TagStudent Division

College is a time when we enter a new phase of our lives. It is a time of meeting new people and experiencing lots of new things, including living on our own for the first time. It may all sound exciting, but it can also be a time when we confront new challenges and feelings

On September 8, 1957, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda issued his historic Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, condemning nuclear arms as a manifestation of absolute evil.  Inheriting this vow, Ikeda Sensei dedicated his life to making nuclear abolition a reality, authoring over 40 annual peace proposals that offered concrete, pragmatic solutions for

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Of all the Atomic Age relics on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, perhaps the most telling were the children’s toys. Among them: a 1947 Kix cereal “Atomic Bomb Ring” featuring an adjustable gold-colored band topped with an aluminum nuclear warhead. The premium toy could be ordered by mail for

Ayu Nakazaki and Koichi Onogi SGI-USA Student Division Leaders Hi everyone! How has your summer been? Are you feeling ready and excited for the new semester? Before we begin this fresh new semester, this month we will focus on how we can start SGI-USA campus clubs at our schools this fall. To establish an SGI-USA

For many students, one of the hardest parts of college might not be the workload, but the feeling that everyone else is doing better than you. Scrolling through social media can instantly make us feel like we are behind in life.  But measuring our worth or achievements based on others can be a source of

Reconfirming the unique mission of the student division

Members across the country are striving to share their Buddhist practice with friends in their community. This month, we will hear from two high school division members who are leading the way in these efforts. Sincere and Genuine Conversations Name: Dylan Po // State: California Living Buddhism: Hi Dylan! Thank you for speaking with us. How

Discovering Our Unique Mission by Challenging Ourselves to the Limit

Importance of Challenging Oneself In Faith and Daily Life

3 Ways to Build a Relationship That Supports Your Dreams

Ayu Nakazaki and Koichi Onogi, the SGI-USA student division leaders, introduce a new series in the Living Buddhism called “3 Steps Ahead! A Guide to Thriving in College and in Life.” Academics, relationships, time management, self-worth. The list of challenges facing college students goes on. Amid busy schedules, it’s difficult to discern: What do I

The SoCal-Pacific Territory Student Division members held a Q&A session with SGI General Director Yoshiki Tanigawa on October 9, 2025, at the South Orange County Buddhist Center in Laguna Hills, California.

Ikeda Sensei felt the time had come for the philosophy of Buddhism, rooted in human rights and peace, to be transmitted to the world. On August 31, 1962, he began his lectures on The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings for student division representatives. The following excerpt recounts his first lecture with 40 student division

A new student- and youth-focused exhibit to empower youth.

Shin’ichi Yamamoto, Ikeda Sensei’s character in The New Human Revolution, meets with some 50 members of the student division amid student demonstrations at the University of Tokyo that turned violent. This scene unfolds in response to a question that a student asked Shin’ichi: “How can we best lead our lives as people dedicated to realizing

The student-focused exhibition will be brought to university campuses nationwide.

In this excerpt from The New Human Revolution, vol. 22, Shin’ichi Yamamoto, Ikeda Sensei’s character in the novel, speaks to young women’s student division members at the Soka Culture Center at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Shinanomachi, Tokyo.  Shin’ichi Yamamoto said with emphasis: “Nichiren Buddhism enables us to transform our karma, achieve our human revolution

The following excerpts from Ikeda Sensei’s lecture to the student division members can be found in the March 2020 Living Buddhism, pp. 51–59. The Soka Gakkai student division was established at a time when our organization was being viciously attacked by the authorities.  On June 30, 1957, with second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda in

In this excerpt from The New Human Revolution, vol. 28, Shin’ichiYamamoto, Ikeda Sensei’s character in the novel, speaks to student division members at a meeting commemorating the student division’s 21st anniversary. Congratulating the student division on its 21st anniversary, Shin’ichi Yamamoto began his speech recalling how his father, who had run a seaweed processing business,

Starting this year, the student division is now a stand-alone division that encompasses youth between the ages of 18–25 attending college. With this change, the SGI-USA appointed new student division leaders, Dee Gopi and Koichi Onogi, in January. In the following interview, the new leaders spoke about the significance of the student division and their