Soka Gakkai

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Sōka Gakkai (創価学会^?) ("Value-Creation Society") is a new religious movement, more precisely a modern Japanese “new religion” derived from Nichiren Buddhism. It was formed in 1930 and is closely associated with the New Komeito, an influential Japanese political party^[1].

Sōka Gakkai International (SGI), the umbrella organization, was founded in 1975 and characterizes its organization as both a support network for practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism and as a global movement for peace education and cultural exchange.

Sōka Gakkai and SGI are both frequently criticized and praised.^[2][3] Its president is Daisaku Ikeda, who the organization says has received honorary doctorates from over 250 academic institutions.^[4]

History

Sōka Gakkai was founded as the Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai (創価教育学会, lit. "Value-Creation Education Society") on November 18, 1930 by Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and his colleague Josei Toda. Makiguchi sought to reform Japan's militaristic education system into a more humanistic one that would support the full development and potential of Japan's youth. His ideas on education, and his theory of value-creation (創価, sōka), are explored in his 1930 work Sōka Kyōikugaku Taikei (創価教育学体系, The Theory of Value-Creating Pedagogy). In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, he found a religious philosophy that reflected his educational theories, which led to the establishment of the Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai. Eventually, the focus of the organization began to shift, as Makiguchi came to the conclusion that the practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism itself could allow each individual to develop their potential within and attain Buddhahood. However, Makiguchi and Toda's thinking was in direct conflict with the goals of the state. When the Japanese government more rigorously enforced Shinto's position as the state religion (State Shinto) with the enactment of the Religious Organizations Law of 1939, a move designed to impose stricter governmental controls over religions,^[5] and began to demand that all citizens enshrine Shinto talismans in their homes^[6] Makiguchi, Toda, and 18 other Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai members resisted, refusing the talismans. For refusing to cooperate with the government by compromising their religious beliefs, the two educators were sent to prison. Makiguchi died there at age 73; Toda was later released and, after World War II, rebuilt the organization, renaming it Sōka Gakkai to reflect the extension of its membership beyond educators only. Over the years, the Sōka Gakkai experienced a period of rapid growth in Japan. An organization, Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA, later also called Nichiren Shoshu Academy, Nichirenshoshu Sōkagakkai of America, and finally Sōka Gakkai International – USA), was formally organized in the United States on October 13, 1960. Today, Sōka Gakkai International and Nichiren Shoshu have parted ways. SGI now has a membership of somewhere between 100,000 to 300,000 practitioners in the United States.^[7] Sōka Gakkai International (SGI) was founded in 1975 as the International Buddhist League to act as the international leadership of national Sōka Gakkai organizations.

From the 13th century until the 20th century, Nichiren Shoshu was practiced almost exclusively in Japan. Sōka Gakkai emerged as the largest lay organization of Nichiren Buddhist practitioners and today, Sōka Gakkai membership accounts for nearly 10 percent of Japan's population.^[8]

When religious freedom took hold in Japan following World War II, Sōka Gakkai began to spread Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, initially across the country, then eventually across the globe, as practitioners relocated from Japan and as non-Japanese practitioners returned to their home countries, taking the practice with them. In response, Sōka Gakkai began to develop a program of international outreach. In 1960, Ikeda, then third president of Sōka Gakkai, made a journey that took him from Japan to the United States, Brazil and Canada. During this trip he met practitioners in each of these countries and began laying the foundation for what would later become Sōka Gakkai International. In 1975, SGI was formally founded, with Daisaku Ikeda as its president.

Even though SGI was initially affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu, the two groups are becoming more and more distinct. SGI's primary purpose is to provide a supporting organization for its practitioners. On its website, SGI defines its purpose as follows.

For SGI members, Buddhism is a practical philosophy of individual empowerment and inner transformation that enables people to develop themselves and take responsibility for their lives. As lay believers and engaged Buddhists, SGI members strive in their everyday lives to develop the ability to live with confidence, to create value in any circumstances and to contribute to the well-being of friends, family and community. The promotion of peace, culture and education is central to SGI's activities.

Sōka Gakkai International

Daisaku Ikeda has led SGI since the death of Second President Josei Toda in 1958. A disciple of Toda, Ikeda succeeded him in 1960 as Sōka Gakkai president and became president of the larger Sōka Gakkai International upon its creation in 1975.

Ikeda is, however, a controversial figure.^[9] For example, prior to 1979, many SGI leaders implied that Ikeda was equal to or superseded Nichiren as the True Buddha and suggested that a novel ostensibly authored by Ikeda, the Human Revolution, was the gosho (holy scripture) of the present age, the gosho being Nichiren's writings.^[10] When he challenged the Nichiren Shoshu clergy on doctrinal grounds, his challenge was considered an act of heresy, particularly by a priesthood that viewed and asserted itself as the ultimate authority in Nichiren Shoshu doctrine. In April 1979 Ikeda resigned his positions as Sōka Gakkai president as well as head of all Nichiren Shoshu lay organizations (Hokkekō Sōkōtō) to apologize for his organization's deviations from Nichiren Shoshu doctrine (which Sōka Gakkai was bound to observe by its contemporary rules of incorporation) and the ensuing turmoil.^[11]

Sōka Gakkai members suggest that Ikeda's resignation was the action of a man who did not want to be responsible for creating a rift among the practitioners. Regardless of the rationale, however, a division between the followers of Nichiren Shoshu, and those who aligned themselves with Ikeda's positions, did occur, and it continues to be a source of controversy and discord amongst practitioners. Shortly after giving up the organization's presidency, Ikeda became honorary chairman of Sōka Gakkai in part as a response to Sōka Gakkai members' dissatisfaction with his vacating of the presidency. As of January 2008 Ikeda remains honorary chairman of Sōka Gakkai and president of SGI.

Split with the priesthood

The Hokkekō, the traditional lay group associated with Nichiren Shoshu, experienced a spurt of fast growth in the early to mid 1990s following a split between the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and Soka Gakkai over doctrinal and practical differences. Friction between the two surfaced as 1990 drew to a close, sparking an inflow of Soka Gakkai members into Hokkekō that accelerated for a while after Nichiren Shoshu stripped Soka Gakkai of its status as a lay organization on November 28, 1991.^[12] Though Nichiren Shoshu still considered individual Soka Gakkai members as lay followers until a rule change in 1997,^[13] most mistakenly believed that they had been excommunicated along with the Soka Gakkai organization.^[14] Hokkekō growth has since slowed substantially but is now more organic. Hokkekō is not affiliated with any political organizations.

The fundamental practice of Sōka Gakkai and SGI members is derived from Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, a form of Nichiren Buddhism.^[15] However, due to a number of ongoing issues and doctrinal disputes that between the priesthood and the leadership of Sōka Gakkai, Nichiren Shoshu withdrew Sōka Gakkai's and SGI's statuses as lay organizations in November 1991.^[16] SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was excommunicated in 1992. Until 1991, Sōka Gakkai had been a lay organization closely affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu, and members retained their temple membership as individuals. On November 30, 1997, these Sōka Gakkai and SGI members lost their standing as temple members unless they renounced their affiliation with Sōka Gakkai and SGI, as per a change to the Nichiren Shoshu bylaws decided two months earlier.^[14]

SGI and Nichiren Shoshu are now independent of one another. For more on the background, history and views of the Sōka Gakkai International and Nichiren Shoshu split, see the external links below.

Doctrine

Nichiren (日蓮) (1222–1282) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who, having studied the entirety of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings and the commentaries of the leading Buddhist scholars of the day, proclaimed that the Lotus Sutra was the ultimate teaching of Shakyamuni and that, in Shakyamuni's own words, it was the one true teaching. Nichiren declared that the title of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-Renge-Kyo, crystallized the essence of the sutra and that therefore the invocation Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enabled a practitioner to embrace the entirety of the teaching and to thereby manifest the life-condition of Buddhahood. A key passage in the Lotus Sutra explains that every individual possesses this life-condition, albeit as a latent Buddha nature. The essence of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin taught, was that all men and women, regardless of social class, are inherently endowed with this Buddha nature and could therefore attain Buddhahood. "Nichiren" is a name he chose for himself when he embarked on spreading his teaching on April 28, 1253. It literally means "Sun Lotus". The word "Daishonin" is an honorific title meaning "great holy man" as practitioners believe him to be the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

Nichiren taught that by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon (御本尊)—a mandala he inscribed with Chinese and Sanskrit characters representing the enlightened life of the True Buddha—anyone can bring forth her or his inherent Buddha nature and become enlightened. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism taught that Buddhahood is not a static state of being, but exists in mutual possession of other states of being (referred to as the Ten Worlds). This concept is better known as ichinen sanzen, the Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life. Therefore, practitioners believe that Buddhism must be practiced not in a land or a mystic state, but in each person's daily life. This is experienced as the result of continuous effort to engage one's highest life condition, or Buddha nature, to overcome the inevitable obstacles and struggles we all face. In so doing, one establishes an unshakable state of happiness characterized by peace, wisdom, and compassion, and this ultimately permeates every aspect of one's life. In accord with the Buddhist concept of eshō funi, the oneness of person and environment, each individual has the power to then positively affect the environment around him or her. SGI practitioners call this process a "human revolution." Nichiren Daishonin argued that when and if human beings fully embraced his teachings, the peace they would develop within would eventually be reflected in the environment as peace in society at large.

Practice

The basic practice of SGI members is based on faith, practice, and study. Faith entails chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—Nam is derived from Sanskrit word namaskar which means to salute or a formal greeting like Hello—daily and reciting gongyo (the Expedient Means and Life Span Chapters of the Lotus Sutra). The duration of chanting tends to depend upon the individual member; typically it will start off minimal (5 to 10 minutes morning and evening), but long term practitioners frequently chant for at least half an hour or an hour morning and evening. Some members will occasionally chant daimoku tōsō ("chanting struggle"), which is extended chanting over several hours in a single day.

Practice involves chanting as described above, plus participation in the community and sharing Buddhist practice with others. Study is the dedication of some part of ones life to the reading of important Buddhist teachings, most important among them the study of the collected writings of Nichiren Daishonin, called gosho. Many gosho have been compiled in a two volume edition in English, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin I and II. These translations are based on a Japanese volume called Nichiren Daishōnin Gosho Zenshū (The complete works of Nichiren Daishonin), which was compiled by 59th Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nichiko Hori and published by Sōka Gakkai in 1952. Translations are available in, or are being undertaken into, other languages. Additional reading materials include the Lotus Sutra, the writings of Daisaku Ikeda, and other writers and scholars of the Lotus Sutra and of Nichiren Buddhism. In North America, there is a weekly newspaper, the World Tribune, and a monthly Buddhist journal, Living Buddhism.

Followers of Sōka Gakkai and SGI believe that chanting energizes and refreshes the practitioner both spiritually and mentally, leaving him or her happier, wiser, more compassionate, more productive, and more prosperous in all areas of their lives. Chanting is also believed to have a positive impact on the world at large.

Sōka Gakkai and SGI's other constituent organizations hold regular grassroots gatherings known as discussion meetings. Available on a monthly basis, they are usually held in members' homes. Important events, monthly World Peace Prayers (Kosen Rufu Gongyo), commemorative meetings, and monthly study meetings are usually held in SGI community centers (larger centers are usually called culture centers). SGI claims 13 million members worldwide —10 million in Japan and 3 million elsewhere—especially in the United States, Brazil, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

SGI charter

Sōka Gakkai's official charter reads:

Purposes and Principles

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 understanding of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism through grass-roots 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.

Reception

Sōka Gakkai, the Japanese organization, has a reputation for involvement in Japan's political arena. Though officially the two are separate, it is closely affiliated with the New Komeito, a major political party in Japan. Though SGI and New Komeito both publicly deny any relationship, and declare that they are separate organizations,^[17] it is still widely reported and believed that Sōka Gakkai in effect controls New Komeito.^[18]

Another point of contention concerns SGI's application of the principle of oneness of mentor and disciple. In the Lotus Sutra, the principle teaching for Nichiren Buddhists and SGI members, the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship is a very important aspect for practicing and spreading Buddhism. Detractors see SGI’s version of the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship as a cult of personality for its current, unconditional focus on SGI President Ikeda^[19], as well as the two preceding presidents—and founders—Josei Toda and Tsunesaburo Makiguchi.

SGI members attribute this view to the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship of Nichiren Buddhism, which they describe as the central pillar upon which the practice and the organization have developed: Shakyamuni was the mentor to Nichiren; Nichiren, the mentor to his disciples; and they, mentors to future practitioners. Makiguchi took Nichiren as a mentor in his life, while Toda took Makiguchi as his. Ikeda continued the tradition with Toda as his mentor, and now members throughout the world have chosen Ikeda, whom along with Toda, Makiguchi, Nichiren, and Shakyamuni, can all be considered mentors in life, as they exemplify this compassionate spirit of supporting others to excel in their own individual missions, all the while sharing the same "vow" of the Bodhisattva, exemplified by a stanza of the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra that states: "This is my constant thought; at all times I think, how can I cause all living beings, to achieve the body of a buddha, without distinction".

To critics of Ikeda and SGI, this relationship is viewed as symptomatic of a cult of personality. Critics also question the authority and authenticity of Ikeda's writings. The use of the familial term sensei (“teacher,” “master”) to refer to Ikeda is looked upon with suspicion and considered to be symbolic and further evidence of a cult of personality. Many SGI members view Ikeda and his life as a great example of how to use the practice in their own lives. He is viewed as an inspiration and an example of the power of one person to have a substantial positive effect on our world. For many members, Ikeda, as well as Shakyamuni, Nichiren, Makiguchi, Toda, and a host of other like-minded philosophers, and thinkers around the world, are taken as models for how one may build their own lives around ideas of peace, culture, and education, and within all levels of their lives—family, work, friends, and society at large.

Critics of SGI and Ikeda are suspicious of the way he is considered by members to be a living embodiment of the power of the practice of SGI Buddhism. They assert that members are pressured to view Ikeda as their mentor in life.^[20] They are also suspicious and distrustful of the idea of mentor-disciple relationships, and question the motivation behind SGI’s application of the concept, as unfortunately this misunderstanding of the concept of 'oneness' may be have been misread not only by those who have found something to oppose in the organization's history—which after all, has been written by human beings in a perpetual process of self-improvement often referred to as "Human Revolution" (jap: Ningen Kakumei)—but amongst members themselves, who have had to struggle with its interpretation through close to five decades of rapid growth and development, which has not only spanned the globe geographically, but also across cultures, ethnical and societal backgrounds and circumstances, as the organization prides itself in being as inclusive as it can be, in its compassionate search for these so-called "Boddhisattvas of the Earth".

There is controversy about the degree of religious tolerance practiced by Sōka Gakkai members. Official materials state all other religions, including other Buddhist denominations, are viewed as valuable inasmuch as they are able to support the happiness, empowerment, and development of all people. SGI claims that religious tolerance and a deep respect for culture are strongly emphasized in the organization. For example, in the SGI-USA newspaper publication "World Tribune," training materials for leaders in the SGI-USA, and essays on a wide range of topics including cultural diversity, are commonly printed. However, in some cases, individuals claim that they have been pressured to dismiss their past religions and cultures by fellow members.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center says, "I am upbeat about Japan... we found good people there... like Daisaku Ikeda and the Sōka Gakkai, that support what we're doing."^[2] Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union, is quoted as saying, "President Ikeda is a philosopher, a thinker, and a poet with a grand vision and a big heart. He is working not only for Japan but for the sake of the entire world." ^[3]

Prominent SGI members include journalist Mariane Pearl, Grammy Award winners Herbie Hancock and Tina Turner; model Miranda Kerr; and actors Orlando Bloom, Patrick Duffy, John Astin, Vinessa Shaw and italian soccer player Roberto Baggio.

Sources

• Buddhism in America. Richard Hughes Seager. Columbia University Press, 2000
• Buddhism in the Modern World: Adaptations of an Ancient Tradition Steven Heine, Charles S Prebish. Oxford University Press, 2003.
• Encountering the Dharma. Daisaku Ikeda, Sōka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism. By Richard Hugh Seager. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 2006, ISBN 0-520-24577-6
• Sōka Gakkai in America: Accommodation and Conversion By Phillip E. Hammond and David W. Machacek. London: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-829389-5
• "The Sōka Gakkai: Buddhism and the Creation of a Harmonious and Peaceful Society” by Daniel A. Metraux in Engaged Buddhism: Buddhist Liberation Movements in Asia. Christopher S. Queen and Sallie B. King, eds. SUNY Press, 1996.
• The Faces of Buddhism in America. Charles S Prebish, Kenneth K Tanaka, eds. University of California Press, 1998.
• The New Believers: A survey of sects, cults and alternative religions. David V Barrett. Octopus Publishing Group, 2003
• The Sōka Gakkai Revolution by Daniel A. Metraux (University Press of America, 1994)
• The Lotus and the Maple Leaf: The Sōka Gakkai in Canada by Daniel A. Metraux (University Press of America, 1996)
• Fundamentals of Buddhism (second edition) by Yasuji Kirimura (Nichiren Shoshu International Center [now SGI], 1984). ISBN 4-88872-016-9
• Sōka Gakkai kaibō ("Dissecting Sōka Gakkai") by the editors of Aera (Asahi Shimbun, 2000). ISBN4-02-261286-X (Japanese)
• Sōka Gakkai by Hiromi Shimada (Shinchosha, 2004). ISBN4-10-610072-X
• A Public Betrayed: An Inside Look at Japanese Media Atrocities and Their Warnings to the West. Adam Gamble & Takesato Watanabe. Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2004. ISBN 0-89526-046-8
• Living Buddhism: Journal for Peace, Culture and Education, SGI-USA Publications.
• "Celebrating in Earnest: Buddhists Mark the Start of a New Year With Joy and a Strong Sense of Purpose" by Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post, January 1, 2008

Criticism

Books

• Editors of AERA: Sōkagakkai kaibai (創価学会解剖: “Dissecting Sōkagakkai”). Asahi Shimbun-sha, October 1995. ISBN 978-4022612861. AERA is a weekly investigative news magazine published by one of Japan’s leading news organizations; this book attempts to present a dry, fair assessment of Sōkagakkai and Daisaku Ikeda and contains several interviews with Gakkai leaders.
• Fulford, Benjamin S.: Ikeda-sensei no sekai: Aoi me no kisha ga mita Sōkagakkai/The Fabulous World of Sōka Gakkai (イケダ先生の世界：青い目の記者が見た創価学会/The Fabulous World of Sōka Gakkai: “The world of Ikeda the master: the Sōkagakkai as experienced by a blue-eyed journalist/The Fabulous World of Sōka Gakkai”). Takarajimasha, October 2006. ISBN 4-7966-5490-9. Fulford is former chief correspondent, Asia-Pacific, for Forbes. Details financial condition of Sōka Gakkai, financial scandals and cover-ups, and harassment experienced by critics in the media and politics as well as ex-member private individuals.
• Furukawa, Toshiaki: Cult toshite no Sōkagakkai=Ikeda Daisaku (カルトとしての創価学会=池田大作: “Sōkagakkai, the Daisaku Ikeda cult”). Daisan Shokan, November 2000. ISBN 4-8047-0017-7
• Shimada, Hiroki: Sōkagakkai (創価学会: “The Sōka Gakkai”). Shinchosha, April 2004. ISBN 4-10-610072-X. H. Shimada is a professor who studies the relationship between religions and society; this book is generally considered a neutral description.
• Shimada, Hiroki: Sōkagakkai no jitsuryoku (創価学会の実力: “The true extent of Sōkagakkai’s power”). Shinchosha, August 2006. ISBN 5-02-330372-0. Argues that the Sōka Gakkai is not (or is no longer) as powerful as many of its opponents fear, and that it is losing ground internally as all but the most dedicated are turned off by the leadership and fewer members need the organization for social bonding. Also notes that it is becoming more like a civic rather than a religious organization, and that inactive members don’t resign because they want to avoid the ostracism and harassment that can result.
• Shimada, Hiroki: Kōmeitō vs. Sōkagakkai (公明党vs.創価学会: “The Kōmeitō and the Sōka Gakkai”). Asahi Shinsho, June 2007. ISBN 978-4-02-273153-1. Describes the relationship between Kōmeitō and Sōka Gakkai and the development of their history. Touches on the Sōka Gakkai–Nichiren Shōshū split, describing it as the result of a power struggle and financial constraints, as well as on the organized harassment of opponents by Sōka Gakkai members, the organization’s use of its media vehicles to vilify opponents, and Ikeda’s demand for unquestioning loyalty.
• Taisekiji: Shoshū Hashaku Guide (Jp: 諸宗破折ガイド: “Guide to refuting [erroneous teachings of] other schools”). 2003 (no ISBN); pp. 160–164. Published by the Buddhist school formerly associated with Sōka Gakkai and presents details of Sōka Gakkai’s gradual distortion of the school’s teachings and reasons for its severing of ties.
• Tamano, Kazushi: Sōkagakkai no Kenkyū (創価学会の研究: “Research on the Sōkagakkai”). Kodansha Gendai Shinsho, 2008. ISBN 978-4-06-287965-1. This book is an attempt to review scholarly studies of Sōka Gakkai from the 1950s to the 1970s and shifts in perceptions of the organization as journalists took over from scholars. Tamano takes the perspective of a social scientist and describes Sōka Gakkai as a socio-political phenomenon. He is also somewhat critical of some views Shimada expressed in the latter’s recent publications.
• Yamada, Naoki: Sōkagakkai towa nanika (創価学会とは何か: “Explaining Sōkagakkai”). Shinchosha, April 2004. ISBN 4-10-467301-3
• Yano, Jun'ya: Kuroi Techō—Sōka Gakkai “Nihon Senryō Keikaku” no Zen Kiroku (黒い手帳 創価学会「日本占領計画」の全記録: “My black notebooks: a complete record of Soka Gakka’s ‘Operation Occupy Japan’”). Kodansha, February 2009. ISBN 978-4-06-215272-3. Yano is a former secretary-general of Kōmeitō.
• Yano, Jun'ya: “Kuroi Techō” Saiban Zen Kiroku (「黒い手帳」裁判全記録: “The whole record of the trials concerning ‘My black notebooks’”). Kodansha, 7/2009. ISBN 978-4-06-215637-0.

News media (websites)

• "Risky alliance for Japan's ruling party" BBC News report, June 22, 2000
• Japan Fears Another Religious Sect San Francisco Chronicle, December 27, 1995
• "Religious Battle Taking Shape in Foothills of Mt. Fuji Japan: The Buddhist order of Nichiren Shoshu has expelled its lay organization, Sōka Gakkai. Political fallout is probable." Los Angeles Times December 16, 1991
• "Cults in France: Report Made in the Name of the Board of Inquiry into Cults" (December 22, 1995). Translation donated by Ginny Tosken. Edited by D. A. Reed
• "The Power of Sōka Gakkai: Growing revelations about the complicated and sinister nexus of politics and religion" Time Magazine, November 20, 1995
• [1] The Rick Ross Institute, Internet archive on Sōka Gakkai

Excommunication

• Shoshū Hashaku Guide (Jp: 諸宗破折ガイド: Guide to refuting [erroneous teachings of] other schools). Taiseki-ji, 2003 (no ISBN); pp. 160–164.
• "Religious Battle Taking Shape in Foothills of Mt. Fuji Japan: The Buddhist order of Nichiren Shoshu has expelled its lay organization, Sōka Gakkai. Political fallout is probable." Los Angeles Times, December 16, 1991
• Sōka Gakkai-in e no shakubuku kyōhon (A textbook of refutations for Soka Gakkai members), Taisekiji, 2004.
• Nichiren Shōshū nyūmon (Beginner's guide to Nichiren Shōshū), Taisekiji, 2002.

Notes

External links

Official websites

• Sōka Gakkai International
• SGI-USA
• Sōka Gakkai

Websites of SGI practitioners

• Sōka Gakkai Unofficial Yahoo Group
• Information on Sōka Gakkai author Daniel Metraux
• [2] Site containing experiences of actual SGI members, as well as numerous sections on Buddhist study
• Podcast site containing unofficial Buddhist study lectures, stories & experiences recorded by SGI members

Book reviews of scientific research on SGI

• Encountering the Dharma: Daisaku Ikeda, Sōka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism by Richard Hugh Seager Reviewed by Martin Baumann
• Sōka Gakkai in America: Accommodation and Conversion by Phillip E. Hammond and David W. Machacek Reviewed by James William Coleman

Friendship link

• Daisaku Ikeda Quote-chinese
• Soka Gakkai Malaysia publication COSMIC 《宇宙》

See also

• FWBO Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
• Insight Meditation Society

v • d • e Buddhism topics Foundations Three Jewels (Buddha · Dharma · Sangha) · Four Noble Truths · Noble Eightfold Path · Nirvana · Middle Way The Buddha Tathāgata · Birthday · Four sights · Physical characteristics · Footprint · Iconography · Films · Miracles · Family: (Suddhodana (father) · Maya (mother) · Yasodhara (wife) · Rahula (son)) · Places where the Buddha stayed · Buddha in world religions Key Concepts Three Marks of Existence: (Impermanence · Suffering · Not-self) · Dependent Origination · Five Aggregates · Karma · Rebirth · Saṃsāra · Saṅkhāra · Defilements · Ignorance · Craving · Five Hindrances · Ten Fetters · Faculties · Enlightenment (Awakening) · Parinirvana · Thusness · Two truths doctrine · Emptiness · Bodhicitta · Bodhisattva · Buddha-nature · Mindstream · Dzogchen Cosmology Ten spiritual realms · Six Realms (Hell · Animal realm · Hungry Ghost realm · Asura realm · Human realm · Heaven) · Three planes of existence Practices Refuge · Buddhist devotion · Puja: (Offerings · Prostration · Chanting) · Merit · Paritta · Generosity · Renunciation · Morality: (Precepts · Bodhisattva vows · Patimokkha) · Threefold Training: (Morality · Concentration · Wisdom) · Four Divine Abidings: (Loving-kindness · Compassion · Sympathetic joy · Equanimity) · Perfections · Enlightenment Qualities · Seven Factors of Enlightenment · Bases of Power · Five Strengths · Faith · Effort (Four Right Exertions) · Mindfulness (Satipatthana) · Jhāna (Dhyāna) · Bhavana · Meditation: (Kammaṭṭhāna · Recollection · Smaran · Mindfulness of Breathing · Serenity meditation · Insight meditation · Shikantaza · Zazen · Kōan · Mandala · Tonglen · Tantra  · Tertön  · Terma) Attainment Types of Buddha · Private Buddha · Bodhisattva · Four stages of enlightenment: (Stream-enterer · Once-returner · Non-returner · Arahant) Monasticism Monk · Nun · Novice monk · Novice nun · Anagarika · Ajahn · Sayadaw · Zen master · Roshi · Lama · Rinpoche · Geshe · Tulku · Householder · Lay follower · Disciple Major Figures Gautama Buddha · Sāriputta · Mahamoggallāna · Ananda · Maha Kassapa · Anuruddha · Mahakaccana · Nanda · Subhuti · Punna · Upali · Mahapajapati Gotami · Khema · Uppalavanna · Buddhaghosa · Nagasena · Bodhidharma · Nagarjuna · Asanga · Vasubandhu · Atisha · Padmasambhava · Dalai Lama Texts Tipitaka: (Vinaya Pitaka · Sutta Pitaka · Abhidhamma Pitaka) · Commentaries: (Visuddhimagga) · Mahayana sutras · Chinese Buddhist canon (Tripitaka Koreana) · Tibetan Buddhist canon Branches Theravada · Mahayana: (Zen · Pure Land · Tiantai · Nichiren · Madhyamaka · Yogacara) · Vajrayana: (Tibetan Buddhism · Shingon) · Early Buddhist schools · Pre-sectarian Buddhism · Basic points unifying Theravada and Mahayana Countries Bangladesh · Bhutan · Burma · Cambodia · China · India · Indonesia · Japan · Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Mongolia · Nepal · Pakistan · Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam · Western countries: (Australia · United Kingdom · United States) History Timeline · Buddhist councils · History of Buddhism in India · Decline of Buddhism in India · Ashoka the Great · Greco-Buddhism · Buddhism and the Roman world · Silk Road transmission of Buddhism · Persecution of Buddhists Philosophy Abhidharma · Logic · Buddhology · Eschatology · Reality · God · Humanism · Engaged Buddhism · Socialism · Anarchism · Economics · Atomism · Evolution · Sexuality · Homosexuality · Ethics · Fourteen unanswerable questions Culture Art · Greco-Buddhist art · Poetry · Buddha statue · Budai · Symbolism: (Dharmacakra · Flag · Bhavacakra · Thangka) · Prayer wheel · Mala · Mudra · Mantra (Om mani padme hum) · Music · Holidays: (Vesak · Magha Puja · Uposatha) · Rains retreat · Monastic robe · Architecture: (Vihara · Wat · Stupa · Pagoda · Thai temple art and architecture) · Pilgrimage: (Lumbini · Bodh Gaya · Sarnath · Kushinagar) · Bodhi Tree · Mahabodhi Temple · Calendar · Cuisine · Vegetarianism Miscellaneous Lineage · Maitreya · Avalokiteśvara (Guan Yin) · Amitābha · Brahmā · Māra · Dhammapada · Vinaya · Sutra · Hinayana · Liturgical languages: (Pali · Sanskrit) · Dharma talk · Kalpa · Higher Knowledge · Supernormal Powers Buddhism and: Science · Psychology · Hinduism · Jainism · East Asian religions · Christianity · Theosophy · Gnosticism Lists Buddhas · Twenty-eight Buddhas · Bodhisattvas · Buddhists · Suttas · Books · Temples Portal · Category · Glossary · Outline · Index