The autobiographical novel by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the SGI. This volume, which concludes The New Human Revolution, describes numerous highlights in the history of kosen-rufu: from the events that took place in the early months of 1979 when Shin’ichi Yamamoto, after resigning from his position as Soka Gakkai president due to the treacherous schemes orchestrated by the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, stood firm like an unshakeable mountain in the face of these difficulties, initiating a grand new phase of the kosen-rufu movement worldwide; to his fifth visit to China in 1980 and to North America, South America, and the Soviet Union the following year; from his trip to Italy in 1981, during which Shin’ichi Yamamoto particularly dedicated himself to encouraging and nurturing young people, to numerous activities in various areas of Japan. In the concluding chapter, titled The Vow, we finally find a description of the events that led to the excommunication of the Soka Gakkai by Nichiren Shoshu. November 28, 1991, the day of the excommunication, is defined by Shin’ichi as “a historic date, the day of our spiritual independence.” It is also the moment when the Soka Gakkai definitively takes flight toward the twenty-first century as a world religion. The chapter – and the entire novel – concludes with a description of the center leaders' meeting on November 12, 2001, during which Shin’ichi made an impassioned appeal to young people, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who live for the great vow of kosen-rufu, entrusting them with the future of the Soka movement worldwide.
In his heart, Shin’ichi appealed to the youth: “Let’s move forward together! Let’s fight as long as we live. Let’s advance with confidence and vigor, making the sound of the second series of the Seven Bells resound loudly.” Within himself, Shin’ichi clearly envisioned the Soka youth, like majestic young eagles, soaring in the light of the dawn of the third millennium. He saw them flying high, in an uninterrupted flow, into the immense skies of the world.
