We would like to extend our most hearty applause to all of you who have
graduated or are now putting the finishing touches on your undergraduate
degree requirements. (Sound of hands clapping.) In addition,
congratulatations to all high school graduates who have embarked on this
quest. Welcome to the Student Division!
	Graduation is a huge celebration, yet it also stirs the question, "Now
what?" You might be broke and looking for a job to make ends meet,
starting out a job for the first time and facing the challenges of the
working world, entering graduate school, or trying to figure out other
alternatives. And then there are student loans to pay back. Aghhhhhhh!
	For high school students, you are trying out a whole new life in college
often distant from home and your close friends. During your many
transitions—living spaces, roommates, semesters, countries—please continue
to do SGI activities in your time away from studies and work. For those of
you who have grown up in the practice, now may be the time when you are
ready to receive your own Gohonzon and establish a consistent practice. It
may also be the time to subscribe to the World Tribune (yeah!), the source
of great encouragement from Sensei every week. Your district meetings also
help to keep you grounded whether working or going to school, or like most
of you, when you're doing both at once and trying to maintain a vigorous
social life.
	The final part of Sensei's poem entitled, "Youth Scale the Mountain of
the 21st Century," reads:

Let us climb the invincible mountain
Of the 21st Century!
And when we reach the summit
Of that mountain,
The world that unfolds before us
Will all be yours.
There is no higher path
Than dedicating one’s youth, one’s life,
To the joyous and fulfilling work
Of propagating Buddhism.
Confident of this,
I entrust everything to you!

Towards May 3, 2001, let's live without any regrets. Sensei trusts us to
lead. Each one of us has to develop courage.
Congratulations, once again! Viva the Student Division!
With all our respect,
Wendy, Daisaku, Boston and Maggie

by A.L.

Hi everyone!
For the first time in my life I went to a Nichiren Shoshu temple. The main
purpose was to support a Courageous Heart Group* member whose mother was
practicing at the temple. I had chanted sincerely before I went. When I
got there, the receptionist asked me which temple I went to in Korea. Of
course, I couldn't tell them I was a SGI member. [SGI members are not
allowed at the temple.] I said I didn't speak English, and I had found out
from the website that there was a Korean meeting. Right at that time a
lady came over and introduced me to a Korean member. My daimoku really
worked! I was allowed into the main room. I was introduced to some Korean
temple members. An elderly lady welcomed me with a big smile, who turned
out to be my friend's (C.H.G.) mother. At that moment I felt such pain for
my friend, the same pain she was feeling because her mom was practicing
with the temple. I started chanting because I felt so sorry for her. I
couldn't help crying. 

>From a lecture the priest gave, I could feel no spirit of the Daishonin.
It was just a 'lecture'. There was no joy at all. Even though they were
chanting Nam-myoho-renge- kyo, I saw no difference between Nichiren Shoshu
and other sects of Buddhism ( i.e. those sects with a passive attitude and
an abstract image of the Buddha). Temple members are not taught to create
value from within. Rather, they are educated to follow a superior power
which doesn't exist. 

Once again I deeply understood that there is no place like the SGI. Sensei
is the most humanistic person and the SGI is the most humanistic
organization. I had an abstract image of temple members, but I was able to
see how they were chanting similar to us, and also believe in the
Daishonin, I saw how they were just misguided. Again,I felt a great deal
of appreciation for Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda Sensei. We are so fortunate
to be able to practice in SGI. In the temple, there is no spirit of
practicing for others.
It was a great challenge for me. I could open my life a little bit more.
I'm glad that I had the chance to get to know temple members.I now have a
much more detailed prayer and determination than I had before. I could
understand deeply that this is not just 'an issue'. I'm chanting to have
wisdom to help temple members.

*Courageous Heart Group: Those SGI members who are actively engaging in
dialogue with temple members.

by Ken Corwin, New York

Hey Everyone,
Ken Corwin here, SD from NYC.  I'm just writing
to encourage everyone who reads this to
participate in the upcoming Student Division
conference at FNCC on August 17-20. 

I just returned from the YMD conference and it
counts as one of the most profound faith
experiences I've EVER had.  

It was a true struggle for me to get
there--financially, I didn't see how it was
possible;  emotionally, I didn't feel like it; 
and frankly, I didn't see the point.  But for
some reason, I made a determination to go.  

And I couldn't just go, mind you;  the NY guys
had to prepare a presentation for the conference
(a two-hour session, not a five-minute speech)
and we were racking our brains night after night
to make it worthwhile for everyone who would be
there, ourselves included.  In preparation, I
read the entire Volume 10 of the Human
Revolution.  This volume tells the story of how,
in 1956, Kansai chapter was able to rise from an
obscure Soka Gakkai chapter small in number to a
victory that ended up in placing the Soka
Gakkai's first candidates in national elected
office in Japan.  Reading what these courageous
early members went through (and
acheived!!)refreshed my determination to
participate, and gave me newfound respect for and
understanding of our organization, and what it
means to take action for the sake of kosen-rufu.

These stories of struggle and victory based on
faith alone gave me the confidence and
determination to chant to find the money to go. I
did find the money, my determination defeated my
negativity. And, maybe more importantly, I
changed my attitude from, "Okay, you had better
show me something good!" to, "Okay, let's see
what this is all about!"

So the first of many great lessons I learned in
going to the FNCC conference was that I can take
profound action towards kosen-rufu, even when the
flame of faith and determination seems to be
burning low.  -> The determination led to the
daimoku which led to the wisdom which led to the
correct action which led to actual proof of the
power of faith in the Gohonzon.

If you find folks (or are one) who need a reason
to go (understandable, right?), here are several:

1.  Meeting others like you (SGI students) lets
you know that you are not alone in your struggles
to be a good student and lead a happy life.  And
you will definitely hear fresh points of view,
since you'll meet students you will not otherwise
get a chance to meet.

2.  It is revitalizing to be in an environment
filled with people who are all seeking to better
their lives.  To the cynics who say, "Yeah, but
what happens when we go home and we're not in
that environment anymore?"  my answer is, "You
come back refreshed, confident that you have the
ability to change it, that it is your mission to
be the first one to make it different, to lead
others towards it being what it should be."  In
other words, you take the FNCC with you when you
leave.

3.  If you have the money but don't want to spend
it, well it was once put to me like this:  "Never
begrudge a dime that will improve your life."  We
spend how much on nicer-than-necessary clothes,
cars, food, movies, clubs, without thinking about
it, but suddenly it becomes a major issue when it
comes to spending it on improving your life
itself?

4.  If you don't have the $375 plus airfare: 
f you don't have the $375 plus airfare: 
make this the opportunity to prove the power of
the Gohonzon that everyone talks about.  Chant
feverishly, "I MUST GO TO BE WITH MY BROTHERS AND
SISTERS IN FAITH. GOHONZON, SHOW ME THE MONEY!!"
And take action.  Work overtime.  Get the
99-cent special instead of the biggie meal combo.
Take the bus instead of the plane.  Buy Adidas
instead of Fubu.  Find that dude who owes you $50
and get it back.  Share your determination with
your family, perhaps someone's been meaning to
give you an unexpected gift, or has frequent
flier miles they can share (you never know).

5.  South Beach!  (Better than reasons 1-4, for
some people.)

6.  Kickin' it at 3am talking about deep stuff is
really cool.  Conference sessions end by 9:30pm,
but you meet a lot of people who you're like,
"Oh, we've gotta talk," and you find yourself
just staying up til the wee hours learning about
life, or the finer points of the NFL stats if you
so choose.

There are more, but this email's mighty long now
(sorry about that).  

Let's encourage EVERY student division member we
know to go and share in the opportunity that FNCC
presents us.  Let's see what our world could be
like if we were surrounded by sincere, joyful,
determined people.  It will refresh your faith
more than you can imagine.

Sincerely,
Ken