History And Tradition Of A SGI Buddhist

By Larry West


When it comes to Buddhism, there are a number of different paths. While this is the case, one of the most popular is that of the Soka Gakkai International or sgi buddhist. The SGI upholds the tradition which originated with Gautama Buddha and continued to develop the tradition until the path was inherited by Japan's Dengyo and Nichiren, China's T'ien-t'al and Mialo-lo and India's Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu. The lay organization continues to focus on the path created by Gautama Buddha through these gurus and spiritual leaders.

The honor and tradition upheld by the SGI is based on lessons and scriptures from the Lotus Sutra and Mahayana. The organization is involved in faith practice and societal activities. Whereas, like with most Buddhist traditions, these activities and practices correspond to a world of peace and love.

It was a mostly unknown Japanese grade school teacher by the name of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi which published the first work related to a philosophy of education. The work, The System Value-Creating Pedagogy has been a part of the Buddhist tradition ever since. In these educational materials, individuals of all ages are taught about dignity, love, respect and sacrifice.

Shakyamuni, believed to be the founder of Buddhism, was born over twenty five hundred years ago. The young man was born into a royal family which lived near the area now known as Nepal. During early life, a young Shakyamuni observed the suffering of the people due to aging, death and sickness. While young and healthy, the young man renounced the secular ways of the world and embarked upon a spiritual journey.

While Shakyamuni studied traditional and modern Buddhist teachings, the young man still remained unsatisfied. As such, the young guru contemplated and meditated upon the basic cause of suffering while trying to discover ways to overcome it. In response, the guru awakened to the universal and eternal laws of the universe and to the meaning of the lives of all those in the world. Later, it would come to pass that the law which the guru awakened to was the essence of Buddhism.

Shakyamuni discovered that suffering was due to the ignorance of the people which focused on material things and egotism rather than needs. For, none of those effected appeared to realize the sanctity of life. As a result, the guru taught huge numbers of people about life, death, rebirth and how to release oneself and material aspects along with desire in order to practice a simpler way of life.

The aim of Shakyamuni was to revitalize the human race and awaken dignity in each individual. For, it is believed that in doing so, the individuals would find the inner-wisdom necessary to search for spiritual truth. In addition, it was also believed that by having an awareness of dignity and respect within oneself, that could lead to dignity and respect for others.

Upon the guru's death, the sutras at the core of compassion and wisdom were compiled into a single book. Each sutra provides unique insight and lessons to individuals identifying as Buddhists. For, the sutras are the substance and basis of Buddhism. For, all sutras are sacred and deserving of dignity, reverence and respect. As such, most individuals study and meditate at a meditation center or temple, especially when familiarizing oneself with different sutras.




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