CategoryQ&A

A: First of all, it’s critical that you observe all the medical guidance by 1) staying at home as much as possible, 2) wearing a mask when you have contact with anyone out- side your household, 3) washing your hands frequently and 4) maintaining social distancing. The ABC Campaign—Abundant chanting, Buddhist study and Connect life-to-life—is

A: The value—or, if you like, the quality—of a 100-dollar bill is more than a 10-dollar bill. Naturally, most people would prefer a 100-dollar bill, right?Similarly, in faith, sincere, strong prayers are important. Of course, having lots of 100-dollar bills is even better! Likewise, in chanting Nam- myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, both quantity and quality

A. It must have been very hard for you. You must have really suffered. But you have the Gohonzon, haven’t you? Faith is the power to survive. … Whether you [go back] is something that you must decide for yourself. However, as you already know, happiness will not necessarily be waiting for you there. Unless

Ikeda Sensei: To get right to the point, it boils down to making a decision to do your best in everything and then having the determination not to retreat a single step. In severe circumstances, people tend to give up all too easily. They are convinced that the situation is hopeless before even considering what

A: Don’t worry! The times when you are suffering and struggling in that way, chanting [Nam-myoho-renge-kyo], taking action and working really hard, are the greatest opportunities for you to do your human revolution and make headway in changing your karma. There’s no need to be anxious or impatient. This is the time to surely and

A: Everything that happens in our lives has meaning. Moreover, the way of life of practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism is to find and discover meaning in all things. Nothing is insignificant. Whatever a person’s karma may be, it definitely has profound meaning. This is not just a matter of outlook. Changing the world starts by

A: Many dictionaries define prayer as a request or petition to a higher power. Based on this common understanding, prayer can seem passive. Nichiren Daishonin redefined prayer as a rigorous effort to reveal our innate enlightement— and to help others do the same. For instance, he states that his “determination has perhaps acted as a

A: The straight and simple answer is, Yes! Ikeda Sensei asserts, “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.” Human revolution is another way to express bringing forth our Buddhahood. It

A: While there are many reasons to study Buddhism, Ikeda Sensei in an essay points to three. (see February 2020 Living Buddhism, p. 60). Someone diagnosed with a terminal illness, may think: I’m sincerely practicing Buddhism. Why did this happen to me? In such critical times, studying Buddhism helps us quickly transform our doubts and

A: No matter how wonderful our dreams, how noble our ideals or how high our hopes, ultimately we need courage to make them a reality. We can come up with the greatest ideas or plans in the world or be filled with boundless compassion for others, but it will all come to nothing unless we

A: Every family is different, so there is no one approach that fits all. But I think we can say it’s important to ensure that a child does not feel inferior to others. It is unnecessary for single-parent families to try to imitate families where both parents are present. There may be times when a

On Aug. 14, 1957, 10 years to the day since meeting Josei Toda, Ikeda Sensei was in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, attending to his ailing mentor. They discussed how Mr. Toda would compose his Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, which he delivered a month later on Sept. 8. This declaration became his final injunction,

A: Humanity today faces a whirlwind of complex issues and divisiveness for which there may not be quick or clear solutions. Buddhism teaches valuable principles for broadening our perspectives and creating the greatest value and results amid complicated challenges and hardships. For instance, in his writings, Nichiren Daishonin teaches the foundational concepts of the “three

A: Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the primary practice of Nichiren Buddhism. It activates the power inherent in ourselves and all phenomena. Gongyo is the secondary practice, which consists of reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra’s “Expedient Means” and “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapters, coupled with chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Doing gongyo is our declaration to

Looking at what’s happening in our society today may stir up a vast spectrum of emotions—from pain, anger, disgust and confusion to righteousness, compassion, optimism and determination. Nichiren Buddhism teaches that rather than being swayed by the ups and downs of life, we can become strong, resilient individuals driven by the desire to improve our

A: The concise answer to this question is: No. This is because our efforts to establish happiness and peace throughout the world come down to an ongoing struggle to transform the hearts and minds of all people, to help them win over their negative tendencies and to bring forth their inherent goodness. Nichiren Daishonin outlined the

The following discussion between the late historian and civil rights champion Vincent Harding and Daisaku Ikeda offers insight into this question. These excerpts are taken from the book America Will Be! Conversations on Hope, Freedom, and Democracy, (pp. 85-88). Daisaku Ikeda: Before [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] encountered [Mahatma] Gandhi’s philosophy, he had thought that

A: People everywhere facing similar challenges with the coronavirus pandemic make the ideal of “global citizenship” all the more relevant. It is often easier to focus on differences of race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, gender and the like. However, the Buddhist perspective on global citizenship underscores our shared commonalities, with the happiness of all people as

Amid the stay-at-home orders to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic, we may feel restricted by what we are unable to do. Buddhism, however, teaches that regardless of our circumstances, our hearts can remain free. When we offer hope to others, we break through the narrow confines of our personal concerns and expand our

In the following excerpt from The New Human Revolution, SGI President Ikeda, who appears in the novel as Shin’ichi Yamamoto, offers guidance to student division members about transforming personality traits through Buddhist practice. “Unless we bring out the best sides of our character and inner tendencies, they can often become the cause of unhappiness. We