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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
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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
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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
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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
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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