Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a lay Buddhist movement linking more than 12 million people around the world. SGI members integrate their Buddhist practice into their daily lives, following the Lotus Sutra based teachings of Nichiren, a 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest.
Just as the lotus blooms in a muddy pond, all people can manifest the Buddha nature--inner resources of courage, wisdom and compassion that can equip them to overcome life's challenges and lead happy and fulfilling lives. As "engaged Buddhists," SGI members aim to create value in any circumstances and contribute to the well-being of others. Their practice sparks a process of ongoing inner transformation and empowerment known as "human revolution." The promotion of peace, culture and education is central to SGI's activities.
The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a worldwide network of lay Buddhists dedicated to a common vision of a better world through the empowerment of the individual and the promotion of peace, culture and education. It currently consists of 84 constituent organizations and has 12 million members in 192 countries and territories worldwide. The SGI was founded on January 26, 1975, but the movement has its roots in 1930s Japan and the struggle against the thought-control of the Japanese militarist government of the time. The Buddhism practiced by SGI members is based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren and his interpretation of the Lotus Sutra.
Educational Reform (1930 - 1935)
Soka Gakkai founded
The Soka Gakkai (literally, "Society for the Creation of Value") began in 1930 as a study group of reformist educators. Its founder Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944) was an author and educator, inspired by Nichiren Buddhism and passionately dedicated to the reform of the Japanese educational system. His theory of value-creating education, which he published in book form in 1930, is centered on a belief in the unlimited potential of every individual and regards education as the lifelong pursuit of self-awareness, wisdom and development.The publication of the first volume of Makiguchi'sSoka kyoikugaku taikei (The Theory of Value-Creating Pedagogy) on November 18, 1930, marked the establishment of the Soka Gakkai.
"When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.4).
Nichiren (1222-82) established the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the way to awaken one's Buddha nature and tap into the deepest levels of our existence, on which our own lives and that of the universe are one. He first taught the invocation of the phrase to a small group at Seicho-ji temple in Awa province, Japan, on April 28, 1253.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the Lotus Sutra in Japanese pronunciation of classical Chinese characters, and so the literal meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra." As the following explanation shows, there are deeper levels of meaning attached to each element of the phrase.
Nam
Nam derives from the Sanskrit word namu, meaning "to devote oneself." Nichiren established the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a means to enable all people to put their lives in harmony or rhythm with the law of life, or Dharma. In the original Sanskrit, namu indicates the elements of action and attitude, and refers therefore to the correct action one needs to take and the attitude one needs to develop in order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.
Myoho
Myoho literally means the Mystic Law--the underlying truth or principle which governs the mysterious workings of the universe and our life from moment to moment. Myo refers to the very essence of life, which is "invisible" and beyond intellectual understanding. This essence always expresses itself in a tangible form (ho) that can be apprehended by the senses. Phenomena (ho) are changeable, but pervading all such phenomena is a constant reality known as myo. Myo also means to open, to revive, and to be fully endowed with the qualities we need to develop our lives.
Renge
Renge means lotus flower. The lotus blooms and produces seeds at the same time, and thus represents the simultaneity of cause and effect. The circumstances and quality of our individual lives are determined by the causes and effects, both good and bad, that we accumulate (through our thoughts, words and actions) at each moment. This is called our "karma." The law of cause and effect affirms that we each have personal responsibility for our own destiny. We create our destiny and we have the power to change it. The most powerful positive cause we can make is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; the effect of Buddhahood is simultaneously created in the depths of our life and will definitely manifest in time.
The lotus flower grows and blooms in a muddy pond, and yet remains pristine and free from any defilement, symbolizing the emergence of Buddhahood from within the life of an ordinary person in the midst of the struggles of day-to-day existence.
Kyo
Kyo literally means sutra, the voice or teaching of a Buddha. In this sense, it also means sound, rhythm or vibration. In a broad sense, kyo conveys the concept that all things in the universe are a manifestation of the Mystic Law.
"Nichiren regarded Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the Mystic Law, the natural principle governing the workings of life in the universe, the law to which all Buddhas are enlightened and the true aspect of our own lives. He saw the practice of repeatedly invoking this law as the 'direct path to enlightenment.' The phrase can be literally translated as 'I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law.'"
People first coming into contact with the religious practice of the Soka Gakkai International may be struck by the stress placed on the phrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." It may appear that everything starts from and returns to this single phrase. This does, however, accurately reflect Nichiren's (1222-82) view of its importance and the value he placed on its repeated invocation. As he put it: "[T]he soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." Indeed, Nichiren regarded Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the Mystic Law, the natural principle governing the workings of life in the universe, the law to which all Buddhas are enlightened and the true aspect of our own lives. He saw the practice of repeatedly invoking this law as the "direct path to enlightenment."
The Voice
Many people associate Buddhist religious practice with silent, interior meditation. But the practice of vocalizing, reciting and chanting various teachings has played a vitally important role in the history of Buddhism. To voice one's innermost conviction and vow in prayer is an intensely public act. The emphasis on audible chanting as opposed to silent meditation reflects a core stance of Nichiren's Buddhism. Rather than simply exploring and withdrawing into the private realms of the inner life, religious practice is focused on bringing forth our highest inner potential in relation to and for the benefit of our fellow humans and human society. Nichiren often quotes the words of an earlier Buddhist philosopher that "The voice does the Buddha's work."
Using our voices to express and convey the state of our inner life--whether that be one of joy, gratitude, despair or determination--is central to our identity as humans. It is likely that the quintessentially human act of "prayer" grew from such semi-instinctual pleas, cries and thanks--directed toward the inscrutable forces of nature and prior to any consciously formulated system of doctrine or belief. Likewise, it is through song, the voice, that human beings have given primary expression to their innermost feelings of--and desires for--harmony with all life. The voice serves as a vital link between ourselves, our fellow humans and a universe that is itself vibrant with the rhythms of life and death.
Nichiren viewed the Lotus Sutra, with its message that all people are capable of becoming Buddhas--that, at the deepest level, all people already are enlightened Buddhas--as the ultimate teaching of Buddhism with an enduring and universal applicability. In line with earlier schools dedicated to the Lotus Sutra, he considered the five Chinese characters of the title of the sutra--myo, ho, ren, ge, kyo--as embodying the essence of the sutra, the Mystic Law to which Shakyamuni and other Buddhas are enlightened. Thus, when on April 28, 1253, he declared that to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was to activate its promise of universal enlightenment, Nichiren was establishing a form of practice that would open the way to enlightenment for all people--regardless of class or educational background. This was borne out in the diverse range of people who gathered around Nichiren, becoming his followers and fellow practitioners; they included people with a highly developed understanding of Buddhist doctrine and history as well as farmers with little if any literacy. It is also borne out in the astonishing diversity of people practicing Nichiren Buddhism globally today.
The Mystic Law
Nichiren devoted great energy to encouraging his followers to muster profound faith that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a practice by which they can bring forth their inherent Buddha nature--strengthening their capacity for wisdom, courage, confidence, vitality and compassion--to successfully meet the challenges of daily life and establish a state of unshakable happiness in this world.
What, then, does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean? The phrase can be literally translated as "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law." In a number of his many writings--which include treatises, petitions, records of lectures as well as letters to individual believers--Nichiren delves into the deeper significance of each of the component characters.
Nam (or Namu) derives from the Sanskrit and means to venerate or dedicate oneself. (It is often translated as "hail" or "take refuge in," but from the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, with its stress on the fact that the Law is inherent in all people, this cannot be considered the optimal translation.) Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters comprising the title of the Lotus Sutra, or Saddharma Pundarika Sutra in the original Sanskrit.
Nichiren comments that the entire formulation thus fuses elements of Sanskrit and Chinese, the two great civilizations of his known world. This may be understood as expressing the universalist orientation of Nichiren Buddhism, its active embrace of human culture and civilization.
Myoho corresponds to Saddharma and may be translated as "wonderful or mystic Law." As Nichiren comments in one letter: "What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express."
Nichiren further cites three attributes of the character myo: To open, to be fully endowed, and to revive. Ho is the dharma or law, and together the two characters of myoho refer to the Mystic Law.
As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written: "The great power of the Mystic Law...embraces everything, brings out the positive possibilities of all situations, transforming everything toward the good, reviving and giving new life to all experiences."
Myo and ho are also identified by Nichiren as corresponding to life and death, which Buddhism regards as the two aspects--one active and manifest, the other latent and unseen--of a deeper life-continuum. This continuum is permeated and shaped by the law of causality, or cause and effect, which Nichiren identifies with renge, the lotus flower.
Specifically, the fact that the lotus flower already contains seeds when it opens symbolizes the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect, the idea that causes we make are engraved in the deepest, most essential realms of life, and on this plane we immediately experience the effects of our thoughts, words and deeds. In terms of Buddhist practice this means that "Anyone who practices this Law will obtain both the cause and effect of Buddhahood simultaneously." The fact that the lotus flower sends forth pure white blossoms from roots sunk deep in muddy water expresses the idea that our highest nature is brought forth through committed engagement with the often difficult or disagreeable realities of life and society.
Finally, kyo signifies the sutra, the voiced and transmitted teaching of the Buddha. The Chinese character for kyo indicates the threads that run continually through a woven fabric. Nichiren writes: "Kyo represents the words and voices of all living beings.... Kyo may also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present and future."
Elsewhere Nichiren associates each of the characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with parts of the human body: head, throat, chest, abdomen and legs, respectively. This may be understood as indicating that the mystic principle or law that guides and governs the living cosmos is in no way separate from the concrete realities of our lives.
By invoking the Mystic Law and bringing forth our highest, most enlightened nature, we naturally inspire those around us to strive toward the highest, most creative and compassionate way of life. This develops into a "virtuous circle" of mutually reinforcing celebration of the infinite dignity and value of all human beings. Nichiren uses a poetic metaphor to describe this process: "[W]hen a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. When with our mouths we chant the Mystic Law, our Buddha nature, being summoned, will invariably emerge."Seminar on Dr Daisaku Ikeda’s Peace Proposal organised in New Delhi
On August 25, 2008 Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) organised a seminar: "Harmonising Religion, Creating Peace” based on Dr Daisaku Ikeda's 2008 Peace Proposal submitted to the United Nations. The seminar was a big success with an overwhelming response and participation of over 400 members and guests. There was a general consensus about one particular aspect - a change inside would produce a change outside. Various eminent speakers articulated this aspect, sighting examples from their own line of work, personal and professional experience. |
Seminar on President Ikeda's 2008 Peace Proposal |
Harmonising Religion, Creating Peace Seminar on Dr Daisaku Ikeda’s Peace Proposal organised in New Delhi On August 25, 2008 Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) organised a seminar: "Harmonising Religion, Creating Peace” based on Dr Daisaku Ikeda's 2008 Peace Proposal submitted to the United Nations. |
The seminar was a big success with an overwhelming response and participation of over 400 members and guests. There was a general consensus about one particular aspect - a change inside would produce a change outside. Various eminent speakers articulated this aspect, sighting examples from their own line of work, personal and professional experience. |
Delivering the welcome address, Joint Secretary, IGNCA Ms Aditi Mehta congratulated the BSG for organising such a relevant topic for discussion in this current political scenario. She said "I couldn't have thought of any other issue. The IGNCA and BSG share a very strong fellow feeling underlying Ikeda's values of humanism." | |
Chairing the symposium, Former Attorney General for India, Mr Soli J. Sorabjee pointed out that even 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, India is far short of its goal and that violence and conflict find root in the glaring social and economic disparities between the haves and the have-nots. ‘In India people are beginning to loose faith in the courts, there is a need for each human to be a peaceful judge of himself to make the country peaceful and positive’, said Sorabjee stressing the need for increased tolerance and spiritual self discipline. | |
Delivering the keynote address, Dr V.N. Rajshekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, opined "I sincerely believe that the threat to peace all over the world has been caused by deprivation of one kind or the other." As an educationist, he spoke about how "value-based education can be the key to peace," Prof Pillai spoke of the need to prioritise literacy and education, and presented statistics that reflected the abysmal performance of India in both these spheres. He also spoke extensively on the need for value based and contextual education and how important it is “to review the content of education in relation to our understanding of the context of society”. Dr Pillai also shared the startling statistics related to universal education, access to primary education and the gap in university education that points to the need for greater outlays and reform in the sector. Dr Pillai stressed the need for contextual education so that students can actually apply the information and knowledge to their daily lives. |
Social activist and famous policewoman, Dr Kiran Bedi illustrated the behavioural change brought about by spirituality as experienced in police training and by the inmates of Tihar Jail based on the Vipassana system. Dr Bedi was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994 for her prison reform policies implemented in Tihar Jail, one of the largest prison complexes in the world with around 10,000 inmates. Dr Bedi stressed on the need for "powering yourself to empower others." She declared, "Religion comes into play only after one is born. Everybody feels that my God is great. And peace will come. It needs to be believed. We also yearn for peace but do we yearn for it collectively?" She emphasised Dr Ikeda’s thought that ‘it is necessary that the vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty and poor living conditions is broken in the developing nations through policies that are more people-friendly and humanistic. The Vipasanna sessions in Tihar Jail are still conducted regularly though it has been over 15 years since it was initiated. Dr Bedi shared the moving anecdote of the Norwegian under trial in Tihar who confessed to his crime and accepted the judgement handed out by the court. Thanks to the coverage by media he was able to get a pardon from the President and now supports other inmates by sending clothes and other aids regularly to Tihar Jail. |
In the closing address, Dr KK Chakravarty, Member-Secretary IGNCA co-related the work that is being done by the BSG and IGNCA. Dr KK Chakravarty, emphasised on the importance of dialogue and contextual relevance of organisations that are working towards peace and culture He talked about how IGNCA had initiated "self-policing" and was able to re-orient itself in the process. Voicing the need for tremendous inner change, he said, “To heal the planet, we need to heal ourselves. Re-invention of knowledge is an imperative.” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Delivering the vote of thanks, Ms Naveena Reddi, Director General, Bharat Soka Gakkai, reiterated the message of the seminar: that we all need to take up the challenge of the humanization of religion. The determination to respect all people that forms the bedrock of humanism brings us to see that differences of ideology, culture and ethnicity should be treated as flexible, fluid concepts that need to be constantly renegotiated so as to best serve human needs. People and not abstract principles are the protagonists of destiny. She concluded with the unforgettable words of two champions: Kim Ku, the champion of Korean independence who wanted his country to become the most beautiful country, not the richest or strongest said: What humankind today lacks is neither force of arms nor economic strength…We have already achieved a great deal in the natural sciences, making it fully possible for all people to live happily. The fundamental reason that humankind is miserable at present is the lack of humanity and justice, the lack of a spirit of compassion, the lack of love. If such a spirit could be developed, it would be possible, with the material resources existing at present, for all people on the planet to lead fulfilled lives. Jose Marti, the champion of Cuban independence who proclaimed: All people have something immense and majestic and commonly shared, something vaster than the sky, larger than the earth, brighter than the stars and deeper than the sea- the human spirit. The seminar was well covered in both the electronic and print media with Aaj Tak carrying a report on it on the night of 25th itself. Main newspapers like Pioneer, Hindu, Punjab Kesari and Rajasthan Patrika, Times of India- East Delhi plus also reported on the event bsg@bharatsokagakkai.org <bsg@bharatsokagakkai.org>
|