Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith."

Buddhism

Buddhism began with one person’s search for a solution to human suffering. About 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, went in search for an answer to the problems in human existence, and was awakened to the essential nature of life, the causes of suffering, and the ways of resolving them. He is thus known as the Buddha, the awakened one, and his teachings are known as Buddhism.

The Lotus Sutra, the key scripture of Buddhism, teaches that Buddhahood - a life state of absolute happiness, freedom from fear and illusions — is inherent in all life. Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese monk, distilled the profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra into a practice that enables anybody to reveal this life state in their daily lives. He established the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a universal practice for manifesting the life state of Buddhahood latent in one's life.

Today, SGI members follow the teachings of Nichiren, aspiring to live a life of value and become a positive influence in society and the world. We strongly believe in the development of this life state by exerting ourselves in practice and study, and taking concrete action in reality based on wisdom and compassion. As we develop this life state, we empower ourselves to surmount problems and live a fulfilling life truly engaged with the society.