The Dawn of the People’s Awakening

The decade from the Soka Gakkai’s 90th anniversary to its centennial in 2030 will be crucial. We must be even more determined to show victorious proof of our own human revolution, to transform all great evil into great good and to effect a powerful change in the destiny of all humankind.^[2]

Nichiren Daishonin in “The Kalpa of Decrease” wrote the following to a disciple: “Great evil portends the arrival of great good. If all of Jambudvipa [the entire world] were to be thrown into chaos, there could be no doubt that [this sutra would] ‘be widely propagated throughout Jambudvipa’” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1122).

Buddhism describes the “kalpa of decrease” as a period when people’s vitality wanes both spiritually and physically, and they easily succumb to the negative impulses of greed, anger and foolishness within themselves. Simply put, it is a time when people lack respect for the dignity of their own and others’ lives, and society is plagued with frequent conflict, corruption and confusion. This aptly describes the present era.

However, Nichiren teaches that such an era of turmoil represents the perfect time to spread the empowering teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Sensei explains:

The light of wisdom of the correct teaching of Buddhism shows its true worth in times of great confusion and turmoil. The Daishonin clearly believed that the darkest hour of night was but a prelude to a dawn of people’s awakening—an opportunity for change, a turning point. “Great evil portends the arrival of great good,” he writes. He is saying in effect: “There’s no need for pessimism. I, Nichiren, possessing the sunlike wisdom of the Buddha, have appeared in response to this dark time. Great evil portends the arrival of the great good of kosen-rufu.”^[3]

For SGI-USA members, our focus is to be that great good by reviving the goodness in people’s hearts. How can we do so? Through one-to-one interaction, focusing especially on exposing young people to Buddhist principles, which provide the ability to transform any poison into medicine, any suffering into victory.

Our efforts at “shakubuku rooted in friendship” are grounded in our neighborhood discussion meetings, the heart and soul of our movement.

In January, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the SGI’s establishment on Guam. During a Q&A session with Yoshiki Tanigawa, the SGI general director, a participant asked how we can achieve our goal of kosen-rufu amid circumstances that only seem to worsen.^[4]

Mr. Tanigawa said that when we see people suffering, it’s easy to lose hope. “But actually, the most important struggle we undertake is against our own powerlessness,” he said.

He noted how the Soka Gakkai International was founded 50 years ago. The great significance of that milestone is that, what started with only 51 countries and territories has now spread to 192 around the world.

In the “Vow” chapter of volume 30 of The New Human Revolution, Sensei said we must not retreat:

Nothing can be achieved by giving up. Peace is a struggle against resignation. (NHR-30, 664)

In Sensei’s final lecture on The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, he left behind this final injunction:

I still remember what my mentor, [Josei] Toda, said to me one day as he looked out at the sunset sea in his hometown of Atsuta Village in Hokkaido: “It’s a big, wide world. There are still people who weep in anguish and children who cower in the crossfire of war. You must illuminate Asia and the entire world with the flame of the Mystic Law. You must do this in my place.”

And in his place, I worked with our members to open the way for worldwide kosen-rufu, sowing the seeds of peace of the Mystic Law everywhere I went. Now, as we approach the Year of Fresh Departure for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide [2024], I would like to present our youthful Bodhisattvas of the Earth, whose hearts are one with mine, with the words my mentor said to me in the past, and ask that they strive “in my place.”^[5]

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Building an Ideal Society Through Friendship

The World Tribune sat down with the SGI-USA youth leaders to discuss their bold new vision toward 2028 and 2030, and how shakubuku rooted in friendship is key to advancing the SGI’s movement for peace.

In a message to the 40th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leader’s Meeting, held on Aug. 26, 2010, Ikeda Sensei shared about the critical importance of the times, writing: “The decade from the Soka Gakkai’s 90th anniversary to its centennial in 2030 will be crucial. We must be even more determined to show victorious proof of our own human revolution, to transform all great evil into great good and to effect a powerful change in the destiny of all humankind.”^[6] What does this message mean to you?

Amelia Gonzalez Tesch (SGI-USA young women’s leader): I think in the last five years, we’ve studied this message many times. Now when I read it, what it means to me is that Ikeda Sensei strongly believes in our ability to engage in our own human revolution and change society in the direction of our goal for peace—a society rooted in respecting and treasuring each person and believing in their ability to create lasting happiness for their lives.

Kenichi Hackman (SGI-USA young men’s leader): When I first read this message, I felt Sensei was encouraging everyone to win.

Now, I feel that he was aware of the trajectory the world was heading in. With a global pandemic and multiple wars, humanity seems more divided than ever. Young people are growing up in a digital age where they are exposed to so much, which in many cases is severely affecting their well-being. This message is Sensei’s clarion call to all Soka Gakkai members. We are in the Latter Day of the Law, the age of quarrels and disputes that Nichiren Daishonin described, and it is up to each of us to illuminate the world and show others how to live a great life. 

How do you encourage young people who are losing hope in the current divisive climate?

Amelia: I was talking to a friend recently who works in a really challenging field. Listening to her struggles, I just honestly praised her efforts. I told her how important her work was to improve the lives of others. Just like my friend, people need encouragement—myself included. There have been many moments where I have felt scared and anxious, even like I was losing hope. But because I have the Gohonzon, and because of Sensei’s encouragement and Nichiren Daishonin’s writings, I can muster up courage from within my life. But for many people, I’m not sure where they are finding courage. So, I realized through my conversation with my friend how important it is to praise people—to be the person who encourages others as much as possible, whether they’re a member or not. Encouragement is what’s really needed to relieve a lot of people’s anxiety.

Kenichi: I do my best to listen, to hear what youth are saying and get a grasp on how they’re really feeling. It can be hard to know what someone is going through and finding out can take a lot of time and trust. So, I try to be there consistently. 

At the same time, I encourage other youth to chant daimoku and take action for others. Sensei has shared before that the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is “unfathomable.” There is no karma we can’t overcome through our practice. So I will chant with them, if they are open to it, and I encourage other young people to call their friends to check in. It can be hard to reach out to others when we feel hopeless, but when we do so, our life state becomes that of a bodhisattva. I want youth to feel empowered through supporting others. That, in return, will give them hope and show them that what they do matters. More than anything I can say, if a person can feel that they have a purpose, that person can feel hope.

Could you please reiterate your vision toward 2028 and 2030 for the youth of America?

Amelia: For Sensei’s 100th birthday, we are determined to build strong bonds of friendship with other young people—members and friends. We will also share our Buddhist practice with as many people as we can, through developing strong relationships. For example, I just had a baby. When I encounter another person with a newborn, we just naturally have a conversation. 

Recently, I was walking and I encountered a neighbor with a newborn. We both had recovery challenges after giving birth. So, in a very natural way, we were talking and catching up about the experiences we had at the hospital. After talking about our shared struggle, we exchanged numbers and texted each other later, both sharing how refreshing our dialogue was. We were excited to have made a new friend. In our families and communities, we want to be those people who create harmony, joy and vitality. And in this way, I feel we can really build momentum to spread this Buddhism throughout the United States.

Kenichi: The youth are going all-out in our communities to make genuine connections and build relationships with one another and our friends. We are supporting each other as equals and learning from our seniors; we are thinking of new ways to advance kosen-rufu here in America. 

I recently reread the five guidelines that Sensei gave the SGI-USA youth division in May 2011. They are:

1) Be the youth of America who eternally inherit the Gakkai spirit of the oneness of mentor and disciple!
2) Be the youth of America who create an exemplary youthful Soka Gakkai with the unity of many in body, one in mind!
3) Be the youth of America who illuminate the darkness of the age as champions of propagation!
4) Be the youth of America who courageously refute the erroneous and reveal the true based on the writings of Nichiren Daishonin!
5) Be the youth of America who build an ideal society of peace in the world as pioneers of the Mystic Law!^[7]

I feel that Sensei is really counting on us. I am going to connect with as many youth as possible, listen to their struggles and victories, share my experiences in faith and, together, advance kosen-rufu here in the U.S.!

October 2, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 15–16