New Year’s message Hideki Iwami and Gina Hameeteman Resp. chairman and national WD leader SGI-NL Happy New Year! The year with the motto Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu! We would like to thank you very much for all the great efforts you made in 2014. In 2014 we entered a new era and this year, 2015, we will continue making both individual and joint efforts in an even more dynamic and innovative way. On 10 November last we – Shozo Kotera, Gina and Hideki – had the good fortune to meet president Ikeda in the garden in front of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu. We were so happy to be able to pay our respects to Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda. We had the feeling he then gave us a non-verbal message: “Please extend my heartfelt regards to everyone. More than ever before I will chant daimoku each day for your happiness, good health and great developments. I put my full trust in you, please continue this way!” He looked so full of energy and radiated enormous power and compassion. We will never forget this meeting. Mr. Kotera said shortly afterwards: “Sensei has given me so much encouragement and energy that I have decided to do my level best again to work for kosen-rufu Netherlands!” We felt the same and more than ever we will do our very best to see to it that all of us will achieve both our personal and shared goals this year. 2015 will mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Soka Gakkai and the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the SGI. Therefore the SGI-motto Year of Dynamic Development in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu has a very special meaning. President Ikeda explained that the Japanese character for ‘dynamic’ – the Chinese character yaku – also means ‘jumping’ or ‘dancing’. It entails that we will continue dancing for joy, mentally and physically, that this is the essence of dynamic development or progress. Each of us experiences this in his or her own life, just as the person we are now. President Ikeda encourages us this way, saying that we are all protagonists who are going to realize this ‘dynamic development in the new era of worldwide kosenrufu’: What is important is to win where you are now, not in some distant place in some distant future. To show actual proof of our Buddhist practice by steadily winning one victory after another – this is the surest path to advancing kosen-rufu and the unerring way to advance our human revolution and attain enlightenment in this lifetime. ♥ Let us make a fresh, new start together with our mentor, with the attitude ‘from now on’ and in the spirit of ‘many in body, one in mind’! ♥ President Ikeda’s message to the 2014 SGI Autumn Training Course Opening Ceremony.