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Adapted from an article in the Sept. 1, 2022, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper. Ikeda Sensei sent a condolence message on the passing of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in Moscow on Aug. 30, 2022, at 91. The two men first met at the Kremlin in Moscow in

Losing my hearing to cancer, I open my life to heed a new calling.

Buddhism offers deep insights into the nature of our lives and society, as well as how we can transform and improve both. The Lotus Sutra, for instance, describes people of this age as being “arrogant and puffed up with self-importance, fawning and devious, insincere in mind” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras,

This summer, the SGI-USA future division held its second annual National Elementary School Division Art Show and Poetry Exhibition. Themed “Courageously Advancing as Friends for Peace,” it featured the artwork of elementary school division (ESD) members and their friends, expressing their hopes and visions for a peaceful future. The exhibit is dedicated to Ikeda Sensei,

When one lights a torch for someone at night, one brings light not only to another person but to oneself as well. Likewise, when one livens other people’s complexions, one livens one’s own too, when one gives them strength, one gives oneself strength too, when one prolongs their lives, one prolongs one’s own life as

by Karen Kaplan Miami A friend of mine sat in my car’s passenger seat, crying, desperate for answers. An auto company had just called to remind her of an overdue payment. Her partner didn’t think it was a big deal, but she scrambled to resolve it immediately. She felt the burden of solving every problem

At the bottom of the ocean lived the Dragon King Sagara and his 8-year-old daughter. One day, the Buddha’s disciple Manjushri went to the Dragon King’s palace to expound the Lotus Sutra. Upon hearing the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, the dragon girl quickly attained enlightenment. Back at the assembly on Eagle Peak, Bodhisattva

A: Relationship problems are opportunities for you to grow and mature. Such problems can be character building, if you don’t let them defeat you. That’s why it’s important not to isolate yourself. No one can exist apart from others. … Buddhism teaches that we should associate with good companions (see The Lotus Sutra and its

by Brian HammerLa Quinta, Calif.  Two years ago, I struggled with a lot of stress. I was going through a divorce, and the pandemic made many things feel uncertain. During one session, my therapist mentioned that, despite the challenges, my mindset was very Buddhist. Intrigued, I ended up talking to my mother, who has a

Located in northwestern Arizona, the Grand Canyon National Park is a massive gorge created by the meandering Colorado River. At 278 miles long and 4 to 18 miles wide, this awe-inspiring canyon is one of the largest in the world. The canyon transforms throughout the day as the sun colors the pallets of canyon walls.

The following essay was written by Ikeda Sensei as part of his series “The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin and the Mentor-Disciple Relationship.” It was originally published in the July 24, 2009, World Tribune. Therefore, I say to you, my disciples, try practicing as the Lotus Sutra teaches, exerting yourselves without begrudging your lives! (“The Selection

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune On July 29, after two years of virtual Dialogue Nights, nearly 30 Boston-area university students and young professionals returned to the Ikeda Center for an evening of engaging dialogue.  In her introduction to the event, which was called “Revitalizing Our Relationships: What Does That Look Like Now?” Ikeda

The newest episode of the podcast series “Buddhist Solutions for Life’s Problems” explores the Buddhist view of happiness—how we access it and sustain it. Rachel Salomonsen and Jim Krampf talk through two of the biggest challenges to happiness—our relationships with loved ones and situations in which we are faced with impossibly difficult circumstances. Listen to

Basing my life on the mentor-disciple relationship, I transform generations of family karma.

Sixty-five years after second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda founded the student division on June 30, 1957, SGI-USA members gathered for the Student Division Conference, their first at the Florida Nature and Culture Center (FNCC) in over three years.  Inspired by Ikeda Sensei’s 2019 FNCC message to the student division, in which he called upon

Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse. “Letter from Sado,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 303 Nichiren Daishonin wrote this passage in a letter addressed to his disciples in March 1272, five months after surviving an execution attempt and being

A: When we study Buddhism, we find that Shakyamuni’s teachings begin with conquering the four sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. Rather than seeking to evade suffering, which is impossible, Shakyamuni pioneered the means to overcome it through practicing Buddhism. In life, we encounter many forms of hardship, but the four sufferings list what

There was once a king who received a gift, an elephant, from a friend in a faraway land. The king’s people had never encountered such a beast. He instructed six wise men, all blind, to inspect the elephant and describe it to him. The first of the wise men touched the elephant’s trunk, describing it

A: Your practice of reciting the sutra morning and evening and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is not an obligation—it is a right.The Gohonzon will never demand that you chant to it. An attitude of appreciation in being able to chant to the Gohonzon is the heart of faith. The more you exert yourselves in faith—in reciting the

El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Located in northeastern Puerto Rico, the forest covers over 28,000 acres and receives more than 200 inches of rain per year. It is one of the most biologically diverse forests, home to species including the coquí, a tree frog native to the