SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 154 - April 24, 2026
SGI Canada Newsletter
Issue no. 154
April 24, 2026
Welcome to the 154th issue of the SGI Canada Newsletter, a bi-weekly summary of news, upcoming events and encouragement. If you are not subscribing to the SGI Canada Newsletter, you may do so by clicking on the button below. Subscriptions are free of charge, and the SGI Canada Newsletter will be emailed directly to you.
Encouragement
Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada’s Editorial: “Women United in Fostering Peace”
In his editorial in the March issue of Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada praises the role of women in creating peace:
In December 2000, after arriving in Kansai on his return from an overseas guidance tour, President Ikeda looked ahead to the “third millennium” and presented a new vision for the second series of Seven Bells[i] at the final headquarters leaders meeting of the 20th century. He stressed in particular that women would be the light of the 21st century, affirming that when they unleash their abilities to their fullest potential, not only the Soka Gakkai but society as a whole will be energized and advance in a positive direction.
Furthermore, referring to Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching that women open the gateway (see WND-2, 884), he declared: “In the unending advance of our kosen-rufu movement, it will be women who will open the gateway of good fortune and benefit, of hope, of eternal victory.”
Dr. Elise Boulding, one of the pioneers of peace studies with whom President Ikeda forged a deep friendship, once reflected on her exchanges with members of the women’s division, emphasizing the vital importance of “women stubbornly persisting in peace work in their communities, like those in SGI organizations.”[ii] Like President Ikeda, our mentor of kosen-rufu, she placed immense hope on the united solidarity of the women’s division—those who foster peace through steady grassroots dialogue.
Throughout Japan, women’s division members are holding small-group general meetings, alive with joyful smiles. I would like to offer my sincere prayers for their resounding success.
[i] Seven Bells: The first series of Seven Bells consisted of seven consecutive seven-year periods in the Soka Gakkai’s development from its founding in 1930 through 1979. On May 3, 1966, President Ikeda spoke of a new series of Seven Bells that he envisaged unfolding in the 21st century. He later extended this to comprise a total of seven series of Seven Bells to the middle of the 23rd century. For more information, see New Century April 2026 pp.13-14.
[ii] Elise Boulding and Daisaku Ikeda, Into Full Flower: Making Peace Cultures Happen (Dialogue Path Press, 2010), p. 68.
You’ll find the complete editorial in the June 2026 issue of New Century.
News
Women’s Group General Meetings - “Everything Starts with One Person”
(Photo by Annette Meredith | Unsplash)
Women’s Group General Meetings are being held throughout April and May by district and in small groups. This will encourage heart-to-heart dialogue for the purpose of introducing our Buddhist practice, and for mutual encouragement.
The theme of the meetings will be "Everything starts with one person”.
Dialogue and Daimoku Campaign
So far this year, we’ve held almost 4,500 Buddhist dialogues and chanted over 44,000 hours of daimoku.
Don’t forget to record your Buddhist dialogues and your hours of daimoku!
Whenever we talk about Buddhism or about SGI with someone who is not an SGI member, we can register that dialogue online. In the same way, whenever we have completed an hour or more of daimoku, we can record the number of hours online.
You can record your dialogues and daimoku by clicking on this button:
If you are having trouble logging in, you can ask someone else in your district to enter the information for you.
SGI Canada is keeping track of the total number of dialogues and hours of daimoku. You can see how many dialogues and how much chanting has been done so far, across the entire country by clicking on this button:
For more information, please visit the SGI Canada website at:
https://www.sgicanada.org/activities/dialogue-and-daimoku-campaign
Eijo Toyonaga’s 2000 days
SGI Canada practitioner Eijo Toyonaga has been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo on the steps of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for half an hour every day since September 2020. March 15 2026 was Eijo’s 2000th consecutive day of chanting on the steps for Canadian kosen-rufu and world peace.
Over the last five years, Eijo has become a well-known figure among staff and visitors to the Legislative Assembly. In 2022, he was named an Honorary Special Constable by the Legislative Assembly Protective Services. To mark Eijo’s 2000 days, Protective Services presented him with an award and took a commemorative photo on the steps of the Legislative Assembly (see below).
Eijo and Danielle Toyonaga are members of Beautiful Life district in Beautiful Victoria Area.
Eijo and Danielle Toyonaga with members of the
Legislative Assembly Protective Services on March 15 2026.
SGI Spring Training Course
Six SGI Canada practitioners participated in the 2026 SGI Spring Training Course in Tokyo this month. They attended a gongyo ceremony at the Hall of the Great Vow for Worldwide Kosen-rufu, and participated in Question & Answer sessions with Soka Gakkai President Harada and SGI General Director Tanigawa. They were also able to meet with SGI Study Department Leader Seiichiro Harada, and join a youth-focused exchange meeting in Izumi Ward, Yokohama.
Much of the Training Course focused on the importance of unity through “many in body, one in mind” and the mentor-disciple relationship.
The SGI Canada participants are busy writing up their notes so that they can pass on as much guidance as possible in the coming weeks.
SGI Canada participants at the Hall of the Great Vow
for Worldwide Kosen-rufu.
From left to right: Monica Bachmann, Maguy Eustache,
Taiju Hashimoto, Glenn Turner, Saori Brewer and Megumi Otsuka.
Upcoming events
Calendar for April
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Throughout April and May |
Dialogue and daimoku campaign |
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Throughout April and May |
Women’s Group General Meetings |
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May 3 |
Soka Gakkai Day / Soka Gakkai Mothers Day; and SGI Canada Fund |
New Century - May 2026
Subscribe to New Century to stay connected to the latest guidance and encouragement and to support the movement for kosen-rufu in Canada.
