New Year's 2007

"A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all" -- Nichiren, "New Year's Gosho"

New Year's Day is a big day for Soka Gakkai Buddhists. Other religions have the births (and rebirths) of their respective superstars and stuff, but we've got nothing like that. So there it is, we celebrate New Year's in style, with new resolutions, celebrations, experiences, and song.

Here's a picture set, including lots of pictures of the celebration. There are also some before/after shots. These include this great picture of Martin, the Region Young Men's Division leader, with myself and Yasuko. Martin's doing Gajokai today:


And this picture of my good friend Derek, heading Gajokai for the afternoon. Derek trained me to become Gajokai and still epitomizes for me what it is to be a Gajokai: responsible, reliable, supportive, attentive. Here you see him with the "fine sword" of Gajokai! "Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword." -- Nichiren


And finally, an auspicious day. Today I "graduated" from the Young Men's Division to the Men's Division, in preparation for Ren's birth. This means I abdicated my Gajokai leadership position. Here is a picture of me turning over my keys to the center, which I have guarded for two years. I've opened and closed the center hundreds of times (including both of the last two New Years) and gained so much good fortune from doing so. I look forward to these keys going to the next young man -- may he grow into the program as much as I have!