Southern Mindanao Members Celebrates
the 80th Anniversary of the Soka Gakkai's Founding
Southern Mindanao Headquarter
Celebrates the 80th Anniversary of the Founding
of the Soka Gakkai
The Southern Mindanao Headquarter celebrated the 80th anniversary of the
founding of the Soka Gakkai last November 7, 2010 at the SGI Philippines
Davao Culture Center.
The celebration was held in a two-part event, which was attended by almost 300 members and some guests. The first part was the holding of World Peace Gongyo and the second and last part was the festival.
Boys and Girls Division Dances Jubilantly
Men's Division Choral group Sings the song
Youth Division Performs Neo-ethnic dance
Women's Division Performs Retro & Modern dance
DBC (Drum & Bugle Corps) Plays Magnificently
Prior to the morning gongyo, cards were given to the members to write down
their personal wishes and convictions. These cards will be safe-kept at
the Culture Center until 2030, when the centennial anniversary of the founding
of the Soka Gakkai shall be celebrated yet again. All the members pressed
their palms and earnestly prayed together for the attainment of world peace.
Every SGI member believes that the attainment of world peace is possible
through the inner reformation or “human revolution” of each individual.
Consequently, the practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism serves as a
catalyst for experiencing this inner revolution.
The festival started with a multi-media presentation about the history of the Soka Gakkai. With the brief presentation, the members were able to refresh their understanding about the hardships and struggles leading to the establishment of the Soka Gakkai in November 18, 1930 by 1st president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and 2nd president Josei Toda. In May 1960, our SGI President Daisaku Ikeda became the 3rd president of the Soka Gakkai. He has been leading the organization on a worldwide scale since then and was able to establish Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism globally and as a living religion as a result of his ceaseless devoted efforts.
Afterwards, the Boys and Girls Division stormed the stage jubilantly with their dance number that raised everyone’s spirit. Everybody was amused and refreshed by their playfulness and colorful costumes. Though the boys and girls made the audience entertained, the Men’s Division Choral group aroused seriousness and earnestness in their rendition of the song “Like the Waterfall”(TAKI NO GOTOKU in Japanese), which was composed by SGI President Ikeda. Their strong and dignified voices resounded throughout the hall. Then, dance presentations of the Youth and Women’s Division followed. While, the Youth Division performed neo-ethnic dance, which depicts the grand celebration by man in reverence with his relationship to the bounty of nature, the Women’s Division impressed everyone when they displayed their moves through their retro and modern dance performance. Finally, the Drum and Bugle Corps raised the excitement higher when their moment came to perform. This by the way was the first time that Southern Mindanao has organized the DBC.
The festival concluded with a finale Gakkai song, “Forever Sensei”. All the members sang with all their hearts to show their deepest appreciation to President Ikeda and in celebration of the victory of the Soka Gakkai as well as that of the SGI.
In this way, the festival effectively became a pledge for everyone to dedicate
themselves to the path of oneness of mentor and disciple for the sake of
realizing world peace and human happiness based on Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism. With thoroughly renewed and refreshed spirits, the Southern Mindanao
Headquarter members will fight and are eagerly looking forward towards
the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Soka Gakkai in 2030!
