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Some 400 gather for the first Culture of Peace event especially for women.

How living based on the oneness of mentor and disciple helped me transform my despair into hope. by Yoko CravenWest Columbia, S.C When I was 5 years old, my parents divorced, and my mother lost all hope. She tried to kill me, but I was able to escape. She then committed suicide right in front

The very essence of Nichiren Buddhism is the way of mentor and disciple. In Buddhism, mentors convey to their disciples their goal of leading all people to absolute happiness in order to create a society of harmony and peace. And they teach their disciples how to accomplish this goal. Everything in this mentor-disciple relationship hinges

Enrique MaganBrooklyn, New York Living Buddhism: Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Enrique. What was your life like before you started practicing Buddhism? Enrique Magan: My family was very poor, so I decided to brave the journey to the United States to help support us financially. I moved to Brooklyn, New York, from

by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda

Chapter Summary Three years had passed since Shin’ichi Yamamoto was inaugurated as the third Soka Gakkai president, and kosen-rufu was developing rapidly. Ahead of the 25th Headquarters General Meeting, he carefully considered his next steps, as the seventh memorial (sixth anniversary) of Josei Toda’s passing approached the following spring. He determined to pass on to

The Ikeda Wisdom Academy is an SGI-USA youth division movement to engage youth leaders in advanced study. This month, academy members will study chapter 2 of The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life: SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series. While the Ikeda Wisdom Academy is a youth leaders study program, all SGI-USA members are invited

For Our Wonderful New Members—Part 4 [43]

A: The bodhisattva practice is the essence of Nichiren Buddhism, which teaches that happiness at the exclusion of others is not genuine happiness. To be sure, the original purpose of Buddhism is to help those who are suffering and to enable as many people as possible to become happy. Founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Installment 3

This installment, published in the May 22, 2019, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that SGI President Ikeda discussed in volume 8 of The New Human Revolution. Passage 1 “Buddhism primarily concerns itself with victory or defeat.” (“The Hero of the World,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1,

“If we want to transform the community in which we live, we must ask ourselves: Does our heart burn with a fighting spirit and are we truly committed to spreading the Daishonin’s teachings?” —SGI President Ikeda The Amami Islands are located some 200 miles south of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. Soka

Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace—The Flowering of a New Humanism

The great demon of fundamental darkness can even enter the bodies of bodhisattvas who have reached near perfect enlightenment and prevent them from attaining the Lotus Sutra’s blessing of perfect enlightenment. How easily can he then obstruct those in any lower stage of practice! (“Letter to the Brothers,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1,

The Mentor-Disciple Relationship and the Journey of Kosen-rufu

This monthly encouragement by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was originally published in the July 2019 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal. Every realm of human activity requires practice. Those who engage earnestly in that practice and gain mastery in their chosen field are fulfilled and vibrant. “The heart of the practice

Daisaku Ikeda was 19 years old when he attended his first Soka Gakkai discussion meeting on August 14, 1947. His friend invited him to the meeting, explaining that they would discuss life philosophy. It was there that he first encountered his lifelong mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda. He was earnestly searching for a

When obstacles and hardships arise in our lives, how do we respond? Some people may try to avoid struggles. Others get stopped in their tracks, not knowing how to proceed. There are various responses, of course. As Buddhists, we strive to courageously face hardships head-on. Nichiren Daishonin teaches that in the course of revealing our

From the June 1, 2019, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper. June 6 is the birthday of first Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. This year marks the 148th anniversary of his birth. The Soka Gakkai’s greatest pride and honor is having this selfless champion and martyr for peace as our mentor

With “home visits” and “personal encouragement” as the bywords for the SGI-USA in 2019, this World Tribune series features SGI-USA leaders who discuss their personal experiences of being home visited, home visiting others and the lessons they’ve learned. by Adin Strauss SGI-USA General Director Recently, I visited a member who has been facing severe career