History of Soka Gakkai & Three Presidents — Part 2
The History of Soka Gakkai & The Three Presidents — Part 2
In Part 1, we learned about Makiguchi Sensei , his encounter with Nichiren Buddhism, his relationship with Josei Toda , the founding of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai and his courageous stand against the wartime authorities.
Makiguchi Sensei passed away in prison while upholding his faith.
But his disciple, Josei Toda , survived.
The story of Soka Gakkai now enters its next chapter.
Toda Sensei's Awakening in Prison
While in prison, Toda Sensei exerted himself deeply in chanting and studying the Lotus Sutra .
He would read the Lotus Sutra again and again, striving to truly understand and imbibe each phrase.
He would repeatedly:
Read the passages
Ponder their meaning
Contemplate them deeply
Seek to understand their significance
Through this profound contemplation, Toda Sensei experienced two important awakenings.
First, he realized that he himself was a Bodhisattva of the Earth whose mission was to accomplish kosen-rufu .
Second, he awakened to the realization:
“The Buddha is life itself.”
This awakening to his mission became a primary inspiration behind the revival of Buddhism and the powerful progress of Soka Gakkai .
The Second Soka Gakkai President — Josei Toda
Emerging From Prison
After World War II, on July 3, 1945 , Josei Toda emerged from prison.
The other members who had been arrested had given up their faith under pressure from the authorities.
Toda Sensei had spent approximately two years in confinement .
His mentor, Tsunasaburo Makiguchi , had passed away in prison while upholding the Law.
And Soka Gakkai was now in complete ruin.
Yet Toda Sensei immediately began the enormous task of rebuilding the organization .
Japan After World War II
Japan was going through an extremely difficult period.
People were facing:
Unemployment
Illness
Poverty
Confusion
Uncertainty about the future
People had also begun losing faith in the Shinto talisman, but there was no solid philosophy upon which they could base their lives.
Toda Sensei determined to spread Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and lead people away from suffering and confusion.
From Soka Kyoiku Gakkai to Soka Gakkai
The organization's purpose was now expanding.
Its goal was no longer limited to educational reform.
It was now dedicated to accomplishing kosen-rufu .
In line with this expanded purpose, the name Soka Kyoiku Gakkai was amended to:
Soka Gakkai
Soka Gakkai means Value-Creating Society .
Like his mentor Makiguchi Sensei, Toda Sensei began conducting:
Discussion meetings
Dialogues
Guidance in faith
He worked tirelessly to rebuild the organization and encourage people who were suffering in postwar Japan.
Daisaku Ikeda Sensei
While Toda Sensei was rebuilding Soka Gakkai, another important figure was growing through his own experiences of war, suffering and hardship.
That person was Daisaku Ikeda .
Ikeda Sensei's Early Life
Daisaku Ikeda was born in the Tokyo area on January 2, 1928 .
He was only nine years old when the Sino-Japanese War began and 13 when World War II began.
As the war intensified, his four elder brothers were taken into the military and sent into battle.
To support his family, young Daisaku worked in a factory while also suffering from tuberculosis .
It was a period of tremendous physical suffering and emotional trauma.
Experiencing the Cruelty of War
When his eldest brother returned home temporarily from the battlefield, he described the horrific realities of war.
After the war ended, Daisaku learned that his eldest brother had been killed in Burma .
His own house was also burned during an air raid.
Through these experiences, he became painfully aware of the injustice and cruelty of war .
These experiences also caused him to think deeply about fundamental questions concerning:
Life and death.
The Encounter Between Mentor and Disciple
Against this background, something extraordinary happened.
On August 14, 1947 , when he was just 19 years old , Daisaku Ikeda attended his first Soka Gakkai discussion meeting.
There he met Josei Toda , who would become his lifelong mentor.
Toda Sensei was delivering a lecture on:
“On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land”
After the lecture, young Daisaku began asking questions.
And these were not simple questions.
He asked:
What is the correct way to live?
What is a true patriot?
What is the meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?
What do you think about the Emperor?
These were profound questions for someone who was only 19 years old.
Toda Sensei's Answers
Toda Sensei's answers made a tremendous impression on young Daisaku.
His answers were:
Clear
Concise
Well-reasoned
Filled with deep conviction
Young Daisaku sensed that he could trust this person .
This encounter became the beginning of a lifelong mentor-disciple relationship .
Ikeda Sensei Takes Faith
On August 24, 1947 , Daisaku Ikeda joined Nichiren Buddhism.
He was 19 years old .
At that time, Toda Sensei was 47 years old .
The young Daisaku had found the mentor he had been seeking.
The Shared Struggle of Mentor and Disciple
After taking Toda Sensei as his mentor, Ikeda Sensei deepened his study and understanding of Buddhism.
He also vowed to dedicate his life to kosen-rufu .
In January 1949 , he began working at Toda Sensei's publishing company as the editor of a magazine for boys.
But his relationship with Toda Sensei was much more than that of an employee and employer.
Ikeda Sensei Supports Toda Sensei
Toda Sensei was facing serious business difficulties.
Ikeda Sensei exerted himself fully to help settle Toda Sensei's business affairs.
He worked to resolve the financial crisis and took full responsibility so that Toda Sensei could focus completely on Soka Gakkai .
At the same time, Toda Sensei took great care of young Ikeda.
He personally instructed him and provided him with a broad education.
Ikeda Sensei fondly referred to this education as:
“Toda University.”
Toda Sensei continued personally instructing and educating Ikeda Sensei until the final years of his life.
Toda Sensei's Vision for the Future
Toda Sensei shared his dreams and vision for the future with his young disciple.
Among these were visions such as:
Establishing Soka University
Developing the Seikyo Shimbun as a publication for spreading kosen-rufu
Advancing the movement for kosen-rufu
Daisaku Ikeda took each of these dreams and visions deeply to heart.
He would later dedicate himself to making those dreams a reality .
This became a powerful example of the mentor-disciple relationship.
Toda Sensei's Vow to Achieve 750,000 Households
After overcoming his business troubles, Toda Sensei finally agreed to become the second president of Soka Gakkai on May 3, 1951 .
On the very day he became president, he made a tremendous declaration.
At a time when only approximately 3,000 households were practicing, Toda Sensei vowed to achieve:
750,000 households.
This was an extraordinarily bold goal.
His young disciple, Daisaku Ikeda , watched as his mentor made this declaration.
Ikeda Sensei determined in his heart to accomplish this goal—one so bold that some people assumed President Toda had simply misspoken.
But Toda Sensei trusted his young disciple.
He directed Ikeda Sensei to become the chapter advisor for Kamata Chapter in Tokyo .
The Kamata Campaign
In February 1952 , something remarkable happened.
In a single discussion meeting, 201 new households joined the organization during that month.
This became known as the:
Kamata Campaign
The Kamata Campaign gave tremendous momentum to kosen-rufu activities throughout Japan.
It became a turning point after which Soka Gakkai's progress toward achieving the goal of 750,000 households accelerated rapidly.
Publication of the Gosho
Another important development took place in April 1952 .
The letters of Nichiren Daishonin, which we also call the Gosho , were compiled, edited and published.
This enabled members to base their faith and seek guidance directly from the writings of Nichiren Daishonin .
The Osaka Propagation Campaign
In May 1956 , Ikeda Sensei led a propagation campaign in Osaka Chapter .
The result was unprecedented.
The chapter achieved an increase of:
11,111 households in a single month.
This became one of the major milestones in the development of Soka Gakkai's movement.
Achieving the 750,000-Household Goal
Finally, in December 1957 , just six years after Toda Sensei made his vow, Soka Gakkai achieved the target of:
750,000 households
The organization had grown from approximately 3,000 households to 750,000 households .
Toda Sensei's seemingly impossible vow had become a reality.
And his young disciple, Ikeda Sensei, had played a major role in making that vision possible.
Soka Gakkai's Entry into Politics
In April 1955 , Soka Gakkai decided to enter elections based on the principle of:
“On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land.”
The remarkable increase in propagation activities, particularly in places such as Kansai and Osaka , was attracting widespread attention.
Major Japanese newspapers began covering:
Soka Gakkai's propagation activities
Its rapid growth
Its entry into politics
In a recent election, three candidates endorsed by Soka Gakkai were elected to the House of Councillors .
The sudden emergence of a growing grassroots network capable of influencing national politics was viewed as threatening by elements of the political establishment.
Opposition began to emerge, and efforts were made to stop the Soka Gakkai organization.
The Yubari Coal Mining Incident — June 1957
The next major challenge occurred in Yubari , an area dominated by coal mines and unions.
A Soka Gakkai candidate won an election, defeating a candidate supported by the union.
The union, feeling threatened, initiated a campaign of:
Intimidation
Media propaganda
Pressure against Soka Gakkai members and their families
Most of the affected members worked in or were affiliated with the coal mines.
Soka Gakkai members working in the mines were harassed and threatened.
In some cases:
Houses of members were marked
Prayer meetings were disrupted
Door-to-door visits were organized to persuade members to abandon their faith
Members felt that their livelihoods were being threatened
Ikeda Sensei Goes to Yubari
Toda Sensei dispatched Ikeda Sensei to Yubari to resolve the situation.
Under his leadership, local Soka Gakkai members rallied together.
They openly challenged the constitutionality of the union's actions and called upon the union to justify its assault on the freedoms of:
Speech
Religion
Unable to publicly defend its actions, the union eventually backed down and ceased its harassment.
But this was only the beginning of the challenges facing Soka Gakkai.
The Osaka Incident — July 3, 1957
Immediately after leaving Yubari, Ikeda Sensei faced another serious challenge.
On July 3, 1957 , he was unjustly arrested by Osaka police.
Several Soka Gakkai members had been charged with soliciting votes during an election.
Ikeda Sensei was arrested as the main accused.
This became known as the:
Osaka Incident
A number of Soka Gakkai members had been charged with violating the election law's provisions concerning vote solicitation, and prosecutors accused Ikeda Sensei of responsibility.
Protecting His Mentor
During interrogation, Ikeda Sensei was threatened.
He was told that unless he admitted the crime, the authorities would arrest President Toda .
Toda Sensei was already very frail at that time.
Putting him through arrest, imprisonment and interrogation could potentially have led to his death.
To protect his mentor and Soka Gakkai, Ikeda Sensei temporarily admitted the charges.
He was finally released from prison on July 17, 1957 .
But the struggle did not end there.
Over the next four and a half years, Ikeda Sensei continued fighting the case in court.
On January 25, 1962 , he was pronounced guilty of all charges.
March 16 — Kosen-Rufu Day
The story now approaches one of the most significant moments in the relationship between Toda Sensei and his young disciples .
On the call of their mentor, young people from throughout Japan were summoned.
On March 16, 1958 , just a few months after achieving the goal of 750,000 households, approximately 6,000 youth gathered at the Grand Lecture Hall at Taiseki-ji.
At this time, Ikeda Sensei had also recently endured 15 days of intense interrogation .
Toda Sensei entrusted the young people gathered there with the responsibility for the future of kosen-rufu .
He entrusted them with the great wish and vow for kosen-rufu.
This became the moment when the baton of kosen-rufu was passed to the young successors .
For this reason, March 16 is celebrated as:
Kosen-Rufu Day
in Soka Gakkai.
Toda Sensei's Passing
Only a few weeks later, on April 2, 1958 , Toda Sensei passed away.
He was 58 years old .
Toda Sensei had built Soka Gakkai based on the profound awakening he experienced while in prison.
He had revived the organization from near ruin and constructed an indestructible foundation for kosen-rufu .
His life had come full circle:
Prison → Awakening → Rebuilding → 750,000 Households → Entrusting Kosen-rufu to the Youth
And among those young successors was the disciple who had stood beside him through the most difficult years:
Daisaku Ikeda.
The Mentor-Disciple Legacy
The story of Toda Sensei and Ikeda Sensei demonstrates the profound importance of mentor and disciple working together toward a shared vow .
Toda Sensei had a vision.
Ikeda Sensei made that vision his own.
Toda Sensei made the vow of 750,000 households .
Ikeda Sensei determined to accomplish it.
Toda Sensei envisioned the future of kosen-rufu.
Ikeda Sensei carried that vision forward.
And on March 16, 1958 , Toda Sensei entrusted the future of kosen-rufu to the youth.
His disciple would go on to carry that baton forward.
Key Points to Remember
Toda Sensei experienced a profound awakening while studying and chanting in prison.
He realized that he was a Bodhisattva of the Earth with a mission to accomplish kosen-rufu .
He also awakened to the realization that “The Buddha is life itself.”
Toda Sensei emerged from prison on July 3, 1945 .
He rebuilt Soka Gakkai from near ruin after World War II.
The organization's name changed from Soka Kyoiku Gakkai to Soka Gakkai .
Soka Gakkai means Value-Creating Society .
Daisaku Ikeda was born on January 2, 1928 .
Ikeda Sensei experienced the suffering and cruelty of World War II from a young age.
He attended his first Soka Gakkai discussion meeting on August 14, 1947 .
At that meeting, he met Josei Toda .
Ikeda Sensei joined Nichiren Buddhism on August 24, 1947 , at age 19.
Toda Sensei became his lifelong mentor.
Ikeda Sensei helped Toda Sensei overcome his business difficulties.
Toda Sensei personally educated and guided Ikeda Sensei, an education Ikeda Sensei called “Toda University.”
Toda Sensei became the second president of Soka Gakkai on May 3, 1951 .
He made a vow to achieve 750,000 households , when there were approximately 3,000.
The Kamata Campaign achieved 201 new households in a single discussion meeting in February 1952.
In May 1956, Ikeda Sensei led the Osaka campaign and achieved 11,111 new households in one month .
In December 1957, Soka Gakkai achieved the goal of 750,000 households .
The Yubari Coal Mining Incident took place in June 1957.
The Osaka Incident began with Ikeda Sensei's arrest on July 3, 1957.
On March 16, 1958 , approximately 6,000 youth gathered at Taiseki-ji.
Toda Sensei entrusted the youth with the future of kosen-rufu .
March 16 is celebrated as Kosen-Rufu Day .
Toda Sensei passed away on April 2, 1958 , at age 58.
A Simple Timeline
1945
July 3 — Toda Sensei emerges from prison and begins rebuilding Soka Gakkai.
1947
August 14 — Young Daisaku Ikeda attends his first Soka Gakkai discussion meeting and meets Toda Sensei.
August 24 — Ikeda Sensei joins Nichiren Buddhism.
1951
May 3 — Toda Sensei becomes the second president of Soka Gakkai and makes the 750,000-household vow.
1952
February — Kamata Campaign achieves 201 new households in a single discussion meeting.
1955
April — Soka Gakkai enters elections based on the principle of On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land .
1956
May — Ikeda Sensei leads the Osaka campaign and achieves 11,111 new households in one month.
1957
June — Yubari Coal Mining Incident.
July 3 — Ikeda Sensei is arrested in the Osaka Incident.
December — Soka Gakkai achieves the goal of 750,000 households.
1958
March 16 — Approximately 6,000 youth gather at Taiseki-ji; Toda Sensei entrusts them with the future of kosen-rufu.
April 2 — Toda Sensei passes away at age 58.
The Baton Is Passed
The significance of March 16 can be understood through the entire story of Toda Sensei's life.
He had entered prison.
He had awakened to his mission.
He had returned to a devastated organization.
He had rebuilt Soka Gakkai.
He had fulfilled his 750,000-household vow.
And then he entrusted the future of kosen-rufu to the youth.
The mentor's mission was now entrusted to the disciple.
The baton had been passed.
And this brings us naturally to the story of the third president, Daisaku Ikeda , and the next chapter in the development of Soka Gakkai.