For those we grew up in the city, all we get to see is the concrete jungle. The only “greenies” we see would be the garden or our backyard. It’s not easy to get close to the nature while the concrete jungle is engulfing the city.

Well then, let’s get closer to the nature this time!

Activity: Planting trees/small plant
Location: A public garden that allows us to plant or even the Cheras Kaikan/your respective Kaikans
Materials: Seeds or sprout, and fertilizer
Tools: Hoe, shovel, gloves, watering can/any container you could find

Procedure:
1.    Let’s do some exercise to kick-start our activity on such a joyful morning.
2.    Then, we can start looking for an appropriate location to plant the seeds or sprout. Don’t forget to water it. You can even name your plants.
3.    To share the advantages of planting. http://wenwen.soso.com/z/q987560.htm?ch=from.t.qq
4.    A vowing ceremony could be carried out as we promise to protect the trees and nature as the way our parents have protected us. Let’s protect the world and our Ikeda Sensei, like the way he protected us for the sake of our happiness and the world peace.

Meaning:
Through this activity, we’re trying to get parents and children to do something/finish a task together. Moreover, it is important to let our children to get close to the nature and learn the means of protecting the nature as they grow.

Sharing:
Ikeda Sensei once said “planting a tree is a way of planting life”. Both trees and life need to be cared and nurtured as they grow. Trees have to always be prepared to face storms and drastic weather changes, like the way we fought through our challenges in life. Only then, we get to grow up fine.

There are 8000 cherry-blossom trees blossoming in the Toda’s Memorial Park, Hokkaido. At first, the land of the memorial park isn’t suitable for this breed of ‘Japanese Cherry-Blossom’. However, Ikeda Sensei had always been wishing to fill the memorial park with his mentor’s favourite ‘Japanese Cherry-Blossom’. Fortunately, a person named Ataru Sasaki made Ikeda Sensei’s dream came true. For this, he was called “the guardian of cherry-blossom”. Ikeda Sensei’s wish became his aim. For that, he continuously did researches on improving the ways of planting cherry-blossom. With 10 years of consistent effort, he made the impossible possible. Today, the memorial park is full of cherry-blossom, waving at the statue of Toda Sensei in the center of the park.

Ikeda Sensei: “No matter of any field or background, those who keep on striving without giving up are people that should be respected. Those who endure will finally be victorious. This cherry-blossom garden of life and death, is a sign of victorious by the mentor and disciple of Soka Gakkai! Hurray for Hokkaido!”

Toda Sensei always loved the ‘Japanese Cherry-Blossom’, thus Ikeda Sensei had always been thinking of filling up his mentor’s memorial park with this type of cherry-blossom. What Mr. Sasaki did, was to fulfill his mentor’s aim whole-heartedly. This is the spirit of repaying and replying towards our mentor. Ikeda Sensei mentioned “Those who could strive forward for the mentor doesn’t worth to be called as a ‘disciple’.”


Shared by,
Hong Jie.

Labels: i. Activity/games sharing