.: Children and elders should work together topromot...

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Children and elders should work together topromot...: Children and elders should work together to promote love of nature---Dr Radhakrishnan’s exhortation on the Earth Day,2018 ( at   Sabarm...

Children and elders should work together to promote love of nature---Dr Radhakrishnan’s exhortation on the Earth Day,2018

( at  Sabarmati Yoga,Naturopathy Centre,Mitrapuram)

        Thanks to the various initiatives introduced recently to focus on  the all-round environmental degradation, there is a welcome change atleast in some quarters now. The Earth Charter, Earth Day,Environmental Education Campaigns and similar efforts are gradually influencing the global community on the need to restructure their attitude towards nature.    

  It is time that the elders demonstrated to the children the truth that Man always lived in harmony with Nature and what sustained him in all the crisis he faced in his profound, courageous and determined march towards unraveling  the mysteries of various kinds is his respect for all forms of life around him.

The symbiotic relationship between man and nature can be fostered only by adopting a sincere and holistic approach to prevent the ecological devastation. From theoretical formulations and assertions we should learn to develop a new approach to foster  What has guided him in this long, very often distressing and disappointing and at the same time lively search for identify, is the realization of how everything in nature is

dependent on one another. This is the core of the ancient wisdom.

          The oriental traditions have been credited with established norms of determining Man’s behavior towards Nature and its resources. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism and Confucianism have all treated nature with respect and considered it as the source of Man’s happiness. The Vedas which were considered to be the bedrock of Hindu religion and philosophy provide a world view with regard to what is now generally called the ecological situation.

The Hindu religion’s concern for peace and harmony in the environment is well reflected in the famous hymn to the Earth in the Yajurved:

            May there be peace in the celestial region

            May there be peace in the atmosphere

            May peace reign on earth

            May the waters be soothing

            May the herbs be soothing

            May the plants be source of peace to all.

         

In Rigveda, the sky is called father and the earth mother. The emphasis has been laid in many hymns in the other Vedas and epics which for part of the Hindu literary tradition. When the sky and earth are treated like the father and mother it is meant to establish a symbolic relationship with the other objects of Nature thereby constituting what can be called the Universal family of animals and plants. From this, a theory of not only interdependence but respect for each other and the need to protect everything in nature has been developed over the years thought this emphasis got diluted later leading to not only

exploitation but even utter neglect of nature. Mahabharata advocated the protection of trees with utmost priority. Bhishma’s advice to the Pandava brothers is:

“Although trees are solid, they have the properties of the sky. They have life, they flower and bear fruit. They feel warmth and get dry when the sun is too hot and water is scarce. It shows that they have a sense of touch. Fruits and flowers of the tree fall down under the effect of thunder, air and fire…. The bad smell of pollution makes them suffer as it changes their colour and flavor. It shows that they can smell. They have sensory nerves. They take water from the roots. If they have any disease the sprinkling of medicine cures them. On cutting them they feel sorrow and when new branches appear they feel happy. This shows that they have sense to feel happiness and sorrow and have sensory nerves”.

          Worshipping of trees became a tradition and most of the villages in India had Vriksha Devta (Goddes of tree) and Sacred Groves. Tradition has it that in tribal belts there were instances of women marrying trees.                                                                                                                           

Where did the drift begin?

          The votaries of modernism, while they scoff at the ancient way of living describing it barbaric or jungle life, seem to have forgotten the fact that it is this very system that gave them all the tools that they are using now to decry the worth of the foundation on which they stand. The problem with modern man is that he now thinks that he is the conqueror of the universe and that he has the proprietary rights over whatever he has conquered and this attitude appears to be guiding him in most of his endeavours.

          This self-centered philosophy, and the systems he has developed on the basis of this outlook- the hallmark of which is the belief that nature has unlimited resources for all time to come-govern modern man’s style of functioning. All of us who were lulled into the newly acquired instruments of liberation which science and technology put in our hands are rudely awakened by the alarm bells ringing all around now. From the Himalayan heights of materialistic comforts and beliefs we are being led to the abyss of all round environmental pollution, ecological devastation, ozone depletion, green house effect and so on, creating waves of shock in all thinking men and women.

The need for developing a nonviolent ecology

          The importance of the ecosystem which was uppermost in the minds of our forefathers, in maintaining the quiet rhythm and symphony of life ( not in the musical sense) has become a thing of past. We had a sustainable ecosystem which was rooted in a nonviolent ecology. Thus nonviolent ecology refers to a society which is economically and socially just, ecologically sustainable, non-killing and compassionate in relating to its environment.

          Many people argue that since violence is part of life, we need not worry about it. They find it to be inherent and pervasive in nature and in human nature. One major point is that violence and nonviolence are relative rather than absolute conditions. Some regions are prone to violent forces in nature such as hurricanes or earthquakes, however, there are other regions in which such violent forces are negligible or even absent. Competitions and predation between animal species can be violent, however, there are also nonviolent relations between species such as mutualism.

Ecocentric rather than anthropocentric

          Buddhism is ecocentric rather than anthropocentric since it views humans as an integral part of nature. Buddhism focuses on the interaction of mind and nature through the three practices of direct knowing, discriminating awareness and deep compassion:

          By cultivating these three practices, one’s actions in relation to the environment come to be based in relationship and interconnectedness, rather than in dualistic subject-object modes of separation. Through this approach, one’s orientation to the world is fundamentally altered from dominant species to member of a community, from part to process.

           While environmentalism emphasizes that natural resources are limited, Buddhism is more direct in encouraging individuals to limit their resources consumption to the optimal satisfaction of the four basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and medicine.

This vantage point renders ecology a very concrete and personal matter.                                                                                                         We should deal with nature the way we should deal with ourselves! We should not harm ourselves, we should not harm nature. Harming nature is harming ourselves, and vice-versa. If we knew how to deal with our self and with our fellow human beings, we should know how to deal with nature. Human beings and nature are inseparable. Therefore, by not caring properly for any one of these, we harm them all.

                               

Ikeda-Radhakrishnan Dialogue on Gandhi for Modern Times: Reflections by Dr Akash Ouchi

Significance of Radhakrishnan-Ikeda Dialogue: Walking with the Mahatma: Gandhi for Modern Times

                                                                                       

                                        Dr Akash K Ouchi

                  

  (Reproduced below is the text of observations made by Dr Akash K.Ouchi,Vice Chairman of Bharat Soka Gakkai and Director of SGI at a discussion at the Takkar Bapa Vidyalaya,Chennai on 26 February of the historic dialogue between SGI President Dr Daisaku Ikeda and Gandhian scholar Dr N.Radhakrishnan)

It is a great pleasure for me to speak on this occasion of discussion on the book titled "Walking with the Mahatma: Gandhi for Modern Times".

Dr Radhakrishnan has intensively created a network of nonviolence in national level as well as international level. His activities of Non-violence are always coming from his grass root level. Whenever he moves, people gathered around him always. He is an epicenter of Non-violence movement.

Mr Daisaku Ikeda is engaging in his Human Revolution movement together with 12 million people in 192 countries and territories. The Human Revolution movement is to transform one's inner life which will become a source of changes in one’s environment. Such changes can lead it to series of changes in the society and the world. He wrote as the  theme of the novel “The Human Revolution” : “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.”

He has been submitting a peace proposal to the United Nation on January 26 every year since 1983, which means 35 years continuously. He is a recipient of Honorary degree and academic Award from 375 Universities and Institutes around the world.

1.  Dr Ikeda and Dr Radhakrishnan met each other first time in 1984, since then… Friendship continued for 34 years.Dr Radhakrishnan wrote: “The ‘Buddhism for Peace International Conference’ held on the Soka University campus in Tokyo in 1984, to which I was invited by Prof. Glenn Paige, offered me an opportunity to see Dr. Ikeda for the first time face-to-face. What I saw later in Soka University and in Soka Schools left me with the feeling that the whole world had something to learn from the Soka Gakkai.

  My first meeting with Dr. Ikeda soon after the inaugural session of this conference proved to be in every sense of the term, a      turning point in my life. Even at this maiden meeting I understood why he was so widely recognized, respected and considered a legend. He was simple but inspiring and there was no trace of pomposity either in his words or behavior. His sparkling eyes, genial nature, friendly smile and the warmth he exuded were enough to cast a web of intimacy and admiration. Deep within me, I could hear a whisper: you are destined to meet this leader again.

Dr. Ikeda represents a rare combination of humane leadership and an unbelievable capacity to inspire millions across the world and encourage them to develop their vast reservoir of leadership qualities.

As a philosopher, poet, educator, founder of several institutions, writer, peace activist, promoter of dialogues for human transformation and inspiration of millions of followers worldwide, Dr. Ikeda has risen to the level of one of the greatest teachers of all time. It will be a rewarding experience for anyone to evaluate the gigantic strides towards human revolution and world peace that he has initiated. Phenomenal, unparalleled and unique―these are perhaps the epithets which could be used to describe his efforts to foster human brotherhood”.

In 1986, they met again in Japan and had a dialogue. Dr Ikeda wrote about his meeting with Dr Radhakrishnan as follows;

“I first met and spoke in depth with Dr. Radhakrishnan in September 1986, when he was a guest at a Peace Culture Festival held by 4000 young people of the Soka Gakkai in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The eyes of Dr. Radhakrishnan, who had just turned 42 at the time, sparkled with the hope of youth and his spirited voice reverberated with a profound compassion for others. As a youthful practitioner of the nonviolence movement, in which he received instruction from his parents and his teacher, Dr G. Ramachandran, the flames of justice and passion burned brightly in the heart of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Since then we have met on several occasions, in Japan, India and Hawaii. In February 1992 I visited the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti (Gandhi Memorial Hall) in New Delhi, where I was warmly welcomed by Dr. Radhakrishnan, then the director and Dr. Bishambhar Nath Pande (1906–98). With Dr. Radhakrishnan’s guidance, on that unforgettable occasion I was able to view many mementos and possessions of Gandhi, learn of his final days and etch the great soul of the father of modern India and his path to heroic martyrdom in the depths of my life.

On 6 August 1993, the following year, I welcomed Dr. Radhakrishnan to Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, and we had another opportunity to talk with one another.

Dr. N. Radhakrishnan says; “Our having met in Nagano Prefecture on 6 August was profoundly significant. On that day, one of the darkest in human history, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Upon hearing the news, Gandhi closed his eyes and remained silent for a while. What could nonviolence do in the face of violence capable of destroying thousands and thousands of lives in an instant? Gandhi told himself that, unless the world chose the way of nonviolence, it would unfailingly mean the suicide of the human race. At the same time, however, he insisted that the power of the soul is stronger than atom bombs. The movement you lead throughout the world strives to create peace by evoking the soul power inherent in everybodyy” continued Radhakrishnan.

Dr Ikeda says: “Gandhi perceptively arrived at the same conclusion. “One cannot follow truth or love so long as one is subject to fear.” Gandhi hated violence, but he hated timidity and cowardice even more. Violence destroys the physical being; cowardice destroys the soul. “Cowardice is a thing even more hateful than violence.” These words express his quintessential philosophy.

Violence is born of fear.

Nonviolence is born of courage.

Nonviolence is not the shield of the weak; it is the sword of the soul of the brave.

Dr Ikeda and Dr Radhakrishnan  also discussed the topic of importance of living for the Great Purpose.

Dr Ikeda says: “The hardships Gandhi experienced in South Africa strengthened him, remade him and stimulated enormous growth for him as a human being. He once asked why so imperfect a person as himself had been chosen to fight the battle in which he found himself engaged. He answered these self-doubts with this line of reasoning. A perfect man might have been their despair. When they found that one with their failings was marching on towards ahimsā (nonviolence), they too had confidence in their own capacity.”

Great work is not accomplished because those who undertake are great. Rather, by aiming for a great goal, a person becomes great. The birth of the great soul—the Mahatma—in South Africa still teaches that lesson to the world.

Goal of removing misery from the earth:  Dr Ikeda says: Since my youth, I have single-mindedly followed my path as the disciple of Josei Toda. Mr. Toda was a truly great leader, with a great mission and a noblevow: to eliminate misery from the Earth. As his disciple, I have dedicated my whole life to fulfilling that vow. My vow to my mentor is the source of my spiritual strength. I know from personal experience that those who devote themselves entirely to carrying out a mentor’s vow can manifest immense power.

Dr Radhakrishnan: Mr. Toda’s vow corresponds to Gandhi’s own earnest wish “to wipe every tear from every eye”. You embody the greatness, devotion and sacrifice of presidents Makiguchi and Toda.

Working for others :

“What question should we ask ourselves each day? According to Dr. King, it should be “What are you doing for others?”

A life lived in a purely selfish manner brings no true happiness or fulfilment. We must break out of the shell of the petty ego and broaden our horizons by devoting ourselves to the welfare of others, to big and lofty goals.’’

Nichiren Daishonin wrote, “If one lights a fire for others, one will brighten one’s own way.” Illuminating others, contributing to the welfare of others, actually brightens our own future. This is an eternal law of life”.

“When asked the secret of his success, Nehru replied: “Twenty- four- hour workdays”. He added that it was important to know how many days one can work without sleep for the sake of the people and world harmony.

I would like to quote the dialogue introducing Gandhi’s spirit transmitted in children’s stories

Gandhi’s spirit transmitted in children’s stories

Dr Ikeda: “By the way, I remember receiving from you a book of children’s stories entitled Beely Bug Looks for the Truth, in which a beetle-like creature goes on a journey to seek the truth.

Please allow me to relate the story for the many mothers among the readers of our dialogue who are raising children.

This was a superior bug, swift of foot and well-learned from the many things he had observed. He boasted, “There’s never been an insect that has seen as much or is as clever as I am.” But a wise old sage of a bug who heard this asked him whether he knew the truth. The wise old bug said, “If you don’t, you have not travelled far enough.” Then, donning three pairs of shoes on his six feet, the young bug set out for another trip. Along the way, he made friends with a purple-winged moth, and the two became travelling companions. Once, they helped a caterpillar that had lost its way. Wanting to repay them, the caterpillar took them to see his father, whom they asked to point out the road to truth. He told them, “You’re on the right road now.”

Proceeding on their way, they performed various good deeds. For instance, they helped ants build an anthill and reconciled a cricket and a ladybug that had been fighting over a peanut. Finally, they met an old snail and told him about their quest for the truth. The snail said, “You’ve already found it.”

And that is where the refreshing story ends. The tale is very edifying for the natural way in which it causes children to think about the truth of what is important in life”.

.: Lessons from Dr Daisaku Ikeda : reflections by Dr ...

.: Lessons from Dr Daisaku Ikeda : reflections by Dr ...: Lessons from Ikeda (Reproduced below are the reflections  Dr Radhakrishnan offered to a group of  youth at Johannesburg , South Africa w...

.: What does Gandhi mean to every human being?

.: What does Gandhi mean to every human being?: What does Gandhi mean to every human being? (AIR talk, 30 Jan.   by Prof.N.Radhakrishnan) January 30 th every year after the martyr...

.: What does Gandhi mean to every human being?

.: What does Gandhi mean to every human being?: What does Gandhi mean to every human being? (AIR talk, 30 Jan.   by Prof.N.Radhakrishnan) January 30 th every year after the martyr...

What does Gandhi mean to every human being?

What does Gandhi mean to every human being?

(AIR talk, 30 Jan.  by Prof.N.Radhakrishnan)

January 30^th every year after the martyrdom of the Mahatma this day in 1948 , is a day of re-dedication  in India to the ideals the Father of the Nation cherished most.

Chief among the many aspects dear to the Mahatma are unity of all religious faiths, fight against leprosy and efforts to spread the brilliance of cleanliness  as  national objectives.

 It is gratifying to note this day is also being observed with great application as anti-leprosy day. The great stride we as a nation has achieved in our fight against leprosy is a great tribute to the Mahatma who was one of the pioneers in devising  scientific and humanitarian methods to treat leprosy affected persons with care and love.

The importance being given to the Gandhian passion for  a clean India by making it a priority area is also to be lauded. This clearly indicates that India is on the move and will soon emerge a clean country in all respects. Cleanliness should become an attribute of both body and mind. The Swatch Bharat Abhiyan is a very commendable initiative of the Government of India.

One of the least highlighted and perhaps neglected aspects of MAHATMA GANDHI’S striving for confidence and community building is the supreme importance Gandhi accorded to Dialogue, Reconciliation and Forgiveness as evidenced in what is known in history, “THE MIRACLE OF CALCUTTA, THE NOAKHALI PILGRIMAGE and the magic touches of Gandhi to most of the tense and violence-ravaging hearts in the wake of the Calcutta carnage and the Noakhali killings.

This year’s 30^th January has a special relevance since it is the 70^th anniversary of Gandhi’s heroic campaigns for peace and harmony in the strife-torn and killing fields of Noakhali, now part of Bangladesh.

One of the least highlighted and perhaps neglected aspects of MAHATMA GANDHI’S striving for confidence and community building is the supreme importance Gandhi accorded to Dialogue, Reconciliation and Forgiveness as evidenced in what is known in history, “THE MIRACLE OF CALCUTTA, THE NOAKHALI PILGRIMAGE and the magic touches of Gandhi to most of the tense and violence-ravaging hearts in the wake of the Calcutta carnage and the Noakhali killings.

From a historical perspective, ‘Noakhali’ brings to one’s mind the twin images in modern peace parlance: senseless killings, man’s brutality to fellow human beings and communal hatred.

While on the positive and spiritual side it represents thanks to Gandhi, the highest point of man’s ability to resurrect, recreate, dialogue, forgive, reconciliation and promote human brotherhood and peace.

From Gandhi’s strivings during the most tumultuous period in Indian history particularly in Noakhali, Calcutta and Bihar the world also witnessed with disbelief  and consternation his  heroic  and matchless  plunge in to the  scene of world’s  worst internecine  killings  and bloodbath with stern resolve even  to die in order to persuade people to  search collectively  and individually ways and means to forge unity.

Promotion of Dialogue, Forgiveness and Reconciliation and unity among the  different segments of people were the highlights of the  last phase of Gandhi’s heroic efforts in the strife-torn areas of Bengal when he risked his life in the warring and killing areas of Calcutta and later in one of the most horrible scenes of brutal killings in the district of Noakhali.

Gandhi  indeed surprised everybody when he plunged headlong in the conflict-ridden areas of the Indian subcontinent highlighting the importance of Dialogue,Reconciliation and Forgiveness in community building and promoting sustainable peace.

Gandhi’s concept of a  Shanti Sainik ( Peace Soldier)who would risk his life for the sake of others by conquering fearlessness through selfless action,love and compassion was put to test during his Calcutta and Noakhali experiments.

Besides the  uncommon courage to court death so that others might live in peace, these strivings of Gandhi  brought to fore powerfully and very evocatively the Gandhian vision of the ideal of Shantisena and every individual readying himself into a Shantisainik demonstrating  his/her readiness to die for peace and harmony.

How Gandhi brought peace in Calcutta and in the troubled regions of Noakhali offer great lesson to all those who are committed to exploring new methods and strategies in peace building, peace-making, and peace-keeping.

Humanity too learned many lessons from Gandhi’s strivings in Noakhali. Dialoguing for peace and forgiveness acquired a new form and shape with Gandhi.

Dr. Nelson Mandela demonstrated the glory and power of their efforts towards cementing societies rather than dividing.

Conflict Management experts, researchers, diplomats, heads of governments (as Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy to India confessed before the British quit India) too have lessons to learn from Gandhi.

Gandhi as part of his efforts to offer a healing touch to those victims in the conflict ravaged areas toured Noakhali, moving from village to village and preaching the gospel of peace. At first he thought of making the journey completely alone, depending for food and shelter on the villagers he encountered, but the scheme was obviously impractical.

Clasping a long bamboo staff in his right hand, he set out every morning with a small band of companions for the next village.

He walked with his long bamboo staff in one hand, the other restingon Manubehn’s shoulder. In this way, every morning at seven thirty, he set out on his pilgrimage, singing the haunting song written by Rabindranath Tagore:

                                                  walk alone

                          If they answer  not  your call, walk alone;

                         If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

                         O thou of evil luck,

                         Open thy mind and speak out alone

The song reflected the mood of the pilgrim, as he walked  from village to village. The journey was an arduous one, and sometimes his feet bled.

Now, when he travelled from village to village, he would sometimes find human excrement left on the narrow pathways. Seeing it, he would pluck a leaf and bend down and scoop it up. He knew why it had been placed there. Once a person spat in his face. For a few moments he stood gazing at the man in shock and horror, remembering that from his earliest childhood he had been a friend to all, and then he slowly brushed the spit away and went on as though nothing had happened. There were moments of pure terror, when it seemed that death hung in the air haunting the forests and the villages.

He half-expected to be assassinated, and said he would welcome such a death. “But I should love, above all, to fade out doing my duty with my last breath”, he wrote to a friend during the last stages of the pilgrimage. At night he suffered from shivering fits, and during the day there was a drumming in his ears. Exhaustion had brought on high blood pressure.

Just as the Muslims in Noakhali had massacred the Hindus, so a little later the Hindus in Bihar massacred Muslims. By the end of February Gandhi was under strong pressure to visit Bihar. The Biharis, who live in the shadow of the Himalayas, are a notably mild and gentle people, and the sudden upsurge of violence seemed inexplicable. Gandhi went to Patna, the provincial capital. Once more he journeyed from village to village, trying to discover the causes of the massacre. In his journey he was sometimes accompanied by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, “the frontier Gandhi”. A giant of a man, with the features of a warrior-saint, in love with non-violence, he added his immense prestige to the pilgrimage of mercy. “I am in utter darkness”, he said. “All Indians being destroyed”. He was a Muslim fiercely devoted to his religion, but he could see no reason why Hindus and Muslims should kill one another.

   




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One of the greatest miscalculations all assassins all over the world made was that each of them thought that their victim had been  finished  with the act of killing once and for all. The paradox was that the dead Gandhi emerged stronger and remains a bright star and prophet of harmony and change. Gandhi’s voice “  I will continue to speak from my grave”. And that verily echoes Gandhi’s passionate prayer for harmony and peace: “ "Easwar,Allah,Tere naam sabko sanmathi de bhagvan" 

Lessons from Dr Daisaku Ikeda : reflections by Dr Radhakrishnan

Lessons from Ikeda

(Reproduced below are the reflections  Dr Radhakrishnan offered to a group of  youth at Johannesburg , South Africa who quizzed him on “ Lessons from Ikeda” )

Question: Professor Radhakrishnan, you have  researched and written extensively on Dr Daisaku Ikeda. We understand you and Dr Ikeda have acquaintance over three decades. Your Dialogue with Dr Ikeda entitled in English “ WALKING WITH THE MAHATMA: GANDHI IN MODERN TIMES”available now in five world languages is rated well by reading public. Which aspects of Dr Ikeda’s leadership have attracted you most ?

Answer by Prof.N.Radhakrishnan

 1. Importance of  Youthful Diary:

Gandhi speaks about a book in his autobiography that cast  a “Magic Spell” on him. He read Ruskin’s  book Unto This Last during a journey from Johannesburg to Durban. Gandhi says this book changed his life.

A book that acted more or less in the same manner in my life  is the Youthful Diary by Dr Ikeda. I found this book as a great treasure and I read this book frequently and seek answers for leadership.

I find it  also as a great handbook on the complex process of growing up and leadership which every young person and upcoming leaders should read for guidance and inspiration.

2.Trusting the Youth and encouraging them to emerge as  potential leaders.

As a trainer of youth I have been searching new and acceptable strategies and methods to involve youth in nonviolent methods of conflict management and training of nonviolent leaders. Dr Ikeda’s leadership to attract youth and make them frontline participants in his admirable efforts for value creation attracted me. I learned from him heavily and from  the Soka Gakkai friends innumerable lessons of youth mobilization for peaceful transition.

3.Soka Education system as a model for the 21st Century

The Soka Educational experiments and practices which began with President Makiguchi and formatted by his disciple President Toda became an instrument of human transformation and Human Revolution in the hands of Dr Ikeda .Like Tagore and Gandhi, Dr Ikeda views education as a liberating force that shapes and sustains life.

4. New thrust for Peace activism and humanism       

The  worldwide networking Dr Ikeda and Soka Gakkai developed in making peace- making, peace-keeping and peace-building as an agenda of every human being makes him one of the greatest pacifists, peace activists and campaigners of a warless world today.

5. The one-world vision of Gandhi, King and Ikeda

Three great modern leaders who have amazing similarity in their vision and strivings for world peace are Gandhi, King and Ikeda.Their mission, if translated properly, will be a workable model to rid this world of war and misery as President Makiguch and President Toda (Ikeda’s mentors) had envisioned.

6 . Mentor and disciple and  living the spirit of mentor and disciple

A unique contribution Dr Ikeda has offered to humanity is the manner in which he has been nurturing the great bond and power of the Mentor-disciple spirit. The mentor-disciple spirit fosters not only the inherent power of every individual to discover his potential but also strengthens the cosmic interconnectivity of all creations.

7. Common to both – Gandhi and Ikeda : “ be the Change you want you see in others”

Gandhi and Ikeda continue to be two leaders of humanity who stress the importance of change both in individual life and in society.

8. The Satyagraha of Gandhi and The Human Revolution of Ikeda reveal immeasurable power of each individual as instrument and agent of change.

9. Optimism : common to both Gandhi and Ikeda  

Both these leaders stress the importance of Optimism and Hope. Ikeda’s famous advice in this regard that inspires me are: (i) Let us create hope (ii)Let us believe in the limitless potential inherent within our life(iii)The light of hope permeates all adversities and illuminates the darkness of suffering(iv) The source of that light lies within each individual’s heart.                                                                                                                                 

Ikeda as Role Model: 90th birthday reflections by Dr N.Radhakrishnan

Daisaku Ikeda as a role model

Reflections by Dr N.Radhakrishnan on the occasion of the 90^th birthday of Ikeda.

          The phenomenal growth of the Soka Gakkai and the tremendous goodwill it has created worldwide  over the years under the leadership of Dr Daisaku Ikeda , a remarkable peace activist, educator, Buddhist philosopher, poet,  and spiritual leader to millions of followers in around 192 countries  offer several vital lessons  of leadership.

          Ikeda’s services to humanity have been recognized  widely and the worldwide appreciation of his leadership for peace have been inspiring several groups and institutions working to promote a warless world to follow his lead. He is held in high esteem as an exemplar of values and inspirer of youth. He is ranked today along with Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela  and several other  front line living leaders of humanity such as  Arch Bishop Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama from whom future leaders have a great deal to learn.

A strong and committed promoter of the concept of mentor-disciple spirit which Ikeda inherited from his mentor Josei  Toda and Mr Toda’s mentor Makiguchi,the founder of Soka Gakkai, the phenomenal success of Dr Ikeda as a messenger of harmony is a dream come true of Toda that one day Soka Gakkai  which was confined to Japan during the world war would play a crucial role in spreading the message of harmony, as Nichiren Daishonin had willed. It is not only the realization of a dream through hard labor, toil and sacrifice but also the great ability of a leader to use religion as a dependable anchor in a turbulent sea of everyday life and steer clear the ship  of human life to a  state  of happiness and value creation.

Leader as a builder of bridges

          A perceptive reader of The New Human Revolution Series the monumental novelized series of the history of soka Gakkai by Dr Ikeda can not fail to appreciate the author’s efforts in building bridges of understanding between peoples of all walks of life people who for reasons of their own making are spending a precious part of  their lives in creating conditions which bring more misery upon themselves. One cannot also fail to see here the concern of a humanist who with his profound religious insight could see that religion was fast losing its importance in human lives for a variety of reasons like advancement of science and technology which emphasized materialism over spiritualism. Dr. Ikeda very lucidly and clearly emphasizes that science and spirituality, science and religion if properly understood, could offer viable alternative to the vexed problems humanity faces now.

Leader as Reformer and Disciple

Let me reproduce the following from my earlier analysis of the Human Revolution to illustrate the role of leader as Reformer and disciple.

          It is quite natural that in a work of art like The Human Revolution, the agony and the individual aspirations of the like­minded reformers involved in the struggle get submerged in the collective efforts. From the pages of The Human Revolution emerge several portraits of inspired men and women. The author is very fair and shows no sign of ego to overshadow anybody. The ability displayed by Toda in attracting dedicated bands of young men and women who like inspired souls worked for kosen-rufu is also evident in the disciple Yamamoto...

Lives of great men and women are always a great source of inspiration. When we read their biographies or autobiographies they not only fire the imagination of the readers but inspire them indirectly to undertake equally noble activities. One can see this quality in The Human Revolution. This work has three essential qualities — (i) authenticity, (ii) creativity and (iii) the message it delivers. It is very rare that in a work of art all these three great qualities are interwoven in such a manner that it becomes a mosaic of beauty of the highest form. You may defeat a man physically, take away all his wealth, dismember or even kill him but you cannot take away his faith from him. In other words, man may be conquered physically but his spirit is unconquerable. This is the message of The Human Revolution.  In fact, the strong sense of mission displayed by the three Presidents - Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda - hits the reader hard and raises serious and fundamental issues like, “What is the purpose of life?” and “What is my mission in life?” Alas, most of us are only worried about ourselves, our comforts, our families, our immediate gains”.

LESSONS FROM 'THE DREAM' OF MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.

 LESSONS FROM 'THE DREAM' OF

MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.

-         Dr.N.RADHAKRISHNAN

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia,  sons of former slaves and sons of former slaves owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood…. I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today (Martin Luther King Jr., August 28, 1963).

      This speech of Martin Luther King Jr electrified

virtually not only those who listened and applauded him but those who read this later and even those who heard about it. It had such passion and power that humanity had seldom seen such an out-pouring of emotion. This historic speech and the marching song, 'We shall overcome, We shall overcome, some day' continue to inspire freedom fighters and human rights activists all over the world. Martin Luther King Jr inspires as one of the immortal leaders of humanity and has emerged as a living presence in the daily lives of both those who are able and unable to have a 'Dream'.

  This speech which has become one of the inspiring

speeches ever delivered could be described by no stretch of imagination as sketching of a Utopian picture. He stressed that "the word nonviolence' is no longer an option for intellectual analysis; it is an imperative of action".

Parallels in Gandhi and King

What King said about Gandhi offers very valuable insights in to his understanding of Gandhi. He wrote,

     Gandhi was probably the first person in history to lift

the love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force on a large scale, Love for Gandhi was a potent instrument for social and collective transformation. It was in this Gandhian emphasis on love and nonviolence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking for so many months.

        The intellectual and moral satisfaction that I failed to

gain from the utilitarianism of Bentham and Mill, the revolutionary methods of Marx and Lenin, the social contract theory of Hobbes, the 'back to nature' optimism of Rousseau, and the superman philosophy of Nietzsche, I found in the nonviolent resistance philosophy of Gandhi. I came to feel that this was the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.

Homer A. Jack pointed out certain obvious parallels

in the lives of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. during the birth centenary of Gandhi in 1969. Jack is a famous American Quaker and peace activist. He argues that both Gandhi and King were well educated. Both married and had four children (all sons for Gandhi, two for King). Both led large political movements, using the method of Satyagraha. Both held no public office, yet both exerted more power and gained more adulation than most elected statesmen of their time. Both were charismatic. Votaries of nonviolence, both ironically, died by the bullet. Both were acknowledged in death, and even in life, as the greatest humanitarians of their time. The world truly grieved at the passing of both. Both died in the very midst of their work for harmony and amity, both feeling a sense of disappointment and not of victory.

There are more resonances in the lives of Gandhi and

King. Gandhi was an Asian, although he spent two decades in Africa. He never visited America. King was born in 20 century. They never met and they never corresponded. They had mutual friends, including Stuart Nelson and Amiya Chakravarty, although Gandhi never knew about the existence of King. , who was 20 when Gandhi died. Gandhi was a Hindu and King was a Christian. Gandhi was a lawyer and King was a clergyman. Gandhi lived to 78 years; King died 39. Gandhi was the leader of the majority of his nation; King was the leader of a minority. Gandhi was revered the world over, yet only King received the Nobel Prize. While neither man had a successor, Gandhi had groomed none. A decade later, Vinoba Bhave emerged as a kind of spiritual successor to Gandhi. King had provided for succession in the office of president of the Southern Christian Leadership conference, and Dr. Ralph David Abernathy immediately assumed the presidency on King's

death.

      It may also be remembered how Gandhi learned

deeply from life around him. He learned from books and from the teachings of others. He learned chiefly from his parents and thinkers and writers such as Ruskin, Thoreau and Tolstoy. He was modest enough to admit that he had nothing new to teach; truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills, he said. The difference was the manner in which he interpreted his own life which, he realized, was inescapably linked to the countless lives of men and women not only around him but elsewhere also.

Among the several attributes Gandhi acquired from

his various encounters with reality were his unflinching adherence to truth, his unshakable faith in God and his opposition to social or political structures which militate against basic human rights. In a sense, from the moment he resolved to travel across the seas in defiance of the excommunication threat by his own community to the last days of his life when he opposed the physical frisking of

those attending his prayer functions. Gandhi's epic life was one of a rebel who was prepared to suffer for others.

  Let it also be remembered that until recently, there

was a law in the statute books of 19 states in the United States which said that black could not marry white folks. King rebelled against this and other forms of segregation and injustice, just as Gandhi taught Indians in South Africa how to fight, politely and in a civilized way, restrictions like Indians and dogs are not allowed in restaurants and parks in South Africa. Gandhi and King are in good company in this respect also.

       If Gandhi demonstrated the infinite frontiers of

"freedom from fear" and stressed the importance of religion in everyday life, King amplified the power of human will to rise in revolt against unjust man-made barriers which denied fellow human beings their inalienable right to live in peace, with dignity and honour.

A deeper study of King would offer anyone further

valuable insights and encourage him to look at King as one of the foremost champions of human rights. Gandhi and King are complementary in several respects; both have influenced a large number of eminent men and women in different parts of the world. President Ikeda says about Gandhi and King:

       "Armed only with an unyielding faith in the power of

dialogue, Gandhi and King awakened people to the sublime dignity of their own lives, as well as the lives of others. In this way they worked to construct a spreading solidarity of peace and non-violence, one person at a time. The struggle waged by these two prophets of peace clearly demonstrates the path forward as we seek to create a world free from war and violence in the 21st century."

Very few analysts of Gandhi and King have viewed

the epic lives and gigantic achievements of these two prophets of peace and change from this extremely humanistic angle, as Ikeda has done. The achievements of both Gandhi and King are all-encompassing, and to take them further in an idiom and language that suits the temper of the people and the emerging political, cultural, economic and social situation requires the extraordinary power of a visionary. His roots must be fixed in tradition, but his understanding of the validity of tradition will have to be equal to his understanding of present-day life that is regulated by science and technology. While Gandhi was not against science and technology perse, he was suspicious of the way science and technology was used by vested interests to exploit human labor and perpetrate their domination over the underprivileged.

The remarkable line of communication that Gandhi

and King established with the masses seems to have inspired Ikeda too in the formulation of strategies for his numerous kosen-rufu campaigns and activities for world peace and awareness creation. Ikeda, like Gandhi and King, is a master in establishing instant communication with the masses. Ikeda's strategies are not copied from any textbook. Communication is a great art. Effortless communication with the masses is a gift. Ikeda revealed exceptional qualities as a communicator. In an age of cell phones, e-mail, internet and fax, when impersonal and mechanical devices dominate and control the entire gamut of the communication process, the social reformer, moral activist, religious and political activist find ways to create bonds with people and establish credible lines of communication of his message reach their hearts.

Nonviolence acquires new contours

King's passionate intensity and total involvement in

the cause he had identified, electrifying a generation of freedom-loving but justice-denied citizens who rallied behind him enthusiastically, opened the vast potential of social and political initiatives. With Gandhi and King, nonviolence particularly has come to be recognized as a significant and dependable way for groups, communities and whole societies to effectively tackle conflicts. Gandhi and King's various initiatives led the public to realize there are many new dimensions to resolving conflicts nonviolently. With Gandhi and King, nonviolence acquired new contours; it became a positive, creative, potent and effective instrument of individual empowerment and societal transformation.

    Great men radiate greatness just as iridium emits

light. Their creative minds absorb hidden or latent aspects of society and adapt them for the welfare of all people. This has been happening all the time. While Gandhi successfully grafted traditional wisdom to create new non-violent techniques, King adapted the Gandhian techniques of social and political mobilization in a new idiom and phrase to suit the temperament and aspirations of Black Americans. Gandhi provided the frame and King expanded it. King's philosophy and methods were so effective that he convinced both the white and the black population that violence was not a valid means of solving social problems. In this process, he emerged as the fountain-head of resolute determination as revealed in the marching song, 'we shall overcome... ' The translation of the song into most of the world's languages and the adoption of King's methods for conflict resolution are proof of the growing influences of King on humanity.

            King also concentrated his efforts on educating the

African Americans to shed their fear and share his "Dream." Both Gandhi and King adopted methods and strategies that not only attracted the attention and acceptance of a large section of people who were perceived to be in the "other group" but also involved "others" who were not originally part of the campaigns. Actually, their movements had no adversaries. or "enemies."

Theirs were essentially movements of self-discovery

and empowerment, leading to liberation and, thus, both Gandhi and King were essentially liberators. Gandhian initiatives attracted world-wide attention as various movements for freedom and human rights spread after World War II. King acknowledged his indebtedness to Gandhi, as Johan Galtung pointed out:

"There are many Gandhians, not only those who can be found in the historical Gandhi, by interpreting him in different directions, There are also local Gandhians on all continents, in all countries. Some of them have a name; most of them are unknown. There are traditions on which to be built."

    The conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on King

signified both recognition of his electrifying leadership qualities and an admission by the international community of the injustice done to a large segment of African Americans and other groups. In a sense, though King's initiatives were local, the impact was global.

   In sharp contrast to both Gandhi and King, Ikeda

gradually expanded his activities and campaigns from Japan. The launch of world-wide kosen-rufu witnessed a new style and a new leadership. What Ikeda said about Gandhi and King truly applies to his own self:

"They (Gandhi and King) believed ceaselessly in the

capacities for good that reside in the human spirit. They uncovered and discovered the capacity for good in all people, equally and without exception. Committed first and foremost to the inner transformation of the individual, they worked with vibrant energy to inspire people to bring forth their very highest, their most noble potential."

Conscience of his generation

Calling Martin Luther King Jr. "the conscience of his

generation" US President Carter said, He made our nation stronger because he made it better.

Honored by kings, he continued to his last days to strive for a world where the poorest and humblest among us could enjoy the fulfillment of the promises of our founding fathers.

His life informed us; his dreams sustain us yet.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader who led from the front and he taught many lessons not only those who followed him but also to those who opposed him. Vincent Harding's assessment of King's contribution sums up the extra ordinary leadership qualities of the slain leader,

"King lives ... we saw him facing the tanks in Tiananmen Square, dancing on the crumbling wall of Berlin, singing in Prague, alive in the glistening eyes of Nelson Mandela... he lives within us, right here, wherever his message is expanded and carried out in our daily lives, wherever his unfinished battles are taken up by our hands." (Vincent Harding, Martin Luther King, The Inconvenient Hero (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1996) p. 136)

True Leadership

     King's life, though it was short, illustrated

eloquently what is true leadership. He learned rapidly and turned out to be not only a great leader, but a true leader- one whom most people followed easily, willingly and passionately as Donald T. Phillips described.

While describing what exactly is true leadership and

how does it differ from management or dictatorship Phillips quotes James MacGregor Bums, the author of the landmark book, Leadership:

   Leadership is leaders acting - as well as caring, inspiring

and persuading others to act-for certain shared goals that represent the values-the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations--of themselves and the people they represent. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders care about, visualize, and act on their own and their followers' values and motivations. (P23)

King himself said the following on leadership

The road map for your movement may change, but your final destination should remain the same.

Your organization will prosper or die as a result of your ability to create, embody, and communicate a vision.

An effective vision may provide an effective mechanism that can truly overcome the natural human tendency to resist change.

Leadership is more inspiration than administration.

People derive inspiration from their involvement.

You can't get people to resend to anything if they aren't stimulated.

Tie your vision to the human desire for a better tomorrow.

Call your vision "a dream". It will be more meaningful, more simplistic, and more symbolic.

Make sure your dream taps into the emotions of the people.

Your role, in part, is to guide and give direction and philosophical under building to your movement.

If you can't stop for an average person in your organization, then you don't need to pursue your lofty goals.

Tell the people that you either go up together, or you go down together.

The question is not "What will happen to you?" The question is "What will happen to them?" (Donald T. Phillips, Page No: 330)

Beloved Community

  Creation of the beloved community was the core of

the Dream of King. Bernard LaFyette Jr, a colleague of King and David C. Jehnsen 'a Kingian trainer' have summed up the salient features of the Beloved Community dream of King as follows:

1. The goal is not to humiliate the opponent but to win the opponent over to a new view and new pattern of behavior. Every human being can contribute to change.

2. The concept of the Beloved Community appeals to the common denominator of justice, that which everyone can agree is right or wrong in a particular situation.

3. In nonviolent campaigns, Dr.King identified two dimensions: first, the educational and developmental period; and second, the political and more visible direct action phase. However, now we understand that these phases were aspects of a large context that also had two phases; the first dealt with correcting injustice and the

second with producing as positive force in society to prevent the problem from ever re-occurring.

4. Through history, the Beloved Community was always the over-arching goal. For example, Tolstoy wrote that the Kingdom of God is within you. Other faiths and traditions have described a state in which the hearts and souls of those who seek change and use nonviolence to achieve change.

5. The Beloved Community concept means that we must begin living now as we think society ought to live in the future.

6. Dr. King used the scriptural phrase "the word became flesh and dwells among men" to describe the concept. The living word governs our relationship[s, including those with our opponents.

7. The "ends and means" issue is dealt with by this principle. You cannot achieve just ends by unjust means, nor can you use just means for achieving unjust ends.

8. We cannot write off persons as scapegoats for whatever reasons; they might have something significant to contribute. They did not create the problem. The opponent is also a victim of the conditions.

9. The values of the Beloved Community are the values of our history and tradition. Dr. King was effective because he believed in the democratic Judeo-Christian values of our nation and in the universal values of a free and just social order.

10. The Beloved Community, a framework for developing framework for developing the future, is a context in which one can deal effectively with unjust conditions.

(The above assessment  is excerpted from the 2^nd chapter of Ikeda Study Series-3 ‘Leadership Lessons From Gandhi, King Jr & Ikeda’ by Dr.N.Radhakrishnan).