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SGI-Germany Reaches
Out
By Dr. Barbara Krausnik, Giessen
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Recently the Hamburg radio station "Open Channel" aired a one-hour program on SGI-Germany with the theme of
"Buddhism--dialogue--world peace," with four SGI members participating on the panel. The editorial staff received many positive mails and faxes afterwards, and in the end the program was repeated five days in a row. This prompted the show's producer to propose a further one-hour program in June on the subject of education, once more including SGI members on the panel. The producer's wish is now to plan a series on various themes in the autumn.
SGI-Germany has 40 years' history, starting with Japanese people who came to the country as coal miners, nurses and wives of American soldiers based here. They struggled in a country where religious, historical and cultural roots are strongly anchored in the Christian tradition. In addition, following the devastation of the Second World War, society was turning more and more toward affluence and consumerism, rather than toward seeking a new spirituality.
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SGI-Germany members
celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Buddhist movement for
peace in Düsseldorf in October 2001
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In those early years, few would have imagined that Buddhism would spread widely in German society. Nevertheless, these first Japanese practitioners saw that German people yearned for peace, happiness and prosperity, just like people all over the world. Under the most difficult living and working conditions, despite limited money, and thanks to their willingness to drive hundreds of kilometers in order to support the members who were scattered throughout Germany, these few people created the foundations of the Buddhist-based peace movement in Germany upon which today's SGI-Germany is founded.
In the beginning, there was a strong focus on the Buddhist religious content. Dialogue with other humanitarian or religious movements was not yet given high priority.
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Villa
Sachsen,
SGI-Germany's Grand Culture Center in Bingen
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A clear turning point was reached at the start of the 1990s. The opening into society that was then commencing was a result of a thorough construction phase. In the meantime, a deeper awareness of SGI President Ikeda's perspective on peace arose among the members, and a tighter cultural integration between the members and other areas of society developed in a natural way. The desire to devote more effort to action in society moved increasingly into the center of attention of SGI-Germany activities.
In 1994, the SGI-Germany student division, together with Buddhist and non-Buddhist artists, organized an exhibition of contemporary art on the theme of the problem of hostility toward foreigners, in the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne.
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The poster for the
"Victor Hugo and the 21st Century" exhibit held in
Bingen in August 2001
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Another public exhibition "Toward the Century of Humanity--Human Rights in Today's World" followed in 1995, presented by the SGI and the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt in the Frankfurt Roemer (the historic city hall) and in
Bingen, the home of SGI-Germany's Villa Sachsen center. In cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF, the "World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition" has also been presented in various German cities since 1999.
A Christian-Buddhist dialogue series was held from 1997 to 2000, an event organized by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (president: Dr. Felix Unger), the Institute of Oriental Philosophy
(IOP) and the SGI. We believe that the European Academy, which is dedicated to the ideals of peace, tolerance and international understanding, has found a natural partner in the SGI for examining together vital topics related to humanity and religion. In the beginning, our dialogue was distinguished by a perceptible mutual foreignness; this, however, has given way to an increasing curiosity and warm interest during the course of our various encounters.
Our meetings developed into lively events, especially through the warmhearted and passionate commitment of the famous theologian and professor of philosophy Dr. Eugen
Biser, formerly bearer of the University of Munich's Guardini professorship. Step by step, the representatives of the SGI were able to learn a great deal, as well as to vividly impart a well-grounded comprehension of Nichiren Buddhism to the scientific and religious participants from the Academy.
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The "World Boys
and Girls Art Exhibition" held in Oldenburg in October 2000
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As a participant in this series of Christian-Buddhist dialogues, I can say that discussion with other religious schools is indeed the best education in the virtues of respect and openness to dialogue and also in developing one's own conviction in faith. The recognition of commonalities and respectfully dealing with differences sharpen the understanding of one's own religion, and dismantle deeply seated prejudices against those of a different faith. In our discussions, we experience the transformative potential of the
Buddhist message in all human cultural expression and thereby can appreciate our own Buddhahood, and the best, most healing and constructive elements in other world religions.
I am also proud that SGI-Germany youth members' efforts in society in recent years have been recognized. Two hundred and fifty members in Hamburg have taken part in cleaning up the city, a project led by the City Recycling Center. The effort has resulted in the Schanzenpark being intensively cleaned four times a year since 1999. Further, in December 2001, SGI-Germany youth raised a total of DEM 9,830 (about US$4,420) in a fund-raising campaign conducted for children in Afghanistan, which was donated to UNICEF.
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A "Dialogue
Among Four Great Religions," sponsored by the European
Academy of Sciences and Arts and supported by the SGI, was held in
Munich in April 2002 (Dr. Felix Unger is in the center).
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I am happy to be able to witness the increasing integration of SGI-Germany into our country's social activities. I feel that this is linked to the process of continual Buddhist practice through which we allow Buddhahood to become our own truth. If something is true in ourselves, then meaning arises; and if meaning is experienced, then joy, openness, willingness for dialogue and the courage to take socially responsible action will naturally arise.
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