Ruby Pan in Mr Brown Show at the Parliament House

Faith, practice, action in daily life

SSA Times
16 Jul 2008
Adapted from the "Light of Compassion" chapter of The New Human Revolution by SGI President Ikeda

Fumie Shearing, who was acting as the central figure for the members in Washington, DC,USA came out of her house to greet Shin'ichi and his party. Her arm was bandaged, and she wore sunglasses and a scarf around her head.

"What happened?" Shin'ichi asked in concern. "Excuse me for looking like this," she began, and went on to explain that her gas oven had exploded from a gas leak. "Are you alright?" asked Shin'ichi anxiously. "Yes, the doctor said the burns are minor." "Well, I'm glad to hear that," Said Sin'ichi. He continued, "Buddhism teaches the principle of lessening karmic retribution. Through the benefit of faith, we can transform heavy, negative karma accumulated from our past lives and receive its effects in much lighter form in this lifetime. Your accident today may be an example of this principle. For all you know, you may have been saved from a much bigger tragedy. It is important that you dedicate yourself to your practice with this conviction and with a corresponding sense of gratitude. This will open a path towards good fortune and courage. "

"At the same time however, please make a determination not to have any more accidents and pay keen attention to preventing them. If we think we will be protected just because we chant and allow ourselves to grow careless, we are not practicising faith correctly. Rather, because we are practising faith, we must stay alert at all times, doing everything we can to avoid accidents. This is true faith. When we practise this way, the power of our daimoku will come alive as wisdom and good fortune."

Shin'ichi wanted to retute the kind of faith that placed hope for salvation in an external power - a trap that the members could easily fall into.

Struggle of Life is Struggle Against Own Weaknesses

SSA Times
16 Jul 2008
Adaptation from SGI President Ikeda's speech at the graduation ceremony for Soka Junior and Senior High Schools on March 16 1995)

The Steep Slope, a book by Russian author, Aljbert A Likhanov, tells a srtory of a young boy living in Russia at the height of WWII. There is a memorable scene when the young boy's father, a soldier came home on a 3-day leave, afyer which he would return to the batterfield. The day before departure, he takes his son skiing. They ended at a steep slope, which the young boy has never been able to conquer.

"Can you ski down that slope? Go ahead and give it a try!" urged the father to his son. But no matter how many times the boy tried, he falls miserably. The father offered no consolation, but instead speaks to his son as if he was uttering his last words, "You'll be able to do it!" You just have to conquer the sense that you can't succeed... Believe that you're strong! That's the important thing!"

Everyone has his or her own "steep slope" to conquer. The most fearful thing is one's own cowardice, as well as the weaknesses of character to always worry about failure and how others view us. The struggle of life is and will always be a struggle against one's own weaknesses.

Will you become weak and think,"I can't do this. I'm certain to fail?"

Or will you challenge the difficulties that lie ahead with the conviction, "I'm strong and I can become stronger still?"

Your destiny in life will vary greatly depending on the spirit that you maintain.

Nelson Mandela at 90: the secrets of leadership

Time Magazine, 9 Jul
By: RICHARD STENGEL

No. 1 Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it

"I can't pretend that I'm brave and that I can beat the whole world." But as a leader, you cannot let people know. "You must put up a front."

And that's precisely what Nelson Mandela learned to do: pretend and, through the act of appearing fearless, inspire others. It was a pantomime Mandela perfected on Robben Island, where there was much to fear. Prisoners who were with him said watching Mandela walk across the courtyard, upright and proud, was enough to keep them going for days. He knew that he was a model for others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.

No. 2 Lead from the front — but don't leave your base behind

"Things will be better in the long run," he sometimes said. He always played for the long run.

No. 3 Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front (snippetseamstress: this is my favourite! I feel so lucky that my superior is like that . She never fails to make us feel valued:D)

The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led too. "It is wise," he said, "to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea."

No. 4 Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport

No. 5 Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer (snippetseamstress: this is the hardest to achieve!)

Mandela believed that embracing his rivals was a way of controlling them: they were more dangerous on their own than within his circle of influence. He cherished loyalty, but he was never obsessed by it. After all, he used to say, "people act in their own interest." It was simply a fact of human nature, not a flaw or a defect. The flip side of being an optimist — and he is one — is trusting people too much. But Mandela recognized that the way to deal with those he didn't trust was to neutralize them with charm.

No. 6 Appearances matter — and remember to smile

No. 7 Nothing is black or white

Life is never either/or. Decisions are complex, and there are always competing factors. To look for simple explanations is the bias of the human brain, but it doesn't correspond to reality. Nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears.

Mandela's calculus was always, What is the end that I seek, and what is the most practical way to get there?

No. 8 Quitting is leading too

He tried to sell us the idea," recalls Ramaphosa, "but he was the only [supporter]. And he had to face the reality that it would not win the day. He accepted it with great humility. He doesn't sulk. That was also a lesson in leadership."
Knowing how to abandon a failed idea, task or relationship is often the most difficult kind of decision a leader has to make.

Mandela believed that he would be the anti-Mugabe, the man who gave birth to his country and refused to hold it hostage. His job was to set the course and not to steer the ship He knows that leaders lead as much by what they choose not to do as what they do.

What is Soka Education?

"What our world most requires now is the kind of education that fosters love for humankind, that develops character - that provides an intellectual basis for the realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society," writes Daisaku Ikeda, respected educator, prolific author and international Buddhist leader.

Soka education strives to do that. Soka is a Japanese word that means "to create value," or to develop within oneself the capacity to find meaning, to enhance one's own existence and contribute to the well-being of others, under all circumstances.

Educators said Soka Education is about:

• Humanism
• creating a student centered community where people create a space where they can feel comfortable
• Interconnectedness
• Teaching students how to find/create/discover their own values
• accepting and taking on the psychological warfare inside educators themselves – not to give up or to despair in times of difficulties and stress
• an integrity of the heart – both in the teacher and student
• being interdependent
• Identifying the evil, isolation and ignorance which keep human spirit down.
• Creating dialogue from the heart which is so powerful it can fight evil
• leaving it as Organic
• Using respect
• Applying the power of Buddhist concepts

From: http://www.getbackonyourfeet.org/constance/rss.xml

Words of wisdom from Warren Buffett

"People will always stop you doing the right thing if it is unconventional."

"It's very important to live your life by an internal yardstick. Would you rather be considered the best lover in the world and know privately that you're the worst -

or would you prefer to know privately that you're the best lover in the world,

but be considered the worst?"

Two men, both running U.S based investment funds - Guy Spier and Mohnish Pabrai, paid US$650 000 to have lunch with Warren Buffett on 25 June.The auction on ebay for next year's lunch with the sucessful investor closed two days later on 27 June. A Chinese money manager named Zhao Danyang won the bid. The sum was a cool US$2.1 million.

From: Time Magazine

Cultures in collision: the future of globalization

Non-fiction
Excerpts and adaptation from The extreme future: The top trends that will reshape the world in the next 20 years
By: James Canton

When some people talk about globalization, they take a narrow view and act as though the concept is nothing more than the ability to produce and sell goods and services across national borders. Globalization means far more than that.

Top 10 globalization trends:

1. linkage of nations' economies into one vibrant, prosperous and interconnected global network economy is the endgame of globalization.
2. Sustainable globalization could be a central force in supporting democratic reforms, reducing terrorism, promoting social progress and narrowing uneven development in the world.
3. promises to increase global trade, standard of living and quality of life
4. it is a powerful force against terrorist recruiters (snippet seamstress: or does it help support? will it be hijacked? more later..) as it develops free minds and creates higher standard of living, poverty reduction, improved health care and education (snippet seamstress: what about those that are unable to gain access? Will they be further polarised?)
5. catalyst for universal human rights as democractic reforms and free trade empower individual self-reliance
6. rise of telecommunications help facilitate global trade, open markets and free enterprise (e.g. TNCs, on-line businesses etc)
7. maybe hijacked by despots, criminals, extremists and terrorists
8. economies of China and India will be positively transformed by globalisation and will offer constructive examples for the developing world (snippet seamstress: 'positively' - a narrow reference to economic advantages? what about environmental impact? China is predicted to be the world's largest polluter in less than a decade time if nothing is done to alleviate it)
9. US will benefit from being an advocate of globalization but must continue to support innovation, global democracy and free trade.
10. help to increase cross-cultural understanding, breaking down barriers among people of different nations as trade alliances grow across borders.

Would globalization serve to unite or seperate nations?

Would it make countries more vulnerable?

The term global business has taken on a higher meaning beyond enterprise. It is now the global business of all countries to ensure world sustainability through transborder cooperation.

Hence, globalization is a new synthesis of ideas, trade, communications and collaboration that should promote future global prosperity, freedom and opportunity. It is the transformation of economies, culture, innovation and trade into a new conversation about how our civilization might evolve for the better.

It is about sustainable globalization. Globalization that is good for business, good for individuals, good for free markets and productive for both the developing and developed nations of the world.

The Snippet Seamstress:

The word 'sustainable' gain popularity or (notoriety?) after the Brundtland Report of 1985. It is now tagged to a whole lot of areas - ranging from sustainable transport, sustainable environment, sustainable agriculature, sustainable energy etc. It is an eclectic concept that remains weakly defined and contains a large amount of debate as to its precise definition.

1. 
   In your own opinion, has the term been overused, abused and devoid of meaning? Is it just rhetoric?


2. 
   
   Or, has it been meaningful? Has it encouraged constructive applications in different fields to ensure the continuity of mankind? To what extent have they been sucessful? How far are we from actualizing the ideology?

Globalization - a double-aged sword: who benefits and who gets left behind?
Increases in trade lead directly to increases is prosperity and standards of living, which in turn lead to democractic reforms and a reduction in conflict, war and terrorism. This is the big idea and is a preferred future for globalization that would bring together the mutual interests and needs of all nations. The developed world must figure out a new way to invest in the developing world, not just give aid and go away. (Interesting point!)

There is more than a global village. Terrorists just live minutes away. The future of globalization will either be postive, hopeful and peaceful, or pockmarked by seperate fortress island states of prosperity and poverty, hijacked by extremists, terrorists, criminals and tyrants. These are each the possible future of globalization.

The preferable future of globalization will not come easy. It will have to overcome dynamic differences both here and abroad. Some still support protectionist policies that will block open trade. This will backfire. the west access information from digital, even wireless sources while much of the rest of the world rely on newspapers or stories head in the local market, sermons of clergy or government-censored media channels. It is a world of differences that one thing - technology - will change faster than any other force?

At the same time, globalization is feared by nations that feel impotent in the face of more powerful nations' resources. Nations fear globalization are concerned about the inability of their local industries to survive global competition. Often, MNCs that have invested in innovation, outsourcing or have access to large amounts of capital and labour pools are viewed by less fortunate nations as having an unfair advantage. In the world of increased globalization, there is a new generation of haves and have-nots which increases global tensions.

In the U.S, there are deep concerns among business leaders about globalization. Many industries are reeling from the changes. The Chinese seem to be at the heart of many of these concerns. The same issues that smaller local companies may have in India or Mexico are shared by US small businesses. Can companies from developed nations compete in the future against companies in China that have access to much deeper resources than I do? In all fairness, there are many nations fearful of the US and Europe, they are concerned about competition and survival.

Globalization: an opportunity or calamity?

Poverty will kill globalization
Poor countries are generally weak in law enforcement. Without being competent to meets their citizens' basic needs, they are easy prey for extreme religious groups and terrorists. They also become havens for international crime. Afganistan is an example. There was a time not too long ago when you could enter a bazaar, an open air market, and buy any type of weapon or explosive made in the world. Afghanistan was central to the global arms trade due to the poverty and lawlessness of the nation. Of course, it was also a nation that produced and still produces much of the world's opiumm for making heroin.

So, in one location, with the convenience of one-stop shopping, criminals or terrorists were able to buy tanks, explosives, rockets and guns - enough to fuel any rougue enterprise. And as a side order, they could profit by buying heroin in bulk then reselling it to drug users in Western democracies.

Numerous studies have shown that poverty drives conflict. It is not much of a leap to conclude that poverty will not just encourage war but doom globalisation unless it is dealt with. The link between poverty and crime and poverty and terrorism is well established.

The Snippet Seamstress:

It is also important for developed and 'democratic' nations to take close look at their immigration and racial policies. The onus should not only be on people from poorer and less developed nations. This view is way too arrogant and ethnocentric. Rather, some questions to ponder:

1. Have enough emphasis been given to create sound immigration and racial policies that seek justice and equality, regardless of race, language and religion? (This, taken from my national pledge now means so much more to me in the current climate. :))


2. Have concrete steps been taken to ensure that migrants are integrated well into their society?


3. Or, have migrants been treated as part of the 'others', as 'pests' to society and deprived of jobs and education?


4. How can patriotism (to their adopted country) be infused?

Terrorism is a terrible act and should never be condoned. It should never be used an convenient excuse in the fight for rights and justice. To sacrifice lives unneccessarily and cause suffering to others in a horrible deed and mistake.

But yet,

1. Is terrorism, for some, a loud, desperate yet ironically simple cry for help and attention?


2. Some terrorists are found to be citizens from 'democratic, developed' nations. What pushed them to join the ranks? Are they sympathizers or part of the marginalized?

The world needs deep reflection.