TagSoka Spirit

Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization is to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death. This is a matter of the utmost

In the Feb. 21World Tribune, we learned how the 67th high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, Nikken Abe, embodied the third powerful enemy whose function is to orchestrate an effort to dismantle the movement for kosen-rufu. In this article, we will learn about Nikken’s successor, 68th high priest Nichinyo Hayase, who has inherited this role of

Buddhism teaches that as the forces of the Buddha increase to awaken more people to lasting happiness, powerful enemies will try to disrupt this noble effort. Rather than incite fear, this teaches that when we face opposition while spreading Buddhism, we can be confident that we are on the right path. The Lotus Sutra teaches

The founder of Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, centered his beliefs on the Lotus Sutra, which teaches that all people possess the potential for enlightenment and the compassionate ideal of respect for the dignity and equality of all human beings. Nichiren established the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the greatest means for us to align our

In 1928, founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi was motivated by a fellow educator to further his understanding of Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching. While familiar with Nichiren and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, this encounter inspired him to learn more about the Daishonin’s philosophy. In particular, he studied Nichiren’s treatise “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the

The following excerpt, adapted from The Human Revolution, takes place on March 30, 1958, just a few days before second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s passing. Shin’ichi Yamamoto (SGI President Ikeda’s character in the novel) reports to his mentor about having to call out the Nichiren Shoshu’s chief instructor of acolytes (young boys training to

The following article is based on a lecture given at the recent North America and Oceania Study Conference (see pp. 6–8). Since the Soka Gakkai’s beginnings in 1930, its members have continued spreading the practice and ideals of Nichiren Buddhism in order to help people overcome misery and suffering, and become happy. The Nichiren Shoshu

In the following excerpt from volume 24 of The New Human Revolution, at a Jan. 15, 1977, Soka Gakkai Study Department meeting, Shin’ichi Yamamoto (depicting SGI President Ikeda) talks about the original role of priests in Buddhism and how the Soka Gakkai today is fulfilling both the role of priests and laity. Buddhism began originally

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

What is the ultimate purpose of practicing Nichiren Buddhism? It is for each practitioner to reveal our highest potential, our Buddhahood, throughout our lives, and to become happy. And the way to do this is to consistently carry out correct Buddhist practice, spread the joys and benefits of this practice, and to swiftly and boldly

The Soka Gakkai has diligently spread throughout the world the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This practice aims to tear down barriers of discrimination, hatred, self-centeredness and suffering, and enable people to develop genuine happiness based on the Lotus Sutra’s teaching of equality and respect for the dignity of all life. Soka Gakkai members have endured

The following excerpt is from The New Human Revolution, volume 26, “Banner of the Law” chapter, pp. 138–41. SGI President Ikeda appears in the novel as Shin’ichi Yamamoto. Josei Toda’s profound spiritual awakening in prison to the fact that he was a Bodhisattva of the Earth was a pivotal moment in the Soka Gakkai’s history.

The following is the fifth in a five-part series describing the events surrounding 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 seize control of the lay organization. This incident came to be known as

Founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi once said: “Do we make our lives dwellings of the Buddha, which lead us to happiness, or do we instead make them abodes of devilish functions, which lead us to unhappiness? We have to choose either one or the other. Actively driving devilish functions out and defeating them will

The following article is the fourth 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

“Although Nichiren and his followers are few, because they are different in body, but united in mind, they will definitely accomplish their great mission of widely propagating the Lotus Sutra [Nam-myoho-renge-kyo]. Though evils may be numerous, they cannot prevail over a single great truth [or good].” (“Many in Body, One in Mind,” The Writings of

The following article is the third 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 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

In SGI President Ikeda’s message to the Nov. 16, 2018, ceremony commemorating the 88th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding on Nov. 18, he cited three passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings (see Dec. 14, 2018, World Tribune, pp. 2–3). Last month, we studied the first passage from “The Dragon Gate,” which was written during the

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