Buddhist Social

BGP organized the new students' welcome event at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Total 15 guests including new students attended the event, and had a free discussion on Buddhism and shared their experiences in daily lives each other.

SGI Liberia

Soka Gakkai International has spread to 192 countries and territories including Liberia, West Africa whose people suffered from 14-year civil war until 2003.

Many SGI members fled to the US and neighboring countries during the war. Currently, there are about 15 members in the capital city, Monrovia.

While most Liberians are strong Christians and Muslims, SGI members meet every Sunday to chant for the country's development, peace and happiness of fellow citizens. They also share experiences in faith, study Nichiren Daishonin's writings and bring their friends to introduce this Buddhism.

Members are especially encouraged by reading Human Revolution which depicts how the 2nd President Toda stood alone in faith to develop the Soka Gakkai from scratch and changed members' destination toward happiness in post-WWII era.

I'm a TC student in MA International Educational Development Program and visited Liberia for internship and research this summer. It's a great feeling to be able to meet with local SGI members wherever I go, chant with them for human revolution and to know that we are striving for the same grand goal of achieving world peace. There is another TC graduate in Sierra Leone doing her research and enjoying local SGI activities as well.

- Takako Shimizu

NYCC Block Party at Union Square this SUNDAY!

On this coming Sunday, the SGI-USA will have an incredible block party in front of the New York Culture Center in Union Square. This is a rare opportunity that allows you to see who we are and what we do while enjoying various music and dance performances. For kids, a puppet show and face painting will be offered. It's something not to be missed! Please come and see us!

SGI-USA Open House & Block Party
September 6th, 2009 From 11am to 5pm

New York Culture Center (NYCC)
7 E 15th Street, New York, NY 10003
212 727 7715

Welcome to BGP blog!

Buddhism for Global Peace at Columbia University (BGP) is a student organization based on Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. We meet every week to chant, study and encourage one another, ultimately striving for global peace through individual happiness.

We challenge ourselves to become a global citizen who possesses:

I. The wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life and living.

II. The courage not to fear or deny difference; but to respect and strive to understand people of different cultures, and to grow from encounters with them.

III. The compassion to maintain an imaginative empathy that reaches beyond one's immediate surroundings and extends to those suffering in distant places.

Through our efforts to accomplish these aims, we wish to raise hope and help bring about peace in the Columbia University community and the world at large.

Buddhism for Global Peace at Columbia University is going to announce various campus events through this blog. So please visit us again! If you would like to learn more about Buddhism or about our future events, please send email to: buddhism.columbia@gmail.com.

Scoring the Life of Victory

Film Screeing event:

Wayne shorter “Scoring Life of Victory”
With Live Music performance by TC Alumna, musician Hai & Discussion
12pm, Sunday, July 26th

Room305, Teachers College Library, Columbia UNIVERSITY

Thanks to the various supports, we had a great group discussion after watching Wayne Shorter's film "Scoring the Life of Victory". Total number of participants today was 24 including 6 guests.

Special thanks to Hai &Chris for their wonderful live music performance, and Debbie from SGI-NYCC for her great final encouragement!

Based on your feedback sheets, we will improve our activities and we will keep challenging ourselves to become global citizens who possess wisdom, courage and compassion.

If you have any question, please feel free to contact BGP members around you or contact to our e-mail address. ( buddhism.columbia@gmail.com)

Another way of seeing things

A BGP-organized film screening event titled " Another way of seeing things," followed by group discussions at the Teachers College library in June!

For those who missed this event, we are going to hold another film screening event in the Fall 2009 semester. So please join us because this film is just awesome!