The New Human Revolution, vol. 21

By Daisaku Ikeda

Through this novelized history of the Soka Gakkai—one of the most dynamic, diverse, and empowering movements in the world today—readers will discover the organization's goals and achievements even as they find inspiring and practical Buddhist wisdom for living happily and compassionately in today's world. The book recounts the stories of ordinary individuals who faced tremendous odds in transforming their lives through the practice of Nichiren Buddhism and in bringing Buddhism's humanistic teachings to the world. This inspiring narrative provides readers with the principles with which they can positively transform their own lives for the better and realize enduring happiness for themselves and others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781946635563

Book preview

SGI

THE SUN of peace had risen. A new curtain had lifted on worldwide kosen-rufu. On January 26, 1975, a great wave of peace surged out from the emerald island of Guam, southernmost of the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. On that day, 158 representative members from fifty-one countries and territories assembled at the Guam International Trade Center Building for the First World Peace Conference. At the conference, the Soka Gakkai International was founded as an international body composed of member organizations around the globe, and Shin’ichi Yamamoto was appointed its president at the request of all present. It was a historic turning point toward creating a century of life and of peace.

In order to realize lasting peace for all humanity, we need to instill in people’s hearts a spirit of compassion for all living beings in accord with the Buddhist principle of the sanctity of life, which itself is based on the recognition that all life inherently possesses the supremely noble and unsurpassed life state of Buddhahood. This process is what we call kosen-rufu.

Nichiren Daishonin teaches, It is certain that widespread propagation of the Law [kosen-rufu] will eventually be achieved throughout Jambudvipa [the entire world]¹ (GZ, 816). Here he is declaring that worldwide kosen-rufu is definitely possible. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we can just sit idly by and wait for it to happen. The momentous advance of kosen-rufu can only occur if those who practice Nichiren’s teachings strive in genuine earnest to make his prediction a reality. Therefore, we should stand up as the protagonists of this endeavor, keenly aware of our lofty mission. That is what it means to rise up as Bodhisattvas of the Earth. When we do so, we begin to transform our life state, build indestructible happiness, and experience a life filled with joy.

Buddhism teaches that the entire universe exists within our hearts. It follows, then, that we should not practice faith with the attitude of a passive bystander. As Nichiren state, Such students of Buddhism are condemned as non-Buddhist (WND-1, 4). A passive life is joyless and dull, pervaded by the darkness of an empty heart.

Those assembled in Guam were leaders in their respective lands and champions who had risen up to fight for kosen-rufu based on a firm sense of mission. They were pioneers of the ideals of Soka. Each of them had stepped forward determined to work hand in hand in order to build the SGI into a strong citadel of peace that would bring together the peoples of the world.

SHORTLY PAST ELEVEN in the morning on January 26, Shin’ichi and Mineko Yamamoto arrived for the world peace conference at the Guam International Trade Center Building, a white structure located near the airport in the town of Tamuning, Guam’s economic center. The 158 representatives from fifty-one countries and territories had already gathered.

Shin’ichi began the proceedings by sitting for a commemorative photograph with all the participants. Among the group were proud members dressed in native dress. The faces of all shone with the commitment to peace. Steadfast resolve is the seed for fulfilling the great desire to realize kosen-rufu. The first step of any task is to set our minds on achieving it.

For the group photograph, Shin’ichi wore a patterned open-collar shirt in a style popularly worn on Guam. Next, he formally commended eleven representatives for their long-standing efforts to propagate Buddhism in their respective lands. Shin’ichi then hurriedly changed into a white suit.

At the entrance of the hall, a guestbook had been set up for all to sign as a record of having taken part in the memorable event. Shin’ichi also signed the guestbook, which had columns set aside for each person to write down their name and nationality. Shin’ichi signed his name, and then, in the column for nationality, he wrote, The World. Those around him were deeply moved.

As he signed the book, he fondly recalled the commitment of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, to the ideal of global citizenship. In his heart, Shin’ichi declared, Mr. Toda, I will dedicate my entire life to worldwide kosen-rufu in order to bring about happiness and peace for all humanity.

Shin’ichi had long ago rid his heart of any borders. To him, his true country was not the small island nation of Japan in eastern Asia but the world itself. In the column for nationality he wrote The World, because that represented his most genuine innermost feeling.

As the American Revolution pamphleteer Thomas Paine affirmed, My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.² Shin’ichi signed the guestbook with the resolve to serve all of humanity as a citizen of the world.

IN THE MEETING hall, a large sign depicting a stylized rendition of the globe graced the wall behind the podium. On it were written Waves of Peace and The First World Peace Conference.

Peace—this was the fervent desire of all Guamanians.

Guam was invaded by Japanese forces on December 8, 1941—the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor—and was occupied by the Japanese military on December 10. Following the U.S. victory in the Battle of the Marianas in June 1944, American forces landed on Guam July 21 to retake the island. In the fierce fighting that ensued, there were a great number of civilian casualties, in addition to the many soldiers killed on both sides. The Japanese defenders were nearly all wiped out within a matter of days; the few that survived fled into the jungles and mountains from where they would begin to wage a guerilla campaign. As they retreated, Japanese soldiers also massacred many civilians. Of the approximately twenty-one thousand Japanese soldiers deployed on the island at the start of the battle, about eighteen thousand were killed. According to some sources, about fourteen hundred American soldiers were killed in action.

The historic First World Peace Conference started at noon. It began with the selection of a conference chairperson, followed by an opening address in English by a representative member from Guam. Welcoming Shin’ichi and all the other members to the island, the Guamanian representative expressed his heartfelt joy for the holding of the peace conference. He then said, Thirty years ago, Guam was the scene of a terrible tragedy, in which countless innocent civilians lost their lives in a horrific war.

The people of Guam knew only too well that war is the greatest of all evils. The German philosopher Karl Jaspers once noted that human awareness begins with distinguishing between good and evil.³

The representative from Guam continued in earnest: We who have lived with this tragic history of Guam have a mission to call out for peace. With that determination, and with our sights set on this auspicious day, we have put our full effort into sharing with others the Buddhist philosophy of happiness and peace.

When we stand up to take action for kosen-rufu, we can achieve a dramatic elevation of our life state, an inner transformation, and a change of destiny.

THE VOICE of the Guamanian representative resonated with joy: To commemorate this First World Peace Conference, and in accordance with our activities for peace, the government of Guam has designated January 26, 1975, as World Peace Day. It is with immense joy that, from this day, we will spread waves of peace from Guam to the entire world. Friends from around the globe, let us together take this first step toward world peace.

The hall shook with applause. Members from Japan and the United States unexpectedly rose to their feet to give a standing ovation. These cheers symbolized a pledge for peace by the two countries that had once fought each other on Guam, and representatives from around the world joined in the applause. The island of Guam had become a starting point for world peace.

As Nichiren Daishonin states: There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds (WND-1, 4). Through changing our inner attitude or resolve, we are able to transform everything, including our communities, our societies, our nations, and the entire world.

Shin’ichi first conceived the idea of holding a world peace conference and establishing an international Buddhist organization during his visit to Hawaii in April 1974. At that time, he spoke with members from Guam. Through their exchange of views, Shin’ichi resolved to somehow make Guam, a place that had suffered so terribly from the ravages of war, into a beacon for global peace.

Karma is another name for mission. Those places that have experienced the brutality of war have a mission to send out great waves of peace.

Shin’ichi spoke to top leaders of the American Soka Gakkai about his idea for holding a world peace conference on Guam. When the central figure of the organization in Guam heard of this plan from one of the American leaders, he expressed his wholehearted support. He strongly requested that the worldwide peace conference be held on Guam so that his island could initiate a current for peace.

After securing the agreement of representatives of various countries, it was decided to hold the First World Peace Conference on Guam.

AFTER THE OFFICIAL opening of the conference, messages from leading thinkers from around the globe were read, including words from Aurelio Peccei, cofounder of the Club of Rome; Juan de Dios Guevara Romero, the rector of the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru; University of Hong Kong Vice Chancellor Rayson Huang; and United States congressional representatives. There was also a message from Prasanta Pal, the eldest son of the Indian jurist Radhabinod Pal, who provided a dissenting judgment at the Tokyo war crimes tribunal following World War II. Offering his best wishes for the conference’s success, Prasanta Pal suggested that the continued survival of humanity hinges on human beings changing the ideals they uphold and asserted that the teachings of Buddhism and the principles of nonviolence provide the only means to achieving lasting global peace.

Many leading thinkers earnestly longed for the Buddhist teaching of human revolution.

Next, a representative from the United Kingdom took the podium to give a progress report. The tall man spoke emphatically: Dear friends from around the world! It is our greatest pleasure that 158 representatives from fifty-one countries and territories have gathered here in Guam, a land of peace, for our First World Peace Conference. Congratulations!

His words were greeted with enthusiastic applause.

"This gathering is a historic conference, for it is the first time that we, as representatives of all those who embrace Nichiren Buddhism throughout the world, have met together. Transcending our differences in race, ethnicity, and customs, we are holding this conference today as a first step toward establishing a true and lasting global peace by promoting mutual understanding among countries through person-to-person and life-to-life exchange based on the foundation of shared faith.

The theme of the conference is ‘Waves of Peace.’ Let us take this idea deeply to heart and rouse a tremendous groundswell for peace in the twenty-first century!

The speaker had been a major in the British army during World War II. When the Japanese military launched the Imphal Campaign in 1944 in an attempt to invade India, he endured a fierce defensive struggle that left an indelible impression on him of the full brutality of war.

The U.K. representative put his whole heart into urging his listeners to carry out the struggle to create a peaceful world. He radiated the nobility of a genuine champion of peace. As the French author George Sand once wrote, It has often been said that a beautiful passion expands the soul.⁴

THE FACE of the U.K. representative glistened with perspiration as he continued speaking at the podium: "The fundamental obstacles to peace and prosperity right now are the evils of egotism and arrogance that lie deep within the hearts of human beings in all nations. Buddhism has the power to conquer the diabolic nature that erodes and consumes the human spirit.

The dark clouds of such global problems as armed conflict and pollution loom large before us all. In order to deal with these issues effectively, we need to build a broad-based international network of individuals working together over the long term in a movement that transcends old frameworks.

We have so far exerted ourselves in close cooperation so that we may achieve such unity and meet the demands of the times. Until now, while respecting the individuality and independence of each national organization, we have established the Soka Gakkai European Conference, the Soka Gakkai Pan-American League, and the Southeast Asian Buddhist Cultural Council. However, we believe that we must go even further to expand our solidarity to include the entire world. To this end, I formally propose to this conference the formation of a global organization that will be called the International Buddhist League.

Noting that volunteers in various countries had held preparatory subcommittee meetings, he affirmed that seventy-four countries and territories had expressed an interest in joining.

He also outlined the objectives of the International Buddhist League: "The aim of the IBL is that we, based on Nichiren Buddhism, will contribute to the welfare and prosperity of our respective countries, and that at the same time, through cooperation and partnership, we may pool our wisdom together so that we can contribute to the friendship and welfare of all people and achieve global peace.

For this purpose, we propose that the IBL carry out the following resolutions: (1) to initiate and promote various events for the attainment of world peace; (2) to keep in close communication, encourage mutual support, and coordinate various activities among our constituent organizations throughout the world; (3) to promote cultural exchanges and friendship among all nations.

The U.K. representative then nominated a number of delegates to serve as chairperson, secretary-general, and other positions within the IBL. All in attendance offered a round of applause to express their approval of the establishment of the organization and the appointment of its leaders.

Now that you have all given your approval, I am able to declare on your behalf that the International Buddhist League is officially inaugurated today as an international peace organization that will offer a beacon of hope to illuminate humanity’s future. Congratulations!

The role of a universal religion is to realize peace. Religion’s proper course is to support the kind of humanitarian competition that seeks the best for all society.

FOLLOWING THE PROGRESS report, the American representative who had been selected as chairperson of the IBL stood up to speak. He recommended the appointment of Soka Gakkai president Shin’ichi Yamamoto as league president and Nichiren Shoshu high priest Nittatsu as its honorary president. The delegates showed their mutual agreement with vigorous applause.

The speaker’s voice rang out: Next, on behalf of President Yamamoto’s disciples around the world, I would like to ask that he lead our global peace movement as president of the Soka Gakkai International. As this is our unanimous request, I hope he will accept. What do you think?

The delegates all rose at once and burst into long, sustained applause. Shin’ichi stood up and bowed to the members. Cheers again erupted throughout the hall, growing into a rousing ovation. The speaker turned to Shin’ichi and exclaimed, President Yamamoto, please carry on the leadership of our movement!

On that day, on that occasion, through the collective will of the representatives from around the world, the SGI emerged as the united global organization of the Soka Gakkai, with Shin’ichi at the helm.

The SGI and the IBL shared the same objectives—to contribute to the realization of both peace and the prosperity of all nations and societies. In addition, the SGI also would have the roles of spreading understanding of the ideals of Nichiren Buddhism and leading and supporting faith-related activities to help members gain a correct grasp of Buddhism and develop their faith and practice. Another function of the SGI would be to send guidance leaders to constituent organizations around the world and conduct training courses, seminars, and various ceremonies and events as needed. While providing sound advice based on Nichiren Buddhism for the realization of the goals of happiness and peace for all, the SGI would also be an organization that gave its members inspiration in faith and maintained the vibrant pulse of the Soka Gakkai spirit, the driving force of its activities. The formation of such an organization was something for which members around the globe had long hoped and dreamed.

UP TO THAT point, Soka Gakkai organizations in various countries and territories had formed cooperative networks on several continents so as to facilitate collective efforts aimed at building peace and happiness based on Buddhism and promoting cultural exchange. This included the establishment of the European Conference in Europe, the Pan-American League in North and South America, and the Southeast Asian Buddhist Cultural Council in Asia. However, members around the world wished to further expand these organizations and establish an international body that would bring all the continents together as one. Shin’ichi was also keenly aware of the need for such an all-encompassing body.

Many of the problems facing humanity—from the threat of nuclear war to the ongoing destruction of the natural environment, discrimination, poverty, and hunger—transcended national and regional boundaries and thus required a global response. And Buddhists have a mission to rid the world of misery and suffering. This is why Shin’ichi believed that it was absolutely essential to establish an international organization.

After it had been decided in spring 1974 to hold the First World Peace Conference on Guam, preparations began so that the establishment of an international umbrella organization could be announced at the conference. At first, preparatory work was carried out by the staff of the International Center in Tokyo, the office that had the task of supporting overseas members. A World Peace Conference Planning Committee comprising representatives from around the world was convened in November, and the responsibility of preparing for the establishment of an international organization was shifted to that body. It was decided that this international organization would be the IBL, and a provisional mission statement was drafted that read: The purpose of the IBL, a body rooted in the ideals of Nichiren Buddhism, is to pool together the wisdom of its constituent organizations and members so that they may contribute to the peace and prosperity of their respective countries as well as support through cooperation and partnership the peace, friendship, and welfare of people all around the globe.

The proposed role of the IBL was to serve as a mutual support organization that would assist constituent bodies throughout the world. But the committee members felt that this was not enough. What they really wanted was an organization that could provide sound guidance in faith while recognizing the autonomy of the organizations and groups in each country. They hoped it would be an organization they could fully depend and rely upon to help them promote a correct understanding of Nichiren Buddhism.

IN COUNTRIES around the world, members had a strong desire to learn more about faith and Buddhism and to receive guidance related to personal problems, Buddhist activities, and various other matters. This was all the more true in cases where local organizational leaders were relatively new in faith and did not have much experience conducting Buddhist activities. Also, leaders in many countries and territories were beginning to notice that in order to effectively promote and spread understanding of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings, they needed to inherit the Soka Gakkai spirit and the mentor-disciple bond evident among the organization’s first three presidents.

One member of the peace conference planning committee, a representative from Southeast Asia, thought hard about what is most essential to thoroughly convey the spirit of Buddhist humanism. He reflected on the history of the Soka Gakkai: First Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi valiantly upheld the correct teachings of Nichiren Daishonin in a struggle against the oppression of Japan’s military authorities, eventually dying in prison for his beliefs. And second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda accompanied President Makiguchi to prison, where he had the realization that the Buddha is life itself. Buddhism had been previously regarded as somehow divorced from everyday affairs, but through this realization, it began to shine as a philosophy of life and was revived in the modern age. Mr. Toda also awakened to his own intrinsic identity as a Bodhisattva of the Earth and his eternal mission to strive for the happiness of all humanity. Based on his having realized and embraced the essential truth of the passage from the Lotus Sutra—‘Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers’ (LSOC, 178)—President Toda taught that the correct path of Buddhism is the shared commitment of mentor and disciple to dedicate their lives to kosen-rufu. Moreover, he identified the concept of establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land as the underlying spirit of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings and an indication of the social mission of Buddhist practitioners. This led President Toda to uphold the ideal of global citizenship and consistently call out for world peace, such as in his famous Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.

From this, the representative from Southeast Asia came to the conclusion that one could not correctly uphold the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin or open the way to peace and happiness for others without internalizing the spirit and practice of the successive presidents as evident in their bonds as mentor and disciple.

The lifeblood of kosen-rufu and its global expansion is to be found in the path of mentor and disciple embodied by the Soka Gakkai’s successive presidents.

THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN representative continued to think on the matter: Third Soka Gakkai president Shin’ichi Yamamoto has inherited the spirit of the first two presidents and is practicing true to their teachings, realizing all their visions. And through President Yamamoto, we have come to know the spirit shared by Presidents Makiguchi and Toda and have been able to gain a true understanding of Nichiren Buddhism. Furthermore, President Yamamoto has sown the seeds for worldwide kosen-rufu and inspired hope-filled progress in various countries and territories. His guidance and encouragement have provided the nourishment by which members in every organization around the globe have developed into capable leaders, thus achieving historic development of the kosen-rufu movement in their respective countries and territories. Therefore, if we are to create a worldwide umbrella organization, it must be a body that is guided by President Yamamoto and carries on the spirit of the Soka Gakkai.

He then communicated these thoughts to the other representatives on the peace conference planning committee.

A committee member from South America replied: I have been thinking the same thing. Of the various organizations that have been established outside of Japan, none have Soka Gakkai in their name. I feel this is a sign that the Soka Gakkai spirit has been forgotten and that emphasis on the shared bond of mentor and disciple dedicated to kosen-rufu has been watered down. We cannot allow that to happen.

At the time, hardly anyone overseas recognized Soka Gakkai as the name of a Buddhist organization. Of the few people who had heard of the name, most mistook it for a political group because the Clean Government Party was formed in Japan with the Soka Gakkai as its main support organization. In order to prevent any problems from arising due to these inaccurate perceptions, use of the name Soka Gakkai had been avoided when formally establishing organizations overseas. For example, the organization in Hong Kong was officially called Hong Kong Buddhist Nichiren Shoshu so as to clearly indicate that it was a Buddhist group.

The South American representative continued: To carry out the mission of kosen-rufu, I believe that it is essential to live true to the Soka Gakkai spirit. The vitality of the Soka Gakkai spirit is the source of everything.

The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote, Bounteous fortunes and mighty empires are all eventually reduced to dust, but spiritual wealth has everlasting value.⁵

NEXT, A EUROPEAN representative began to speak with conviction: "Before I joined, I thought that Buddhism was basically a relic of the past or, at best, an aid for calming the mind. But President Yamamoto has taught us that Buddhism teaches the sanctity of life and is fundamentally a philosophy for peace, and he has shown us that it reveals the path of human revolution. Also, he has pointed out to us the principle that social change hinges on personal transformation.

In other words, President Yamamoto has explained the truths of Buddhism in a manner that the people of today can readily comprehend, and that is why the worldwide expansion of kosen-rufu has been possible.

That’s true, said a representative from the United States. "And by founding numerous educational and