SgiAust.org.au
Title
SGI Australia
Description
Soka Gakkai was originally founded as Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Value-Creating Education Society) in 1930 by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944) and Josei Toda (1900-1958). An educator and author, Mr. Makiguchi was passionately dedicated to educational reform. His tireless quest to understand the basis of human happiness led to his encounter with the teachings of Nichiren in 1928. After studying Nichiren's philosophy, he realized it could provide the spiritual underpinning for his value-creating theory of education.
Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda met in 1920. From that time, they worked closely together and both converted to Nichiren Buddhism. They founded Soka Kyoiku Gakkai to promote education centered on the development of individuals, which recognized each person's inherent and unlimited potential. By 1942, membership had reached a peak of about 3,000.
As the course of World War II worsened for Japan, the militarist government intensified its effort to force the Japanese people to participate in and give allegiance to State Shinto, a measure aimed at bolstering loyalty to the faltering regime and its war effort. Mr. Makiguchi, however, flatly rejected the government decree, refusing to compromise his faith in Nichiren Buddhism and its core belief in the sanctity of life.
