There are many reasons May 3rd is seen as special, much like the SGI birthday. It is a Milestone, and this is when we make are Determinations that we are going to achieve in November (another milestone).

• May 3, 1951 - Mr Toda became the second Soka Gakkai President
• May 3, 1960 - At the age of 32 Daisaku Ikeda became the third Soka Gakkai President took leadership with the determination to advance our movement another step towards the substantive realization of Kosen Rufu.
• May 3, 1979 - President Ikeda formally stepped down as third president, following his resignation on April 24.
  » This was at the time of the first priesthood incident and was the culmination of the first Seven Bells.
  » At this time President Ikeda took leadership for worldwide Kosen Rufu as president of the Soka Gakkai International.
• May 3, 1983 - President Ikeda determined to open the way for the fresh development of the Soka Gakkai within the next three years.
  » It marked the 32nd anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s new beginning under Josei Toda’s presidency.
  » Also Nichiren Daishonin was 32 when he proclaimed his teachings for the first time on April 1253, the starting point of his lifelong struggle to spread the Mystic Law undeterred by hardship or persecution.
• May 3, 2001 - Marked the beginning of a new century, summit of hope that President Ikeda and the SGI had been aiming for signalling the second Seven Bells. Seven Bells
  » It was the day that the Soka University of America (SUA) opened with the mission of fostering bright young people who would work to create peace for global humanity.

November

• November 18th, 1930 - Founding of Soka Gakkai 1930, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's Memorial (1944)
• November 15th, 2023 - Daisaku Ikeda died (January 2nd 1928 – November 15th 2023)

Personal Campaigns

Give we are into determination and setting goal, it is worth noting that the SGI has a number of personal campaigns that are run throughout the year. These are designed to help us grow and develop as individuals. They are also designed to help us develop our faith and practice. Some of the campaigns usually start at the beginning on the year, or the theme of the year and often set by the youth division, but individually May 3rd is another starting point where-by aim to achieve it some 6 months later in November, that 550 days of focused daimoku. If you chant an hour of daimoku a day, not especially quickly that's almost 2million daimoku, how can you possible not be victorious? So with any Campaign, it is important to set a goal, and then determine to achieve it - we all have good and bad days, but the key is to keep going, I need encouragement, I need to encourage others. So lets get started and make a determination to achieve our goals, and then lets make a determination to achieve them. Getting Started

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