February 2019 Living Buddhism

Angelina SáenzLos Angeles Living Buddhism: Thank you, Angelina, for sharing your story with us. How did you start your Buddhist practice? Angelina Sáenz: I had a rough upbringing stained by gang violence, financial strain and family discord. In 1988, when I was 16, my family found a rundown place to live in Hollywood after being homeless

This monthly encouragement by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was originally published in the January 2019 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal. The dawn of a new year marks the start of a fresh drama of human revolution. If everyone were to support and encourage one another throughout the year in the

The following article is the second in a five-part series describing the events leading up to April 24, 1979, when Daisaku Ikeda stepped down as third Soka Gakkai president to protect the members from the perverse machinations of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, which sought to wrest control of the lay organization. This incident came to

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

This guidance is from section 24.2 of “The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace” series, published in the August 2017 Living Buddhism, pp. 60-61. Bighearted people are happy. Our Buddhist practice enables us to become such individuals. I hope all of you will become people who are generous and broad-minded. The vast ocean has boundless

This installment, published in the November 21, 2018, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that Ikeda Sensei discusses in volume 2 of The New Human Revolution. PASSAGE 1 “Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the Law.” (“The

Chapter Summary On November 20, at the Eighth Young Women’s Division General Meeting, citing Josei Toda’s guidance to the young women to “please become happy,” Shin’ichi Yamamoto urged them to wholeheartedly dedicate their lives to kosen-rufu, the true path to happiness. Toward the end of the month, he traveled to Tohoku, the northeastern region of

Chapter Summary On November 4, upon returning from his journey to North and South America, Shin’ichi Yamamoto attended the inaugural meeting for Maebashi Chapter in Chiba Prefecture. Passing through Makuhari, he reminisced of coming to this rural area to buy food for his family during the food shortage immediately after the war and how a

Chapter Summary Referencing Josei Toda’s encouragement that “faith is a never-ending battle against impasse” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 2, revised edition, p. 86), Shin’ichi Yamamoto urged the participants at the Second Women’s Division Convention to “boldly forge your path in life as you challenge your destiny head-on” (NHR-2, revised edition, 87). From that summer

Chapter Summary When he was inaugurated as the third Soka Gakkai president on May 3, 1960, Shin’ichi Yamamoto had launched a new beginning for the organization, pledging to accomplish a membership of 3 million households by the seventh memorial of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, just four years away. To kick things

by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda

A: We should never feel that we need to have all the answers. And if we get caught up in worrying about sounding clever or making a good impression, we can easily lose sight of the purpose of encouragement in Buddhism. SGI President Ikeda says: “The source of all development in the realm of kosen-rufu

“The severe food shortage [after World War II] in Japan had made many people’s hearts grow callous. Consequently, this woman’s simple kindness left a deep impression on Shin’ichi.”, —SGI President Ikeda Daisaku Ikeda was 17 years old when World War II ended, leaving Japan in ruins. Tokyo, in particular, had been subjected to nearly one

Discussion meetings are the most important of Soka Gakkai activities. Founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi has said that the primary elements of a discussion meeting’s success are 1) experiences that show actual proof of the teaching and 2) particpants who are seeking to be convinced of the validity of the teaching, meaning to bring

The Ikeda Wisdom Academy, comprising district through national youth leaders, was founded on January 26, 2013, and named by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. The academy motto, “Protecting the Mentor and the Teachings,” underscores its mission to raise capable leaders for kosen-rufu who have a correct understanding of the lineage of Buddhist humanism, who are committed

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

On September 23, 2018, the SGI-USA youth introduced their “Lions of Justice Youth Vow,” creating a set of five benchmarks to define a new era of hope and respect for all in the U.S. The first vow—to “View the people of the world, beyond all borders, including refugees, as family, equally worthy of respect”—is no

To My Beloved Youth—Part 5 [37]