The Joy of Victory

The Joy of Victory (pp midcol1 46-47)

‘… the Soka Gakkai members in Kansai all made a great leap forward. They had never imagined that an outdoor general meeting could end so successfully in such terrible weather. Their confidence increased. They realized that they could do anything if they only tried… They had taken a great leap forward, a leap of joy.

‘… the Kansai members rose up. They plunged into their activities like arrows shot from a tautly-drawn bow. Every evening, discussion meetings, from district level down to unit level, were held all over the city – here in a house in a back alley, there in an apartment in a residential area. It was like so many flowers blooming all at once.’

The Kansai members could hardly believe their great success. They were filled with the joy of victory. All the leading newspapers, which had, until now, pretty much ignored the Sokagakkai, carried an article about the general meeting in their April 9 morning edition. The shakubuku result thus far in April (and it’s only the 9th) was reported to be well over 4000.
The super-energized members began to contact everyone within reach. Discussion meetings were being held in every corner of the land.

Points to ponder
What led to the success of the general meeting?
What can we do to initiate a groundswell of activity?
What do you think of the Asahi Shimbun’s report?