The student division is now in
the process of making a joint resolution to SGI President Ikeda about the
temple issue. We suggest that you have a student division meeting in your
area to discuss the following three questions (these are the same
questions that nationwide representatives discussed in Los Angeles in
September):
eptember):

1) How aware am I about the temple issue in general? Am I aware of any
temple activities on or near my campus? Am I aware of the misinformation
being spread by the temple about the SGI either in print or on the
Internet? Do I fully understand the crux of the issue and why I personally
need to protect the purity of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings?

2) What have I done to better inform myself about the issue? What does the
issue mean to me? Do I know how to refute the erroneous positions being
spread by the temple? In other words, what approaches or techniques can I
personally use to stand up for the truth? And what lessons can I draw from
my education or life that have prepared me to protect the Daishonin's
Buddhism?

3) What types of activities should the student division do in the region
and on the campuses about this issue? In other words, given this
opportunity to develop a resolution from the student division to President
Ikeda, what specific actions can we pledge to take as individuals and as
the student division in our respective areas?

After your discussion, send your answers to Jeff Farr at
jfarr@sgi-usa.org. If it's difficult to gather as a group, please
communicate via e-mail and phone to get all the students' input. We want
to receive everyone's thoughts by Friday, Nov. 5 (one week from today!),
then compile them into a resolution to present to President Ikeda for Nov.
18, Day of the Soka Gakkai's Founding. We'll also publish the resolution
in Student Waves. If you have any questions, please e-mail Jeff Farr.

 Melissa Sylver, the president of the
University of California, Santa Barbara student club for the study of
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism called Sunlotus, reports that the club is
now meeting every Wednesday. Since forming the club last year, the
Sunlotus members have also been involved in a student fair, where all the
student groups on campus introduced themselves to their fellow students.
They met about 25 students who wanted to learn more about the club's
activities. "Right now," Melissa writes, "we are focusing on really trying
to get to know each other before we try to put on any activities within
the university. We know that in order to impact the school, we need to
have a strong foundation. So far, we have been very successful. We have
five new students at our school that are fortune babies. We are all
working hard together for kosen-rufu. In fact, five of us are going on the
trip to the Florida Nature and Culture Center in November together. We are
united, and we have great plans for UCSB." Do you have student division
news from your area? E-mail us at studentdiv@sgi-usa.org, and we'll try to
include your news in an upcoming Student Waves.