This volume, the third in the series on the history of Buddhism published by the Soka Gakkai, describes the fascinating journey of Buddhism's transformation into a world religion through its spread from India, the Buddha's homeland, to China and beyond.Author Daisaku Ikeda, president of the International Soka Gakkai, recounts, through a lively narrative, the stories of the traders and monks who first brought Buddhism to China along the Silk Road, as well as the lives of the Chinese Buddhist masters of that time, the development of the various Buddhist schools-especially the Tiantai school, which later exerted great influence in Japan-and the subsequent decline of Buddhism in China after the bitter persecutions that struck it in the 10th century.In the text, the wisdom and vision of key figures such as the great translator Kumarajiva and the Buddhist master Tiantai Zhiyi are foregrounded, and in doing so the author offers significant reflections on the role of Buddhism in Chinese society and, by extension, as a whole, and charts the course the religion should follow to meet the needs of the times, then and now.

Read More Less

This volume addresses the development of Buddhism after the death of its founder Shakyamuni. Starting from the first council, organized by Shakyamuni's direct disciples, which brought order to the complex system of the Buddha's teachings, to the birth of the Mahayana movement, whose origins remain ill-defined. Daisaku Ikeda examines the scant historical information that has come down to us and interprets it with his characteristic originality and insight. He expounds on the essential tenets of the Lotus Sutra, the fundamental scripture of the Great Vehicle, and traces the events of some of the leading figures in the history of Buddhism: King Ashoka and the philosophers Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, who contributed to its establishment as one of the world's major religions.

Read More Less

An interpretive biography of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Daisaku Ikeda, a modern-day Buddhist leader and thinker, attempts to trace, using the scant biographical information regarding Gautama Siddharta, known as Shakyamuni or the Buddha, the motivations that drove a man who had at his disposal every wealth and earthly privilege, to abandon palaces, princely title, wife and child. He did so, probably, in reaction to discovering the fundamental sufferings of life, which are not spared even to those who enjoy a privileged existence. Ikeda retraces the young man's steps in search of the enlightenment that can liberate human beings from all constraints of suffering, engaging in a search based on scarce sources and his own experience as a Buddhist practitioner. Can what prompted Gautama Siddhartha almost three thousand years ago to undertake a very hard struggle in order to overcome the impermanence of life and find the supreme happiness represented by "awakening," or Buddhahood, still be valid today? Can his message, which has changed the lives of millions of people over the centuries throughout the East, inspire the West as well? The author, and we with him, believes so and helps us understand what the essence of the "Awakened One's" enlightenment is. The original title of the work, My Vision of Shakyamuni, suggests the spirit in which the author approached the historical Buddha, who lived in India some twenty-five centuries ago. Data on his life are in fact very few, and the only sources are texts handed down for centuries only in oral form. Reconstructing the life of the "Sage of the Shakyas" therefore means trying to go far beyond what hagiographic reports and accounts hand down to us, and making a considerable effort to interpret the many important choices Shakyamuni made during his lifetime. Ikeda makes this journey on the basis of his own experience as a contemporary religious leader, and it is precisely because of this role that he guides us to understand what is the deeper meaning of the "Awakened One's" enlightenment.

Read More Less

This book is rooted in the need to want to delve into the historical events that led the Soka Gakkai to emancipate itself from the clergy of the Nichiren Shoshu and what its intentions are as a secular religious association that concretely promotes peace, culture, and education throughout the world. The first part of the volume provides an overview of the history of Buddhism, Nichiren Shoshu and its patriarchs up to the present day, with special emphasis on the narrative of the events that led to the separation in recent times. The second part, on the other hand, deals with doctrinal aspects, specifically: the Gohonzon as an object of worship for the happiness of all mankind; the Gongyo ceremony; the significance of daily practice; and Nichiren Daishonin's Writings, writing and translations. The topics covered, also developed on the basis of sources outside the Soka Gakkai, aim to make this text an agile reference tool not only for those who wish to have a comprehensive overview of the events with the Nichiren Shoshu, but also for those who need to find philosophical-religious information.

Read More Less

  A collection of excerpts from the New Human Revolution on President Ikeda's travels in Europe and Italy.

Read More Less

Clark Strand, a former Zen monk, journalist and writer from the United States, guides us to discover the Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Buddhism from a novel perspective: that of an "unconverted" sympathizer. Strand points out that the strength of the Soka Gakkai, which has become a global movement in just a few decades, lies in the fundamental tool of discussion meetings, based on sharing experiences and encouraging one another. In his journey within a movement and teaching that have often generated misunderstandings and misconceptions in other Buddhist schools, Strand starts with Makiguchi, the educator who opposed militarism, then portrays his disciple Toda and his insight into who or what the Buddha really was, and arrives at Ikeda's global vision and his redefinition of the role of religion. The resulting picture reveals qualities and strengths that often not even members of the association are aware of, and points to the Soka Gakkai as an example of a modern movement dedicated to the good of humankind.

Read More Less