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Soka Gakkai
Japanese Buddhist religious movement / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Soka Gakkai (Japanese: 創価学会, Hepburn: Sōka Gakkai, 'Value-Creation Society') is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren. It claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhist groups.[citation needed]
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|
創価学会 | |
![]() Soka Gakkai flag | |
Formation | November 18, 1930 |
---|---|
Founders | |
Type | New religious movement |
Headquarters | 〒160-8583, Tokyo Shinjuku-Ku, Shinanomachi (信濃町) |
Membership | 11 million according to SG; between 3 and 4 million according to academics |
President | Minoru Harada |
Website | www |
Formerly called | Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai (創価教育学会) |
The organization bases its teachings on Nichiren's interpretation of the Lotus Sutra and places chanting Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō at the center of devotional practice. The organization promotes its goals as supporting "peace, culture, and education".[1]
In Japan, it heads a financial, educational and media empire,[2] including newspapers, publishing houses, financial holdings and a network of schools. Komeito, a conservative party allied with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was founded by members of the Soka Gakkai.
The movement was founded by educators Makiguchi and Toda on 18 November 1930, and held its inaugural meeting in 1937.[3] It was disbanded during the Second World War when much of the leadership was imprisoned for violations of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law and charges of lèse-majesté. After the war, its expansion was led by its former third president Daisaku Ikeda.
According to its own account, Soka Gakkai has 11 million members in 192 countries and territories around the world. However, this figure is not supported by any independent count. According to the work of American academic Levi McLaughlin,[4] membership in Japan is closer to 2–3% of the country's population, or between 2.4 and 4 million people.
Moving the group toward mainstream acceptance, the organization is still viewed with suspicion in Japan and has found itself embroiled in public controversies[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][excessive citations] Komeito, a political party closely aligned with Soka Gakkai and founded by elements of its lay membership, entered a coalition agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party in 1999 and is currently a junior partner in government. Soka Gakkai has been described as a cult.[14][15][16]: 13