CategoryApplying the Philosophy

Caregiving for an elderly family member is a great responsibility. Truth be told, while it can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be extremely challenging at times. In this issue, we interview SGI-USA members about their caregiving experiences, and include guidance from Ikeda Sensei’s book On Health and Long Life to those undertaking this important

Merriam-Webster defines powerlessness as lacking the capacity or authority to act. To be sure, modern psychology suggests that when confronting a problem, lacking a defined role can make us feel less in control of a situation. Considering the nature of the pandemic and other world events, it may seem like many of society’s most significant

What we might consider a conversation and a dialogue are poles apart.

Looking for a podcast to boost your health and wellness in the new year? Among the 250 top-rated shows on iTunes, you can find ones to tame anxiety, listen to your inner child, listen to your gut, relax with white noise and green-drink your way to wellness. Add to that the plethora of like-minded books,

Some friendships are so iconic that they can only be understood in pairs. Frodo and Sam. Cher and Dionne. Maverick and Goose. They reinforce for us the value of friendship, of having a ride-or-die, to share life’s rollercoaster highs and lows (even if those lows take you to the gates of Mordor). To be sure,

New Year’s resolutions have existed, in some form, for around 4,000 years. (Think ancient Babylonians making promises to the gods to return borrowed objects and pay off debts.) And while these resolutions have decidedly religious origins, today, they are largely promises we make to ourselves. Perhaps being the only one to hold ourselves accountable is

The oldest surviving love poem was recorded 4,000 years ago on a cuneiform tablet titled “The Love Song of Shu-Sin” (recited by a bride to her Sumerian king). Today, some of the most relatable love poems are conveyed through song. By one estimate, 100 million songs have been recorded about love, capturing from every angle

It’s 6 a.m. Your alarm goes off. Your first thought is a fleeting hope that you accidentally set your alarm for 3 and still have more time to sleep. Wishful thinking. It’s time to rise and shine! You have your district study meeting at 7 p.m., but not before you pick up your child from

Few things are harder than parting with loved ones; and yet, in life, nothing is more certain than death.

What Buddhism has to say about what drives us and how to truly enjoy our lives.

A parenting meme had this recipe for iced coffee: have kids, make coffee, forget you made coffee, drink it cold. Parenting is hard enough. Add to that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has essentially turned our home into our office (or unemployment office), classroom, restaurant and gym, and even Maria von Trapp would be nonplussed. Kidding

What's holding you back? Buddhism's take on establishing absolute freedom.

J.R. Ewing. C. Montgomery Burns. Lucious Lyon. Pick your favorite ultrawealthy avatar. Society’s modern fascination with money has spawned TV shows, movies and lyrics that are embedded in our collective consciousness. (Is it really all about the Benjamins?) Perhaps we’ve even daydreamed a time or two about what we’d do if we received an unexpected

The American author Pearl S. Buck said that finding joy in work “is to discover the fountain of youth.” To be sure, we spend the majority of our waking day—and waking life—at work. According to one study, that adds up to an average of 90,000 hours, or a third of our lives, at work. Even if

Masks. Quarantine. Social distancing. These words were not in our collective conscience before 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic altered our awareness in surprising and unforeseen ways. Shakyamuni Buddha realized that all people, no matter their circumstances, at some time in their lives face the suffering of illness, as well as the other universal sufferings of

The Rev. James Lawson is an American Civil Rights leader and longtime ally of Martin Luther King Jr., who praised him as “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” At age 92, the Rev. Lawson continues to give lectures and hold seminars on nonviolence. In the following interview, published in the Jan.

Human relationships. They can be the source of our greatest joys and, at times, our ultimate suffering. Add to that the unique circumstances of the past year, when the world found itself sheltering in place, sparking dramatic shifts in the way we interact with others and perhaps even spotlighting the difficult relationships in our lives.

Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee served as the keynote speaker for Soka University of America’s Class of 2019 commencement ceremony on May 24 (see p. 10 for coverage). She is best known for leading a nonviolent movement that united Christian and Muslim women, playing a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s 14-year civil war in 2003.