Saturday, Erci and I hosted our third annual men’s division Virginia West chapter meeting in our home. The chapter is a lot smaller now, as it has been split two years in a row because of growth in local Soka Gakkai membership numbers (woo hoo!). Yesterday we went up to Purceville for Potomac Chapter’s annual men’s division meeting hosted by Vijay. It was remarkable how different the two meetings were even though they were nominally focused on the same topics: “the oneness of mentor and disciple” and “building a self-reliant faith.” Both were pulled from the July/August issue of Living Buddhism magazine and from the July 21st issue of the World Tribune.
For the Virginia West chapter the discussion focused on the definition of the mentor and disciple relationship and on speaking from the heart. We talked a lot about how the mentor disciple relationship is disciple initiated, that we each choose our own mentors, and that sometimes our mentors can choose us. We also talked a lot about practicing an engaged and active life, where we take actions on those things closest to our hearts.
In the Potomac chapter there were more experiences given, and they were particularly heart-wrenching and moving. One man talked about his mother’s passing, and another about his fight with alcohol and substance abuse. Potomac men’s discussion focused more on actively establishing great friendships with those around us and staying connected both in faith and in community regardless of faith.
Both meetings were followed by excellent food and fun, and at both there was a reminder that Fall study review is coming, and that the interfaith walk for peace is coming even sooner (SGI-USA is participating).
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