1. Part 1
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From Practice
to Theory
Nichiren Buddhism

2. Soka Gakkai International
• Value Creation Society
• A lay association based on the teachings of the
Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism.
• More than 12 million members in 192 countries
and territories worldwide.
• Non-governmental member of the United Nations
• Activities:
– Peace activities through UN
– Promotion of culture between countries
– Education - kindergartens, school systems in Japan
Daisaku Ikeda
and universities in Japan and America
• Daisaku Ikeda - SGI President and Buddhist
philosopher
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3. Nichiren Daishonin
• Nichiren (1222-1282)
• Japanese Buddhist teacher and
reformer.
• Founder of the Buddhist teaching
upon which the SGI bases its
activities.
• Inscribed the object of devotion for
observing one’s mind (Gohonzon)
and established the invocation of
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the
universal practice for attaining
enlightenment.
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4. Everyone can be a Buddha!
• The Lotus Sutra declares:
– All living beings have the potential to attain enlightenment or
Buddhahood.
– Life is eternal, with neither beginning nor end.
• Nichiren further taught:
– The only difference between a Buddha and a common
mortal is that a common mortal is deluded and Buddha is
enlightened (awaken).
– A Buddha is one who perceives the true nature of life and
leads others to attain the same enlightenment.
– Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo allows people to directly
tap their enlightened nature and is the primary practice of
SGI members.
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5. Three elements of Buddhism
• Faith
– Each of us has enormous potential, Buddhahood, which can
be revealed in this lifetime: internal life force, wisdom,
courage and compassion
• Practice:
– For yourself:
• Chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (daimoku) in front of
Gohonzon (the scroll with Chinese diargams and some names
in sanscrit)
• Gongyo - Reading aloud two chapters of Lotus Sutra (morning
and evening)
– For others: Help others to become happier
• Study
– Religion without study is fanatic
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6. Why Chanting?
To develop unshakable state of happiness and
satisfaction, thus
• To achieve goals and realize dreams
• Create value for yourself and for the society
So what do SGI members chant for?
Everything Grades
Health Job
Finances Wisdom
Relationships World peace
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7. Too Good to Be True
• How is it possible to obtain such results only by
chanting incomprehensible words in front of the piece
of paper?
• What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean?
• What is special about this piece of paper called
Gohonzon?
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8. Buddhism Questions Our Beliefs
For example
• Nobody likes to suffer
• We suffer when we encounter problems or obstacles
• The connection between problem and suffering confuses people:
problem = suffering
– Unemployed - unhappy
– Thinks - “Unhappy because unemployed”
– Is the one who has work happy? - Not always
– So, unhappy because feels incapable
to find the work
• Sounds Banal - Tremendous difference
• If you consider problems resolvable -
they become challenges
• Buddhism teaches - Attitude towards problems defines if we win or
loose in building a happy life
• Use problems as opportunities to grow, become stronger
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9. How to Become Stronger
• Through faith, chanting and studying
• Nichiren Daishonin
“When we chant to resolve our problems, we can make that the
suffering that we experience and that we challenge helps us to
grow”
• Growing from sufferings? Bizarre idea? Not from Buddhist point
of view
• All sufferings are not only inevitable, but necessary
• The problems represent the means for people to develop their
full potential as human beings
• Nichiren Daishonin
“You can know your real force only by fighting a powerful enemy.”
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10. Buddhism - Practical Philosophy
• Shakyamuni and dieing deer
• Real spirit of Buddhism is to offer immediate practical
solution and not a philosophical discussion
• Buddhism is a philosophy that
– Explains how life functions
– Teaches how to be happy
• Instead of asking help from
outside Buddhists chant
– To bring out internal force
– Wisdom
– Courage
– Compassion
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11. Nichiren: Three Proofs
• No blind faith
• Three ways to understand, evaluate and judge a
religion
1. Documental proof - teaching is based on and in accord with
documents
2. Theoretical proof - how theory applies to life, compatibility
with reason and logic
3. Actual proof - results produces when teaching is put into
practice
• The 3rd one is most important! It is not important
how fascinating is theory, it has to produce results to
be valuable
• In Buddhism faith growth from actual proof
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12. What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
mean?
• Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the fundamental law of the universe
expounded in Nichiren Buddhism.
• All life is an expression or manifestation of this law. When we
chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we attune our lives to the perfect
rhythm of the universe. The result is increased life force,
wisdom, compassion and good fortune to face the challenges in
front of us.
• Nam (devotion), the action of practicing Buddhism.
• Myoho (Mystic Law), the essential law of the universe and its
phenomenal manifestations.
• Renge (lotus flower), which seeds and blooms at the same time
represents the simultaneity of cause and effect. We create
causes through thoughts, words and actions.
• Kyo (Buddha’s teaching), all phenomena.
• Literal “I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law.”
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13. The Complexity of Meaning
• Literal meaning is easy, but profound understanding is difficult
• Theory of relativity E=mc2
– Everybody can understand literal meaning. Knowledge in physics is
necessary to understand the profound meaning
– Einstein not only understood the law but was able to express it with
5 characters
– Didn’t invent anything (symbols or ideas), understood the
relationship between energy, mass, light and time.
• Myoho-renge-kyo (5 characters)
– Each character is an expression of one profound and complex
aspect of life
– All together the relationship between the life itself and the universe.
– To feel effect - you have to chant - to harmonise yourself with the
Law of Life
– Like effect of music - brings joy or makes us crying - don’t feel
anything if you study only characters - you have to listen
– We will study the meaning of Myoho-renge-kyo in our next meeting
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14. Myo ho ren ge kyo
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