Authorechoi

Seeking my mentor’s heart, I discover a fearless changemaker within my own.

A story of friendship, community and successors.

Throughout 2025, the World Tribune will feature on the cover historical acts of cultural diplomacy that were effective in helping shift public sentiment and even thaw tensions between nations. As such, we open the New Year with the iconic January 1961 image of Louis Armstrong serenading his wife, Lucille, before the Great Sphinx of Giza

Starting this year, the student division is now a stand-alone division that encompasses youth between the ages of 18–25 attending college. Alongside this change, the SGI-USA appointed new student division leaders, Dee Gopi and Koichi Onogi. The World Tribune spoke with the two to hear about the significance of the student division and their vision

This series highlights how Buddhism can enhance daily living. As Nichiren Daishonin says: “When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.” In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus embarks on a long, perilous voyage home after the

Buddhability, the SGI-USA’s digital ecosystem aimed at introducing Buddhist principles to American youth, marked its fourth year since its launch on Oct. 2, 2020. Through podcasts and social media, it provides real life stories and digestible, practical wisdom for daily life. Let’s see how Buddhability leveled up in 2024 and the impact it’s had on

Memories of My Youth From these touching personal essays by Ikeda Sensei, written some 50 years ago, we gain not only new insights into his opposition to war but also a new appreciation for a man of humble beginnings whose commitment to peace remained unbending to the very last. $12.95 Ikeda Sensei’s 95 Years How

Sitting in the heart of California, Yosemite National Park is known for its exceptional natural beauty. It features five of the world’s highest waterfalls, granite domes and walls, deeply incised valleys, three groves of giant sequoia trees, lakes and a diversity of wildlife. The park’s distinctive landscape is the result of millions of years of

Opening up to my peers, I discover in myself a new kind of scientist—one who cares, above all, for people.

The following are excerpts from Ikeda Sensei’s speech at the headquarters leaders meeting held at the Tokyo Makiguchi Memorial Hall, in Hachioji, Tokyo, on Dec. 16, 1996. Video footage of the speech was broadcast during the most recent Fifth Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting Toward Our Centennial, on Nov. 17, 2024. The excerpts were translated

JAN. 2 WORLD TRIBUNE  Ikeda Sensei’s 95 Years The commemorative issue pays tribute to Ikeda Sensei’s life and legacy, following his passing on Nov. 15, 2023. The issue highlights his ceaseless efforts to expand the Soka Gakkai’s peace movement to 192 countries and territories and globalize the Buddhist philosophy of respect for the dignity of

Your voices resound and reach the heavens, bringing victory and glory and the protection of the heavenly deities. Buddhism is concerned with winning. This is a point that Nichiren Daishonin made emphatically clear. The law of cause and effect operating within our lives is very strict. We cannot fool ourselves; we know in our hearts

On Dec. 1, 2024, the SGI-USA kicked off toward 2025—the Year of Soaring Higher Toward a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide—with the following national and territory-level youth leadership appointments. National Appointments Shota OkajimaSGI-USA Youth Leader Kenichi HackmanSGI-USA Young Men’s Leader Grady TeschSGI-USA Young Men’sVice Leader Territory Appointments Minami OkajimaEast TerritoryYoung Women’s Leader Cam MoroseEast TerritoryYoung Men’s

Searching for my father, I remember again and again a promise of hope.

Marking the first anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s passing, representative SGI leaders from around the world renew their vow to create peace.

The following is a summary of Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada’s speech at the Fifth Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting Toward Our Centennial and the SGI General Meeting, held at the Tokyo Toda Memorial Auditorium in Sugamo, Tokyo, on Nov. 17, 2024. The meeting celebrated the 94th Soka Gakkai Founding Day [Nov. 18] and the

Starting in this issue, the World Tribune will be publishing Ikeda Sensei’s encouragement every month for the SGI-USA women’s division’s America Victory Daimoku Group and Sophia Group meeting. The following excerpt of Sensei’s encouragement was originally published in the Jan. 19, 2018, World Tribune, p. 2. My mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, often

Ikeda Sensei’s 95 Years How far can one person go to change the world? Learn about Daisaku Ikeda’s contributions to creating a harmonious world, fostering friendship among nations, spreading Nichiren Buddhism around the globe and encouraging young people to stand up to fulfill their unique missions. Even more important, discover your ownpower to make a

Located in a mountainous region of Japan, the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama were cut off from the rest of the world from the 8th century until the 1950s. In response to this geographical and social isolation, two unique cultural developments emerged. First, the large Gassho-style houses—characterized by their large attic spaces for agricultural

The following poem by Ikeda Sensei was originally published in the Feb. 6, 2007, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun. My mentorwas a man of great intellect.His life was oneof profound compassion.He was stern.He was gentle. His heart always blazed with an uncontainable fighting spirit againstcorruption and wrongdoing.He was a champion of justice. When