The SGI’s efforts to promote education for sustainable development (ESD) and climate action seek to engage a broad spectrum of people and inspire hope in each person’s ability to initiate change. They include exhibitions, a film as well as the SDGs for All media project with INPS and are designed to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote the Earth Charter. 

SDGs for All

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at the UN to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change by 2030, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

SDGs for All reports the underreported about the plan of action for People, Planet and Prosperity, and efforts to make the promise of the SDGs a reality. Learn more

Mapting

The Mapting (“mapping” and “acting”) app allows users to track and map activities that contribute to actualizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was developed jointly by the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) and Earth Charter International (ECI) as a way of engaging and educating youth in the challenge of making the 17 SDGs a reality and helping to highlight the positive actions being taken everywhere to address global problems. Learn more

“Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality”

The “Seeds of Hope & Action” (SOHA) exhibition stresses our interconnectedness with the rest of the community of life and the need to broaden our sphere of compassion. It encourages viewers to overcome feelings of powerlessness and highlights the fact that a single individual can initiate positive change. Learn more

A Quiet Revolution

A 30-minute film featuring three dramatic case studies of how individuals in India, Slovakia and Kenya have contributed to solving local environmental problems. Learn more

As well as promoting sustainable development, local Soka Gakkai organizations also engage in cleanups, tree plantings and lectures.

View resources that promote education for a sustainable future here.

The SGI is working to expand grassroots support and global solidarity for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Examples include its People’s Decade for Nuclear Abolition campaign, now in its second decade, exhibitions communicating the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, recording the experiences of atomic bomb survivors and petition drives.

Declaration Calling for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

The SGI’s nuclear abolition activities originate in second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s 1957 Declaration Calling for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, which reads in part:

“Although a movement calling for a ban on the testing of nuclear weapons has arisen around the world, it is my wish to go further, to attack the problem at its root. I want to expose and rip out the claws that lie hidden in the very depths of such weapons.”

Read more

People’s Decade for Nuclear Abolition

Launched on September 8, 2007, the aim of this campaign was, and continues to be, to increase the number of those in the world who reject these weapons, to expand the grassroots network of diverse groups and individuals around the world who share the common goal of eliminating nuclear weapons from this planet by collaborating with various international antinuclear movements, including the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Learn more

Toward a Nuclear Free World

The SGI and INPS (International Press Syndicate) have initiated a media project for nuclear abolition, reporting the underreported threat of nuclear weapons and efforts by those striving for a nuclear free world. Learn more

“Everything You Treasure—For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons”

An exhibition launched by SGI and ICAN in August 2012 at the 20th World Congress of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). Its objective is to build a broader nuclear abolition constituency through education and empower people to take action for “the future we want.” Learn more

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: That We Never Forget

A book documenting the experiences of 50 atomic bomb survivors. Learn more

The SGI also participates actively in UN policymaking processes on nuclear disarmament and advocates for a preemptive ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

View resources promoting peace and nuclear disarmament here.

The Soka Gakkai began as an organization of reformist Japanese educators inspired by the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. Its founder and first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944), was driven by a passion to enable people to lead fulfilled and happy lives. During World War II, he was imprisoned with his protégé, Josei Toda (1900–58), by the Japanese militarist government for opposing its policies. Makiguchi died in prison from malnutrition and old age, while Toda emerged to rebuild the Soka Gakkai as a Buddhist movement to empower people suffering in the aftermath of the war. Daisaku Ikeda (1928– ) inherited Toda’s vision, going on to develop the organization into a multifaceted movement for peace, culture and education with members around the world.

1930 | Soka Gakkai Founded

The Soka Gakkai (literally “Society for the Creation of Value”) was founded on November 18, 1930, as a study group of educators. It was initially called the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Society for Value-Creating Education). Its founder and first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, was an author and educator inspired by Nichiren Buddhism and passionately dedicated to the reform of Japanese education. His theory of value-creating education was focused on the development of independent thinking and the unlimited potential of every child.

November 18, 1930, the date of the publication of the first volume of Makiguchi’s Soka kyoikugaku taikei (The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy), has come to be regarded as the founding day of the Soka Gakkai.

1937 | Social Reform

Makiguchi’s emphasis on independent thinking over rote learning in education challenged the Japanese authorities of the time, who saw the role of education as molding docile servants of the state. Makiguchi and his closest associate, Josei Toda, led the development of the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai from its origins as a group of educators dedicated to educational reform into an organization with a broader membership of several thousand, with a focus on the propagation of Nichiren Buddhism as a means to reform society through individual transformation.

1943 | Fighting Government Oppression

The 1930s had seen the rise of militaristic nationalism in Japan, culminating in Japan’s entry into World War II in 1941. The government imposed the State Shinto religion on the population as a means of glorifying its war of aggression and cracked down on all forms of dissidence. The refusal of Makiguchi and Toda to compromise their beliefs and lend support to the regime led to their arrest and imprisonment in 1943 as “thought criminals.” Due to government suppression, the organization was effectively crushed.

1944 | Death of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Despite attempts by his interrogators to persuade him from his principles, Makiguchi held fast to his convictions and died in prison on November 18, 1944.

1945 | Active, Socially Engaged Buddhism

Josei Toda survived and was released from prison on July 3, 1945, shortly before the war ended. While in prison, Toda had studied the Lotus Sutra and chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo intensely, reaching the revolutionary insight that “the Buddha” is life itself. He developed the conviction that it was his mission to spread the message of the Lotus Sutra as widely as possible and resolved to dedicate the remainder of his life to this endeavor.

Toda set out to rebuild the Soka Gakkai amid the confusion of postwar Japan and became its second president in 1951. He promoted an active, socially engaged practice of Buddhism as a means of self-empowerment—a way to overcome obstacles in life and tap inner hope, confidence, courage and wisdom.

Toda used the term “human revolution” to express the central idea of Nichiren Buddhism: that all people can change their lives for the better and attain enlightenment in this lifetime. This message resonated especially among the most disenfranchised of Japanese society, and membership grew rapidly.

1957 | Call for Nuclear Abolition

On September 8, 1957, forcefully proclaiming that all human beings have an inviolable right to live, Toda made an impassioned declaration calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, which he described as a manifestation of the darkest aspects of the human heart. He asked the youth of the Soka Gakkai to work for their abolition, and this became the symbolic start of the organization’s activities for peace.

In a ceremony on March 16, 1958, Toda entrusted the future development of the Soka Gakkai to the youth of the organization. Among the youth, his closest follower, Daisaku Ikeda, who had spearheaded efforts to spread the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism, emerged as the future leader of the organization.

By the time of his death on April 2, 1958, Toda had led the transformation of the Soka Gakkai into a dynamic movement with a membership of over 750,000 households throughout Japan.

1960 | A Worldwide Movement

Toda was succeeded as president in 1960 by Daisaku Ikeda, then aged 32. Ikeda solidified the structure of the Soka Gakkai in Japan and also started to build the foundations of a global movement, traveling overseas to meet with and encourage the first Soka Gakkai members living outside Japan. These members pioneered the development of the Soka Gakkai in their various countries, leading to the growth of an international membership.

To help build solidarity for peace, Ikeda also founded a number of affiliated institutions in the fields of culture and the arts, peace research and education.

1975 | A Global Association

In 1975, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) was founded as a global association, linking independent Soka Gakkai organizations around the world. Daisaku Ikeda became its president.

In 1983, the SGI was accredited as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The SGI Charter was adopted in 1995, expressing the association’s commitment to strive for a peaceful world, contributing to peace, culture and education based on respect for the dignity of life and the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism.

1991 | Spiritual Independence

In November 1991, having long supported its development, the Soka Gakkai marked its separation from the authoritarian and tradition-bound Nichiren Shoshu priesthood under Abe Nikken as the start of its spiritual independence.

By 2008, spurred by greater freedom to adapt to local cultures and the modern world, membership had expanded to 192 countries and territories around the world.

In November 2013, the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu opened in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, as a place where Soka Gakkai members from around Japan and throughout the world could chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo together, renewing their pledge to work for peace and deepening their commitment to sharing the empowering philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism.

2017 | Soka Gakkai Constitution

In 2017, the Soka Gakkai adopted its new Constitution, clarifying the role of the founding presidents, basic aspects of its global administration, its essential doctrinal stance and objectives of promoting Nichiren Buddhism for the sake of peace and human happiness.

In 2021, the SGI Charter was updated and adopted as the Soka Gakkai Charter, further articulating the principles guiding the organization’s social engagement grounded in an unwavering commitment to nonviolence and the culture of peace.

(Source: sokaglobal.org)

Third president of the Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda (1928– ), is a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder, educator, author and poet. He is the founding president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI).

Ikeda was born in Tokyo, Japan, on January 2, 1928, the fifth of eight children, to a family of seaweed farmers. The devastation and senseless horror he witnessed as a teenager during World War II gave birth to a lifelong passion to work for peace.

In 1947, at the age of 19, he met Josei Toda (1900–58), educator and leader of the Soka Gakkai. Ikeda found in Toda an open and unaffected person, a man of unshakable conviction with a gift for explaining profound Buddhist concepts in logical, accessible terms. He was inspired to embrace the practice of Nichiren Buddhism and took Toda as his mentor in life.

Ikeda later found employment at a company run by Toda, and completed his education under Toda’s tutelage.

Expansion

In May 1960, two years after Toda’s death, Ikeda, then 32, succeeded him as the third president of the Soka Gakkai. Under his leadership, the organization began an era of innovation and expansion, becoming actively engaged in cultural and educational endeavors worldwide. Ikeda has dedicated himself to fulfilling Toda’s dreams by developing initiatives in the areas of peace, culture and education based on Buddhist ideals.

In 1975, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) was established as a global association of independent Soka Gakkai organizations around the world, and Ikeda became it’s president.

Establishing Soka Education

Ikeda is the founder of the Soka (value-creation) school system, which puts into practice the educational approach formulated by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, first Soka Gakkai president, and Josei Toda. It is a nondenominational school system based on an ideal of fostering each student’s unique creative potential and cultivating an ethic of peace, social contribution and global consciousness. The school system runs from kindergarten through graduate study and includes a university in Tokyo, Japan, and another in California, USA.

Dialogue: The Foundation of Peace

As a staunch proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace, Ikeda has pursued dialogue with numerous leaders, scholars and individuals around the world in fields related to peace, culture and education. In furtherance of his vision of fostering dialogue and solidarity for peace, he has founded a number of independent, nonprofit research institutes that develop cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration on diverse issues. The Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum promote mutual understanding and friendship between different cultures through the arts.

Find videos of Daisaku Ikeda’s dialogues and speeches here.

Peace Through Inner Transformation

The central tenet of Ikeda’s thought, and of Buddhism, is the fundamental dignity of life, a value which he sees as the key to lasting peace and human happiness. In his view, global peace relies ultimately on a self-directed transformation within the life of the individual, rather than on societal or structural reforms alone. This idea is expressed most succinctly in a passage in his work, The Human Revolution, Ikeda’s novelized account of the Soka Gakkai’s history and ideals: “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.”

by Bradley Schuller
Chicago

This past February, on the heels of the news that I would become a father, I developed some peculiar symptoms—fevers, chills, night sweats and alarming weight loss—prompting me to seek a doctor. When a CT scan showed dark spots all over my liver, the doctor, thinking it could be cancer, ordered an emergency biopsy. 

Early last year, my wife, Hadley, and I discovered that a natural conception was unlikely for us, and we began trying for a medically assisted conception. Between that March and August, Hadley underwent three rounds of treatment, none of which were successful. Each failed round devastated both of us. It also stirred up my long-held fears about becoming a father; I had always doubted my ability to fulfill the role. Was I ready?

In August, we were told that we could try again but that at this point we should expect to be unable to conceive. 

A senior in faith had visited us at our home, in our backyard, and reminded us that we have the Gohonzon—if this was our dream, we must never doubt and chant with ferocity to realize it. 

Chanting this way impacted the way I thought about work as well as fatherhood. With new responsibility at a global technology firm, I found myself doing the work of three. As my workdays extended late into the night and responsibilities piled up, I chanted abundantly, summoning the strength to be the pillar of my workplace as I awaited news that our child was on the way. Soon, I would stand up as the pillar of our new family. Work became my proving grounds. 

In October, the news did come. Incredibly, Hadley was pregnant! Because of my ferocious daimoku, I felt more ready than ever.  

And yet, something wasn’t right. As work settled down, I found myself slowing, too. I had been pulling 16-hour days for months. Now I was utterly spent by 5 p.m. Then came the symptoms, the biopsy, then silence; I’d need to wait a week for the results. 

In those uncertain days, this song, this Puccini aria, came to me, E lucevan le stelle, which I’d sung in my younger years, when I performed opera for a living. It is sung by a young painter in love, on the eve of his execution. Though I had performed it many times before, I had never truly grasped the depths of the young hero’s pain when he cries out, “And never before have I loved life so much!”

After having fought so hard to have a child together, my wife and I faced the extraordinary possibility that I may not be around to raise this child. Panicking, I reached out for guidance again, this time from a leader battling stage 4 cancer himself. 

“Look,” he said, “even if it is cancer, you have a mission only you can fulfill. Chant to live as long a life as possible, in the best health possible, to support your comrades and be present for your wife and child.” 

Facing my mortality, I sat down before the Gohonzon with a feeling of intense clarity. Chanting with ferocity, gratitude welled forth, for my life and everyone in it—for my wife, my work, my practice and mentor, for my unborn child. I have so much left to accomplish; I need plenty of time and life to do it! I went to bed feeling nothing but gratitude, hope and a powerful resolve to live out my mission. 

The results came: not cancer. The spots and my symptoms were merely the effect of a shot immune system exasperated by my preexisting diabetes. I obviously needed to take better care of my health, but I was OK.

As our baby’s due date neared, the doctors decided to induce labor. On June 7, we were admitted to the birthing room, filled with anticipation and excitement, confident we’d soon be bringing home our son, Conrad.

But Conrad took his time. The second night, I went downstairs for a quick dinner. When I came back, the room was a flurry of activity. The baby’s heart rate had dropped. Hadley needed an emergency cesarean section. I locked eyes with Hadley as she was wheeled from the room. She was afraid. Then I was alone. 

In the next instant, it seemed, a nurse was at my elbow.

My son had been born but wasn’t breathing.

For the merest instant, fear coursed through me, and then, with a ferocity that was by now second nature, I began to chant. I reached out to my comrades in faith, who responded that they, too, were chanting fiercely. I sensed this powerful wall of daimoku protecting Hadley and our son. After a few minutes, Conrad had been resuscitated, and I was brought to him. In an abundance of caution, he was taken to a neonatal intensive care unit. After a week, the doctor cleared him to go home early, saying his recovery was the fastest he had seen in months.

At work, I’ve earned the deep trust of my colleagues. At home, at the time of this writing, Conrad has just started to smile. Every obstacle overcome to get here has prepared me for this new chapter of my life, which is the greatest, actually. It is, indeed, even better than I could have asked for. And never before have I loved life so much. 

When an ordinary person attains Buddhahood … the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat.

Nichiren Daishonin, “The Three Obstacles and Four Devils,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 637)

Some religions place primary emphasis on faith. Others strongly stress practice or acts of kindness. Some promote philosophical inquiry, while others discourage it, leaving such pursuits to religious professionals. Nichiren Buddhism encourages a dynamic balance of faith, practice and study.

Nichiren Daishonin writes: “Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith” (“The True Aspect of All Phenomena,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 386).

Faith

Faith in Buddhism is belief in our own vast potential and the limitless potential of all people to establish lives of unshakable happiness. This belief is expressed in the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Mystic Law, the fundamental Law permeating our lives and the universe (see pages 11–15).

Nichiren Daishonin faced numerous persecutions and hardships in the course of establishing his teaching and triumphed in every instance. He inscribed the Gohonzon as an expression of his winning state of life, so that future generations could bring forth the same life condition (see pages 31–35). He writes, “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” (“Reply to Kyo’o,” WND-1, 412).

The basis of Nichiren Buddhist practice is believing deeply that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon enables all people to reveal their innate Buddhahood. When we chant to the Gohonzon with faith, we fuse our lives with the Mystic Law and reveal the wisdom, courage, compassion and all that is necessary to overcome any hardship and to help those around us do the same. Nichiren tells us never to seek the Gohonzon or enlightenment outside our own lives (see “The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon,” WND-1, 832, and “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” WND-1, 3). Faith in the Gohonzon, therefore, means faith in the tremendous power and nobility inherent in our lives and the lives of others. Buddhist practice and study strengthen our faith. And the stronger our faith, the more benefit and growth will result from practice and study.

Practice for Oneself and Others

Faith often begins as a simple expectation of how Buddhism can help improve one’s life. With consistent practice, this expectation develops into conviction. Nichiren Buddhist practice consists of practice for oneself and practice for others. These are compared to the two wheels of a cart; both are necessary for the cart to move ahead properly.

Practice for oneself refers to chanting and reciting the sutra on a daily basis. We do this to bring about and maintain the high life condition necessary to establish enduring happiness. Practice for others constitutes teaching people about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and helping them establish their Buddhist practice and thereby create fulfilling lives. SGI activities aimed at further spreading Nichiren Buddhism and its humanistic philosophy are also part of this practice for others.

Nichiren writes, “Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world” (“Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra,” WND-1, 64). The happiness we create through chanting is eternal, transcending the boundaries of birth and death.

By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and teaching others, we break through the negativity that keeps us from becoming absolutely happy. When we practice consistently, we continue to strengthen and develop ourselves, paving the way for a joyful and rewarding life.

Study

Study in Nichiren Buddhism means reading Nichiren’s writings in order to correctly understand the Buddhist teachings and apply them more effectively in our lives. By deepening our knowledge of the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, we strengthen our confidence and conviction and learn what it means to practice correctly. Nichiren states: “Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability” (“The True Aspect of All Phenomena,” WND-1, 386). By continually studying and seeking the correct Buddhist teaching, we can avoid the pitfall of forming shallow views based on personal opinion or the incorrect interpretations of others. To be misled by such things will prevent us from fully bringing forth our Buddha nature and enjoying the true benefit of our practice. Therefore, we also study the words and examples of the three Soka Gakkai presidents—Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda—who have fully applied and validated the teachings of the Daishonin in this modern age. Second president Josei Toda once remarked, “Reason gives rise to faith; faith, in turn, seeks reason; reason thus gained elevates faith; and faith thus elevated further deepens reason.” In other words, as we deepen our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism, we can establish stronger faith. And with stronger faith, we will seek further understanding of Nichiren Buddhism.

In the course of our lives, we will certainly experience difficulties and at times may wonder, If I’m practicing Buddhism, why do I have this problem? As we deepen our faith through study, we come to see the opportunity within problems and obstacles and fortify our ability to overcome them. “Buddhist study,” President Ikeda says, “provides us with a great philosophy that serves as a compass to traverse the stormy and perilous seas of life. The more solid our foundation in Buddhist study, the stronger our faith will grow” (December 9, 2005, World Tribune, p. 2).

Through deepening our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism, we can resolve our doubts and continue toward establishing a state of unshakable happiness.

When we exercise with weights, the resistance strengthens our muscles and helps them grow. Similarly, the difficulties and challenges we encounter along the journey of life enable us to strengthen and improve our lives and our character. By applying our Buddhist practice to facing and winning over challenges, we train and develop our “muscles” of wisdom, life force, courage and compassion. These qualities accord with the state of life called Buddhahood, to which Buddhist practitioners aspire. When we view things this way, our problems become opportunities to build a solid foundation for unshakable happiness.

Buddhism describes two major categories of obstacles. The first is the “three obstacles and four devils”—obstacles encountered by those who strive to reveal and develop their Buddha nature. The second is the “three powerful enemies,” which, the Lotus Sutra explains, attack genuine practitioners of the sutra who endeavor to spread its teachings. Since our Buddhist practice involves these two aspects, we need to be prepared to recognize and challenge both categories of obstacles.

The Three Obstacles and Four Devils

The “three obstacles and four devils” symbolize the internal and external functions that impede our progress toward genuine happiness, or enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin quotes the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, who explained in Great Concentration and Insight: “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere … One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them” (see “Letter to the Brothers,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 501).

Here, Nichiren reiterates that these hindrances emerge “in confusing form,” which means that their influence is usually not obvious or easy to recognize. We should be diligent in learning how to identify them and in developing the strength to win over them. Otherwise, we risk being “frightened” or “influenced” by these negative functions, allowing them to cloud our Buddha nature and obstruct our Buddhist practice.

The three obstacles are: (1) the obstacle of earthly desires; (2) the obstacle of karma (the negative actions or offenses we commit in this life); and (3) the obstacle of retribution (the negative effects of our actions in past lives, or karma). The four devils are: (1) the hindrance of the five components—hindrances caused by one’s own physical and mental functions; (2) the hindrance of earthly desires—hindrances arising from greed, anger and foolishness; (3) the hindrance of death—one’s own untimely death obstructing one’s Buddhist practice or doubts arising from the untimely death of a fellow practitioner; and (4) the hindrance of the devil king of the sixth heaven—a strong negative influence taking various forms to cause practitioners to discard their Buddhist practice.

The three obstacles and four devils are functions that sap the bright, positive life condition we gain from our practice; they weaken our spirit to fight for our own happiness and that of others, leaving us with diminished courage and wisdom. In particular, the devil king of the sixth heaven is described as being most powerful.^[1] It represents negative functions that can operate through influential people in our environment to discourage us from pursuing our Buddhist practice and keep us in a place of victimhood and suffering. The function arises from the human tendency to be ignorant of the fundamental dignity of life and to deny the noble potential for Buddhahood that all people possess. That tendency or ignorance is known as fundamental darkness. But more important than wondering what category of obstacle or devil our problems fall into is to recognize those things that hinder our Buddhist practice and challenge them with faith, prayer and action.

Lasting happiness can be achieved through learning to win over our inner darkness, or ignorance. SGI President Ikeda explains: “Buddhism is a struggle between the Buddha and the devil. It is by drawing out into the open, battling and defeating the three obstacles and four devils that we ourselves can become Buddhas” (January 2004 Living Buddhism, p. 48).

By continuously engaging in this challenge to activate our fundamental enlightenment, we can forge an indestructible foundation of happiness. When obstacles and devilish functions emerge, that is exactly the time to fight to change our karma and to win for the sake of our happiness.

As Nichiren writes, “The three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat” (“The Three Obstacles and Four Devils,” WND-1, 637). Urging us to never retreat, he calls on us to joyfully challenge and overcome our problems. The wise rejoice because they know that obstacles and opposition are the resistance that makes it possible for them to achieve enlightenment.

The Three Powerful Enemies

In “Encouraging Devotion,” the 13th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni describes three types of people who will persecute and try to stop the sutra’s votaries from spreading its teachings (see The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, pp. 232–34). These are: 1) arrogant lay people; (2) arrogant priests; and (3) arrogant false sages who conspire with secular authorities to persecute the sutra’s votaries. The common thread among these “three powerful enemies” is arrogance—their belief that they are better than others.

The first of the powerful enemies is described as those ignorant of Buddhism who denounce and speak ill of those who practice the Lotus Sutra, who directly attack practitioners and try to ruin their societal standing or even their well-being.

The second of the powerful enemies comprises arrogant and cunning priests who, believing themselves superior to others, deviously try to ingratiate themselves with the powerful while looking down on the people. The enemies in this second category claim to have mastered Buddhism but refrain from practicing the correct Buddhist teaching. Instead, they slander and attack those who earnestly practice and uphold that teaching.

The third and most powerful enemy corresponds to priests who pretend to be and are revered as sages, but whose true motives are status and profit. Fearing a loss of prestige, they make false accusations to secular authorities and collude with those in power to persecute practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.

The sutra predicts that these three powerful enemies, intent on stopping the flow of kosen-rufu, will attack those who uphold, practice and spread the Lotus Sutra. Even if one can persevere under the attack of the first two, the last powerful enemy remains a formidable challenge because of the difficulty of perceiving the true identity of false sages.

Nichiren says: “A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith” (“Reply to Kyo’o,” WND-1, 412).

Encountering obstacles is part of life. No one can escape them. But rather than reacting out of fear, we practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism can instead summon courage as we wield the mighty sword of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

President Ikeda states: “Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime entails a fierce struggle to change our karma, as well as to overcome the various challenges posed to our practice by the three obstacles and four devils, and the three powerful enemies. The trials of winter are unavoidable if we wish to soar into a brilliant springtime based on faith” (Learning From the Writings: The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, pp. 104–05).

By decisively facing and overcoming negative functions and obstacles, we can transform our karma and reveal our full potential while fulfilling our unique missions in life.

No one can avoid difficulties or problems. Buddhism encourages us to build happiness in the midst of reality, to grow, improve and become stronger while facing life’s challenges. Nichiren Buddhism enables us to change every aspect of our lives for the better, permanently. The process called “changing karma” entails securing unwavering happiness by revolutionizing our lives at the very core. And seen from the Buddhist perspective of life and death, this happiness persists eternally, countless lifetimes into the future. Here we examine the principle of changing karma and the Buddhist practice for changing karma into mission.

What Is Karma?

Some of our problems and sufferings are caused by actions and decisions we have made in this life. But for some we can find no apparent cause. These may make us think, I’ve done nothing wrong, so why is this happening to me?

Buddhism teaches the principle of karma—that many events and conditions we experience in this lifetime result from actions we have made in previous lives. Karma is a Sanskrit word that means “action.” It explains the workings of cause and effect that span the boundaries of life and death. Our actions of thought, speech and behavior are like seeds that become implanted in our lives. These causes can remain dormant as “latent effects” in the current and future lifetimes. At certain times under certain conditions, however, these reveal themselves as “manifest effects”—results, or karmic rewards, we experience in a tangible way. Karma, then, is the accumulation of actions from previous existences that remain dormant within us until they appear as effects in this lifetime. This karma can be either good or bad, though people tend to view “karma” as bad results stemming from bad actions in the past.

Buddhism teaches that life is not just a matter of the present, but a continuum of past, present and future lives—the “three existences” of life. Our actions at any moment become part of the continuum of cause and effect that spans these three existences. Bad causes in past lives or the present, such as disparaging or hurting others, stealing or lying and so on, express themselves in present or future lives as bad effects, bringing us suffering and problems. This is the principle of cause and effect that Buddhism and most Eastern philosophies generally teach. Nichiren Daishonin calls this the “general law of cause and effect.” And while this principle is important to understand, being aware of it alone is not enough to change our lives.

Adopting this view would require that, in order to rid ourselves of bad karma, we negate every bad cause we have ever made by making a good cause in its place, one at a time, over countless lifetimes. Of course we would have to refrain from making any more bad causes as well. There would be no way to transform our sufferings arising from karma directly or quickly in this lifetime. Bound by this belief, many Buddhist sutras taught prior to the Lotus Sutra hold that changing one’s karma requires countless eons of austere practices. This heavy view of karma ultimately inspires no hope.

Fortunately, Nichiren does not emphasize this general view of karma or cause and effect. Instead he focuses on the principle and practice of changing karma.

In “Letter from Sado,” he makes a revolutionary pronouncement in stating, “My sufferings, however, are not ascribable to this causal law” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 305). Here, he expresses that the great persecutions he is facing cannot be explained by the general view of causality.

Rather, he continues, these sufferings arise from his slander of the Lotus Sutra in the present and past existences. By “Lotus Sutra” he does not simply mean a Buddhist scripture, but the deepest Law or principle the sutra embodies. This constitutes the correct teaching that all people can reveal their Buddhahood, the principle of respect for the value and dignity of the human being and the standard of striving for one’s own happiness as well as the happiness of others. To slander the Lotus Sutra means to fail to recognize or to belittle these values intrinsic to life itself; it means to deny that one’s life and the lives of all others are precious embodiments of the Mystic Law, which is the source of these ideals. This adverse relationship to the Mystic Law constitutes a deep-seated negative cause that gives rise to various forms of bad karma.

To change karma arising from rejecting or slandering this fundamental Law, we need to make the most fundamental good cause, which is to protect and spread that Law for the sake of people’s happiness. This means to believe in the correct teaching of the Mystic Law, to practice it correctly, and to uphold, protect and teach it to many people. In this way, we can immediately change the direction of our lives, from one bound for suffering to one of increasing power and joy deriving from the law of life. This is the process of changing karma in Nichiren Buddhism. The source of this transformation is the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. When we do so, “then the host of sins, like frost or dew, can be wiped out by the sun of wisdom“ (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 390). Referring to this passage from the Universal Worthy Sutra, Nichiren compares our past negative karma to frost or dew that has built up in one’s life. When we believe in the Gohonzon and apply ourselves to chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo both for ourselves and for others, the world of Buddhahood emerges within our lives like the sun, dispelling our karmic impediments just as the warm morningsunlight evaporates frost or dew.^[1]

Lessening Karmic Retribution

In the course of practicing Buddhism and working for kosen-rufu, we will inevitably face obstacles, negative influences and functions that attempt to block our way or interfere with our efforts.

Nichiren Daishonin taught that to encounter such opposition is in fact a benefit. That is because by meeting and winning over difficulties, we naturally carry out the process of “lessening our karmic retribution.” The characters for the Japanese phrase tenju kyoju, often translated as “lessening one’s karmic retribution,” can literally be read “transforming the heavy and receiving it lightly.” Left alone, the bad causes we have accumulated over many lifetimes reveal themselves as miserable results in this and future lifetimes. But through the benefit of devoting ourselves and leading others to the Mystic Law, the heavy consequences of our karma can quickly be lightened. That is, we can effectively rid ourselves of all our negative karma in this lifetime by experiencing its results in much lightened form as obstacles and troubles we challenge for the sake of kosen-rufu. For this reason, Nichiren Daishonin says that through the benefit of lessening karmic retribution, “The sufferings of hell will vanish instantly” (“Lessening One’s Karmic Retribution,” WND-1, 199). Difficulties, then, are important opportunities for ridding ourselves of bad karma and developing and strengthening ourselves.

Nichiren also says: “Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse. My present exile is not because of any secular crime. It is solely so that I may expiate in this lifetime my past grave offenses and be freed in the next from the three evil paths” (“Letter from Sado,” WND-1, 303).

Voluntarily Assuming the Appropriate Karma

By persevering in faith despite hardships and thereby changing our karma, we find deeper meaning in living. In its “Teacher of the Law” chapter, the Lotus Sutra introduces the idea of “voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma.”^[2] It explains that bodhisattvas voluntarily give up the good karmic rewards due them as a result of their pure actions in past lives. Out of compassion, they choose instead to be born in an evil age so that they can teach people the principles of the Lotus Sutra and save them from suffering.

Such bodhisattvas experience suffering just as those who do so because of bad karma they formed in the past. Viewing ourselves as having made this choice—of voluntarily meeting and overcoming difficulties through faith out of compassion for others—gives us a new perspective on problems and suffering. We can see facing problems as something we do to fulfill our vow as a bodhisattva to save suffering people.

Only by dealing with hardships in life can we come to understand and empathize with people’s suffering. With every problem we overcome through Buddhist faith and practice, we create a model for winning in life, a genuine experience through which we can encourage many others.

SGI President Ikeda expresses this process as “changing karma into mission” and explains: “We all have our own karma or destiny, but when we look it square in the face and grasp its true significance, then any hardship can serve to help us lead richer and more profound lives. Our actions in challenging our destiny become examples and inspirations for countless others.

“In other words, when we change our karma into mission, we transform our destiny from playing a negative role to a positive one. Those who change their karma into their mission have ‘voluntarily assumed the appropriate karma.’ Therefore, those who keep advancing, while regarding everything as part of their mission, proceed toward the goal of transforming their destiny” (August 2003 Living Buddhism, p. 50).

The purpose of religion should be to enable people to lead happy, fulfilling lives. Buddhism exists for this very reason. While many tend to view Buddhism as a reclusive practice of contemplation aimed at freeing the mind from the concerns of this world, this is by no means its original intent. Seeking to deny or escape the realities of life or society does not accord with the genuine spirit of Buddhism. Enlightenment, which Buddhism aims for, is not a transcendent or passive state, confined to the mind alone. It is an all-encompassing condition that includes an enduring sense of fulfillment and joy, and permeates every aspect of our lives, enabling us to live in the most valuable and contributive way. This idea is expressed in the SGI through the principle that “faith equals daily life.”

Nichiren Daishonin stressed this idea from many angles in his writings, often quoting the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s statement that “no worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality” (“Reply to a Believer,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 905). When, through our Buddhist practice, our inner condition becomes strong and healthy—when we bring forth the “true reality” of our innate Buddha nature—we can act with energy and wisdom to excel at school or work and contribute to the well-being of our families and communities.

Regarding the principle that faith equals daily life, “daily life” points to the outward expressions of our inner life. And “faith,” our Buddhist practice, strengthens the power within us to transform our inner lives at the deepest level. When we apply our practice to the issues and problems we encounter in daily life, those challenges become stimuli—causes or conditions—that enable us to bring forth and manifest Buddhahood. Our daily lives become the stage upon which we carry out a drama of deep internal life reformation.

Nichiren writes: “When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs” (“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” WND-1, 376). For us, “knowing the Lotus Sutra” means chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo courageously to the Gohonzon and participating in SGI activities for our own and others’ happiness. This causes our Buddha nature to surge forth, infusing us with rich life force and wisdom. We in effect come to “understand the meaning of all worldly affairs.” The teaching and practice of Buddhism enable us in this way to win in daily life.

A scholar recently noted that one reason the SGI has attracted such a diverse group of people over the years is that it emphasizes and encourages people to apply Buddhist practice to winning in their lives. This accords with Nichiren’s emphasis on actual results as the most reliable gauge of the validity of a Buddhist teaching. As he says, “Nothing is more certain than actual proof” (“The Teaching, Practice, and Proof,” WND-1, 478).

At monthly SGI discussion meetings, members share experiences that result from faith and practice, and joyfully refresh their determination to advance and grow. The Soka Gakkai’s founding president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, established the discussion-meeting format before World War II. He described them as venues to “prove experimentally the life of major good” (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 2, p. 118). Hearing and sharing experiences in faith give us insight into how Buddhist practice enriches people’s lives and inspire us to strengthen our resolve. Discussion meetings are forums for confirming the purpose of Buddhism, which is to enable every person to win in life and become happy.

We should also understand that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo produces the most meaningful rewards when accompanied by action or effort.

Any religion promising results without effort would be akin to magic. But even if we could get what we wanted through magic, we would not grow in character, develop strength or become happy in the process. Buddhist practice complements and strengthens the effects of any effort. A student may chant to ace a test, but the surest path to passing is to match such prayers with serious effort in study. The same applies to all matters of daily living.

The power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon is unlimited. It infuses us with the energy we need to keep striving and with the wisdom to take the best, most effective action. When we act wielding this energy and wisdom, we will undoubtedly see our prayers realized.

President Ikeda says: “The Gohonzon is the ultimate crystallization of human wisdom and the Buddha wisdom. That’s why the power of the Buddha and the Law emerge in exact accord with the power of your faith and practice. If the power of your faith and practice equal a force of one hundred, then they will bring forth the power of the Buddha and the Law to the degree of one hundred. And if it is a force of ten thousand, then it will elicit that degree of corresponding power” (Discussions on Youth, second edition, p. 299).

Nichiren Daishonin instructed one of his disciples—a samurai named Shijo Kingo who lived in the military capital, Kamakura—as follows: “Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo [Shijo Kingo] is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people” (“The Three Kinds of Treasure,” WND-1, 851). At the time, Kingo had been subject to jealousy among his warrior colleagues, some of whom had spread rumors and made false reports about him to his feudal lord. But taking Nichiren’s encouragement to heart, Kingo strove to act with sincerity and integrity, and thereby strengthened his ability to assist his lord—to do his job, in today’s terms.

Nichiren also encouraged him that the entire significance or purpose of Buddhism lies in the Buddha’s “behavior as a human being” (WND-1, 852) to fundamentally respect all people. This suggests that as Buddhists our sincere and thoughtful behavior toward others is of paramount importance.

Eventually Kingo regained his lord’s trust and received additional lands, showing proof of the power of applying Nichiren’s teaching to life’s realities.

When President Ikeda visited the United States in 1990, he said to SGI-USA members: “I also sincerely hope that, treasuring your lives and doing your best at your jobs, each of you without exception will lead a victorious life. It is for this reason that we carry out our practice of faith” (My Dear Friends in America, third edition, p. 22).

We can view our immediate environment and responsibilities—at work, in our families and in our communities—as training grounds in faith and in life. In this way, we can use every difficulty as an opportunity to further activate our inherent Buddha nature through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and win in the affairs of society. Then we can grasp the real joy of applying the principle that faith equals daily life.

A famous passage from the writings of Nichiren Daishonin states, “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” (“Reply to Kyo’o,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 412).

Honzon is a Japanese word meaning “object of fundamental respect or devotion.” The prefix go means “worthy of honor.” While Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the ultimate law of the universe, the Gohonzon is its graphic expression. As we chant Nam-myohorenge-kyo, focusing on the Gohonzon, we activate within us the power of this Law.

Every religion has an object of devotion. In many, it is a supreme being or god. The many schools of Buddhism have traditionally revered the Buddha and the Buddha’s teachings. The concept of the Buddha and the content of the teachings, however, have differed from school to school.

For example, Shakyamuni Buddha was an ordinary human being who achieved a profound awakening and dedicated his life to freeing people from suffering and leading them to enlightenment. But after his passing, people came to worship him as they would a deity. They prayed to his statue or image in hope of winning his blessings.

Nichiren taught that people who view the Buddha or the Law as separate from themselves cannot realize their full potential. He said, “If you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching” (“On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” WND-1, 3).

A Clear Mirror of Life

In contrast to worshiping the Buddha or Law as externals, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai of China, basing his teaching on the Lotus Sutra, set forth a meditative discipline for attaining enlightenment. He called this “observing the mind.” T’ien-t’ai’s philosophy recognized the potential for Buddhahood in all people. But his practice was too difficult to carry out amid the challenges of daily life. Only those of superior ability, living in secluded circumstances, had a chance of attaining enlightenment.

Nichiren Daishonin established a teaching and practice to directly awaken the innate enlightened nature in any human being—the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (see pp. 11–15). Enlightenment, more than just a state of mind, encompasses the totality of our mental, spiritual and physical being, as well as our behavior. Introspection alone, as in T’ien-t’ai’s teachings, is inadequate for attaining enlightenment.

Nichiren inscribed the Gohonzon to serve as a mirror to reflect our innate enlightened nature and cause it to permeate every aspect of our lives. SGI President Ikeda states: “Mirrors reflect our outward form. The mirror of Buddhism, however, reveals the intangible aspect of our lives. Mirrors, which function by virtue of the laws of light and reflection, are a product of human wisdom. On the other hand, the Gohonzon, based on the law of the universe and life itself, is the culmination of the Buddha’s wisdom and makes it possible for us to attain Buddhahood by providing us with a means of perceiving the true aspect of our life” (My Dear Friends in America, third edition, p. 94).

And just as we would not expect a mirror to apply our makeup, shave our beards or fix our hair, when we chant to the Gohonzon, we do not expect the scroll in our altars to fulfill our wishes. Rather, with faith in the power of the Mystic Law that the Gohonzon embodies, we chant to reveal the power of our own enlightened wisdom and vow to put it to use for the good of ourselves and others.

Nichiren, emphasizing the nature of the Gohonzon’s power, writes: “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (“The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon,” WND-1, 832).

An Expression of Nichiren’s Winning State of Life

From childhood, Nichiren Daishonin ignited within himself a powerful determination to rid the world of misery and lead people to lasting happiness. With this vow, he thoroughly studied the sutras and identified chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the practice that embodies the essence of Shakyamuni’s teachings. In the course of propagating this practice, Nichiren overcame numerous harsh persecutions, including attempts on his life.

After the failed attempt to execute him at Tatsunokuchi in 1271, Nichiren began to inscribe the Gohonzon and bestow it upon staunch believers. Regarding this, he said: “From that time, I felt pity for my followers because I had not yet revealed this true teaching to any of them. With this in mind, I secretly conveyed my teaching to my disciples from the province of Sado” (“Letter to Misawa,” WND-1, 896).

Nichiren emerged victorious over the most powerful religious and secular oppression, and resolved to leave a physical expression of his winning state of life so all future disciples could bring forth that same life condition.

Writing to his samurai disciple Shijo Kingo, he stated: “In inscribing this Gohonzon for [your daughter’s] protection, Nichiren was like the lion king. This is what the sutra means by ‘the power [of the Buddhas] that has the lion’s ferocity.’ Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?” (“Reply to Kyo’o,” WND-1, 412).

The Treasure Tower

“The Emergence of the Treasure Tower,” the 11th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, describes a gigantic tower adorned with precious treasures emerging from beneath the earth and hovering in the air. Nichiren explains that this tower is a metaphor for the magnitude of the human potential—the grandeur of the Buddha nature within all people (see “On the Treasure Tower,” WND-1, 299). Next, the sutra describes the Ceremony in the Air—a vast assembly of Buddhas, bodhisattvas and beings of every description, gathering from all corners of the cosmos. The Buddha employs special powers to raise the entire assembly into the air before the treasure tower. He then begins preaching his teaching.

Nichiren chose to depict on the Gohonzon, in written form, key elements of this Ceremony in the Air. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, representing the treasure tower, is inscribed down the center of the Gohonzon. Rather than a painted or sculpted image, which could not sufficiently capture the totality of a Buddha, Nichiren employed written characters on the Gohonzon to communicate the state of oneness with the Mystic Law that he realized in his own life. According to President Ikeda: “Such [a statue or image] could never fully express Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the fundamental Law that includes all causes (practices) and effects (virtues). The invisible attribute of the heart or mind, however, can be expressed in words” (June 2003 Living Buddhism, p. 34).

President Ikeda also emphasizes: “Through our daily practice of reciting the sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can join the eternal Ceremony in the Air here and now. We can cause the treasure tower to shine within us and to shine within our daily activities and lives. That is the wonder of the Gohonzon. A magnificent cosmos of life opens to us, and reality becomes a world of value creation” (June 2003 Living Buddhism, p. 32).

The Gohonzon Exists in Faith

While most can agree that everyone possesses a wonderful potential within, truly believing this about all people and living based on this belief is not easy. Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon so that anyone can believe in and activate his or her Buddha nature. Just having the Gohonzon, however, will not ensure this. Both faith and practice are essential to unlocking our powerful Buddha nature. Nichiren says: “This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith. This is what the sutra means when it states that one can ‘gain entrance through faith alone’ … What is most important is that, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism” (“The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon,” WND-1, 832).

The Banner of Propagation

Nichiren Daishonin also says, “I was the first to reveal as the banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra this great mandala” (“The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon,” WND-1, 831).

Today, the SGI, through the leadership of its three founding presidents—Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda—has embraced the Gohonzon as Nichiren truly intended—as a “banner of propagation” of the Buddhist teaching that can lead humankind to peace and happiness. For that reason, members who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon and exert themselves in SGI activities to spread the Law in the spirit of the three presidents achieve remarkable growth, benefit and victory in their lives.