certain degree of flirting.
4) LK left traces of his visit to sexual websites on his Facebook wall.
Why was so many pointers being omitted by the top leaders in their official statement to clarify the Youth chief's saga? It is an indisputable fact that by presenting merely the surface aspect of this whole issue will somehow deceive our members into believing that the matter has already been addressed. This is to forbid members from further queries so that they can put the matter to an immediate closure. This is indeed the practice of bureaucracy on the part of SSA top leadership.
In NHR, SGI President Ikeda writes:
"What, then, would be the fundamental cause for the Soka Gakkai growing bureaucratic? It would be when leaders forget the organisation's original purpose - that is, of working for kosen-rufu and serving the members, who are the children of the Buddha - and instead lapse into self interest. It would happen when leaders no longer focus on kosen-rufu but on themselves."
[NHR Vol 10 Crown Champions, pg. 268-269]
Inheriting from the spirit from our mentor, it is imperative that we should speak the words of truth, without reservation, to dispel the falsehood generated by the top leaders of SSA. We shall continue to speak against injustice till the top leadership of SSA re-channel their focus back to kosen-rufu and serving the members. In conclusion, we would like to present the following words of wisdom from our mentor, SGI President Ikeda to you.
Sensei teaches, "The truth is the truth. We must speak out with righteous anger to defend it, fighting resolutely against falsehoods with words of truth. We must make the 21st century an age where human rights shine brightly.
[Value Creation Vol. 1, Pg 16]
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