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Soka Gakkai Brochure BUDDHISM IN ACTION FOR PEACE Empowering individuals toward positive global change SOKA GAKKAI AT A GLANCE The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes peace, culture and education centered on respect for the dignity of life. Its members in 192 countries and territories around the world study and put into practice the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. Soka Gakkai members strive to actualize their inherent potential while contributing to their local communities and responding to the shared issues facing humankind. “A great human The conviction that individual happiness and the realization of peace revolution in just are inextricably linked is central to the Soka Gakkai, as is a commitment a single individual to dialogue and nonviolence. will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, 2 further, will 3 enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.” Daisaku Ikeda © Sarah Woollard © Debra Williams Josei Toda makes a declaration The Soka Gakkai’s activities to promote calling for the abolition of individual happiness and the culture nuclear weapons, seen as the of peace develop worldwide through starting point of the Soka dialogue, encouragement and collaboration Gakkai’s peace movement with international organizations 1957 1980s 1930 1960 2013 The Soka Gakkai is founded Daisaku Ikeda becomes third The Hall of the Great Vow by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi president of the Soka Gakkai for Kosen-rufu where Soka and Josei Toda and makes his first visit to Gakkai members renew their members outside Japan commitment to work for peace, opens in Tokyo Looking toward Kamakura, Japan, BUDDHIST LINEAGE where Nichiren lived and taught The teachings upheld by the Soka Lotus Sutra, an important teaching the essence of the Lotus Sutra Gakkai belong to the tradition of of Mahayana Buddhism, which holds as “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” Buddhist humanism that originated that Buddhahood—characterized by He taught the practice of chanting with Shakyamuni on the Indian compassion, wisdom and courage— this phrase as a means for all subcontinent some 2,500 years is inherent within every person. people to overcome suffering and HISTORY ago. A core value is respect for the lead happy and fulfilled lives. dignity of life and all human beings. The teachings of the Lotus Sutra The Soka Gakkai’s roots date back Refusing to adhere to the State Gakkai’s growth internationally. were transmitted and developed by A grassroots movement with 12 to 1930 in Japan, when Tsunesaburo Shinto religion used by the militarist After awakening to the true nature Buddhist scholars and teachers in million members in 192 countries Makiguchi and Josei Toda founded government to exert ideological The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) of life, Shakyamuni traveled widely, India, China and Japan, most notably and territories worldwide, the the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Society control over the population at the was formed in 1975 as a global sharing his wisdom with others. Zhiyi (the Great Teacher Tiantai) in Soka Gakkai is dedicated to for Value-Creating Education), time, Makiguchi and Toda were association to link independent Soka His teachings were compiled by China and Nichiren (1222–82) in Japan. sharing the empowering message the forerunner of the Soka Gakkai imprisoned as “thought criminals” Gakkai organizations around the world, 4 his disciples in the centuries that of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren (Society for the Creation of Value). in 1943. Makiguchi died in prison, and Ikeda became its president. 5 followed. Among them was the In the 13th century, Nichiren defined Buddhism in today’s world. and Toda emerged in 1945 to With Makiguchi as its first president, rebuild the Soka Gakkai, later Since 1983, the SGI has been the organization began as a group becoming the second president. accredited as a nongovernmental © IOM RAS © IP_Wei/Getty Images of teachers focused on educational organization with the United reform but later developed into Amidst the chaos of postwar Japan, Nations Economic and Social a movement dedicated to the in 1947 Daisaku Ikeda encountered Council (ECOSOC). Soka Gakkai betterment of society through Josei Toda, who became his mentor, members strive for a peaceful individual inner transformation and joined the Soka Gakkai. In 1960, world, contributing to peace, based on Nichiren Buddhism. Ikeda became the third president, culture and education based on © Katsuhisa Yamada marking the beginning of the Soka respect for the dignity of life. The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India, A Lotus Sutra manuscript dating from Dunhuang, in Western China, a key point on started by the Buddhist emperor the 9th or 10th century CE the Silk Road, home to hundreds of caves Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE featuring early Buddhist art and statues © SGI-USA “Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal Italy the value of one’s body and life.” Nichiren UK © SGI-UK Japan DAILY PRACTICE USA The basic daily Buddhist practice of India Soka Gakkai members, carried out Peru in their own homes, is chanting the phrase “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and reciting excerpts of the Lotus Sutra. Members also gather for regular small-scale local discussion meetings Thailand where they study Buddhist principles and their application to everyday life. 6 Participants in these meetings share 7 Australia experiences of applying Buddhist practice to the challenges of life. Kenya © Ludhiana/BSG © SGIP PEACE AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN RIGHTS DISARMAMENT DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION ACTION ON CLIMATE ACTION GLOBAL ISSUES The Yo Creo La Paz (I Create Peace) The “Seeds of Hope” exhibition, The SGI Europe Buddhist Association walk, a five-kilometer walk held in three organized by Soka Gakkai Ghana and other partner organizations co- organized a human rights education The Soka Gakkai and the SGI cities, was organized by SGI-Panama youth, was viewed by many local exhibition and symposium on the engage in activities to promote to celebrate and promote peace. elementary school students at the theme “Transforming Lives: The a culture of peace. Each local (Panama, 2019) National University. (Ghana, 2017) Power of Human Rights Education” at organization develops activities in UNESCO House, Paris. (France, 2019) line with its unique cultural context. Awareness-raising activities are carried out in five main areas: peace and disarmament; education for sustainability and climate action; human rights education; humanitarian relief and disaster risk reduction; and gender equality and women’s empowerment. The range of activities includes exhibitions, symposiums, “Education must interfaith dialogue, cultural events and support of United Nations initiatives. inspire the faith that each of us Every year since 1983, Daisaku Ikeda has both the 8 has authored peace proposals directed power and the 9 toward the international community HUMANITARIAN RELIEF GENDER EQUALITY AND that address issues facing humanity, AND DISASTER RISK WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT responsibility to suggesting solutions and responses REDUCTION effect positive grounded in Buddhist philosophy. In response to a natural disaster, Soka Speakers shared powerful stories change on a Gakkai members in Japan formed of young women leaders working global scale.” These proposals give impetus “volunteer support crews” to assist in education, peace and security, and direction to the organization’s affected residents in activities such as film and digital media during an SGI Daisaku Ikeda grassroots efforts to tackle cleaning up houses damaged by heavy cosponsored event at the 63rd session global problems and build a rains and flooding. (Japan, 2018) of the Commission on the Status of lasting culture of peace. Women in New York. (USA, 2019) FOUNDING Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944) PRESIDENTS: founded the Soka Gakkai on November 18, 1930, together with BUDDHISM his disciple Josei Toda, and served as the organization’s first president.* IN ACTION An educator and philosopher, he was imprisoned during World War II FOR PEACE First President for opposing the policies of Japan’s TSUNESABURO MAKIGUCHI www.tmakiguchi.org militarist government and died in prison. The Soka Gakkai upholds a spiritual lineage that originated some 2,500 years ago with Shakyamuni and has cofounded the Soka Gakkai and was been continued by Buddhist teachers imprisoned together with his mentor in India, China and Japan, reaching during the war. On his release from its most profound expression in the prison, he reestablished the Soka teachings of Nichiren (1222–82). Gakkai and developed a membership of some 750,000 households throughout Japan by the time of his The first three presidents of the Soka Second President death. Toda was ardently opposed to Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, JOSEI TODA www.joseitoda.org war, and his 1957 Declaration Calling Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda, for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons revived Nichiren Buddhism in the Josei Toda (1900–58), Makiguchi’s is seen as the starting point of the modern age and created the basis disciple and a fellow educator, organization’s peace movement. for its development as a globally accessible philosophy. Their shared commitment to this effort exemplifies president in 1960. In 1975, the Soka the mentor-disciple relationship Gakkai International (SGI) was formed as in Buddhism. They are respected a global association to link independent as the founding presidents and Soka Gakkai organizations around the mentors of the organization. world,
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