The Courage To Find the Answers

SGI General Director Yoshiki Tanigawa underscored this point during a Q&A session with SGI-USA training course participants, held the morning of January 26, 2025, on the island of Guam, just ahead of the 50th anniversary SGI general meeting. 

Before taking questions, Mr. Tanigawa first emphasized that all the answers could be found in The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin and Sensei’s The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution. “Our challenge, therefore, is to become the kind of individuals who can seek the answers in the Gosho and Sensei’s guidance,” he said (February 21, 2024, World Tribune, p. 6). 

Along those lines, one of the most important things we can glean from The New Human Revolution and The Human Revolution series is the Soka Gakkai spirit embodied by the three founding presidents. Sensei writes:

Following the path of shared commitment of mentor and disciple does not mean imitating one’s mentor on a surface level. Nor is it the passive attitude of waiting for orders and being content with doing only what is asked. It begins when disciples make the mentor’s spirit their own and take action with the same resolve. It means the disciples shouldering full responsibility for kosen-rufu in the mentor’s stead. In other words, it depends on the disciples deeply studying and internalizing the mentor’s guidance and achieving victories for the happiness of others and the development of kosen-rufu. (NHR-26, 333)

When Sensei completed his epic work at the age of 90, he shared the following:

I have written The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution, an epic story of kosen-rufu and the victory of ordinary people, as a golden “day-to-day record” of the struggle that I have shared and fought together with all of you, my precious fellow members. Therefore, that epic will not end with the completion of the novel. (October 12, 2018, World Tribune, p. 3)

Indeed, the journey continues as we each study and apply the encouragement contained in its pages to our own lives, thereby writing our own personal volumes of The New Human Revolution, filled with brilliant stories of human revolution that both serve as a testament to the human spirit and are grounded in the shared struggle of mentor and disciple to forever expand the forces of humanism and peace.

The following pages contain timeless guidance from various volumes of The New Human Revolution, as well as experiences from Ivett Lorenzano and Mati Homar about the impact that the series has had on their lives.

---

Timeless Truths

from The New Human Revolution

Breaking Through Within

All things, our struggles in life and activities for kosen-rufu included, are determined by powerful and unwavering resolve. The cause for defeat, too, lies not in the obstacles we face or the severity of our situation but only in an ebbing or breakdown in our inner determination. …

For Shin’ichi, the severity of obstacles and the difficulty of circumstances were irrelevant. He had embarked on his struggle knowing full well what difficulties lay ahead. Everything was difficult, everything was impossible, if one wished to view it that way.

When our resolve weakens, all we can see are giant obstacles looming on the horizon. We end up believing that they are immovable realities. This is where the cause of defeat lies. The key to victory in our struggle for kosen-rufu, it may be said, lies in battling the cowardice that resides in our own hearts. (NHR-3, revised edition, 12–13)

Building a Path

“Building a path is hard work. Your back and shoulders will ache. But when the path is finished, people can walk along it. I will do my best to build a path for all of you, and I hope that you will do the same for the sake of the future. For that is the great path of mentor and disciple.” (NHR-14, revised edition, 295)

Struggling Against Impasse

“I once let some words of defeat slip in [Josei] Toda’s presence. I’ll never forget his stern reproach: ‘Shin’ichi,’ he said, ‘faith is a never-ending battle against impasse. It is a struggle between the Buddha and devilish functions—between negative and positive forces. This is the meaning of the phrase Buddhism is concerned with winning.’”

Shin’ichi continued: “Everyone encounters an impasse at some point in life. Some people may experience a deadlock in business. A couple may come to a standstill in their relationship. Some may feel they have reached a stalemate in raising their children, in their relations with other people, in their propagation activities or in their study of Buddhist teachings.

“However, the power of the Gohonzon is immeasurable, as vast as the universe itself. Our lives, too, have infinite potential. Everything hinges, therefore, on whether we allow our inner determination to become deadlocked. When we truly grasp this point, the path to victory is already open.

“Should you feel stuck, please challenge to overcome your own weakness, summoning the great power of faith. President Toda said that this is how to ‘discard the transient and reveal the true’ in our own lives.” (NHR-2, revised edition, 86–87)

Success Equals Repeated Unflagging Effort 

“Dreams and determinations are two different things. If you simply long for what you’d like to be but fail to work at it with persistence and painstaking diligence, then you’re pursuing an empty dream.

“If you were really resolved to become the best, then you’d already be taking concrete steps and working with all your might in that direction. Success is another name for repeated, unflagging effort. Hopes and dreams alone, without hard work and struggle, only leave you prey to anxiety and frustration as the real situation grows steadily more wretched. You have to consolidate your foundation. Buddhism is the highest form of common sense; real faith lies in making persistent efforts to improve yourself. (NHR-5, revised edition, 27)

Never Demean Yourself 

“The most important thing for young people, no matter what your circumstances, is that you never demean yourselves. Faith lets us bring out our limitless potential and enjoy life to the fullest, come what may. The moment you think that you are no good, you stifle your own potential. The key to the future lies entirely in your determination at the present moment.” (NHR-4, revised edition, 69)

It Takes Life Force to Overcome Illness

 “Faith enables us to bring forth the supreme life state of Buddhahood, which gives us strong life force to overcome even illness. For example, while there may be people with the same illness or injury who take the same medicine or receive the same medical treatment, some heal quickly while others don’t. This is because of a difference in their life force. And faith is the wellspring of life force.” …

“Buddhism does not, however, in any way deny the efficacy of medicine,” he added. “When we fall ill, we should of course seek medical treatment. Buddhism is reason, so it is only natural that we make full use of the power of medicine. But the fundamental power for conquering illness comes from our own life force.” (NHR-10, revised edition, 131–32)

How to Get Enough Sleep 

Shin’ichi smiled and continued: “How can you get enough sleep? That’s what you want to ask, right?” 

They nodded.

“The key is to give your all to every moment and to work efficiently. Many people go about their days absentmindedly or working in a halfhearted manner. But it is better to live with the spirit that now may be the last moment of your life and consistently do your best to get things done as quickly as possible.

“The energy to live this way comes from chanting earnestly. Mornings are especially important. If your life condition is strong, you will take action that creates value and develop the wisdom to increase your efficiency.

“It also helps to avoid watching television into the late hours of the night or keeping late hours generally. …

“Buddhism is reason. A Buddhist practitioner cultivates self-discipline. You are responsible for looking after your own health. Please take care of yourselves so that you can throw yourselves wholeheartedly into fulfilling your personal mission.” (NHR-17, revised edition, 317–18)

Complaint Erases Benefit 

“One of the things I decided in my youth was that, having resolved to dedicate my life to kosen-rufu, I would never complain about it, no matter what. Constructive ideas are important, but griping and grumbling don’t lead anywhere. … In addition, complaining is like advertising that we are pitiful, weak and powerless, and it demeans our value and character.

“Grumbling also discourages those around us, dampening their enthusiasm and their energy to advance. It therefore erases our benefit and good fortune. [Nichiren] Daishonin says that when difficulties arise, ‘The wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat’ (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 637). Let’s face everything that comes to us with composure and take vigorous and courageous action.” (NHR-16, revised edition, 32)

---

How to Live an Undefeated Life

Ivett Lorenzano / Minneapolis 

Living Buddhism: Ivett, we heard that you are currently reading The New Human Revolution from volume 1 to 30. How did you get started?

Ivett Lorenzano: Around five years into my Buddhist practice, a senior in faith suggested that we read one volume of The New Human Revolution every month. It felt like it was an additional effort I had to make, and I had too much to study already. I told her that I wasn’t interested.

When was that?

Ivett: This was probably around 2016 or 2017.

How were you introduced to Buddhism?

Ivett: A friend told me that our neighbor was a Buddhist. I was struggling a lot in my marriage, so I was searching for something. I reached out to this neighbor, and she immediately invited me over to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with her. My initial reaction when we chanted to the Gohonzon was that it was so weird! But she told me, it might feel weird at first, but it works! As soon as I started chanting, I felt hope, energy and courage. I became a member a few months after that. 

Through my practice, I have completely transformed my relationship with my now ex-
husband into one of harmony. It’s been one of my greatest benefits!

Despite your initial reaction, you eventually started reading The New Human Revolution. What changed?

Ivett: In 2020, I read an article in Living Buddhism that encouraged me to think about my vision toward the next 10 years—toward 2030. I started thinking about all my goals and chanting toward them. But to be honest, I felt like my life was lacking something more fundamental. I remember talking to a senior in faith about it, and she shared that one of her goals was to become Ikeda Sensei’s trusted disciple. 

Sensei’s trusted disciple? I thought. I had no idea what that meant, but I wrote it down as one of my goals, too. As I chanted, this goal became the centerpiece of all the others. Based on that prayer, I wanted to understand Sensei more, so I decided that I would start reading The New Human Revolution from volume 1. I haven’t been able to read one volume per month, but I’m on volume 14 now. Every day, I’m learning from Sensei what it looks like to be a trusted disciple. 

How so? Can you share an example?

Ivett: Absolutely. Everything that Sensei did was in response to the vision of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, for humanity. Sensei was first and foremost the greatest disciple. 

In volume 9, Sensei writes about why he founded Soka University. Even though he had so many other responsibilities, he was so determined to raise the next generation and to fulfill his mentor’s dream to create a great institution of humanistic education. I was so inspired that I decided to start financially contributing to Soka University of America. 

What else are you gaining from reading The New Human Revolution?

Ivett: So much! I commute to work by bus so I’ve been reading it to and from work. My commute has become such a precious time for me, my time with Sensei every day. Sometimes, I find myself crying while reading because something moved me so much.

I feel like I’m getting to really know Sensei’s heart and that I’m on a journey together with him. I started reading it before Sensei passed in November 2023. There were times when I felt sad that I would never meet him in person, but it occurred to me one day that when I read The New Human Revolution, I’m getting to know him. His encouragement is always right there. 

Sensei left this incredible blueprint for all of us to become happy. I recognize myself in the people that Sensei highlights—amazing members and pioneers who transformed deep and sometimes heavy karma through their human revolution. It’s also a blueprint for what it looks like to expand kosen-rufu. When Sensei talks about Kansai, for example, I replace “Kansai” with “Minnesota.” Sensei has written about everything! Even how to view things happening in society. 

There are many times he is so ill and those around him are worried about him, but he continues to give his all for the sake of the members. I think for me, it’s encouraged me to fight in my own way to become stronger and to challenge myself to have great victories. 

What kind of things have you challenged?

Ivett: I was offered a promotion last year. I didn’t want to take it because I didn’t want to work with the new manager, and I loved working with my current team. But as I chanted about it, I thought about Sensei’s guidance. I realized I had to do it. There is nothing in Sensei’s guidance that encourages avoiding someone if you don’t like them or something because it seems too hard. I knew I had to do my human revolution and use my Buddhist practice to transform everything. I took the new role, and my new manager turned out to be really great. Recently, I even shared Buddhism with him, and he expressed great interest! Had I given in to my own weakness, I would have missed this opportunity. It is just as Sensei says in volume 14:

Genuine happiness lies in possessing a brilliant spirit that can never be defeated, no matter what hardships we may face. It is not others nor our fate nor the times we live in that make us unhappy; it is our own weaknesses.

Inner weakness is the ultimate cause of unhappiness. It is what prevents us from rousing hope or courage and leads us to give up. It is what makes us fall into apathy and self-destructive patterns of behavior, what causes us to hold grudges against others, and what fills us with self-loathing. That is why to lead a happy life, the most important thing of all is to forge and develop our inner strength. (pp. 135–36)

Sensei just teaches us the right way to live, right? That’s how I feel. His encouragement helps me to courageously face everything with joy and a spirit of challenge, and live an undefeated life. 

---

How to Dream Big and Act on It

Mati Homar / Alfred, New York

Living Buddhism: How did you start practicing Buddhism?

Mati: I’m originally from Argentina, which is where I lived when I was introduced to Buddhism. An acquaintance at work was really persistent in introducing me to the practice. She must have truly been chanting for my happiness because I finally softened to her insistence and went to a discussion meeting. As a musician, I enjoyed hearing everyone chanting together. To me, it was like a choir filled with energy. I remember meeting people who were struggling but had a determination and conviction to overcome their suffering. 

Why did that resonate with you? 

Mati: The year leading up to my first meeting was a really bad one. My father passed away. My partner of 11 years and I broke up. A good friend of mine was diagnosed with schizophrenia. And by the end of that year, my house was broken into, and two of my treasured guitars were stolen. Everything around me was falling to pieces. I hadn’t shared this with the person who introduced me, but she must have sensed my suffering. 

So what brought you to the small town of Alfred, New York?

Mati: It was Buddhism. And actually, if I’m more specific, it was Ikeda Sensei’s guidance in The New Human Revolution that spurred me to chant about my dreams and think about how to fulfill my mission. 

I received the Gohonzon in 2017. And within two years, my life completely changed. I had a steady job with good pay, I was performing music, working on several projects and traveling. Life seemed OK on the outside, but inside, I realized I wasn’t allowing myself to voice my dreams. 

At the time, I had started reading volume 1 of The New Human Revolution in which Sensei is always encouraging us to challenge ourselves. So I began chanting that I would somehow present my research on music in the U.S. I reached out to over a dozen universities, and two of them asked me to come present at their schools. At one of the universities, the host, a man also from Argentina, asked me what I wanted to do in the future. And for the first time ever—it actually shocked me to hear it come out of my own mouth—I voiced that I was thinking about doing a Ph.D. He happened to have an envelope from a university in Buffalo that had a great composition program and told me to check it out. A year later, I was in Buffalo for the program. 

What a turn of events!

Mati: Yes! Sensei’s guidance in The New Human Revolution spurred me to think differently about my life and how I want to live it. 

How were you encouraged to start reading the series?

Mati: In Argentina we had an organizational newspaper that carried excerpts from The New Human Revolution. I didn’t want to buy the book initially because I wanted to study something “deeper.” But after a few months of going through these excerpts in the newspaper and hearing people talk about it at the discussion meetings, I bought it at the bookstore. It was one of the best decisions of my life. As soon as I started reading it, my mind was blown by the stories of the members Sensei writes about. I was also taken aback by the courage that Sensei had to take on these massive tasks for world peace while at the same time relating to people and having sincere dialogues with others, as an ordinary person.

How did that encourage you?

Mati: I was always extremely shy. Reading this novel, I could feel courage from Sensei. His ability to talk with anyone and carry out openhearted, genuine dialogue was deeply inspiring. I felt that if I wanted to change my life, I should start talking to more people and opening my life. 

Reading from The New Human Revolution also allows me to share incredible encouragement with others who are struggling. Sometimes, I want to support others, but I don’t know what to say to encourage them. But The New Human Revolution is this amazing resource in which Sensei shares guidance about things that my friends and I are going through. Sensei has helped me become someone who can encourage others who are suffering. 

Recently I shared this passage with my partner in Argentina who has been challenging something in her life:

Life is long. There might be times when you experience a setback for some reason or other, but you mustn’t let it cause you to lose hope. As long as you keep challenging yourself, there is hope.

But if you give up on yourself and become self-destructive, you are extinguishing the light of hope through your own actions. No matter what happens, don’t be self-
defeating. Winning over yourself leads to winning over everything. (The New Human Revolution, vol. 30, pp. 242–43)

We read it together, and I could immediately sense her life condition change.

As I read from The New Human Revolution, I learn from Sensei what it looks like to be a genuine human being who cares about others, even strangers. It makes me reflect on how I live my life and interact with my colleagues, members of my family and the world around me. 

Can you share about a specific instance in which something from the series helped you?

Mati: Yes, before moving to the U.S. I was working a couple of jobs; one was at an elementary school teaching music. I was unhappy there because my boss had a temper and would constantly scream at all of the teachers. I wanted to quit, but around this time, I read this passage from volume 1. Sensei is speaking to a women’s division member who moved to the U.S. but is unhappy and wants to return to Japan. Sensei said:

Whether you leave your husband and go back to Japan is something that you must decide for yourself. However, as you already know, happiness will not necessarily be waiting for you there. Unless you change your karma, your problems will follow you wherever you go. …

Nichiren Buddhism, however, enables us to transform the place where we are now into “a land of Eternally Tranquil Light” and there construct a palace of happiness. To that end, you have to change the karma that makes you suffer from family discord. There is no other way than to dramatically transform your own life condition. When you change your state of life, your environment will naturally start changing as well. (NHR-1, revised edition, 43)

I didn’t want to encounter the same problem later, so I decided to transform it. Everything eventually changed when I determined to transform my karma and my own life condition by chanting for her happiness.

What do you say to someone who is on the fence about reading The New Human Revolution?

Mati: I would say, it can look intimidating if you are thinking about reading all 30 volumes, but even reading a few pages of a single volume can greatly encourage you. In any event, we should read it with our heart. When you do, you will definitely find one quote that will be with you for the rest of your life. Reading The New Human Revolution with my heart, for me, means to read it from my Buddha nature and apply it to my daily life. 

From the April 2025 Living Buddhism