Daisaku Ikeda, the SGI president's autobiographical novel. 1976 was a year of great importance for the development of educational activities promoted by the Soka Gakkai. Driven by Shin'ichi Yamamoto's desire to fulfill the mandate of founder Makiguchi and his mentor Josei Toda, the organization devoted great care to expanding the Soka educational system: the goal was to create an educational offering ranging from preschool to university, also seeking to meet the needs of the many people active in the world of work.
The author also recounts the period when Josei Toda decided to take on the work necessary to reorganize and finally publish the work of his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Creative Education.
But the second half of the year also saw a particularly sad moment for President Yamamoto's family. His mother Sachi, who had been a widow for many years, suffered a deterioration in her health and died in September. The novel recalls some very touching moments of her life, always lived with joy and a challenging spirit, despite numerous difficulties.
1977 was designated by the Soka Gakkai as the Year of Study, and President Yamamoto dedicated all his energies to explaining the fundamental principles of Buddhist faith, in order to instill in all members the spirit of rising alone in the face of any difficulties they might encounter.
