CategoryFrontline News

El Monte, California, Oct. 3, 2021—Following a year of unprecedented challenges brought on by COVID-19, the members of La Puente and East Los Angeles San Gabriel Valley Regions joyfully celebrated the grand opening of the SGI-USA El Monte Buddhist Center. Over 220 members and guests gathered for the morning and afternoon meetings in person, while

After an 18-month hiatus from in-person activities, nearly 40 SGI-USA Buddhist centers throughout the country have safely opened since August, with more centers opening each month. With the health and safety of the members foremost in mind, the SGI-USA is allowing only persons vaccinated against COVID-19 in our centers at this time. Proof of COVID-19

Seattle, Oct. 3, 2021—Sixty-one years ago, Ikeda Sensei visited Seattle, taking in the Douglas firs dotting the highway and boat traffic winding its way through the Ballard Locks. This past October, the same month as his visit, members from Greater Seattle and East King County regions refreshed their vow to spread peace in their community

The coming decade is an extremely important time, when we must work to resolve the challenges facing our planet and to build a new culture for humankind, a new human civilization, based on respect for the dignity of life and human revolution. “Let’s pledge together to advance cheerfully on our shared journey of hope and

by Amelia Gonzalez and Peter Karuppiah SGI-USA Student Division Leaders Commemorating Sept. 26, 1991, the day Ikeda Sensei delivered his first lecture at Harvard University, over 500 student division members, guests and high school seniors gathered virtually 30 years later, for the biannual student division lecture. Leading up to the virtual meeting, a lecture on

For this Southwestern chapter, it’s been about returning to the basics.

The SGI-USA future division will host a national webinar on Saturday, Oct. 30 (1 p.m. PT/3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET) for all high school seniors who are interested in applying to Soka University of America (SUA). Parents of high school seniors can also attend. This event will focus primarily on the admissions process including SUA’s

Central Executive Committee Report

by Kyler Nicholas Special to the Tribune Detroit, Sept. 12, 2021—For the members of Detroit and its surrounding cities, it was a homecoming worth the wait. After a nearly 18-month hiatus from in-person SGI activities, 150 Michigan Region members attended the long-anticipated grand opening of the SGI-USA Detroit Buddhist Center, with an additional 200 joining

2021 Fall Semester Student Division Study Lecture

They wore masks and smiled with their eyes, greeting one another with elbow bumps and hearty waves. After an 18-month hiatus, the second phase reopening of SGI-USA Buddhist Centers saw hybrid September kosen-rufu gongyo meetings held in person and by Zoom. For members at these eight centers, it was the first time to meet in

Over 1,000 members, guests and allies of the LGBTQ community gathered on Aug. 28 for a dynamic live webinar hosted by the Courageous Freedom Group under the banner “Buddhahood of Pride.” The virtual conference opened with these lines from Ikeda Sensei, summarizing the crucial message of the conference: “Nichiren Daishonin states that ‘there should be

Today’s future division members will be leaders of kosen-rufu in the future. Helping them engage in Buddhist practice and nurturing them in faith through our Soka Gakkai activities is crucial for their development. Ikeda Sensei says: It’s important to raise our children within the garden of the Soka Gakkai. As part of that process, please

by the SGI-USA Future Division Leaders Commemorating the day Ikeda Sensei attended his first Soka Gakkai meeting, over 1,500 SGI-USA elementary school division (ESD) members, as well as their friends, families and supporters, gathered on Aug. 14, 2021, for the second National Elementary School Division Conference, overflowing with hope for the future. The virtual meeting,

A report on the young men’s general meetings and young women’s national conference.

What does it mean to “Manifest Hope and Victory Toward 2030 With the ‘Vast Heart’ of Soka”? Professionals, students and retirees in the fields of education, academia, health care, law and medicine explored this theme together during the SGI-USA Culture Department Virtual Conference on July 10, 2021. Participants enjoyed a nationwide webinar followed by breakout

SGI-USA members hold virtual celebrations in five U.S. cities to mark the 25th anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s June–July 1996 visit to the U.S.

“Everyone, please expect much of these young people. … They will carry out the battle for the Law. So long as we have these youths, the Soka Gakkai will be absolutely solid.” Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda uttered these words days after he established the young men’s and young women’s divisions (July 11 and

Everything you need to know about the SGI-USA’s phased plan to safely reopen our Buddhist centers.

Ikeda Sensei’s June 1981 visit to New York came at a critical juncture. Just two years before, he had stepped down as third Soka Gakkai president to shield the members from the perverse machinations of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, which had colluded with corrupt former Soka Gakkai leaders to wrest control of the lay organization.