Buddhist movement fosters peace.

Byline: FROM HEART TO HEART by Charles Craytor For The Register-Guard

"A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation, and further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind."

- Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai International president

With the Sept. 11, 2001, bombing of the World Trade Center and our struggling economy, much of our society has been dominated by an environment of fear. For many, this fear manifests a feeling that on an individual basis we cannot make a meaningful difference. We lose hope.

The Soka Gakkai International-USA is an American Buddhist movement that promotes peace and individual happiness based on the philosophy and practice of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism.

Our activities are motivated by our understanding of the inseparable link between individual happiness and the peace and prosperity of our diverse communities. Our practice places the highest emphasis on the sanctity of life.

The term "soka gakkai" translates to value-creation society. Through our Buddhist faith and practice, we aim to improve our lives by taking up the challenge to create value, to live without fear, to take responsibility for our circumstances, to care for our families and to live with compassion for others.

Our core philosophy is expressed in the concept of human revolution, a process of inner transformation. It centers on the idea that, through our thoughts, words and actions, causes are created. Their influence extends beyond the immediate context to affect the vast and complex web of life.

Undergoing our individual human revolution, we awaken to the responsibility we each have for our own circumstances and for our environment. Our inner transformation will lead us to take the actions that bring about personal fulfillment and help us contribute to the harmony and healthy development of society.

These ideals are based on the Buddhist view of dependent origination, a concept of the interrelation of all things. In the realms of humanity and nature, all are dependent upon each other for existence; nothing can exist in isolation.

The roots of our worldview can be traced to the teachings of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, who lived some 2,500 years ago. His enlightenment of eternal, universal reality was most succinctly articulated in the Lotus Sutra. Following Shakyamuni's death, the Lotus Sutra spread through central Asia into China and Japan.

In the 13th century, Nichiren Daishonin revealed the essence of the Lotus Sutra. According to Nichiren Buddhism, the workings of the universe are an expression of a single principle or Law. By putting our lives in rhythm with this Law, we can unlock our hidden potential - our Buddha nature - and achieve creative harmony with the environment.

Our practice thus becomes a vehicle for individual empowerment - that is, we each have within ourselves the power to transform the inevitable sufferings of life into happiness and to be a positive influence in the community.

Charles Craytor is a member at the local SGI Buddhist Community Center. "From Heart to Heart" is coordinated by the Two Rivers Interfaith Ministries, a network of faith communities in the Eugene-Springfield area. For more information, call 344-5693.