The Brilliant Path of Worldwide Kosen-rufu: Study Guide for The New Human Revolution, Volumes 1–10

By Independent Publishers Group

Filled with stories of people achieving their human revolution,surmounting obstacles, and fulfilling their vow to create peaceand happiness in the world, Daisaku Ikeda's The New Human Revolution recounts the true history of the Soka Gakkai's worldwide movement for peace. Its thirty volumes will allow generation after generation to learn,to be inspired, and to continue the story into the future.This study guide, which covers the first ten volumes, offers highlights, key passages, historic photos, andother material to enhance your own study of this essential work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: May 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781946635655

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

by SGI VICE PRESIDENT

HIROMASA IKEDA

Thoughts on Studying The New Human Revolution

SHARING THE SPIRIT OF SHIN’ICHI YAMAMOTO

The final installment of SGI President Ikeda’s serialized novel The New Human Revolution was published on September 8, 2018, in the Seikyo Shimbun. On October 3, the newspaper carried the following article by SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda, in which he shares his views on how to approach studying the series.

SGI President Ikeda was sixty-five years old when he began writing The New Human Revolution. While this is typically the age when many people retire, for President Ikeda, it was when he announced his resolve to embark on the great new undertaking of writing a novel composed of thirty volumes.

In the introduction to The New Human Revolution, he writes, It will certainly be a supreme challenge to finish writing it within my lifetime.¹ Reading these words, I can’t help but feel that he gave everything he had to the messages he sought to convey to his readers and successors who eagerly awaited each installment.

President Ikeda began writing The New Human Revolution twenty-five years ago, on August 6, 1993, with the novel’s serialization in the Seikyo Shimbun concluding on September 8 of this year [2018]. He began writing its precursor, The Human Revolution, on December 2, 1964.

In the Bastion of the Pen chapter in volume 10 of The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda writes, "He [Shin’ichi Yamamoto²] would read reference materials for the novel while traveling from place to place and sketch out the unfolding plot, which he would then set down on paper early in the morning or late at night."³

Over the course of fifty-four years, President Ikeda engaged in the struggle of writing The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution, using every spare moment he could amid his demanding schedule and even during his overseas travels. I am filled with deep gratitude and emotion when I think of his decades-long efforts.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD NEW

President Ikeda began writing The New Human Revolution at the Nagano Training Center in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. On one occasion, while visiting the center, I saw an exhibit displaying a page he had written to commemorate the start of this fresh effort. It reads in part: It will comprise a total of thirty volumes.

In Karuizawa, eight months before his death, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda spoke of his own novel The Human Revolution to President Ikeda, saying, Though I had no problem writing about [first Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo] Makiguchi, I was too embarrassed to write fully about my own life. It was then that President Ikeda resolved to write a continuation of President Toda’s novel in order to leave a record of his mentor’s true greatness.

President Ikeda’s novel The Human Revolution begins with President Toda’s release from prison and ends with Shin’ichi Yamamoto’s inauguration as Soka Gakkai president after President Toda’s passing.

The New Human Revolution, meanwhile, starts with Shin’ichi’s first overseas trip five months after his inauguration. I believe this was done to set forth the novel’s main theme as worldwide kosen-rufu, as opposed to merely provide a historical account of events. The novel tells of the actions Shin’ichi Yamamoto took as a disciple to realize his mentor’s grand vision of kosen-rufu, as well as how he spread and developed the philosophy and practice of human revolution in a new era. I think that is the significance of the word new in the novel’s title.

’A great human revolution in a single individual’ can awaken countless others to their true identity.

A philosophy of limitless trust and respect for human beings—the idea that a great human revolution in a single individual can awaken countless others to their true identity as Bodhisattvas of the Earth—is the underlying message of both The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution.

The New Human Revolution is filled with stories of people achieving their human revolution through changing their karma. At the heart of these transformations are the act of making a vow and the Buddhist principle of voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma.⁴

President Ikeda once said:

The principle of voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma is the logical conclusion of the Buddhist concept of transforming one’s karma. Simply put, it represents a way of life in which we change karma into mission. Everything that happens in our lives has meaning. Moreover, the Buddhist way of life is to find and discover meaning in all things.⁵

The New Human Revolution depicts the resilient attitude toward the lives of Soka Gakkai members, who view the personal struggles and hardships they experience as part of fulfilling their vow as Bodhisattvas of the Earth to enable all people to become happy.

IDENTIFYING WITH SHIN’ICHI YAMAMOTO

In the introduction to The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda writes:

Even if there was someone I could ask to document my travels and encounters, that person would be unable to record what was in my heart and mind at the time. There is also a genuine aspect of the Soka Gakkai’s history of which only I am aware.⁶

I think a novel is the best way to depict the workings of a person’s heart. Because this work is written as a novel, its readers can identify with the protagonist. It goes without saying that Shin’ichi Yamamoto is a pseudonym. While he, of course, represents President Ikeda, he also epitomizes what it means to be a disciple.

In other words, through reading The New Human Revolution, we can share in Shin’ichi Yamamoto’s life and innermost thoughts. We can unite with our mentor’s heart as we continue to walk the path of shared struggle. Each of us has the potential to be a Shin’ichi Yamamoto.

I am Shin’ichi Yamamoto!—this is the motto of the members of Bharat Soka Gakkai in India, whose organization has grown remarkably in recent years. Through reading The New Human Revolution and learning of the thoughts and actions of Shin’ichi Yamamoto as he opened the way for kosen-rufu in India, they are standing up with the determination that now is the time to strive with the same spirit as he did.

The New Human Revolution has taken on even greater significance since 2010, when President Ikeda stepped back from attending meetings in person. Through the novel, he has continued to convey inspiring messages to his readers by writing a true history of the Soka Gakkai spirit and about his own thoughts and feelings.

As time goes by, the number of people who have firsthand knowledge of the events depicted in the novel will become smaller and smaller. Their testimonies are invaluable, but it is even more important that, through The New Human Revolution, the history of kosen-rufu and the Soka Gakkai spirit are transmitted, together with President Ikeda’s heart, eternally from generation to generation.

Or to put it another way, The New Human Revolution is a form of documentary proof that will serve as a point of reference for successive generations of Soka Gakkai members. That is why we must thoroughly study it now. I am certain that doing so will contribute to the eternal development of our organization.

TAKING HISTORICAL CONTEXT INTO CONSIDERATION

Reading all thirty volumes of The New Human Revolution from beginning to end is a difficult task. Although it’s vital to ultimately read them all, you can start from any volume or episode you like. Pick a scene that you can relate to, or a part that features the place you currently live or where you are from, and study it deeply.

When President Ikeda writes about his overseas travels, he introduces things that only he is aware of, such as the initial steps he took for kosen-rufu in specific countries. In writing about Japan as well, he depicts the earnest struggles of pioneer members that became the starting point of our movement in particular areas and regions. Again, this is a part of the Soka Gakkai’s history that only he could write about. In that sense, it may also be a good idea to read up on the historical context and surrounding events.

It is also important to find out when a certain chapter was serialized in the Seikyo Shimbun, as it may provide insights into President Ikeda’s thoughts at the time. For example, the chapter titled Light of Happiness in volume 25 began serialization on September 1, 2011, and focuses on the Tohoku region, which had just suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March that year. Through writing this chapter, President Ikeda poured his heart into encouraging the members who were facing severe hardships. Each sentence became an indelible source of hope for those afflicted by the disaster.

FULFILLING OUR VOW

In the epilogue to volume 1 of The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda writes: Without the disciple’s efforts to make it a reality, the mentor’s grand vision will remain an empty dream. The true value of the principles set forth by the mentor are only revealed when they are applied and developed.⁷

The coming age will be defined by how each of us, as a disciple, deepens and puts into practice the spirit of The New Human Revolution. How will we internalize this spirit and accurately hand it on to future generations? It could be said that all the members of the youth division are The New Human Revolution Generation with a profound mission to fulfill.

In an essay from the series The Eternal Citadel of Soka, President Ikeda writes:

I have written The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution, an epic story of kosen-rufu and the victory of ordinary people, as a golden day-to-day record of the struggle that I have shared and fought together with all of you, my precious fellow members. Therefore, that epic will not end with the completion of the novel.⁸

President Ikeda is counting on us to carry out the great vow for worldwide kosen-rufu into the eternal future and bring our own lives and the lives of others to shine brilliantly. It is our mission to respond to this wish of our mentor. By making a habit of studying The New Human Revolution on a regular basis, each of us can fulfill this great vow.

From the October 3, 2018, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper.

NOTES:

1. Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, revised edition (Santa Monica, California: World Tribune Press, 2017), p. xi.

2. Shin’ichi Yamamoto is the protagonist of The New Human Revolution and a pseudonym for Daisaku Ikeda.

3. Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, vol. 10, revised edition, California: World Tribune Press, 2020), p. 49

4. Voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma: This refers to bodhisattvas who, though qualified to receive the pure rewards of Buddhist practice, relinquish them and make a vow to be reborn in an impure world in order to save living beings.

5. The Opening of the Eyes: SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series, p. 65.

6. Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, revised edition, p. x.

7. Translated from Japanese. Daisaku Ikeda, Shin ningen kakumei (The New Human Revolution), vol. 1 (Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1998), p. 352.

8. October 12, 2018, World Tribune, p. 3.

The New Human Revolution

VOLUME 1

Chapter 1

Sunrise

Chapter 2

New World

Chapter 3

Golden Autumn

Chapter 4

Light of Compassion

Chapter 5

Pioneers

COMMENTARY

by SGI VICE PRESIDENT

HIROMASA IKEDA

The New Human Revolution

VOLUME 1

In the introduction to volume 1 of The New Human Revolution, SGI President Ikeda describes two main reasons for writing it:

What inspired me to write The New Human Revolution series as a continuation of The Human Revolution was my thought that the extent to which kosen-rufu has unfolded since my mentor’s passing serves as genuine proof of his greatness. In addition, to transmit my mentor’s spirit for eternity, I felt that I must leave a record of the path his disciples, who inherited his legacy, have followed.¹

In other words, for President Ikeda, writing The New Human Revolution was part of his effort, as a disciple, to attest to the greatness of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, and ensure that his spirit would endure into the eternal future.

Whereas The Human Revolution begins with the chapter titled Dawn, The New Human Revolution commences with the chapter Sunrise. Although both Dawn and Sunrise are words associated with the sun, their nuances differ slightly. Dawn means the first appearance of daylight, whereas sunrise occurs after the dawn.

In The Human Revolution, President Ikeda describes how daylight had broken in President Toda’s heart alone. In other words, President Toda realized that he was a Bodhisattva of the Earth and took action based on this. What we see in The New Human Revolution is the way this is inherited by his disciple Shin’ichi Yamamoto (representing President Ikeda in the novel), who proceeds to advance worldwide kosen-rufu with the vigor and momentum of a rapidly rising sun.

Volume 1 of The New Human Revolution was first published in book form in Japanese on January 2, 1998, President Ikeda’s seventieth birthday. Two days later, the first installment of his essay series "Thoughts on The New Human Revolution" was carried in the Seikyo Shimbun. In this first essay, he reflects on his achievements over the previous decades and sets forth his goals and objectives for the next decade, as well as outlining a vision for the future:

If I were to set down what I had accomplished from the age of 60 to the present, along with what I envisage for the decade ahead, it would read as follows:

To the age of 70: Establishing the principles of a new humanism.

To the age of 80: Completing of the foundation for worldwide kosen-rufu.

From that point on, in accord with the Mystic Law and the undying and unaging nature of life expounded in Buddhism, I am determined to take the lead in kosen-rufu throughout eternity.²

In the epilogue to volume 1, President Ikeda writes, "I intend to carry out my work, speaking and taking action, for as long as I live, and to continue writing The New Human Revolution as if it were my final testament."³ I cannot help but feel that, in writing The New Human Revolution, he sought to record the spirit of the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai for future generations and for all eternity.

EACH PERSON IS A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

I would next like to suggest three perspectives from which to study volume 1 of The New Human Revolution.

The first perspective is the historical background to the events being described. In 1960, the year in which Shin’ichi takes his first step toward worldwide kosen-rufu, the world was in tumult, as was Japan. With the Cold War at its height, the threat of nuclear weapons was intensifying everywhere, while at home, opinion was divided over amending the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. In the U.S., racial discrimination was rife, while Japanese immigrants living in Brazil also faced numerous hardships. We thus see that the guidance Shin’ichi offers in this volume is based on the larger context of the country or community in question.

The second perspective is the way The New Human Revolution chronicles the emergence of a global religious movement. We see in volume 1 how Shin’ichi strives to find ways to concretely advance worldwide kosen-rufu, a task entrusted to him by his mentor, even when others don’t understand.

In San Francisco, he appoints two men, one of whom is not even a member, to be advisors to the district. He also decides to establish a district in Nevada upon meeting a married couple who had traveled from there to see him. With regard to these arrangements, President Ikeda writes:

None of [Shin’ichi’s] decisions or responses was made on a mere impulse or whim. Even split-second decisions contained his concentrated thought for kosen-rufu that came from exerting infinitely painstaking effort in each moment of life.⁴

Shin’ichi continues his travels for peace, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in his heart everywhere he visits for the happiness of his friends and the prosperity of their communities. He was determined to permeate the new land of America with his chanting, offering prayers for its prosperity.⁵

Such earnest prayers and the immense effort of traveling to nine cities in three countries during a span of twenty-four days resulted in the establishment of two chapters and seventeen districts, paving the way for the Soka Gakkai’s development as a global religious movement.

The task of accomplishing worldwide kosen-rufu starts with encouraging the individual in front of us.

The final perspective is how the task of accomplishing worldwide kosen-rufu ultimately starts with encouraging the individual in front of us. After all, though districts and chapters may be established, it is the people who are at the heart of the organization.

While in San Francisco, a Japanese leader accompanying Shin’ichi laments that there is a lack of capable individuals, to which Shin’ichi replies: They are all capable people. They will begin to shine from here on. If they persevere with pure-hearted faith, their names will all go down in the annals of kosen-rufu as pioneers.⁶

To Shin’ichi, each person is a diamond in the rough; he always makes it a point to seek out such precious individuals and applies himself to fostering and developing their potential.

During his visit to Chicago, Shin’ichi speaks to a group of women awaiting his return in the hallway of the hotel where he is staying. Despite their somewhat shabby appearance, Shin’ichi proceeds to wholeheartedly encourage them, seeing each one of them as a Buddha.

We should never judge a person by their outward appearance or social status. Also, regardless of whether someone practices Nichiren Buddhism or not, we should put our whole heart into every encounter and always strive to cultivate friendships. This is the core belief that Shin’ichi’s behavior embodies, an attitude I believe each