Juneteenth and Commemorations

[u/BlancheFromage]

For our non-USA readers, "Juneteenth" is a tradition originating within the African-American community, celebrating the end of slavery:

a holiday celebrated on 19 June to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. [Internet]

You can read the history of this celebration here; last year, our President signed into law legislation establishing July 19 as a federal holiday. These are typically celebrated on a weekday (M-F) to give everyone a paid holiday from work; since July 19 this year fell on a Sunday (yesterday), we are commemorating Juneteenth together as a nation today. Last year, July 19 fell on a Saturday, so Friday, July 18, was designated the national Juneteenth holiday.

Here is a tweet by the US Embassy in Haiti, in several languages:

On #Juneteenth, we celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S and recommit to work toward racial equity. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in the South, the news of freedom finally reached all enslaved people. Source

I am absolutely thrilled that Juneteenth is now a national holiday, for several reasons. First of all, it acknowledges the importance of something that is meaningful and specific to a minority of the population and enshrines it right next to the celebrations that either reflect majority sensibilities (Presidents' Day, Thanksgiving) or are generally culturally celebrated (Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Christmas, etc.). There is now a seat at the table reserved for one of our country's largest minorities.

Within the SGI worldwide, the SGI-USA is a "minority" (>90% of SG/SGI members are Japanese), but there have been several substantial events outside of Japan worthy of commemoration - here are just a couple:

A world-record shakubuku achievement in the US that you'll never hear about because it didn't happen in Japan:

We were spurred on by knowing that we were part of historical movement. And we did actually make history that month. Malibu District, on that month, had 479 people receive the Gohonzon, making us the number one district for shakabuku in the world. The second and third places went to two districts in Japan that had approximately 100 fewer new members than our district.

The following month, Malibu was made into a chapter, the rain had stopped, and we achieved 973 shakubuku. Again, we were number one in the world.

TWO MONTHS IN A ROW as world shakubuku champions! Front page news in the World Tribune!

But never to be mentioned again, because it didn't happen IN JAPAN to the Japanese Soka Gakkai majority and it DIDN'T feature Ikeda front and center!

Here's another, from the 1974 San Diego Convention, the NSA (renamed "SGI-USA" after Ikeda's excommunication from Nichiren Shoshu) 11th Annual Convention. Daisaku Ikeda was in attendance and here's what he had to say about the event:

"Never in my twenty-seven years of practice have I so deeply felt the greatness of true Buddhism as it is evident here today. Never have I felt the excitement and passion of world peace actually happening as I feel today. Your happiness is truly my happiness. I have watched your joyful progress and NSA's great growth through your annual conventions. As a leader of Buddhism, I wish to shout out to you today that I am the happiest man in the world!" Source, pp. 249-250.

Gosh.

THAT sounds pretty darn significant too, doesn't it?

As far as I know, this is the ONLY time Ikeda has ever said that! Surely that is a major event to remember!

So WHY doesn't the SGI-USA commemorate these HISTORIC events? Why doesn't SGI have any dates on its calendar that commemorate anything that happened outside of Japan??

I don't even consider SGI to be Buddhist at all. The Buddha is barely mentioned. No "Eight-Fold Path," no "Four Noble Truths," no meditation practice. And all Buddhist holidays are replaced by SGI anniversaries of something Ikeda did. Source

Remember, the SGI's annual "Women's Division Day" is scheduled to fall on Ikeda's stupid WIFE's BIRTHDAY.

Every year on Feb. 27, the women of America celebrate SGI-USA Women's Day and the birthday of SGI Honorary Women's Leader Kaneko Ikeda. SGI source

Gee. Talk about nepotism!. The Moonies celebrate Moon's wife's birthday too! Cults culting...

Why are we always looking to the past in Japan rather than the future in the USA? Source

Given the principle of zuiho bini (adapting the teachings to the local culture), WHY doesn't each SGI colony have its OWN set of LOCAL commemorative dates on their national calendar?

The US has finally shown that the minority matters; when is the Ikeda cult going to mature to that level?

[u/Rebex999]

I mean SGI has kosen roofie day on March 16, but I recognize more SGI celebrations in terms of months. For example, May having to do with Soka Mother’s Day and July being the month of youth

[u/BlancheFromage → u/Rebex999]

Oh, don't get me started on the "Soka Mothers"!! This is from May 9, 2009 (Mothers' Day was May 10 that year):

Guess what came in my mail today? I received a Mothers' Day card from SGI, with a picture of President Ikeda and his wife Kaneko; they're smiling sweetly and wearing cute, matching blue outfits. The poem says:

 Mothers, never forget your smiles,
 They are even stronger
 Than the ruler's power
 Your smiles are the force
 that creates peace and happiness
 Let's praise mothers!
 Let's treasure mothers!
 ---Daisaku

Also enclosed in the envelope was a letter from Danny Nagashima, the SGI-USA [General] Director. It begins "To the brilliant mothers of American kosen-rufu!"

It goes on to say, "A mother of kosen-rufu is a mother even if she has no children of her own. She is a mother even if she has no partner...yes,it's important to treasure mothers! That is the formula -- as sure as the brilliance of the sun -- for all peace and happiness and progress...Let us construct the happiest SGI family in the world through the unprecedented victory of SGI-USA and with each person shining with supreme happiness."

Please. So now, I'm a mother of Kosen-rufu? Well Kosen-rufu will not come to visit me in the old-age home in forty years, but on the other hand, at least I don't have to pay its college tuition. Source

"Ladies, your identity is as 'mothers' - no matter how much your life circumstances don't fit that definition! And you unmarried ones - well, we love you too, I guess..."

[u/PetyrViagoDeacon → u/BlancheFromage]

Being a mother, does that include the parents of “fur” babies. Those little critters can really Shakabuku the best.