CategoryThe Brilliant Path of Worldwide Kosen-rufu

Chapter Summary After departing India, Shin’ichi Yamamoto arrived in Hong Kong on February 16, 1979. There, he participated in a conference with Southeast Asia members, a cultural festival and various other events before returning to Japan on February 20. Then, in early March, a Soka Gakkai vice president made careless remarks directed at the priesthood,

Chapter Summary Having become honorary Soka Gakkai president, Shin’ichi Yamamoto dedicated himself to encouraging the members. And to open a path to world peace, he met with many diplomats and leading thinkers from numerous countries. In August 1979, Soka Gakkai International members from 41 countries and three territories traveled to Japan. As SGI president, Shin’ichi

Chapter Summary On April 21, 1980, Shin’ichi Yamamoto arrived in China, his fifth visit to the country. After completing his nine-day trip, he flew into Nagasaki in southwest Japan on April 29 to visit the members there. He was determined to launch a fresh struggle to open a new way forward for kosen-rufu. He traveled

Chapter Summary On May 16, 1981, Shin’ichi Yamamoto arrived in West Germany, having departed the Soviet Union earlier that day. Two days later, at the Frankfurt Community Center, he encouraged members at a meeting commemorating the 20th anniversary of kosen-rufu in Germany. On May 20, he made his first visit to Bulgaria. The next day,

This installment, published in the June 16, 2021, Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that Ikeda Sensei discusses in volume 30 of The New Human Revolution. Passage 1 “Neither non-Buddhists nor the enemies of Buddhism can destroy the correct teaching of the Thus Come One, but the Buddha’s disciples definitely can. As

by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda

Chapter Summary On October 10, 1978, Shin’ichi Yamamoto met John Kenneth Galbraith, an economist and professor emeritus at Harvard University. The two formed a friendship at this meeting through their frank exchange of ideas. The next day, Shin’ichi traveled to Osaka’s Joto Ward to attend a meeting commemorating the 700th anniversary of the Atsuhara Persecution,

Chapter Summary On November 18, 1978, Shin’ichi Yamamoto spoke at the headquarters leaders meeting marking the 48th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding. Mentioning that the first series of Seven Bells would conclude the following year, he discussed his outlook on the future. The following day, he issued a proposal in which he discussed themes

Chapter Summary In early 1979, Shin’ichi traveled to Tohoku on a guidance trip. Attending a January 12 meeting to commemorate the opening of Mizusawa Culture Center in Iwate prefecture, he encouraged everyone to become pillars of society. Many attending this 1979 meeting went on many years later to play key roles in helping fellow community

Chapter Summary Shin’ichi Yamamoto arrived in Hong Kong on February 3, 1979. The next day he made his first visit to the Kowloon Community Center where he attended a meeting commemorating the 18th anniversary of kosen-rufu activities in the territory. After midnight on February 6, he arrived in New Delhi, India. Later that afternoon, he

This installment, published in the May 19, 2021, Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that Ikeda Sensei discusses in volume 29 of The New Human Revolution. The official English translation of volume 29 will be published at a later date. As such, these excerpts are subject to later revisions. Passage 1 “Always

by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda

Chapter Summary On June 28, 1978, Shin’ichi Yamamoto began writing lyrics for the new student division song. Meanwhile, unwarranted attacks on the Soka Gakkai by the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood intensified. Aiming to give hope and courage to his fellow members, Shin’ichi began composing Soka Gakkai songs. The student division song “Onward to Kosen-rufu” debuted at

Chapter Summary At a commemorative leaders meeting at the Shikoku Training Center on July 25, 1978, Shin’ichi Yamamoto spoke about the essence of the Soka philosophy of humanism explaining that ordinary people inherently possess the Buddha nature. He expressed his great hope that many capable people emerge from the Shikoku region. The next day, he

Chapter Summary On September 11, 1978, Shin’ichi Yamamoto departed on his fourth trip to China. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People’s Republic of China had recently been signed in August. On this trip and in this new era of Sino-Japanese relations, he sought to broaden the ties between the two

Chapter Summary On October 7, 1978, representatives from 120 islands throughout Japan assembled at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters for the first Outlying Islands Headquarters General Meeting. Ahead of this gathering, Shin’ichi had poured his all into encouraging chapter leaders from Okinawa as well as representatives from other islands. Members living on various islands throughout Japan

This installment, published in the April 22, 2021, Seikyo Shimbun, focuses on passages from Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that Ikeda Sensei discusses in volume 28 of The New Human Revolution. The official English translation of volume 28 will be published at a later date. As such, these excerpts are subject to later revisions. Passage 1 “If

by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda

Chapter Summary Tokyo Soka Elementary School opened on April 9, 1978, with a festive mood pervading its first entrance ceremony. After the ceremony, the school’s founder, Shin’ichi Yamamoto, took group photos and planted trees with the students to mark the occasion. The previous day, he had toured the campus and engaged in conversations with teachers

Chapter Summary In 1978, many young Nichiren Shoshu priests intensified their attacks on the Soka Gakkai and its members. With the start of the Soka Gakkai’s second phase of worldwide kosen-rufu in 1972, Shin’ichi Yamamoto had been steadily opening the way for global kosen-rufu, centered on developing a study movement in the organization focused on