Authorechoi

This study series covers Soka Spirit topics to be presented by a youth or student division member at Soka 2030 meetings on the last Sunday of each month. Struggles are an undeniable aspect of life. Yet, through engaging in Buddhist practice, we learn to view hardships as essential opportunities for growth.  Nichiren Daishonin teaches that

The SGI-USA’s Summer of Shakubuku is in full swing! The following are excerpts from Ikeda Sensei’s guidance and Nichiren Daishonin’s writings on the compassionate and courageous spirit of propagation.  It Starts From One Person Nichiren Daishonin: There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of

by Brian EnrightOakland, Calif. I pulled up to the teepee with a full beard and an empty stomach, in search of whatever it was I’d been after since leaving my 9–5. I’d come on the invitation of a friend, to take part in a ceremony of the solstice.  The ceremony, which involved flushing gallons of

The SGI-USA announced the creation of an auxiliary group database in the SGI-USA Member Resources Portal to make it easier for members to receive communication regarding events and activities. Members can self-select an auxiliary group by logging into portal.sgi-usa.org and selecting the “Auxiliary Groups” tab under “My Account.” The following auxiliary groups are available based

Ikeda Sensei gave the following guidance in Daisan no jinsei o kataru (A discussion on the third stage of life—Aging in contemporary society), published in Japanese in October 1998. It can also be found in The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, chapter 9, installment 1, pp. 283–90. None of us

Youth Shakubuku Reports From the Front Lines

Ikeda Sensei gave the following guidance in “To My Young Friends—Leaders of a New Age,” published in Japanese from July 25–27, 2012. It can also be found in The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, chapter 8, installment 2, pp. 250–54. Ikeda Sensei encourages members to resolve never to be defeated

Ikeda Sensei gave the following guidance in Kenko no chie (The Art of Health), published in Japanese in February 1997. It can also be found in The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, chapter 8, installment 1, pp. 247–49. Birth, aging, sickness and death are challenges everyone must face. We are

Margot McMahon, a nationally recognized sculptor and environmental artist, has spent decades creating works that celebrate the quiet dignity of everyday people and the natural world they inhabit. It was fitting then that she would be commissioned to create a statue personifying the moment when Ikeda Sensei, on his first trip to the U.S. in

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Allen Sánchez recalled his grandfather’s words— how, in the stillness of dawn, on July 16, 1945, he was out milking cows in the New Mexico desert when the sun seemed to rise and set at once. What his grandfather witnessed wasn’t the sun at all, but the Trinity test—the world’s first detonation of a

by Chicago Zone team Tell us briefly about your zone’s history. Chicago Zone was formed on July 21, 2007, when Central Territory was first established. While our name is Chicago Zone, we encompass four states and span two time zones. Our zone includes almost all of Illinois and Wisconsin as well as northwest Indiana and

The following message by Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada was translated from the August 2025 issue of the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal, Daibyakurenge. Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness.” These enduring words— Ikeda Sensei’s timeless appeal for eternal peace—constitute the opening lines of his novel The New Human Revolution. What

On Aug. 14, 1947, Daisaku Ikeda, at just 19 years old, attended his first Soka Gakkai discussion meeting, encountering the man who would become his mentor, Josei Toda. Just 10 days later, on Aug. 24, the young Daisaku joined the Soka Gakkai. The day is of great importance not just as the day when Ikeda

This month, men and young men unite around the shared mission of introducing youth to Buddhism.

Repaying debts of gratitude, I expand my life without limit.

by Lillian KoizumiSpecial to the Tribune  CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—The Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue hosted its 5th Global Citizens Seminar on June 21, 2025, to explore interdisciplinary approaches to fostering hope, resilience and value creation in the face of interlocking social and political crises. This year, 14 doctoral students joined co-facilitators Tim McCarthy, Ph.D.,

A New York City MetroCard. A Volkswagen Beetle. A Boeing 757. These everyday canvases have all showcased James Rizzi’s unmistakable, three-dimensional pop art style. Born and raised in Brooklyn (1950–2011), Rizzi developed his signature layered-print technique while studying at the University of Florida. Pressed for time during painting, printmaking and sculpture classes, he cleverly printed

by Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island Zone What is your zone motto? We will be champions of member care! Tell us briefly about your zone’s history. Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island (BQLI) Zone was formed at the beginning of 2020. We were so excited to fight for kosen-rufu in our new zone. Soon after, the pandemic shut everything down. It was

This study series by the SGI-USA Study Department aims to answer questions about the basics of Nichiren Buddhism.  Buddhism is not naïve—it does not deny the existence of “good” and “bad” friends. But it views these terms in a light that may surprise and even revolutionize one’s understanding of them. The real question for the

by Riverside Region team RIVERSIDE, Calif.—At our July kosen-rufu gongyo meeting, Riverside Region welcomed three young men into our Soka community, each with their own unique journey and path. For each, however, genuine care and true bonds of friendship were decisive. Everyone, at every level of the organization, took responsibility to ensure the guys always