Martin Luther King Jr., the champion of the American Civil Rights Movement who inherited Gandhi’s legacy of nonviolence, often said that any religion that overlooks the real-life sufferings of the people is a “spiritually moribund religion.” These convictions of Gandhi and King resonate deeply with us. No matter how lofty the ideals it espouses, a … …
A young man once told Mr. Makiguchi that he thought it would be better to hold large-scale lectures rather than discussion meetings. “No, it wouldn’t,” Mr. Makiguchireplied without hesitation. “Dialogue is the only way to communicate with another about life’s problems. At a lecture, listeners inevitably feel uninvolved. Even the Daishonin’s treatise ‘On Establishing the … …
Buddhism doesn’t exist apart from the reality of society or from people and their lives. No matter how valid the teachings of Buddhism may be, just loudly proclaiming that fact will not persuade people. If anything, that approach is quite likely to drive them away from the path of Buddhism, and that would be going … …
To this day, I am constantly engaged in dialogue with my mentor. In my mind, I stand before him as the youth I was. Kosen-rufu was our shared aspiration, our great dream and adventure as mentor and disciple. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 338
Valuing each individual—this is an unbroken tradition of the Soka Gakkai. We focus on one suffering person, wholeheartedly engage them in dialogue, and do everything we can to encourage them. You, our young people, especially, must not lose sight of this tradition. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. … …
In the Soka Gakkai, when we speak of “the tradition of discussion meetings,” we’re not referring to our history of holding discussion meetings for many years. Rather, we’re talking about the Soka Gakkai tradition of valuing each individual, which is epitomized in our discussion meetings. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, … …
In any situation, dialogue is positive. It builds solidarity and creates unity. To reject dialogue is wrong; it can be divisive and destructive. The point is to meet and to talk. It is only natural that our perspectives may differ from others. But discussion gives rise to trust, even among those who don’t see eye … …
Attending meetings for kosen-rufu with an eager seeking spirit to learn something new, engaging in warmhearted dialogue with family members and people in our communities with the aim of becoming happy together—the true essence of Buddhism is alive in our daily efforts of this kind, which also shine with the benefit of the Mystic Law. … …
Soka Gakkai discussion meetings brim with dialogue, openness, equality, philosophy, and hope. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 131
Life is a struggle. We can attain a victorious result only by praying earnestly, striving hard, and following through in our actions. Let’s be people who can win in all spheres through committed effort and sincere dialogue. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 12