Authorjhsu

Visiting my mother near the end of her life, I reveal the mother I want to be for my children.

May 3 is the New Year’s Day of the Soka Gakkai, a day when members in 192 countries and territories take a fresh step forward rooted in their vow to advance kosen-rufu in their communities.  The day commemorates the inaugurations of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda in 1951 and Ikeda Sensei as third president in

The following was adapted from sokaglobal.org  TOKYO, April 27, 2023—Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder and president of the Soka Gakkai International, issued a statement calling on the leaders of the G7 countries meeting in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21 to take bold steps toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine and guarantee the security of

5/3 Soka Gakkai Day In 1951, Josei Toda was inaugurated as second Soka Gakkai president and declared his lifetime membership goal of 750,000 households. On May 3, 1960, 32-year-old Daisaku Ikeda was inaugurated as third Soka Gakkai president, vowing to advance kosen-rufu on his mentor’s behalf.  (See The Human Revolution, “Blazing Sun” chapter and “New

Words of Encouragement From Ikeda Sensei

This essay by Ikeda Sensei was published in the March 27, 2023, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun.  The power to create history is born of deep life-to-life connections. In particular, the courageous efforts of successors who respond to the trust placed in them by their predecessors open a new age.  In

When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs. —“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,”The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 376 When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated”—founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi cherished

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a world-class center for botanical and horticultural research, conservation and education. A group of “public-spirited citizens” established the botanic gardens in 1859. After being handed over to the colonial government in the late 1870s when Singapore was part of British Malaya, the park was used to support the colony’s rubber

In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni tells this story: There was once a very poor man who had to search for food every day to survive. One day, his friend invited him to dinner, where he ate his fill. After staying up talking, laughing and drinking with his friend, he fell asleep.  The friend had to

ORLANDO, Fla., April 2, 2023—The members poured in from every part of Orlando—from Daytona Beach to Palm Bay to Kissimmee—filling the new Orlando Buddhist Center to capacity for its grand opening.  It was the region’s first in-person gathering in three years, and so the 295 members and guests entered their new center with an irrepressible

by Dinesh Sajnani Plano, Texas A member back in India told me a story I could never forget. They were visiting a Soka Gakkai center in Japan when another member’s shoe broke as they walked. Noticing them struggling, a young man staffing the center—a Gajokai—rushed over and handed them a spare shoe in exactly the

Commemorating 770 years since Nichiren declared his teaching for the happiness of all humanity.

Supported by my parents and embraced by friends in faith, I take a stand for my life and help others do the same.

This episode talks about what it really takes to face your reality, especially when it requires taking a hard look at yourself. Miho Saito, of Long Beach, California, shares the ups and downs of a journey in which she continually left home in search of herself in an effort to avoid things that felt too

This month is National Poetry Month, an opportunity to celebrate poetry and the integral role of poets in our culture. Enjoy these beloved poetry books by Ikeda Sensei, who was named poet laureate by the World Academy of Arts and Culture in July 1981. Buy these titles at your local SGI-USA bookstore or online at

The following essay was written by Ikeda Sensei as part of the series “The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin and the Mentor-Disciple Relationship.” It was originally published in the Nov. 13, 2009, World Tribune.  “Nichiren declares that the [shared] sufferings that all living beings undergo … all these are Nichiren’s own sufferings.” (“On Reprimanding Hachiman,” The

Bahla has been an oasis in the Gulf of Oman desert since the medieval period. Standing as both a fort and settlement, it served as the capital for the Banu Nebhan tribe from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The walls and towers, along with the dwellings of the settlement, are built from unbaked brick

A: First, our practice of morning and evening gongyo is the foundation for advancing on the correct path of life—a path aligned with the Law that pervades the three existences of past, present and future—leading the most meaningful existence. Especially important, as the phrase “morning after morning we rise up with the Buddha” indicates, is

Ikeda Sensei presented five points for advancing kosen-rufu in the United States, at a Feb. 13, 1990, meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of SGI-USA. Read the full speech in My Dear Friends of America, third edition, pp. 6–9. 1) Construct a solid foundation for the kosen-rufu movement in the United States. There is no need

by Matilda Buck  SGI-USA Many Treasures Group Vice Women’s Leader World Tribune: Thank you, Matilda, for sharing your experiences with us. You’ve been practicing for over five decades. What has been the key to continually refreshing your faith over the years? Matilda Buck: If you open up the SGI-USA publications and read Ikeda Sensei’s guidance