Most of you might have received and might even be involved with the email blast information regarding the Musical and some might be wondering, just what is that picture & why is it significant?
The photo consists of a slate & cardboard milk bottle caps stringed together.
The photo above grasps the essence of the book of "Human Revolution" as Mr. Josei Toda was persistent and strong on his effort to preserve and practice his faith in prison. In a place where it was barren and cold, Mr. Toda practice and studied the Lotus Sutra with a strong seeking spirit, determined to challenge and triumph over his situation.
As Mr. Toda did not have his Juzu beads (prayer beads) to be used in prayers, he had made his 'prayer beads' out of cardboard milk bottle caps, stringed together as a replacement. Resources was very scarce and while he was imprisoned due to his strong stand on keeping his religion, to obtain prayer beads was not feasible. Instead, he turned to the items he had around him as a means of complementing his prayers. This can be seen as a statement that he will not give up his beliefs, no matter what situation he was put into.
As for the slate, it was used by Mr. Toda to keep a record of his prayers, which he had in turn, chanted the phrase 'Nam myo ho renge kyo' 10,000 times a day. His continuous effort to constantly practice his faith everyday, showed his unwavering faith and that he was truly committed to upholding the essence of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, to bring peace and happiness to the people around him.
These two items displayed Mr. Toda's spirit of never giving up in the face of adversity, or in this case, the possibility of suffering and even the threat of death, constantly knocking on his prison cell door. Even in the darkest moment of his life, Mr. Toda was not swayed or defeated by the harsh environment around him and continued to preserve what he believed that was true.
From every moment that he decided to continue his prayers & studies of the Lotus Sutra, he was pacing forward to his ultimate goal of changing the lives of the people around him and even the nation. His own 'Human Revolution' in itself was captured in the photo, therefore the photo was used as a teaser poster for everyone to see.
-The Disciples Do add in your comments or feelings about this particular photo or any particular situation relating to the photo above! Would love to share and listen to your thoughts.
在1964年12月2日，池田先生注入了對和平的誓言，選擇了在二次大戰中遭受最大犧牲的日本沖繩（琉球）作為開始選著小說《人間革命》的地方。池田先生以「山本伸一」作為筆名，執筆至今已長達44周年。
The photo consists of a slate & cardboard milk bottle caps stringed together.