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From the April 13, 2019, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper. Nichiren Daishonin cites the words, “Since the Law is wonderful, the person is worthy of respect; since the person is worthy of respect, the land is sacred.”, Today, our members everywhere are engaging in dialogue to share the ideals of

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

Jaffar Amir Wilkerson, Atlanta Living Buddhism: Amir, thank you for sharing your story with us. Can you tell us about your upbringing? Jaffar Amir Wilkerson: Thank you! I’m honored to share my experience with you. When I was younger, my mother had many struggles in her marriage, raising nine children and keeping us financially stable.

A: Despite our best efforts, it can be difficult to convey to our closest family members and friends the great value we derive from practicing Nichiren Buddhism. Countless SGI members, including SGI President Ikeda, have grappled with this problem. During his first U.S. visit in 1960, a woman asked at a meeting in Washington, D.C.,

How I transformed my illness by dedicating my life to kosen-rufu. by Jennifer Ohrstrom Minneapolis When I was young, I read SGI President Ikeda’s guidance to youth to actively seek out hardships and become individuals of outstanding character. My life was privileged, with everything I wanted within reach. But inspired by the SGI members who

For Our Wonderful New Members—Part 2 [41]

Interview with Carlos Rubio

This guidance is from section 26.2 of “The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace” series, published in the December 2017 Living Buddhism, p. 54. [First Soka Gakkai President] Tsunesaburo Makiguchi began practicing Nichiren Buddhism at the age of 57, in 1928, the year I was born. He was by no means a young man. In

Nichiren Daishonin lived during a tumultuous time in 13th-century Japan when people suffered almost year to year from some form of natural disaster, extreme weather event, famine, epidemic or political instability. Searching for a way to relieve people’s suffering, he delved into Buddhist scriptures and revealed the truth found in the depths of the Lotus

This monthly encouragement by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was originally published in the May 2019 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal. No other leader I know could compare with my mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, when it came to his faith in young people, his concern for them and

SGI members worldwide are earnestly studying SGI President Ikeda’s novel The New Human Revolution to eternalize the mentor’s teachings and transmit them to future generations. To that end, the World Tribune has begun reprinting essays from “Thoughts on The New Human Revolution.” This installment originally appeared in the Feb. 1, 1998, issue of the Seikyo

Exploring the Life of Nanjo Tokimitsu

This installment, published in the March 20, 2019, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that SGI President Ikeda discussed in volume 6 of The New Human Revolution. Passage 1 “If the general were to lose heart, his soldiers would become cowards.” (“The Supremacy of the Law,” The Writings of

Installment 1

Ramesh Jaura, a journalist specializing in globalization, nuclear disarmament and culture of peace, conducted an interview with SGI President Ikeda on the topics of nuclear abolition and lethal autonomous weapons systems. The following is an excerpt. Ramesh Jaura: While nuclear weapons are being modernized, lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) are beginning to pose a grave

The fascinating new book by Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, titled A Baptist Preacher’s Buddhist Teacher (Middleway Press), is earning high praise. The book, which discusses how Dean Carter’s interfaith journey with SGI President Daisaku Ikeda made him a better Christian, received its most

The Ikeda Wisdom Academy is an SGI-USA youth division movement to engage youth leaders in advanced study. In March, a new cycle of the academy began, focusing on the study of On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime: SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series. This month, academy members will study chapter 7 of this lecture series. While

Jasmine PogueBaton Rouge, La. When I received the Gohonzon in 2007, I had a lot of financial struggles. I had my car repossessed, and I was evicted from my house. I also took out predatory loans that I could not afford to pay back. Five years ago, I decided to challenge my destructive financial tendencies

In the following excerpt from A Baptist Preacher’s Buddhist Teacher, Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., the founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, applauds Soka Gakkai discussion meetings as gatherings of the people, rooted in faithfulness and a willingness to be vulnerable. In this excerpt, he refers to the SGI

by Judy OstrowSpecial to the Tribune Under the brilliant sun of an early spring day, hundreds of SGI-USA members of Connecticut Region and their guests gathered on April 7 to celebrate the opening of a new, state-of-the-art Buddhist center in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. The two-story 8,180-square-foot building, which replaces the region’s previous quarters in