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Guidance for Leadership

With the Courage of a Lion’s Roar, Let Us Strive Eternally With Ikeda Sensei

Photo by Seikyo Press.

Many congratulations on this Eighth Headquarters Leaders Meeting.

Today, we are joined by 260 youthful leaders of worldwide kosen-rufu from 60 countries and territories who have gathered here in Japan to take part in the SGI Youth Training Course. Thank you all for making the long journey, and please accept our very warmest welcome.

In this milestone year commemorating the 65th anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s first overseas visit and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the SGI, I have had the opportunity to visit South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.

While in Malaysia, I had the honor of delivering a lecture on Sensei’s philosophy of humanism at the invitation of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, part of the International Islamic University Malaysia (ISTAC-IIUM).

The invitation to deliver the lecture was made during a meeting in February of last year with Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar—the current rector of IIUM—and Professor Datuk Dr. Abdelaziz Berghout, then dean of ISTAC-IIUM. It accompanied a proposal that the university host an exhibition on the Lotus Sutra, which came to pass in September 2024 with the opening of “The Lotus Sutra—A Message of Peace and Harmonious Coexistence.” This subsequently led to my visit and lecture this August.

Professor Bakar is an eminent Islamic philosopher and has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world. He encountered the dialogue Choose Life between Sensei and the renowned historian Professor Arnold J. Toynbee while he was studying in the U.K., and he was deeply struck by Sensei’s intellect and profound philosophy. Notably, when Sensei visited Malaysia for the first time in 1988, Professor Bakar was teaching at the University of Malaya, the same institution Sensei toured on that historic occasion.

During that visit in 1988, Sensei had a meeting with the late Vice Chancellor Ungku Abdul Aziz of the University of Malaya. The founder-director of ISTAC, which hosted this recent lecture, is Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Vice Chancellor Aziz’s cousin.

Mr. Koh Sia Feai, general director of Soka Gakkai Malaysia, who has personally experienced the varied challenges of advancing kosen-rufu within an Islamic society, shared his heartfelt appreciation, remarking that the lecture was a deeply significant event.

Looking back on the path that led to this moment, one cannot help but sense that seeds Sensei sowed decades ago through his tireless efforts in diplomacy and dialogue with other cultures and religions are now bearing remarkable fruit.

At the same time, no seed can grow without water and sunlight. Just a few months after Sensei visited the University of Malaya in February 1988, a young man who would later play a pivotal role in this unfolding narrative arrived there as an international student. That young man was Ichiro Sugimoto, who is now dean of the Faculty of International Liberal Arts at Soka University.

During his studies at the University of Malaya, Mr. Sugimoto was mentored by none other than Professor Bakar—then a deputy vice chancellor of the university—as well as Vice Chancellor Aziz. Whenever the chance presented itself, the young Mr. Sugimoto would share with them his admiration for Sensei and the Soka Gakkai.

Professor Bakar sincerely looked after and supported Mr. Sugimoto as a struggling student. On every occasion, when misunderstandings and unfounded criticisms of the Soka Gakkai or Soka University surfaced on campus, he would step forward to correct the misconceptions—often citing passages from the Toynbee–Ikeda dialogue to convey Sensei’s character and the true nature of the Soka Gakkai, as well as to stand in defense of Mr. Sugimoto. Through this personal connection, Professor Bakar’s understanding of the Soka movement deepened. At Mr. Sugimoto’s invitation, he even visited Soka University in the late 1990s.

What began as a mentor’s warm support for a young student has since developed into a meaningful and ongoing exchange with Soka Gakkai Malaysia—an exchange that continues vibrantly to this day.

Professor Bakar once expressed his high hopes for the Soka Gakkai: “My message to all the members is to go ahead with confidence, with sincerity that you are serving humanity. … Our world needs more of this kind of individual.” [1]

The world is calling out for our efforts. Let us stride forward with pride and sincerity, firmly rooted in the conviction that we are contributing to the betterment of humanity. With boundless enthusiasm, let us further expand our network of heartfelt dialogue!

At the memorial service marking the second anniversary of President Toda’s death, Sensei offered the following guidance: “Those who received personal training from Mr. Toda have a duty to pass on his teachings to the next generation exactly as he imparted them—purely, and without distortion.

“Even for those Soka Gakkai members who never had the chance to meet Mr. Toda, there is no need to feel discouraged. Please advance with the firm conviction that faithfully practicing the teachings he entrusted to us is the truest way to respond to his spirit.”

In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren Daishonin explains the meaning of the Chinese characters used in the phrase “the lion’s roar”: “The first shi of the word shishi, or ‘lion’ [which means ‘teacher’], is the Wonderful Law that is passed on by the teacher. The second shi [which means ‘child’] is the Wonderful Law as it is received by the disciples. The ‘roar’ is the sound of the teacher and the disciples chanting in unison” (p. 111).

Just as this passage teaches, the spirit of “being forever one with Sensei” is not an abstract notion. Rather, it is found in the practice of standing up and raising our voices, upholding and proclaiming the same truth and justice he so fearlessly declared.

The refreshing sight of seniors in faith who continue to embody Sensei’s guidance purely and without distortion, shines as an inspiring example for the next generation.

In much the same way, the earnest efforts of younger members—who seek Sensei’s guidance through his novels The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution and who challenge themselves in their daily struggles while engaging in an inner dialogue with their mentor—serve as a source of inspiration for their seniors.

Now, as we approach Nov. 15, the second anniversary of Sensei’s passing, and Nov. 18, the 95th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding, let us take on the noble task of advancing kosen-rufu with the vibrant spirit of youth, determined to respond to Sensei, our mentor, the great pioneer of worldwide propagation.

October 17, 2025 World Tribune, p. 8

References

  1. From an interview article in Seikyo Shimbun, May 23, 2024. ↩︎

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