SGI, USA (Buddhist Campus Ministry) meeting

Interested in learning more about Buddhism?

Please join us from 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 in the upstairs Seminar Room #2207 at Sharp Chapel.

Who We Are

We are the most diverse Buddhist community in the United States.

The Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) is part of a global community-based network of more than 11 million people in 192 countries and territories that practice the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism centered on respect for the dignity of life.

As members of the SGI, we are committed to dialogue and nonviolence based on the conviction that individual happiness and the realization of peace are inextricably linked.

Our Daily Practice

Our basic daily Buddhist practice, carried out in our own homes, is chanting the phrase “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra as a means to embrace and bring forth our Buddha nature, our limitless reserves of wisdom, courage and compassion and apply them to our daily lives. We also share the teachings of Buddhism with others in order to help them become happy.

How We Gather

In the U.S., we represent the most diverse Buddhist community with more than 2,500 monthly neighborhood discussion meetings and some 90 Buddhist centers throughout the country.

We gather monthly for small-scale neighborhood discussion meetings where we study Buddhist principles and share our experiences of applying Buddhism to the challenges of life. As religion journalist Clark Strand notes: “At an SGI-USA discussion meeting, every voice is heard. Such meetings are egalitarian in spirit, democratic in practice and decidedly life-affirming in their vision of how Buddhist practice might contribute to the happiness of the individual and, in so doing, provide the foundation for a happy society.”