CategoryDaily Life

“Gongyo, which forms a fundamental basis of our Buddhist practice, could be described as a ceremony in which we bring the primordial sun of Buddhahood to rise brightly in the vast skies of our lives each day.”(Ikeda Sensei, pp. 18–19 of this issue) The first time a person hears about Nichiren Buddhism, odds are it’s

In this essay, Ikeda Sensei writes of the power source of victory—gongyo. This essay was translated from the February 10, 2006, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun. Some members from Chiba sent me a photo of this year’s [2006] first sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. My wife, Kaneko, and I often admire

In our founding month, lessons from Ikeda Sensei on creating something from nothing with stand-alone faith.

Q: I know that when I have problems, I should chant to the Gohonzon about them. Still, I struggle to keep a consistent rhythm of chanting and doing gongyo regularly. Ikeda Sensei: The spirit to seat oneself before the Gohonzon is in itself very important. Those who have the spirit to continue to challenge themselves in

A conversation with youth leading our peace movement on what Buddhism has to say about misinformation, and how to identify and combat it with faith.

The following was adapted from an article by Jeffrey Kluger in the Aug. 15, 2024, issue of Time.  Born in Addis Ababa, [Ethiopia,] before emigrating to the U.S. with his family when he was 4, Heman Bekele recalls that some of his earliest memories were of seeing laborers working in the blistering sun, usually with

Member care, the painstaking efforts to awaken one friend after another, is the heart of the Soka Gakkai spirit.

Key guidance on shakubuku

As we continue our Summer of Shakubuku, some readers have asked what it means to plant seeds of the Mystic Law. Sharing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards with others is a noble effort, yet Ikeda Sensei explains that the deeper purpose lies in engaging in genuine exchange rooted in our concern for others. The following is an excerpt

On Sept. 8, 1957, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda issued his Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, marking the start of the Soka Gakkai’s broader peace movement. In the six decades since, the SGI’s peace movement, grounded in monthly local neighborhood discussion meetings, has expanded to encompass dialogue and activity in the realms

In this Summer of Shakubuku, let’s clear out the questions and make way for a determination.

Representatives of the SGI-USA Practicing Buddhism as People of African Descent Group recall the history of Juneteenth and how we can honor it as Buddhists.  by Carolyn Colby and Dave GoodmanSGI-USA Practicing Buddhism as People of African Descent Group Women’s and Men’s Leaders At this time of year, we are reflecting on Juneteenth, a day

A discussion with parents on fostering successors for peace.

Learn from the inspiring history of the junior high and high school divisions with monthly features excerpted from The New Human Revolution. In this installment, Ikeda Sensei, appearing as Shin’ichi Yamamoto, discusses the importance of establishing the junior high and high school division in the Soka Gakkai to offer junior high and high school students a

Embarking anew with our sights on the future.

When a broad network of youth study Nichiren Daishonin’s writings together, they form a powerful unifying force.

Learn from the inspiring history of the junior high and high school divisions with monthly features excerpted from The New Human Revolution. In this installment, Ikeda Sensei, appearing as Shin’ichi Yamamoto, discusses founding new divisions for junior high and high school students. The following excerpt can be found in The New Human Revolution, vol. 9,

In The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, revised edition, part 2, Ikeda Sensei clarifies three key reasons why Buddhist study is important. “First, Buddhist study helps us deepen our faith. … Buddhist study is a beacon illuminating the path of faith. Even the complex workings of negative forces that arise to assail us are

The first successful ascent of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, took place on May 29, 1953, by a British expedition including New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (1914–86). Ikeda Sensei draws key lessons for victory from this momentous achievement. These four points are from Sensei’s speech published

At the Seikyo Shimbun Building, Ikeda Sensei (appearing as Shin’ichi Yamamoto in the novel The New Human Revolution) offers guidance about how elevating our life condition through Buddhist practice enables us to respond positively to life’s constantly changing realities. This excerpt can be found in The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, pp. 64–65. Shin’ichi [Yamamoto]