Buddhist Terms
The History of Buddhism
Buddhist Concepts
SGI
Variety
100
In Sanskrit, meaning "act" or "action," this is created through thoughts, words and deeds.
What is karma?
100
The first historically recorded Buddha, He was born a prince 3000 years ago in India. He renounced his secular life and devoted himself to finding a solution to the four universal sufferings.
Who is Shakyamuni Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama?
100
2nd Soka Gakkai Preseident Toda used this term to describe the process of attaining Buddhahood, a self-transformation achieved through Nichiren Buddhist practice within the SGI.
What is human revolution?
100
Also known as Kosen-Rufu Day, on this date in 1958, six thousand youth assembled from throughout Japan at Taiseko-ji. An ill Toda, boldy passed the responsibility for accomplishing kosen rufu to the youth.
What is March 16th?
100
Literally, to "exert [oneself in] practice," this term refers to the twice daily Nichiren Buddhist practice of reciting portions of the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Lotus Sutra and chanting NMRK with faith in the Gohonzon.
What is Gongyo?
200
This is the object of fundamental respect or devotion in Nichiren Buddhism embodying the law of NMRK.
What is the Gohonzon?
200
Otherwise known as the four universal sufferings, Shakyamuni awakened to THESE sufferings when he was a young prince. This awakening is what motivated him to renounce secular life and pursue the religious path to attain enlightenment.
What are, "Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death?"
200
Attaining THIS is not so much a matter of arriving at a destination or reaching a goal, but of revealing what already exists within us. It is not a superhuman state, but the process of developing our humanity.
What is Buddhahood?
200
The Soka Gakkai has its origins in this kind of a relationship between the organization's first president, Makiguchi, and its second president, Toda.
What is the mentor-disciple relationship?
200
Consisting of 28 chapters, this is the ultimate teaching of Shakyamuni, where he reveals the eternity of life and that everyone has the potential to become a Buddha.
What is the Lotus Sutra?
300
Literally, "to widely declare and spread," this refers to the process of securing lasting peace and happiness for all humankind by establishing the humanistic ideals of Nichiren Buddhism in society.
What is kosen-rufu?
300
Also known as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, He declared NMRK to be the ultimate law on April 28th, 1253.
Who is Nichiren Daishonin?
300
In, "The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life," Nichiren says, "All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant NMRK with the spirit of [THIS] transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim."
What is "many in body but one in mind?"
300
On this day in 1960, Daisaku Ikeda was inaugurated third president of the Soka Gakkai. Sensei was determined to fulfill President Toda's wish to spread this practice worldwide.
What is May 3rd?
300
This is a worldwide movement or organization dedicated to peace, education and culture based on Nichiren Buddhism. It translates to, "value creation society."
What is Soka Gakkai?
400
Also known as the age of the Decadent Law, this is the last of three periods following Shakyamuni Buddha's death, when his teachings are said to fall into confusion and lose the power to lead people to enlightenment.
What is the Latter Day of the Law?
400
Signifying a profound turning point in his lifelong efforts to spread his teachings, this incident led Nichiren to cast off the transient identity as an ordinary person to reveal the true identity as the Buddha of limitless joy from time without beginning. After the incident, the government exiled him to Sado Island.
What is the Tatsunokuchi Persecution?
400
Because the lotus flower produces both flower and seeds at the same time, it illustrates this principle.
What is the "simultaneity of cause and effect?"
400
The Charter of the SGI states as it's first purpose/principle that, the"SGI shall contribute to ____, ____, and ____ for the happiness and welfare of all humanity, based on the Buddhist respect for the sanctity of life."
What are "peace, culture and education?"
400
Also known as the "two vehicles," having realized the impermanence of things, people in these states begin to seek the lasting truth. They are no longer prisoner to their own reactions in the six paths.
What are Learning (Voice Hearers/Self Reflection) and Realization (Cause Awakened Ones/Absorption)?
500
Known as the six paths, these have in common the fact that their emergence or disappearance is governed by external circumstances. We base our entire happiness, indeed our whole identity, on externals.
What are Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity and Heaven?
500
This treatise was Nichiren's first official remonstration with the sovereign. In it, he attributes the belief in erroneous teachings, mostly the Pure Land school, as the cause of continuing onslaught of natural disasters and other calamities assailing Japan.
What is "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land?"
500
In the 13th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni describes these three types of people who will persecute and try to stop the sutra's votaries from spreading its teachings.
What are the three powerful enemies: 1) arrogant lay people, 2) arrogant priests, and 3) arrogant false sages?
500
This movement clarifies the correct teaching and practice of Nichiren Buddhism, which is based on the principle that the path to enlightenment is equally accessible to all people. It refutes the erroneous doctrine that advocates superiority of priests over laity thus underscoring the need for each member to deepen their understanding versus blindly following religious authority.
What is Soka Spirit?
500
Symbolizing the functions that impede our progress towards enlightenment, T'ien-t'ai explains, "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere...One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them." THESE are the three obstacles.
What are 1) the obstacle of earthly desires, 2) the obstacle of karma (negative actions committed in this life) , and 3) the obstacle of retribution (negative effects of our past lives)?
M
e
n
u