1. New Religions #6 Soka Gakkai（創価学会）
Masayo Urasaki
24 July 2012

2. Today’s Class Goal
1)To understand Soka Gakkai（創価学会）’s brief history and background.
2)To understand the characteristics of Soka Gakkai’s social impact
3)To consider “Non – verbal communication” in today’s workshop.

3. Keywords Mr.Tsunesaburo Makiguchi（牧口常三郎） Mr.Josei Toda （戸田城聖）
Mr.Daisaku Ikeda(池田大作）
Nichiren Sho-shu（日蓮正宗）
Shaku buku（折伏）
Zadan-kai（座談会）
Ko-mei party（公明党）
SGI（Soka Gakkai International 創価学会インターナショナル）

4. What is Soka Gakkai（創価学会）？
Largest New Religious Organization in Japan
Soka Gakkai　（創価学会）
　　　創　So　→　　Create
　　　価 Ka　→ Value
　　　学会 Gakkai →　Institute
“Value Creating Society”
・ Founded by Mr. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
　　 on 1930 at Tokyo .
・Official membership count is 8,270,000

5. Worship and symbols Adhere to the Nichiren shoshu Buddhism（日蓮正宗）
The idol
Gohonzon（ご本尊）
Mandala
曼荼羅
Human　revolution
（人間革命）
8 Lotus leaves
→　Open your hearts to Dhamma
Blue (Peace)
Yellow (Glory)
Red (Victory)

6. From Education institute to Religious Organization
At first, Mr.Makiguchi
　established “Soka
　Education Institution
for the human life is
happiness.
Three Greatest Values
　①Beauty　（美）
②Gain and antithesis as evil ugliness and loss （利）
③Goodness （善）

7. Three Key-person (Founder and Presidents)
・1st Mr.Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
　（牧口常三郎） ( )
a former elementary school
teacher and principle
　　　　　　　　 ・ 2nd Mr.Josei Toda （戸田城聖）
　　　　　　　　　 ( )
　　　　　　　　　a former elementary
school teacher
・3rd Mr.Daisaku Ikeda(池田大作）
(1928 -)

8. Daily practices Shakubuku（折伏） persuasion to the people
Zadankai（座談会） talking at small circles by members about Dhamma and daily practices.
Gongyo（勤行） Twice a day(Morning and Evening),　Lotus　 Sutra only two chapters and “Namu- myou- ho-ren ge kyou（南無妙法蓮華経）”　
Studying Nichiren’s textbooks（教学の研鑽）
Funeral Ceremony by only friends（友人葬）

9. Soka Gakkai and Komei party（公明党）
1964　Soka Gakkai organized Political Party “Komei-tou（公明党）”
First aim to establish national Religions as Soka Gakkai /Kokukitsu kaidan国立戒壇
Under the unstable politics in Japan, Komei party has a lot of grassroots power (particularly, poor people and Korean living in Japan)
success Coalition Regime with LDP (Liberal Democratic Party)

10. SGI（Soka Gakkai International 創価学会インターナショナル）
World wide network
(192 countries)
・Social Activities
Anti-nuclear weapon campaign
Keep Environmental movement
Human relations
Interfaith

11. Characteristics of Soka Gakkai
Compare with other Religious Groups
Passionate Invitation
Political Power
Keep out other Religion( but gradually changing)
Tight network domestic and worldwide
Emphasis Education/ Soka University

12. Workshop
The characteristics point of Soka Gakkai is how to guide (or communicate) the teaching to others.
So, let’s do role playing about the “non- verbal communication” with your friends.