New Religions
#6
Soka Gakkai（創価学会）
Masayo Urasaki
24 July 2012
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.
Keywords
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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）
What is Soka Gakkai（創価学会）？
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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
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Worship and symbols
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Human
revolution
Blue (Peace)
Yellow (Glory)
Red (Victory)
（人間革命）
8 Lotus leaves
→ Open your
hearts to Dhamma
Adhere to the
Nichiren shoshu
Buddhism（日蓮正宗）
 The idol
Gohonzon（ご本尊）
Mandala
曼荼羅
From Education institute to
Religious Organization
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At first, Mr.Makiguchi
established “Soka
Education Institution
for the human life is
happiness.
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Three Greatest Values
①Beauty （美）
②Gain and antithesis as evil ugliness and loss （利）
③Goodness （善）
Three Key-person
(Founder and Presidents)
・1st Mr.Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
（牧口常三郎） (1871-1944)
a former elementary school
teacher and principle
・ 2nd Mr.Josei Toda （戸田城聖）
(1900-1958)
a former elementary
school teacher
・3rd Mr.Daisaku Ikeda(池田大作）
(1928 -)
Daily practices
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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）
Soka Gakkai and
Komei party（公明党）
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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)
 1999-2009 success Coalition Regime with
LDP (Liberal Democratic Party)
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
Characteristics of Soka Gakkai
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1)
2)
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4)
5)
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
Workshop
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The characteristics point of Soka
Gakkai is how to guide (or
communicate) the teaching to
others.
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So, let’s do role playing about the
“non- verbal communication” with
your friends.