Mentor and disciple spirit

Autumn wind is breezing and it turns cold and rainy more often. I have been in Melbourne a month, got everything I need to do my PhD, so I have no more lame excuses to be slack in my PhD progess. I kicked started my project, but still challenging my literature review with burning passion spirit like my supervisors and peers around me.....


Having passionate supervisors is really wonderful...... Maybe some of you guys are not agreeable with my statement, I still stand firm with my words, maybe it is also depend which aspect you view it.

My current Principle Investigator (PI) is Prof Tan Seong Seng, and the second one is Dr Jason Howitt. Both of them are really good supervisor and researchers and I am eager to learn from them as much as possible.














Prof Tan in his lab
(photo source: HFI webpage)













Dr Jason Howitt
(photo source:www.leadernews.com.au)

I attended many of the motivational seminar for successful people wannabe, collective data from those seminars show the factors which could lead you to be successful are:
1) To be hardworking
2) Keep learning
3) Environment
4) Peers
5) Mentor
6) Chance

The factors are not in order and each of these factors are equally important. But today I will just talk about the mentor factor.

Before I came to Melbourne, I have been introduced many time about this word: Mentor and disciple spirit. Much often, when I read Ikeda Sensei article, he always stress a lot of this Mentor and Disciple spirit, and how he and his mentor Toda Sensei strife together for world kosen-rufu and world peace. However, as much I wanted to understand what is the true meaning of this, I find myself don't feel much about this spirit before I came to Melbourne.

I doesn't give up with my quest for searching for the true meaning of Mentor and disciple relationship. And it is not something which has a standard definition and fit for everyone. After I come to Melbourne, this mentor and disciple spirit seem to show with my current situation
After reading only 2 volumes of "Human Revolution" which I brought to Melbourne, I always feel there are resemblance of how a disciple should work the utmost for the common goal for both the mentor and disciple. The spirit that I have been long searching, is actually reflected in my daily life. Maybe this is just another wonder reason for me to be in Melbourne, to understand my mission in life, in my career and in kosen-rufu.

The more I read Ikeda Sensei's guidance, I am really touched by how his fighting spirit from his early days even now, it flaming passion it still on. I shall also pledge to work hard for my scientific career mentor and also my kosen-rufu mentor.

I have learn a quote from Ikeda sensei's, which I used it for the M16 performance couple of week ago.
"True character is forged only through hardship and suffering. Moreover, it is the mentor disciple relationship, not organizational structure that builds character. Many scholars, pioneer and leaders of the world have come to know how crucial this mentor and disciple relationship is"

I guess I am fortunate enough to be able to strife harder every day with my mentor, seeking the fighting spirit to challenge every task and build my character as a youth.