Nichiren is like the plant, and my teacher the earth." NICHIREN DAISHONIN (Gosho - "Flowering and Bearing Grain")
"When Shinichi visited Atsuta with Mr Toda in 1954, there were no Soka Gakkai members living there. A discussion meeting was scheduled to be held in the village with leaders from Otaru.
Several leaders departed Otaru early in the morning by train. But a blizzard was in progress, the bus was forced to halt. They crossed the river, but from there, they had no choice but to walk.
"The Atsuta members are waiting for us! Let's go?" they decided unanimously, and began pressing forward through the storm. As the sun set and it grew dark, they kept track of one another by calling out each other's name (Wow!).
The members of Atsuta village wondered whether the leaders from Otaru would really make it with the fierce blizzard blowing outside. Some Atsuta members decided to go out to find them. They worried that they might be in serious danger.
The Otaru leaders continued to "truge steadily forward". They "hurried their pace" (Wow!). As they neared, they saw the Atsuta members.
"Thank you for coming to find us!", they said. An Atsuta member replied, "Thank you for coming to see us in spite of the blizzard". The Atsuta members were deeply touched by the "warmth of their fellow members" from Otaru and their dedication to kosen rufu. They felt they had "witnessed the true Soka Gakkai spirit".
Although Atsuta village was Mr Toda's hometown, there wasn't much understanding of the Solar Gakkai there at that time. Members were ridiculed as "Toda Lotus" followers, and when they went to neighbours homes to talk about Buddhism, they would have "salt tossed at them to drive them off" (a customary way in Japan of expressing loathing or abhorrence for an unwanted visitor).
But the steadfast Atsuta members were determined to make their village, President Toda's hometown, a model of kosen rufu. They propagated Nichiren Buddhism in the village "with tenacity and preseverance, as pressing on through a blizzard." DAISAKU IKEDA (NHR 18 - "Gratitude" chapter). Amazing! Sandai-jo!!!!
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