CategoryOn the Cover

“This moment and the place where you are right now is what matter. When committed disciples rise into action with a self-reliant spirit, the sure flame of Soka will burn and spread brightly from where they are, from that very moment.” —SGI President Ikeda May 3, Soka Gakkai Day, is considered a New Year’s Day

One person awakening to their Buddhahood can change the world—introducing the SGI-USA’s new, hope-filled focus. by Olivia Saito, Maya Gunaseharan and Ryo KurokiSGI-USA Youth Leaders This is a call to action from the youth of America. It is a cry from the depths of our beings to call forth and raise a new generation of

“When islands are happy, the world will be happy.” —SGI President Ikeda For many travelers, the islands of the Caribbean Sea represent the ultimate vacation destination, with their warm, tropical climate, diverse food, music and art, and customs influenced by African and European cultures. Scenic though they are, the Caribbean Islands have also been an

“I have no choice. I am a Buddhist. The social mission of a Buddhist practitioner is to work for world peace and the happiness of all people. Whatever happens, I must act with firm resolve! History will prove whether I am right.” —SGI President Ikeda Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda often shared his belief

“The youth division is the fresh driving force for kosen-rufu in Japan and the world. In that sense, the youth members, running in the forefront of our movement, are the mentors, and the men’s and women’s division members, who are entrusting them with the future, are the disciples.” —SGI President Ikeda SGI President Ikeda once

“Irrespective of what other people do, you yourself will receive benefit and good fortune in direct proportion to your hard work and efforts for the sake of kosen-rufu.” —SGI President Ikeda Peru is a country of diverse landscapes ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes Mountains to

“The sweat of your efforts for kosen-rufu will become precious gems of good fortune, brilliantly dignifying your life forever. Please become the happiest person in Brazil!” —SGI President Ikeda Brazil, rich in culture and natural beauty, is South America’s largest country. It is also home to the Iguazu Falls, one of the largest waterfall systems

“A person who makes a firm determination to work for kosen-rufu is strong. From such determination wisdom, life force, success and victory in life are born.” —SGI President Ikeda Mexico, home of one of the six “cradles of civilization,” has a rich culture reflecting its complex history. Blending its indigenous roots with Spanish and Asian

“While it’s of course important that you become a great scholar in Australia, your underlying responsibility is to advance kosen-rufu here. That is your fundamental mission as a Bodhisattva of the Earth.” —SGI President Ikeda Australia is the world’s sixth largest country, with a wide range of landscapes that are home to wildlife found only

“If we want to transform the community in which we live, we must ask ourselves: Does our heart burn with a fighting spirit and are we truly committed to spreading the Daishonin’s teachings?” —SGI President Ikeda The Amami Islands are located some 200 miles south of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. Soka

“I think it is a mistake to regard people as abstract groups, to identify them in terms of ethnicity, religion, nationality or class, rather than seeing them as individuals. Such thinking only divides people and will never bring about real dialogue or true friendship.” —SGI President Ikeda The ruins of Baalbek, situated 50 miles northeast

“The Great Pyramid is the crowning triumph of the Egyptian people, animmortal monument to their enthusiasm, dedication and creativity.” —SGI President Ikeda In February 1962, Soka Gakkai President Daisaku Ikeda went on his first trip to the Middle East. He arrived in Cairo, Egypt on February 6, setting foot for the first time on the

“It was from my beloved Kanagawa that I launched my first battle after becoming the Soka Gakkai’s honorary president, holding aloft the flag of truth and justice all alone.” —SGI President Ikeda Following the May 3, 1979, headquarters general meeting, SGI President Ikeda and his wife, Kaneko, went directly to the Kanagawa Culture Center, which

“To melt the Cold War’s wall of ice, I’ve decided to pursue a course of dialogue. I feel it’s important to engage leaders from both sides, East and West, in earnest discussion, as ordinary fellow human beings. Even someone wielding the greatest power and authority is still just a human being.” —SGI President Ikeda In

“In . . . the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth emerge dynamically from the earth. Their number is likened to 60,000 times the grains of sand of the Ganges River. This brilliant array of innumerable Bodhisattvas of the Earth, each leading equally innumerable retinues of followers, appears from the depths of the earth.”

“The severe food shortage [after World War II] in Japan had made many people’s hearts grow callous. Consequently, this woman’s simple kindness left a deep impression on Shin’ichi.”, —SGI President Ikeda Daisaku Ikeda was 17 years old when World War II ended, leaving Japan in ruins. Tokyo, in particular, had been subjected to nearly one