On Sunday 25th November, around fifty Youth Division members from across the whole of the UK gathered at Taplow Court Grand Culture Centre for the first meeting of the Choose Life study group. The group comprises young people, mostly aged under twenty-five, representing each Area (of which Scotland is one) of SGI-UK and they will be studying Choose Life, a dialogue between British historian Arnold Toynbee and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda which took place in the 1970s. They will meet every two months for one year, with different sections of the dialogue being studied at each.
The Choose Life Group is the first of its kind in the UK since the turn of the century. It is hoped that those involved will become great champions of dialogue and take the spirit of the group back to their respective corners of the UK to inspire countless others. Not only this, the formation of the group is also a great cause for the development of the study movement within SGI-UK.
Each of the meetings will be chaired by SGI-UK Vice General Director Sue Thornton, who was involved in the transcription of the dialogue. She will be sharing with the group her memories and experiences of this exciting time in the history of the SGI. This meeting, she also shared a short message sent to the group by President Ikeda, conveying his best wishes to us all. The study portion of the meeting will be lead by various senior leaders, including General Director Robert Samuels who will be meeting the group in March.
The first session, to be based on the Preface and first two chapters of the book, was lead by Men's Division Leader Robert Harrap. He spoke to the group about reading the dialogue from a Buddhist perspective and identifying the places where Daisaku Ikeda subtly suggests solutions to some of the problems facing society based on Buddhist ideals. He equipped the group with a "toolkit" of Buddhist principles, an understanding of which will help them to study the dialogue in more depth. The concepts which he introduced and spoke at some length about were esho funi, shikishin funi, santai (or the three truths*) and the nine consciousnesses. Robert also shared some of his experience of being involved in a similar study group some twenty to twenty-five years ago.
I am fortunate enough to have been asked to be part of this incredible group and I hope and intend to pass on the benefit of my involvement to the district, chapter and HQ. Indeed, we are doubly fortunate in that a Young Women's Division member from our very own chapter is also taking part. By serialising the group's meetings on this very blog, I hope that you all will be encouraged to make great efforts in study and dialogue.
My visit to Taplow this past weekend was an unforgettable experience, if completely exhausting. I arrived very early to the centre and had time to wash up after a long night's traveling and do some daimoku ahead of the meeting. None of the participants quite knew what to expect from this first session and so, as more people began to arrive, there was an air of nervous excitement.
We were welcomed by Youth Division Leader Manny Fernandez and Young Women's Division Leader Lisa Cowan. The Josei Toda Hall, where the meeting would take place, gradually filled with eager youth and strong, vibrant daimoku resonated all around. At 11am, Robert Harrap lead us in a vigorous morning Gongyo. Everyone looked so pleased to be there already even though we hardly knew what was to come.
As the lecture began, copies of Choose Life, notebooks and pens emerged and the whole group paid great attention, soaking up every word. With each new concept introduced, people scribbled away, absorbed in the joy of learning. The room buzzed with youthful energy, the pictures of President Makiguchi and President Toda watching proudly over us. The time rushed by so quickly that lunch was upon us before we knew it, giving us our first real opportunity to meet and socialise with our fellow group members.
Many people I spoke to found it really refreshing to speak to lots of different people their own age, from all over the country, about the practice. We shared our traveling experiences as well as our delight at being involved in such a group. It was clear that great bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime will be formed over the six meetings of this group.
There was no dip in energy as we went into the second part of the lecture. Spirits soared and all the participants were in very good humour, even as a very long day for some was drawing to a close. Once Robert had finished, he invited us all to give questions and comments, a portion of the session which was equally as valuable as any other. It was clear how grateful we all were to be there. We were then treated to some refreshment courtesy of President Ikeda (including the first mince pies of the festive season). Sue lead us in evening Gongyo to conclude a very memorable day.
I think I can speak for all the group members when I say I cannot wait until our next meeting on 19th January, when the study will be lead by Justine Marchant and Fiona Harrow. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes.
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