From July 5 to 15, the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2022 was held in New York. On July 7, Ivy Koek of the SGI Office for UN Affairs moderated an online side event titled “Dispelling Misconceptions and Myths: Faith Actors Advancing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls,” organized by the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to which the SGI belongs along with over 40 other faith-based organizations.
by Louise Auwae
Maui, Hawaii
Until recently, my son Ekemona Sr., chanted only when he got bad news or wanted something trivial. But in June 2021, he began to chant with his heart for the first time, when his son, Ekemona Jr., fell into a deep depression and failed the seventh grade.
Ekemona Jr., or Ole, as we call him, is not a tiny boy. He’s big. But very, very shy. Maybe this is why the bullies had begun to pick on him. When his father called me, I got Ole on the phone.
“At school, I can’t trust no one,” he told me, “not even the teachers.” Another time, talking about the bullies, he burst out: “I just want to hit them!”
When the son suffers, so does the father. That’s how it is with ohana, with family. But when the father moves in a positive direction, so does his ohana. That’s why I have always encouraged my son to sit down, open up his altar and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; to read Ikeda Sensei’s guidance and come to SGI meetings. But like a song you’ve heard so many times that you don’t hear the words, my son didn’t really hear me anymore. That’s how it is, too, sometimes, with ohana.
I live on a different island, but speaking with the three of them—Ole, his father and his mother, Donella—I could sense that, day by day, Ole was crawling deeper into a hole. He didn’t want to go to school—didn’t even want to come out of his room. When schooling shifted online, Ole refused to attend on his computer, even with the camera turned off. For his parents, it was becoming more and more difficult to believe there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Things came to a head in June 2021, when I got a call from the principal telling me Ole had failed the seventh grade. “I’ve been calling his parents,” he said, “but no one has called me back.”
“Hold on,” I told him, and called my son, who always picks up when I call. I merged the calls, and we faced the dilemma together. Yes, the principal had bad news, but an opportunity, too: Ole could attend summer school to pass the seventh grade.
On that call, I really encouraged my son, “Together let’s change this suffering into joy. This is not about you; this is about your son, his suffering.” Deep down, my son knows the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Now, he had nowhere to turn but to the Gohonzon. We both made a determination to chant—chant to win! Morning and evening, I would text him, “See you in front of the Gohonzon, together with Sensei.” “Hai!” he would reply. “See you there!”
The father was chanting. He shared with me, “Mom, I am determined to change this situation.” At first it wasn’t easy, but he reminded himself why he was in front of the Gohonzon: for the victory of his son. Each day, chanting became easier for my son, and he started to increase his daimoku. As summer school approached, my son kept chanting, with the spirit: “No matter what, my ohana will win!” He began to understand that, when unhappy with what he is seeing and feeling, it is his responsibility to make a change in himself—one based on the winning strategy of the Lotus Sutra. While chanting for Ole’s happiness, my son made a list of what else he wanted to see in his life. He chanted for his career and for the happiness of Donella and his two daughters. I chanted for him to see the power of his prayer. Soon, I began to hear in his voice a new joy and confidence. And he was checking off one goal after another.
With his father’s support, Ole attended a couple of SGI meetings online, with his camera off. He was especially impressed by the other kids at a future division meeting, who were so open about what they were going through, who did not hesitate to discuss their struggles and, in fact, connected with one another more deeply by sharing them.
Summer school was on the horizon—the first day of July. But Ole said he would not go. True to his word, when the day arrived, he refused. Over the phone I could hear my son urging Ole to get ready, gently at first, and then, as the bus drew nearer to the bottom of their hill, with greater frustration. The bus came and went, and Ekemona made a decision: abandon his strategy and double down on the strategy of the Lotus Sutra. He sat down to chant, letting all his emotion pour out in front of the Gohonzon. Donella, who doesn’t normally chant, joined him, and together they determined to open up a new chapter for their ohana.
The next morning, I texted him as usual, “See you in front of the Gohonzon.” Right away he shot back, telling me he was already there. A few hours passed, and then my phone buzzed. It was a picture message from my son: Donella, Ole and him beaming in the truck as they drove down to the bus stop, Ole in his bright new school clothes and backpack. My son tells me Ole got ready all by himself that day, and just came out of his room, backpack and all, while his father was chanting. He tells me he almost fell out of his daimoku chair.
Ole finished his summer school to graduate to eighth grade, which he also graduated, this past June. When he did, Donella told me that he had tears in his eyes. “Why?” I asked, alarmed. “He says because he’ll miss his teachers!” she said.
The difference in Ole today from who he was a year ago is the difference of night and day. He gets straight A’s, enjoys school and likes his teachers and classmates. He comes home with his homework already done, smiling.
My son attends his district meetings and continues to practice Buddhism. Though we live on different islands, we chant together in the mornings for the happiness of our ohana, to win together with Sensei, understanding that victory begins with us.
Q: What advice would you give the youth?
Louise Auwae: I read each guidance from Ikeda Sensei as though it were addressed to me, personally. Sensei is saying, in short: Louise Auwae, I believe in you! Please don’t give up! I know you can win! Guidance from the mentor is meant to be taken personally, but it’s up to the disciple to do that.
Caregiving for an elderly family member is a great responsibility. Truth be told, while it can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be extremely challenging at times. In this issue, we interview SGI-USA members about their caregiving experiences, and include guidance from Ikeda Sensei’s book On Health and Long Life to those undertaking this important role.
Caregiving at Home
Ikeda Sensei: [Founding Soka Gakkai] President [Tsunesaburo] Makiguchi cared for his bedridden elderly mother-in-law. …
He used to carry her on his back to the bathroom and help her bathe. Dr. [Makoto] Michikawa, do you have any personal experience with such caregiving?
Dr. Makoto Michikawa: When I had just begun practicing as a doctor, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. My mother took care of her for about three years at our home.
Ikeda: Her efforts are now being reflected in your research. In caring for others, the important thing is to try not to shoulder it alone. It’s crucial to get advice and help from a variety of people. …
Nichiren praised and encouraged the lay nun Toki (the wife of Toki Jonin), who was caring for her elderly mother-in-law. In a letter to her, Nichiren writes that Toki Jonin said he was grateful that she gave his mother such attentive care and that he would never be able to forget this in any lifetime to come (see “The Bow and Arrow,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 656). These words must have been a great comfort to the lay nun Toki.
Narumi Shosaku: When caregiving at home continues for an extended period, or when there are complications, such as a patient who keeps wandering off, families should consult with professionals. They can also make use of various public or private care services or facilities.
Michikawa: Fortunately, my grandmother did not leave the house and wander around the streets. But in the evening, she would say “I want to go home,” even though she was home. Once, she hid in the closet, and we all had to search the house for her. She would also do things like put her possessions away and then, forgetting she had done so, tell us that she had lost them. I remember once she kept insisting that some weeds in the yard were delicious vegetables and telling my mother that she wanted to eat them. …
At first she tried telling my grandmother that they were just weeds and she couldn’t eat them, but since my grandmother remained unconvinced, my mother finally boiled the weeds and allowed her to taste them. Of course, they were bitter and tough and she didn’t want to eat them, and from then on she stopped insisting that they were delicious vegetables.
Ikeda: Gaining a person’s understanding is better than just telling them no, and winning their consent is better than pleading with them. When we make such efforts for people suffering from dementia, they feel that we care about them and understand them, even though they might not necessarily show it. It gives them comfort and reassurance.
A Balanced Diet
Ikeda: Let’s talk about what people can do to stave off dementia. First, how about diet?
Reiko Inamitsu: A balanced diet is of course crucial. There are several important foods and food groups that were common in the traditional Japanese diet but tend to be lacking in the Japanese diet today—that is, legumes, sesame seeds, seaweed, vegetables, fish, mushrooms and root vegetables.
Narumi: To avoid vascular dementia, it’s important to reduce salt intake. Too much sodium contributes to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), which can cause strokes that lead to the onset of dementia.
Ikeda: As was mentioned earlier, some fish oils help prevent the accumulation in the brain of the protein that causes Alzheimer’s, in addition to fighting hardening of the arteries. …
The Benefits of Walking
Ikeda: Exercise is also important in preventing dementia, isn’t it?
Michikawa: Yes, it is. Exercise improves circulation, stimulates the brain, and also has a positive effect on emotional health. …
Inamitsu: I recommend walking for about 30 minutes a day. The best way to walk is to stand tall and take long strides, moving the arms at the same time. Working up a light sweat is ideal.
Ikeda: Early Buddhist practitioners used to engage in a walking practice after meditation, as a form of exercise. An early Buddhist text lists five positive effects of this exercise: 1) physical conditioning, 2) reducing sickness, 3) improving digestion, 4) promoting clear thinking and 5) strengthening the will.
In other words, someone who’s always walking, always on the move, will be in vigorous mental and physical health. In that respect, Soka Gakkai activities are the best health regimen there is. Attending meetings, visiting friends to encourage them, and going out to share Nichiren’s teaching with others—all of these involve activity. And they are all a form of contributive service—for the sake of Buddhism, for the sake of one’s friends and for the sake of society at large.
It could be said that Mr. Makiguchi led the kosen-rufu movement on foot. He walked so much in his effort to share Buddhism with others that his wooden sandals were always worn down to the nubs.
Making Time to Rest
Ikeda: If your days are spent in fulfilling activity, you will enjoy sound sleep. Sleep is very important when it comes to keeping the mind active and alert.
Michikawa: Studies have shown that taking a brief daily nap of less than 30 minutes can also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Ikeda: Until his death at age 92, my friend the American entrepreneur Armand Hammer always took a short nap each day. Sleep is indeed the best medicine. Elderly people in particular need to make an effort to get enough sleep so they don’t become overtired. They should make time to rest in order to keep themselves in the best condition.
Incidentally, are there certain types of people who are less susceptible to dementia?
Michikawa: Some studies show that writers and artists are less likely to experience dementia. It may be because they are constantly using their minds, whether it be reading newspapers and books, writing or engaging in the creative processes of bringing new paintings or other works of art into being. Such people are constantly expanding their neural networks and strengthening the connections between neurons in the brain, which help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. …
Ikeda: Nichiren writes of the state of life that those who have worked hard for kosen-rufu will experience after death, saying:
Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Continue your practice without backsliding until the final moment of your life, and when that time comes, behold! When you climb the mountain of perfect enlightenment and gaze around you in all directions, then to your amazement you will see that the entire realm of phenomena is the Land of Tranquil Light. The ground will be of lapis lazuli, and the eight paths will be set apart by golden ropes. Four kinds of flowers will fall from the heavens, and music will resound in the air. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas will be present in complete joy, caressed by the breezes of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity. The time is fast approaching when we too will count ourselves among their number. (“The Fourteen Slanders,” WND-1, 760–61)
When they die, people who have dedicated their lives to the Mystic Law will savor such an eternal state of eternity, happiness, true self and purity. [Second Soka Gakkai President Josei] Toda also used to say, “If you carry out your faith wholeheartedly, life itself will become a great joy and you will without fail experience a state of absolute happiness.”
Let us joyfully surmount all challenges that come our way as we aim for the great summit of victory in our lives and kosen-rufu. There is no more exhilarating life or better health regimen.
Marty and Kumi Bonner, and Mitsue Humeston
Killeen, Texas
Living Buddhism: Hello! Can you share your experience together?
Marty Bonner: My mother-in-law, Mitsue Humeston, came to Killeen, Texas, in 1963 with her husband and daughter, my wife, Kumi. Her husband died just a few years later, and while raising two daughters by herself, she was a pioneer of kosen-rufu here in Texas!
Kumi Bonner: Marty and I married in 1985 and have lived with my mother for most of our marriage. She had been in good health until nine years ago when she had a stroke. The left side of her body was immobile and she was bedridden. Even though she wanted to do everything by herself, she needed help to do basic things, which frustrated her.
Marty: She wasn’t defeated. She chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and told others about Buddhism throughout her hospitalization, and she was discharged early!
Another challenge came in 2018 when she fell and shattered her femur. After the surgeon explained that she needed surgery, she said, “First do something for me and say these words” and proceeded to tell them about Buddhism. She introduced doctors, nurses and other patients to the Mystic Law.
Mitsue Humeston: Due to a broken femur, I could only lift my feet 1 inch off the ground. But I still walked around to shakubuku.
How have you stayed motivated throughout this time?
Kumi:I chant that whatever I’m going through now, I can use it as fuel to change my karma seven generations in the past and in the future (see “On Offerings for Deceased Ancestors,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 820). My mother has four great grandchildren, and four generations are all practicing Buddhism.
Marty:In caring for my mother-in-law, whom I call Mom, I’ve learned to be patient and try to put myself in her shoes. She lost her husband over 50 years ago and has been a strong, independent woman, so it may be challenging for her to have us watch out for her to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.
I think, What would Ikeda Sensei do? He would take care of her because she is a Buddha. I make breakfast every morning and eat it together with her before work and come home for lunch. I listen to her and create nice memories and view caregiving as something that we are in together.
Kumi:One guidance I keep in mind from Sensei is when he said: “Please live with hope throughout your life. Right until the very end of your lives, I hope that you will not only cherish but also realize many great hopes and dreams and inspire others to do the same. …
“There are no deadlocks when you have faith” (My Dear Friends in America, p. 353).
Marty: Using the strategy of the Lotus Sutra has been the key to overcoming each obstacle along the way to ensuring a harmonious family and that Mom can fully and safely enjoy her life.
Mitsue: I appreciate everyone’s support and want to do more and more for kosen-rufu until I take my last breath.
Tony Coleman
Los Angeles
Living Buddhism: Hello, Tony! I hear that together with your sisters, you care for your mother.
Tony Coleman: I care for my mother, Georgia, together with my sisters, Charna and Sherie. Mom is 86 and has zero mobility.
After work, I rush to her house. I measure her blood sugar, take her to the bathroom, make dinner and do gongyo. In the morning, I go to her home, give her a kiss, do laundry and make breakfast.
Even though she can’t freely move on her own, Mom is full of life force. She has been an SGI member for more than 45 years and loves reading the publications. She asks me to read the World Tribune and Living Buddhism to her. She also has the names of her grandchildren on her Buddhist altar and chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every day for them to become capable people for kosen-rufu.
Your mother has such a seeking mind! How would you encourage members struggling to care for elderly family members?
Tony: Patience is the key. There are times when my mother can be difficult. She wants to eat things or do activities that are not healthy and can cause an accident, so we have to stop her. She doesn’t always like when we do that even though we are looking out for her well-being. This can get me frustrated. But when I chant to be patient with her, I remember how much she did raising four children by herself, while working as a school teacher.
When I chant, I think about all of the people my mother has supported throughout her life. I know that she deserves to live her golden years with complete happiness and peace of mind. As much as possible, I take her out in her wheelchair and walk around the neighborhood, updating her about how the neighbors are doing.
I like to keep in mind these words from Ikeda Sensei: “What is the purpose of faith? It is so that each of us can become truly happy and enable others to become happy. Faith is the driving force that lets us apply what we gain from our studies to truly serving people” (Faith Into Action, p. 109).
I’m determined to appreciate each day I can spend with my mother.
Fern Goldsmith and Ellen Soto
Miami
Living Buddhism: Hi Fern and Ellen! How has it been caring for your father, Irving?
Ellen Soto: Our dad, Irving, moved in with Fern seven years ago when he was 88 years old, following an abusive relationship leading him to attempt to take his own life. During his stay in the hospital, he decided to turn his life around and joined the SGI-USA!
Fern Goldsmith: I was so happy to care for my father. Most of his family died young, so as a little girl, I feared losing him. Although I’ve taken on possibly the most challenging role, I’m so happy I can live with my father, who recently turned 95.
That’s wonderful! What would you say are the keys to caregiving for your father?
Fern: It’s not easy to take care of an aging parent, but I remind myself that that this could possibly be my last day with him.
Things have changed over the past seven years. At first, he was independent, but he’s gradually needed more of my help. Each night, as I give him eye drops, sleeping medication, put him to bed and kiss him goodnight, I say something to him so that if he doesn’t wake up, he will know how much I loved him.
I also have to keep the party going. I plan activities for him, so he can have experiences and meet people.
Ellen: The reality of caregiving is hard, but we both chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for his happiness and for him to live as long as possible. I often think of when Nichiren Daishonin said: “If you live even one day longer, you can accumulate that much more benefit. How truly precious your life is!” (“On Prolonging One’s Life Span,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 955)
Fern: We had a wonderful experience on his 95th birthday. He was reluctant to go out but I pushed him to get a haircut and come out to dinner with family and friends. When we started singing happy birthday, everyone in the restaurant joined in, and Dad broke into the biggest smile I had seen seen since before my mom passed away 17 years ago. He resisted each step of the way, but it was worth it!
There are days when he doesn’t want to do anything, and I feel like, What’s the point? But Dad has taught me how to repay my debt of gratitude, how beautiful life is and how to get to know myself more deeply. I chant every morning for his happiness, because I know that the life condition he’s in when he departs will determine the condition in his next life. We both deeply love him and push him each day to be happy and fulfilled.
On June 30, the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina invited various religious organizations to an interfaith dialogue event held at the Kirchner Culture Center in Buenos Aires. Representing SGI-Argentina (SGIAR), youth members Ariel Ospitaleche, Paula López and Lucía Puchini joined the event. Participants discussed ways of combating religious discrimination and prejudice in Argentina.
On June 29, Soka Gakkai’s Seikyo Shimbun newspaper announced that volume 5 of the traditional Chinese edition of The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin has been published by the Soka Cultural and Educational Foundation of Taiwan Soka Association. The book contains 93 of Nichiren’s writings and shows Classical Chinese text alongside vernacular Chinese.
On June 26, SGI-Netherlands opened the Ikeda Friendship and Peace Center in Amsterdam, which will serve as the main center for the organization. Some five hundred members attended the opening ceremony both in person and online. President Daisaku Ikeda sent a congratulatory message encouraging members to further contribute to the local community as good citizens.
On June 26, Soka Gakkai Italy held an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the opening of its culture center in Florence. It brought together members, community leaders and faith representatives, including the president of the Regional Council of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, and Cardinal Giuseppe Betori, the Catholic Archbishop of Florence. Youth members presented a statement developed together with other faith representatives, expressing their resolve to contribute to world peace. The event was attended by 2,500 people, livestreamed with some 15,500 views and covered by national and local newspapers. On June 27, the “Heritage of Life” climate action exhibition, created by Soka Gakkai Italy, opened at the same venue to mark the anniversary.
by Alex Boling
SGI-USA Courageous Freedom (LGBTQ+) Group Advisor
Los Angeles
When my classmate finished her presentation on American composer Benjamin Britten, I blinked, astonished. Had she really failed to mention his gay lover?
“You conveniently just forgot to mention his muse, Peter Pears?” I barked. I upbraided her for the oversight so harshly that she broke down in tears.
This was me in 1992, freshly returned from study abroad in France, where the European nation had been rocked by revelations of its government knowingly distributing HIV-infected blood to at-risk populations. I had returned to the States a militant gay rights activist to complete my graduate studies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and condemn ignorance wherever I found it. I saw myself as a morally superior but ineffectual rebel—a would-be hero pitted against humanity’s overwhelming cluelessness. I felt I was fighting for the sake of “the people,” but really, I was fighting for an idea of “the people”—most of the people I knew I didn’t like.
My fiery crusades betrayed a lack of self-confidence. I spent so much time denouncing the world for its shortcomings because I resented my own. Just as I had an idea of “the people” worth fighting for, I had an idea of the proper “hero” worthy of championing the cause. Inwardly, this person was morally impeccable; outwardly, he bore a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt. For all my fiery words and superstar ambition (I am an actor after all), I suspected I was not this person. When obstacles arose, I reacted out of fear, worry and anger. After making some grand gesture or scathing remark, I’d fall into resignation or despair. Fortunately, in 2005, a friend introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism, which would revolutionize my ideas of activism, humanity and social change.
To me, effective activism happened in the limelight. Center stage was where you stumped for change. As an actor, I was sure that center stage was where
I belonged. So I was gobsmacked when, having been invited to support a large SGI meeting a year into my practice, I found myself in the parking lot. Me. Surely there’d been a mistake? I was relieved to see a men’s leader approach, to put my talents to better use inside, no doubt, probably as emcee. Instead, he thanked me profusely, gave me a few safety pointers and, wishing me luck, left to the far end of the lot where he began waving in cars.
Despite myself, I felt my anger dissipate over the course of the shift. I did my best to greet people cheerfully and got sincere responses in return. Inwardly, I even forgave the men’s leader who had somehow overlooked my obvious value as a central-stage figure. Afterward, I learned that he was a soap opera superstar. Double-gobsmacked. What was a superstar doing in the parking lot? I began questioning my own motives—for seeking the limelight, for condemning others’ ignorance. I began to suspect I might be ignorant myself, an uncomfortable realization prompted by nothing more than the simple sincerity of SGI members. No condemnations, no fireworks. This was my first visceral experience with human revolution, the internal pioneering that makes way for new perspectives and new responses.
I did lots of this kind of pioneering the more I spoke with members. I found that I could be deeply encouraged by someone with whom, outwardly, I had nothing in common. I discovered, too, that I could encourage people I thought would dismiss me out of hand. The most profound and lasting changes are born of one-to-one dialogue.
Take my relationship with my father. A small-town Southern gentleman, he had this belief handed down to him that gay people could not become happy. This made it difficult for me to feel close to him. This and his love of stocks and sports. He would call weekly to tell me about “the big game,” though I’d told him a hundred times I don’t watch sports. His jokes, his sports talk, his hair—all seemed completely unrelated to my life. When an SGI leader suggested, a year into my practice, that I chant to find one thing to appreciate my father for, it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard. Still, I gave it a go.
As I chanted, I racked my brain for something to appreciate. Suddenly, it came to me: his hairdo. It made me laugh, and I was thankful for that. It made me laugh a lot. And then the floodgates opened, one realization following the next: for instance, every time he had called me with a joke or to talk about the big game, he was telling me, in his way, “I love you.” He’d been saying so all along; I just hadn’t known how to hear it. I broke down in tears.
The next time he called, I answered with joy.
“You see the big game?”
“No, Dad. Tell me about it.” Delighted, he did, and all I heard was, “I love you.” The sports, the stocks, the lame jokes—it was absolutely related to my life; I had everything to do with it.
Consider how futile it would have been to challenge his belief about gay people by shouting and condemning. But as I began to see him as a human being doing his best, that belief of his just fell away. He could see that I was happy, and that was that.
My mother, Roxanne, also noticed my happiness. After her husband died in December 2021, I realized how I could best repay my debt of gratitude to her. She has battled social anxiety for many years, but as I began to speak to her with the understanding that I was supporting not just my mom but a Buddha with an eternal mission, she began to grow more confident. She has consistently felt comfortable meeting SGI members and, as she’s started chanting, has become more open and joyful by the day. Just this month, at 81, she received the Gohonzon.
I still consider myself a rebel but no longer the ineffectual kind. Now, every obstacle that comes my way, I tackle with the radical response of human revolution, chanting my butt off to see the world through another’s eyes and believing in each of us to do the work of Buddhas, just as we are.
On June 24, following the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the Soka Gakkai affiliated Toda Peace Institute held a workshop on nuclear disarmament co-organized with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP). Held at VCDNP, the workshop brought together experts from the 1MSP, including Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, president of the 1MSP. The event included a book launch for The Nuclear Ban Treaty: A Transformational Reframing of the Global Nuclear Order, a collection of expert perspectives on the TPNW edited by Ramesh Thakur, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and senior research fellow at the Toda Peace Institute.
On June 21, during the Fifth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) in Bologna, Italy, a panel discussion titled “Soka Gakkai’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: Origins, Scope, and Future” was held. Dr. Enza Pellecchia of the University of Pisa and Dr. Massimo Introvigne, founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), spoke on Soka Gakkai Italy’s Senzatomica anti-nuclear campaign, and Dr. Rosita Šorytė of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief commented that, because of its solid philosophical foundation, the Soka Gakkai is able to persistently promote peace even in times of crisis. Dr. Kazuhiro Tobisawa, honorary research fellow at the University of Buckingham in the UK, talked about how the Soka Gakkai’s anti-nuclear activities demonstrate the relevance of Nichiren Buddhism to the contemporary peace movement.