Mail & Guardian April 14 to 21 2022 25

Thought Leader

25&Peace: Nichiren, a 13th century Buddhist priest and philosopher who founded a school of Buddhism based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra

Together we determine destiny
Buddhist humanism offers a way for us tochange the destructive path the world is on
COMMENT
Loren Braithwaite KaboshaIn the 20th century humanity
experienced a scale of megadeath not suffered since thetimes of colonisation.
Humankind set a trajectorythat will result in the destructionof oceans, nature, climate, soil, ofhumanity and other living beings.
In this decisive decade, we will
determine the destiny of humankind — and whether the 21st century
will be a century of life or of death.
In this unprecedented time, wemust not only be a force of resistance to evil, but a countervailingforce for good.
In this time of global distress, weneed to set our sights on creating
a civilisation based on new values.
One way to transform our era is toawaken as many people as possible
to the vast potential, power and connection to the infinite with which
they are innately endowed.
The Lotus Sutra, the teaching inwhich the essence of Buddhism is
expounded, holds that all people areendowed with the three inherent
potentials of the Buddha nature—
the innate Buddha nature, the wisdom to perceive it and the deeds
to develop it — and therefore canattain enlightenment.
In these times it is more important than ever that we each must
become our own authority and sovereign champions of our own lives.
These times require us to go deep
within and lead from the inside out.
To navigate the turbulent waters ofthis age, we must each become great
philosophers of life, calling forthcountless others to join us in stepping into our power.
Daisaku Ikeda, the president ofSoka Gakkai International (SGI), aglobal Buddhist movement, cruciallyreminds us: “As human beings, wecannot be more than human beings,
nor do we need to be.”As aligned with the African philosophy of ubuntu, Buddhist humanism is based on a realisation that
our lives are not possible without
the support of many others and theproper functioning of society, andthat the deeper joys of life are realised through our connections withothers.
Such is the power of community.
Change will come from the soil ofcommunities. Communities of art
and creativity, communities of locality and of common interests, communities of environmental protection, communities of spirituality,communities of food security and ofeducation, communities of solidarity.
Through our present-day experienceof this global maelstrom of disruption and displacement wrought by
the pandemic, many people havecome to this realisation.
An interlinked network of communities across the nation will havethe power to shift society. When weplant our feet firmly in the actualities of the local community, we candevelop all larger perspectives fromthat starting point.
The problems of the world are
deeply and mutually connected;
threats and challenges besetting
people in distant places have quickly
found their way to our local communities. Our life experience in South
Africa is the microcosm and theplanet the macrocosm. We are allconnected and belong to this global
macrocosm.
Daisaku Ikeda has urged: “Wemust find the fulcrum on which people can develop the strength of will
required to be proactive, robust andengaged. Unleashing the vitality ofcitizens — one by one — is the only
certain way to bring into sight theThe God edition

Searching for meaning

horizons of a new civilisation, a newera of the people … The activitiesof the SGI constitute a humanistic
movement based on Buddhism thatseeks to develop robust individuals
who can respond to the challenges ofour age.”
Sinking our roots deeply in the soil
together with others, we can createa robust network for good which
spreads throughout our nation, thecontinent and the globe.
Living with death in thesepast years has taught us that thedaily choices we make can either
empower and save our lives or canenervate us, weakening our life state.
Having experienced this time ofdeath, let us choose hope, choose
life, in every moment. The grief ofsuddenly losing family members or
being shut out from the things thatgive meaning to life is the same forpeople in any country; while thespecific circumstances may vary, thetragedy in its essence is the same.
When the experience of life is sorough and raw it is connectionsof love that help us to choose toremain, to choose to keep fighting
for our lives.

Iam an older black woman livingwith several autoimmune diseases and resulting disabilities.
Last weekend, after a family ceremony, my partner and I contracted
Covid-19. Suffering through Covid on
top of many other diseases certainly
felt like an advanced level of trial,
the outcome of which was uncertain.
I had to fight and gather my strength
to remain rooted in my life. Momentby moment I had to choose life,again and again.
In the 40 years of my Buddhistpractice, I have come to realise,sometimes eventually, that each newtrial I faced with firm resolve in mydaily Buddhist practice of chanting
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has enabled
me to advance on my path towards
unshakeable happiness, a path ofinnumerable levels. Each new levela different opportunity to choose
life, to choose love. To not succumbto fear or lose faith under increas-

ingly complex circumstances. In thepresent moment, Buddhism enables
each of us to instantly tap into thelife force of the cosmos.
Winning in this Covid world hasfelt like an important marker; I feeldifferent and renewed.
Achieving, maintaining and fighting for your own happiness, momentby moment, is a practical way to contribute to the overall wellbeing of
humankind.
Amplifying your own joy, happiness and love will resonate throughout your community and be reflectedback in your own life.

P

eople around the world facea diverse spectrum of problems and there is no simple
or encompassing solution.
The crucial question we ask ourselves is how each of us can extend
our support to those facing hardship,
how we can strengthen our relationships and connections and share ineach other’s joy at having overcome
our respective ordeals.
This is our challenge as Soka
Gakkai Nichiren Buddhists. We aim
to construct a society in which thepalpable sense that it is good to bealive is shared by all.
In these present times when it
feels like we are in a dark tunnel
with no end in sight, let us live with apowerful resolve to be a light of hopethat lights the way for others.
Working with and for the peoplein our families, society and community, through our efforts participate
in discussions, we can encourage
many others with genuine care andwarmth.
Solidly uniting as robust champions of humanity, champions of thepeople, champions of life, together
we can create a brighter future ofhope.
Loren Braithwaite Kabosha is general director of Soka Gakkai International South Africa, a community-based organisation for thosepractising Nichiren Buddhism,promoting humanism and dialogue
for peace

YEARS
AGO

The government programme set
up two years ago to spearhead
land redistribution has failed tohand over more than a few hectares to the landless.
Figures from the departmentof land affairs show the landreform pilot programme has
spent less than R20-millionof its R314-million budget,and that provinces such as theWestern Cape, Mpumalanga
and the Northern Province [nowLimpopo] have spent nothing of
the millions they were allotted togive as grants to the landless.
Officials blame red tape andinexperience in the provinces
for the mess, and warn thatmuch of the cash — originallyfrom the Reconstruction andDevelopment Programme — will
have to be handed back to central government coffers unless itis spent by next March.
The national land affairs
department has now taken
charge of the programme, arguing that it hopes to learn frompast failures and bring new
impetus to the scheme.
[...] The scheme is a crucialcomponent of South African
land reform, which estimateshave suggested could affect up
to 3.5 million people who havebeen dispossessed of land in thepast, as well as others with landclaims.— Mail & Guardian, 11 to
17 April 1997

VERBATIM“It is better to leave than to bel
washed away with the house.
We understand it is hard to leaveyour homes, but the priority is
to save people’s lives.” — eThekweni metro mayor Mxolisi Kaunda,
speaking about the heavy rains andflooding that has hit Durban andsurrounding areas.

“With all our troubles, fricl
tions and challenges, this is indeed an incredible country where
the spirit of ubuntu always takes
centre stage and reigns supreme.”— Gift of the Givers’ Imtiaz Sooliman,
on various corporates provision ofgoods for people in areas hard hit by
the floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
“This was how the apartheidl
oppressors operated. Let us
not become like the ones whooppressed us.” — President Cyril
Ramaphosa, in his weekly newsletter,
about marches on people’s homes
to search for immigrants and people
being killed because of how theylook or because they have a particular accent.
“I warned you Hermanl
Mashaba. By fanning theflames of anti-immigrant hatred,

you helped create the environment that led to the burning toashes of the Zimbabwean Elvis
Nyathi. Four terrified children
without a father. Don’t you darecondemn the attack.” — World
renowned educatonist Professor
Jonathan Jansen, writing on Twitter
about the xenophobic mob attack in
Diepsloot, Gauteng.
“I don’t only have no choice, Il
have no time. My people aredying, tortured, raped.” — Ukrai-

nian ambassador Liubov Abravitova
defending her use of Twitter to request a meeting with President Cyril
Ramaphosa and the international
relations minister, Naledi Pandor.