Selamat datang (welcome) to Malaysia, Dr Akash Ouchi, SGI representative

Dr Ouchi,

Thank you for visiting Malaysia to encourage and beef up the morale of the members for the sake of kosen-rufu in Malaysia. Travelling thousands of miles, all the way from India, is no easy feat. We, at QuietRevo, would like to welcome and express our sincere appreciation to you.

Being aware of your background and the tough struggles you went through in creating many wonderful kofu history in India, we believe you are a person of integrity and we place our highest hope on you. Since the crisis erupted in Johor about two years ago, our top execs continue to ignore the burning and legitimate questions on finance and corruption, and act arrogantly to sack and sideline ‘trouble causing’ leaders, the very core and foundation of SGM itself would be damaged significantly. Much damaged has already taken place.

We urge you to play the role of a peacemaker, uniting SGM and put SGM back on the right track again. It’s not easy. You have our full support.

To resolve any conflict, we need to get the facts right. Listening to both sides of the story is important. Giving both parties the opportunity to speak directly, not through third party or hearsay, is crucial. Have you listen to anyone from the other perspective? We need to be absolutely objective and sincere in our attitude if we want to resolve, reunite and rebuild SGM. Sad to say, the current top execs are not listening and refuse to accept constructive suggestions.

Perhaps, they will listen to you. We also suspect that the last minute U-turn in terminating, to put it more nicely, remove or transfer to the MD, a total of eight Vice SGM YMDs leaders last November was partly due to your intervention.

There are a few things on our minds.

1. Never threaten people to report police. This is seen as avoiding and bullying tactics, instead of answering the questions sincerely. Also the potential bad publicity if this matter goes to the police? SGM’s reputation, SGI and our mentor, Ikeda Sensei, will be damaged. We cannot possibly imagine why anyone would want to challenge others to report police. We are not living in a cowboy era, where we stare down our enemy. That’s barbaric. And reckless. We are, or suppose to be, civilised people. Not to mention ‘enlightened’ Buddhas.
2. Talk to leaders who were sacked or sidelined. (You can email QuietRevo for a list of potential people who are known to have impeccable integrity.) Of course, the top execs in SGM may not take this idea too kindly. If they are, then it is a sign that they have something to hide. Nothing can substitute the value of meeting people face-to-face. This will also prevent you from embarrassing yourself by saying things like ‘there is no termination, these leaders resigned only.’ It is difficult to take you seriously if you say things like this.
3. Refrain from asking leaders who are dissatisfied to leave. We notice that often, those who make the most noise are often, not always, those who really loved and have been working their hardest for kosen-rufu. They are not trying to create problems or destroy the organization, like what the top execs would want you to believe. Rather, they saw what is not right and felt the urgent need to point out. This is exactly what Mr Ikeda taught in his guidance. Never compromise and never curry favour with evil. We must be strict, like the Daishonin, when we face evil. Thus, labeling them as trouble makers and asking people to leave is wrong.
4. Our GD is urging those who support him to rebuke those who ask question during the March All Leaders Meeting. Sounded like a certain US President blaming immigrants for all their problems. This is divisive, destructive and regrettable. This behavior, we feel, is unbecoming of a General Director of a highly respectable Buddhist organization. The tone should have been more conciliatory, encompassing and a firm determination not to allow even a single person to leave this wonderful SGM organisation, no matter how difficult things may be. (Didn’t this GD say that we must not leave even a single person behind when it comes to Gokuyo?)

We do not wish to repeat too much and sound like a broken record. The information in this blog can be used as a reference.

Meanwhile, at the grassroots level, we are striving with all our might to practice Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism correctly. We are making effort in human revolution, actively engaging with society, encouraging our members, friends and family members. We are also working to show actual proof in our workplace and develop trust among our colleagues. Learning and putting into action the guidance by Mr Ikeda.

Many leaders are disappointed by the brutal actions of termination by the top execs. It is sapping their morale and fervor for kosen-rufu. Some resigned and others become inactive. At the same time, some also realized and developed a better understanding of the true meaning of faith and the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin’s in battling evil, refuting evil and revealing the true.

Just like the outstanding individuals in the SGI produced documentary A Quiet Revolution, Wangaari Maathai who planted millions of trees, bring thousands out of poverty and revived the country’s economy, and the rainmaker in India. They did not get any help from their governments, nor any funding from large corporations. It is through their ingenuity and painstaking effort. Similarly, many leaders are also learning that we can make a change in our lives, our surrounding and even SGM, starting with our own human revolution and earnest practice.

In the long run, we believe that our effort will bear fruits, and beautiful flowers will blossom when we take action on our personal level. Orders and directions from the top execs of SGM is sounding hollow and getting more irrelevant by the day. Please give your utmost support, in the true sense, to our General Director and the top execs. Repeating the rhetoric of evil will not help us resolve the issue and bring about meaningful reconciliation. Support the top execs by giving them a fresh perspective on how we can resolve this in the humanistic and true Gakkai way.

We hope that things can be corrected soon, and that the various cogs of SGM can mesh together in harmony. Let us join hands and work towards a truly humane, democratic and vibrant SGM. We will also continue to pray for the growth and development of SGM.

I have a mission, mine alone. You too, have a mission only you can fulfil.

Sounds familiar? :p

Terima Kasih (thank you), Dr Ouchi.