Empowering individuals toward positive global change

“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.”

Daisaku Ikeda, SGI President

WHAT IS SGI? The Soka Gakkai International (SGI)

is a community-based Buddhist

organization that promotes peace,

culture and education centered on

respect for the dignity of life. SGI

members uphold the humanistic

philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism

in 192 countries and territories

around the world.

Individual SGI members strive to

actualize their inherent potential while

contributing as empowered global

citizens to their local communities and

responding to the shared issues facing

humankind. The SGI’s efforts to help

build a lasting culture of peace are

based on a commitment to dialogue

and nonviolence, and the

understanding that individual

happiness and the realization of a

peaceful world are inextricably linked.

As a nongovernmental organization

with formal ties to the United Nations,

the SGI also collaborates with

other civil society organizations,

intergovernmental agencies and

faith groups in the fields of nuclear

disarmament, human rights

education, sustainable development

and humanitarian relief.

© Sarah Woollard

© Debra Williams

32

INDIA

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India, commissioned by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE

A Lotus Sutra manuscript dating from the 9th or 10th century CE

Dunhuang, in Western China, a key point on the Silk Road, home to hundreds of caves featuring early Buddhist art and statues

The teachings upheld by the SGI

belong to the tradition of Buddhist

humanism that originated with

Shakyamuni on the Indian

subcontinent. A core value is

respect for the dignity of life

and all human beings.

After awakening to the true nature of

life, Shakyamuni traveled widely,

sharing his wisdom with others. The

truth to which he was enlightened

is expounded in the Lotus Sutra, a

central teaching of Mahayana

Buddhism, which holds that

Buddhahood—characterized by

compassion, wisdom and courage—

is inherent within every person.

The teachings of the Lotus Sutra

were transmitted and developed

by Buddhist scholars and teachers

in India, China and Japan, most

notably Zhiyi (Great Teacher Tiantai)

in China and Nichiren in Japan.

In the 13th century, the Japanese

priest Nichiren expressed the essence

of the Lotus Sutra as

“Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”

He taught the practice of chanting

this phrase as a means for all

people to overcome suffering and

lead happy and fulfilled lives.

A grassroots movement with

12 million members worldwide,

the SGI is dedicated to sharing the

empowering message of the Lotus

Sutra and Nichiren in today’s world.

BUDDHIST LINEAGE

Looking toward Kamakura, Japan, where Nichiren (1222–82) lived and taught

CHINAJAPAN

“I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparagement or arrogance. Why? Because you will all practicethe bodhisattva way and will then be able to attain Buddhahood.”

The Lotus Sutra

© IOM RAS© Katsuhisa Yamada © IP_Wei/Getty Images

54

The organizational roots of the

SGI date back to 1930 in Japan,

when Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

and Josei Toda founded the

forerunner of the Soka Gakkai

(Society for the Creation of Value).

With Makiguchi as its first president,

the organization began as a group

of teachers focused on educational

reform, but later developed into

a movement dedicated to the

betterment of society through

individual inner transformation

based on Nichiren Buddhism.

Resisting pressure from Japan’s

militarist government to abandon

their religious beliefs, Makiguchi and

Toda were imprisoned as “thought

criminals” in 1943. Makiguchi died in

prison, and Toda emerged in 1945

to rebuild the Soka Gakkai, later

becoming the second president.

In 1947, amidst the chaos of postwar

Japan, Daisaku Ikeda encountered

Josei Toda-who became his mentor-

and joined the Soka Gakkai. In 1960,

Ikeda became the third president, at

the time of the emergence of a growing

membership around the world.

The Soka Gakkai International (SGI)

was officially formed in 1975 with Ikeda

as its president, linking independent

SGI organizations around the world

that embrace Buddhism while

respecting local cultures and traditions.

HISTORY

1930

Soka Gakkai established by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (r) and Josei Toda

2013

The Hall of the Great Vow, a prayer hall where SGI members renew their commitment to work for peace, opens in Tokyo

1975

The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is founded on January 26 with Daisaku Ikeda as president

1957

Josei Toda makes a declaration calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, one of the foundational guidelines for the Soka Gakkai’s peace activities

1960

Daisaku Ikeda becomes third president of the Soka Gakkai and makes his first visit to members outside Japan

“Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even thetreasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life.”

DAILY PRACTICE

The core daily Buddhist practice of

SGI members, carried out in their

own homes, is chanting the phrase

“Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and

reciting excerpts of the Lotus Sutra.

SGI members also gather for regular

local discussion meetings where they

study Buddhist principles and their

application to everyday life. Participants

in these meetings share how they have

successfully transformed their lives

and overcome challenges through their

Buddhist practice—a process known

as human revolution—inspiring others

to summon the courage to do the same.

Nichiren

© SGI-USA

© SGI-UK

76

Guided by the shared goal of

contributing to peace, culture and

education based on respect

for the dignity of life, local SGI

organizations develop activities

in line with the cultural contexts

of their respective societies.

Key are awareness-raising activities

such as exhibitions, symposiums

and conferences, as well as interfaith

dialogue and campaigns to promote

nonviolence. Other grassroots

activities include cultural events,

community outreach programs and

humanitarian relief in times of crisis.

Every year since 1983, SGI President

Daisaku Ikeda has authored peace

proposals directed toward the

international community that address

issues facing humanity, suggesting

solutions and responses

grounded in Buddhist philosophy.

Many of the themes raised in these

peace proposals are taken up by

the SGI and other NGOs, as well

as providing inspiration for the

contributions to society of individual

SGI members around the world.

BUDDHISM IN ACTION FOR PEACE

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

“Education must inspire the faith that each of us has both the power and the responsibility to effect positive change on a global scale.” Daisaku Ikeda

PEACE AND DISARMAMENT

Showing of the anti-nuclear exhibition “Everything You

Treasure—For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons”

at Casa de Asia, Havana, Cuba, 2016

INTERFAITH

Imams from China and representatives of the Malaysian

Chinese Muslim Association hold a goodwill exchange with

members of Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Perak, 2009

CULTURE

The Human Revolution Orchestra, founded by members

of SGI-UK, performs on UNESCO International Jazz Day,

London, UK, 2014

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

The SGI worked with other NGOs at the UN Office at

Geneva to help achieve adoption of the UN Declaration

on Human Rights Education and Training in 2011

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF

SGI-Nepal youth members carry out relief

activities after the 2015 earthquake

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SGI members in Cameroon engage in tree planting,

Douala, 2011

© Ludhiana/BSG

© SGM

© Simon Addinsell

© SGI-Nepal

© SGI-Cameroon

Daisaku Ikeda

98

PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES

PREAMBLE

SGI CHARTER

We, the constituent organizations and members of

the Soka Gakkai International (hereinafter called SGI),

embrace the fundamental aim and mission of contributing

to peace, culture and education based on the philosophy

and ideals of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.

We recognize that at no other time in history has

humankind experienced such an intense juxtaposition

of war and peace, discrimination and equality, poverty

and abundance as in the 20th century; that the

development of increasingly sophisticated military

technology, exemplified by nuclear weapons, has created

a situation where the very survival of the human species

hangs in the balance; that the reality of violent ethnic

and religious discrimination presents an unending cycle

of conflict; that humanity’s egoism and intemperance

have engendered global problems, including degradation

of the natural environment and widening economic

chasms between developed and developing nations,

with serious repercussions for humankind’s

collective future.

We believe that Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism,

a humanistic philosophy of infinite respect for the sanctity

of life and all-encompassing compassion, enables

individuals to cultivate and bring forth their inherent

wisdom and, nurturing the creativity of the human spirit, to

surmount the difficulties and crises facing humankind and

realize a society of peaceful and prosperous coexistence.

We, the constituent organizations and members of SGI,

therefore, being determined to raise high the banner of

world citizenship, the spirit of tolerance, and respect for

human rights based on the humanistic spirit of Buddhism,

and to challenge the global issues that face humankind

through dialogue and practical efforts based on a

steadfast commitment to nonviolence, hereby adopt this

charter, affirming the following purposes and principles:

“The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being.”

Nichiren

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos © Seikyo Shimbun

1 | SGI shall contribute to peace,

culture and education for the

happiness and welfare of all

humanity based on Buddhist

respect for the sanctity of life.

2 | SGI, based on the ideal of world

citizenship, shall safeguard

fundamental human rights and

not discriminate against any

individual on any grounds.

3 | SGI shall respect and protect

the freedom of religion and

religious expression.

4 | SGI shall promote an under-

standing of Nichiren Daishonin’s

Buddhism through grassroots

exchange, thereby contributing

to individual happiness.

5 | SGI shall, through its constituent

organizations, encourage its

members to contribute toward

the prosperity of their respective

societies as good citizens.

6 | SGI shall respect the

independence and autonomy of

its constituent organizations in

accordance with the conditions

prevailing in each country.

7 | SGI shall, based on the Buddhist

spirit of tolerance, respect other

religions, engage in dialogue and

work together with them toward

the resolution of fundamental

issues concerning humanity.

8 | SGI shall respect cultural

diversity and promote cultural

exchange, thereby creating an

international society of mutual

understanding and harmony.

9 | SGI shall promote, based

on the Buddhist ideal of

symbiosis, the protection of

nature and the environment.

10 | SGI shall contribute to the

promotion of education, in pursuit

of truth as well as the development

of scholarship, to enable all people

to cultivate their individual character

and enjoy fulfilling and happy lives.

The SGI Charter was adopted by

its Board of Directors on

October 16, 1995

1110

Soka Gakkai International

Office of Public Information

15-3 Samon-cho

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0017, Japan

Tel: +81-3-5360-9830

www.sgi.org