References for the introduction of 16 March commemorative meetings
It is like a seed that puts forth sprouts (…); though the seed is hidden from sight, the sprout is visible to us.
↳ Passage from Letter to Horen, in WND-1, page 513. It is a text addressed in 1275 to a disciple of the Daishonin called Soya Kyoshin, also known as Horen. In it, he offers guidance to Soya, who had just sent him, together with several offerings, the manuscript of a declaration to be read out aloud in the 13th memorial service of his deceased father.
16 March is a date that represents the transmission of the legacy of the “establishment of the correct teaching for the peace of the land” from mentor to disciple and specifically symbolizes the trust placed on the youth of Soka.
On one occasion, Daisaku Ikeda compared the mentor disciple relationship in Nichiren Buddhism with the one that exists between a needle and a thread. Speaking to a group of Soka Gakkai students, he explained that “when sewing, the needle leads the way through the cloth, but in the end (…) it is the thread that remains and holds everything together. I am the needle. You are the ones who will remain on the stage of kosen-rufu after I am gone.”1
How can we live up to such expectations? A concise answer can be “by taking action.” By putting into practice the Buddhist teaching based on the mentor’s guidance and proving the evidence of its value, we embody the principle that holds that “nothing is more certain than actual proof.”2 In this sense, since the times of the founder, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Soka Gakkai has given the highest importance to discussion meetings that, through its reduced format, aim to encourage anyone to share their experiences. These are stories of the way faith is manifested in daily life and how it allows us, through summoning forth wisdom, courage and compassion—which are qualities of the Buddha nature—to face challenges that otherwise could have discouraged or paralysed us. The meetings with which we commemorate this 16 March, Kosen-rufu Day, in SGI-Spain’s discussion meetings, represent an opportunity to share how each one of us, in our own way, is giving way in our lives to the vibrant growth that 2026 invites us to do.3
Just as we could read in last month’s issue of this magazine, one of Soka Gakkai’s proposals for this year is to reaffirm the basics of faith.
In a well-known writing, Nichiren Daisahonin encouraged a disciple with the following words:
Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase.4
In another passage which we have in mind during the 2My Osaka Campaign” in SGI-Spain, Nichiren Daishonin lively expresses the way in which he himself was exerting himself “earnestly” in these ways. He says: “I am praying (…) as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground.”5
Related to this, Daisaku Ikeda commented that “[T]he Gohonzon has infinite power. (…) we first have to pray powerfully to carry out the kind of courageous practice that can make the impossible possible.”6 In a dialogue with youth, he stated: “Effort and hard work construct the bridge that connects your dreams to reality. Those who make steady efforts are full of hope. And hope, in turn, arises from steady efforts. Embrace your dreams and advance as far as they can take you.”7
Without a doubt, this urge to overcome our self-imposed limitations will bloom in the experiences that will be shared during these meetings.
- IKEDA, Daisaku: The New Human Revolution, Volume 9, chapter 2, installment 28. ↩︎
- Please see The Teaching, Practice, and Proof, in WND-1, page 478. You can read more about the importance of actual proof in “Estudio” section of this issue. ↩︎
- Soka Gakkai’s theme for the year 2026 is “Year of Vibrant Growth Towards a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide.” ↩︎
- The True Aspect of All Phenomena, in WND-1, page 386. ↩︎
- On Rebuking Slander of the Law and Eradicating Sins, in WND-1, page 466. ↩︎
- Please see “Orientación” section in CGlobal, issue 250, February 2026. ↩︎
- Please see https://www.daisakuikeda.org/sub/quotations/theme/hope.html. ↩︎