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The Humanism of the Lotus Sutra

The 2,500-year journey of Buddhism.

Buddhism begins with the spiritual journey of Shakyamuni Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in India some 2,500 years ago. The Lotus Sutra is the most influential of his teachings, expressing that anyone can become enlightened—a state marked by boundless courage, compassion, hope, wisdom and life force.

The Lotus Sutra’s universal appeal allowed it to move across borders to China, Korea and Japan, where Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th-century Buddhist teacher, established the practice of reciting the Lotus Sutra’s title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to make the path to enlightenment accessible to all. Today, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), continues to empower each person based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren.

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