The Nucleus of Peace

2. Strengthening Our Youth 

3. Building a Vibrant District Community 

Ikeda Sensei has written extensively about the significance of discussion meetings, highlighting their significance and the spirit with which they should be conducted. The following guidance reminds us that these gatherings are not just meetings but powerful forums for encouragement, unity and the realization of kosen-rufu.

The Very Image of Human Harmony 

A young man may rush to get to a meeting after working hard all day. The moment he arrives, he may relax, thinking, “I made it in time,” and suddenly become drowsy. But his drowsiness won’t last long because a perennially kind but firm women’s division district leader is sure to tell him: “Show a little life! You’re still young, after all.”

There are pioneer members who explain the great joy of faith with poignant words infused with rich experience. And there are children in the Boys and Girls Group who are delightful, even if sometimes they may make a commotion.

There may be a father who comes to a meeting for the first time in ages, attributing his presence to the constant needling of his spouse. And when, beaming, he announces his determination to “finally get serious about my practice,” his wife, amid the applause, smiles tearfully.

There is laughter, there are tears, there is emotion. The SGI discussion meeting is a people’s oasis that reverberates with a spirit of determination and appreciation, where suffering turns into courage, and fatigue gives way to warm fulfillment.

This small gathering is the very image of human harmony. It is a true model of democracy. It has the pulse of kosen-rufu and links faith, family and the community. It is pervaded with the spirit to enable the noble children of the Buddha and their precious friends to become happy. This is the spirit of the Lotus Sutra. (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 2, p. 95)

The Spirit to Value and Respect Each Individual

We don’t speak of the “tradition” of the discussion meeting simply because the pattern of holding such meetings has continued for many years. Rather, with the discussion meeting as the central focus of our activities, we have striven to treasure each person; this spirit to value and respect the individual is the tradition of the SGI. The SGI has unceasingly encouraged people in their ordinary yet valiant struggles. This is the tradition of the discussion meeting.

From a societal viewpoint, the number of people participating in these meetings is not large; nor is any particular attention paid to these meetings. Indeed, no gathering of people is more simple or down-to-earth. But discussion meetings are grounded in a philosophy that thoroughly explains the Law pervading the universe. They produce a nourishing moisture that nurtures the lives of people from all walks of life, enabling them to blossom. They are pervaded with hope that inspires people—no matter how overwhelmed they may be—with the spirit to stand up and try again. (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 2, p. 94)

The Great River of the People

The discussion meeting is like a great river, and all activities are like tributaries that flow into this river. Activities to broaden the circle of friends in society and meetings of various kinds for faith and study all contribute to the great river of the discussion meeting. This broad and deep river, created by the confluence of these myriad streams, flows into the ocean of the century of the people. On its banks, vast fertile plains of human culture will produce rich fruit of many kinds.

The heart of the SGI is found in the discussion meeting. Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda said: “The first president [Tsunesaburo Makiguchi] would be the first to arrive at the meeting place. When someone else arrived, he would engage the person in discussion. When a second person came, he would speak with the two of them, and when a third came, he would talk with those three, instructing them in all matters with the greatest kindness and courtesy.” He also once said: “It’s fine even if there’s just one person [at a meeting]. The important thing is that we earnestly and energetically explain the teaching, relate our experience to that one person, and wholeheartedly discuss kosen-rufu and life. Even if there are just two people, if they each go home from the meeting with a sense of joy and fulfillment from having discussed the Gohonzon and inspired one another, then it’s a success. If three people come to a meeting, you should consider it well attended.” (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 2, pp. 93–94)

The Key to the SGI’s Development

“It is a mistake to regard such meetings as merely district level activities of minor significance. The Soka Gakkai does not exist in some faraway place. It is precisely within district discussion meetings that the reality of the Soka Gakkai is found. That is why the key to the organization’s development is the success of these meetings.” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 28, p. 142)

Encouraging Members Before and After the Discussion Meeting

Shin’ichi Yamomoto further spoke of the importance of visiting members at their homes in the period before and after discussion meetings, and of offering personal guidance. The discussion meeting actually begins with the central figure or main organizer offering members encouragement and guidance so that they will attend their local meetings. Such one-on-one interaction enables leaders to hear the members’ wishes and opinions. They can also get to know the members’ strengths and interests, as well as learn about their problems and the benefits they have received through faith. Putting this information to use in planning discussion meetings and getting members involved in them serve to make such activities fulfilling and rewarding for all.

Encouragement following discussion meetings is also very important. Leaders should thank members for attending, praise the comments they made during the meeting, listen to their feedback and invite them to attend the next meeting. Asserting that the success of a discussion meeting comes down to everyone’s unity, Shin’ichi urged not only leaders but all members to take full responsibility for them. (NHR-18, 254–55)

The Starting Point of Our Movement

The discussion meeting itself had been the starting point for the organization’s popular movement. As an arena for studying Nichiren’s writings, as well as a place where members candidly shared their experiences and leaders offered clear guidance in faith, these meetings served to inspire the participants with fresh determination, thus becoming a driving force for the Soka Gakkai’s development.

Furthermore, they were a forum where men and women of all ages and from all walks of life came together and encouraged one another, taking on one another’s suffering as their own and rejoicing in one another’s victories. There was not the slightest hint of social or financial discrimination at these gatherings. The discussion meeting was indeed the epitome of democracy and human harmony, a spiritual oasis amid the realities of modern society.

The Soka Gakkai discussion meeting, where members and their friends could participate in a frank exchange of ideas, represented an open forum for dialogue and an arena for introducing people to Nichiren Buddhism. It was a place where people could experience the Soka Gakkai firsthand and gain an accurate understanding of the organization. As long as discussion meetings were enriching and abounded with energy and joy, kosen-rufu would never cease to advance. (NHR-13, revised edition, 136–37)

Reviving the Awareness of Each Person’s Boundless Potential

Thirteenth-century Japan was a place afflicted by natural disasters and military conflict. In his efforts to save the common people from suffering, Nichiren Daishonin remonstrated with the authorities, an act that brought repeated persecution. Even in exile, he continued to write letters of encouragement to his followers and warmly embraced those who traveled great distances to see him. He also urged his disciples to read his letters together and lend each other support in the struggle to confront and overcome various trials. 

This kind of proactive commitment, joy and mutual support is alive today in the small-group discussion meetings that have been a tradition within the Soka Gakkai since its founding in 1930. Participants in such meetings come to understand that they are not alone in their problems; they can derive courage from the example of their fellow members bravely striving to overcome their own challenges. In turn, the example of one’s own renewed determination can powerfully ignite the flame of courage in others. 

Encouraging and being encouraged. … Through this back and forth, the pledge made by one person inspires another’s pledge, arousing the power of hope that enables people to remain unbowed even in the face of great difficulty. This life-to-life catalyzation is at the heart of the SGI discussion meeting. 

Today, our discussion meetings are held in countries throughout the world. People from all walks of life across differences of age and gender, social standing and circumstance, gather as residents of a community to listen to each individual’s unique life story and expressions of deeply held feeling. Together, participants renew their sense of determination and commitment. 

The discussion meeting is central to the SGI’s efforts for empowerment by, for and of the people; it is an embodiment of our sense of mission within society. Through it, we seek to revive awareness of the weightiness and unlimited possibilities of each person’s life, something that is all too often obscured amid the expanding and increasingly complex threats facing our world. (Ikeda Sensei’s 2016 Peace Proposal, https://www.worldtribune.org/2022/2016-peace-proposal-in-full/)

Sowing the Seed of Faith in the Lives of Our Children

First, it’s important not to force children to practice Nichiren Buddhism but rather make it a shared activity that can be done together. Children learn and inherit Buddhist practice by observing their parents’ example. 

In our home, my wife and I always tried to emphasize carrying out gongyo (sutra recitation accompanied by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) together with our children as a family. When I wasn’t home, my wife led gongyo, with our children following along. Sometimes our children overslept and had to rush off to school without time for gongyo. Rather than scolding them, my wife would say, “Don’t worry, I’ll chant for you!” and send them off with a supportive smile. My wife has also always regarded Soka Gakkai activities as a learning experience for our children. This is her firm personal conviction based on having grown up in a home that offered members a place to meet in the early days of the organization, as well as having welcomed first Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi to a discussion meeting at her house.

Just attending Soka Gakkai activities is a powerful way for children to forge a connection with Buddhism. Without even noticing it, the seed of faith in Nichiren Buddhism will be sown in the earth of their lives. My wife and I have the greatest admiration for the Young Mothers Group members who bring their children to meetings and activities. It is a beautiful and reassuring sight, reminiscent of the Sage Nichimyo, who brought her child with her all the way to Sado to visit Nichiren Daishonin in exile there. (July-August 2010 Living Buddhism, p. 12)

The Success of the Meeting Depends on the Leader’s Determination

“The original purpose of the discussion meeting was to serve as a forum for Buddhist dialogue and propagation. Both President Makiguchi and President Toda put enormous effort into thoroughly responding to any inquiries from guests. With absolute conviction, they would offer logical explanations as to why Nichiren Buddhism was the correct teaching and what constituted the path to true happiness. In this way, discussion meetings were at the forefront of the struggle to spread the Mystic Law. The first and second presidents also did their utmost to encourage their fellow members who came to a meeting, wanting to give them hope and confidence. Inevitably, those who attended such gatherings would leave feeling invigorated. 

“In other words, the success of a discussion meeting wholly depends on the central figures’ determination and capacity to provide persuasive explanations to members and guests alike, to bring them joy and inspire them to further deepen their faith. It is crucial that leaders have the awareness that the discussion meeting is the arena of their actual struggle.” (NHR-13, revised edition, 137–38)

Personal Guidance

Meetings are of course important, but in reality not everyone can attend them. There are usually at least twice as many members in a local organization as the number who regularly participate in any given discussion meeting. Only by personally visiting and encouraging each member in our area can we solidify our organization. This will lead to the Soka Gakkai’s growth and development, and in turn, to the advancement of kosen-rufu. Soka Gakkai activities without personal guidance are like a masterpiece without the finishing touches. (NHR-8, revised edition, 86)

From the May 2025 Living Buddhism