SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 155 - May 8, 2026

SGI Canada Newsletter

Issue no. 155

May 8, 2026

 

Welcome to the 155^th 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 writes about the spirit of May 3, Soka Gakkai Day / Soka Gakkai Mothers Day: 

Seventy-five years ago, on May 3, 1951, at his inauguration as second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda declared his vow to achieve a membership of 750,000 households [within his lifetime]. President Ikeda attended the inauguration ceremony together with a friend with whom he had been engaging in dialogue, and marked the very first step toward his mentor’s goal when his friend embraced faith that day. The tradition of disciples achieving great victories is the very spirit of May 3. 

In 1988, President Ikeda proposed that May 3—the most significant day for the Soka Gakkai—be designated as Soka Gakkai Mothers Day, and suggested the creation of a new women’s division banner in three colours: red, yellow and blue. This tricolour banner soon came to symbolize the Soka Gakkai itself. 

This shared history of mentor and disciple epitomizes the profound importance of women in the Soka Gakkai. This year marks the 50th anniversary of May 5, Soka Gakkai Successors Day.^[1]  In our homes and communities, I hope that all our members—starting with the women’s division, who cherish and nurture our young people, the treasures of the future—will unite in striving wholeheartedly to build the Soka Gakkai of the future. 

Let us make May 3 a fresh departure, with daimoku grounded in the vow of mentor and disciple!

^{[1] Soka Gakkai Successors Day (May 5) is designated as a day to celebrate the happiness, growth, and success of children in the Soka Gakkai.} 

You’ll find the complete editorial in the June 2026 issue of New Century. 

 

News

May 3 Commemorative Meetings

SGI Canada members across Canada commemorated Soka Gakkai Day / Soka Gakkai Mothers Day at meetings on May 3 or another date. The meetings included experiences in faith, performances, announcements, and guidance from President Ikeda.

 Soka Gakkai Day / Soka Gakkai Mothers Day meeting held in Montreal for areas E1, F1, F2 on Sunday April 12, 2026
(Photo by Randy Lake)   

Introductory Exam in October

On Sunday, October 25, SGI Canada will hold our second Introductory Study Exam. It will be offered to all members and interested friends who have not yet taken an SGI Canada study exam, and to those who have not yet passed the Introductory Exam. The Introductory Exam will be available in English, French and Chinese. An announcement with more information will be published in the June issue of New Century, Ère Nouvelle and Chinese New Century. 

Study exams were established in the early years of the Soka Gakkai to help us advance and enrich our understanding of the life philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism and the inspiring history of the Soka Gakkai. Newer members, children and youth can use this opportunity to build a firm foundation for their faith, practice and study. Interested friends who participate in writing the Introductory Exam can enjoy learning more about Nichiren Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai. 

The Introductory Exam will be the based on The Basics of Nichiren Buddhism for the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10. 

This material will be available in English, French and Chinese as a free PDF file, with key passages highlighted to aid your study. The PDF files will be available in June from SGI Canada district leaders, and from all other SGI Canada leaders. 

To register for the Introductory Exam, you can use the QR code that appears in the published announcement, or through the SGI Canada website. 

SGI President Ikeda gave the following encouragement: 

The joy of studying this unsurpassed life philosophy, whether or not one passes an exam, is the true goal of our Buddhist study—for it is the source of momentum for victory in life for both ourselves and others, as well as for a peaceful and harmonious society.
(From the essay series “Our Brilliant Human Revolution”, NEW CENTURY, Dec. 2022, p.26) 

Let’s support and encourage our new members and friends, and our Future Division and youth division members, in discovering the joy of studying this great life philosophy.

Dialogue and Daimoku Campaign

So far this year, we’ve held over 5,000 Buddhist dialogues and chanted over 52,000 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:

RECORD YOUR DIALOGUES / DAIMOKU

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:

DIALOGUE / DAIMOKU COUNTER 

For more information, please visit the SGI Canada website at:

https://www.sgicanada.org/activities/dialogue-and-daimoku-campaign  

Have you set up your online account yet?

SGI Canada members now have access to an online portal in which they can create their own personal SGI Canada accounts, subscribe to publications and make secure online donations.

Members can also use their online account to read the English and French-language publications to which they subscribe, and access their tax receipts and personal information.

How to set up your online account:

• Go to the SGI Canada website at sgicanada.org and click on the Online Portal button near the top right corner of your screen.
• Click on I have not created an online account and then Submit
• Fill out the personal information fields and click on Submit
• You will receive an email from accounting@sgicinfo.org . The email will confirm your username and password (which you can change once you log into the site the first time). For assistance with setting up your account, please contact support@sgicinfo.org.
• Once your username and password have been confirmed, you will be able to log into the online portal from the SGI Canada website at any time.

Many SGI Canada members have already registered. We hope you will also take advantage of this convenient method of making online donations, printing your tax receipts, subscribing to SGI Canada publications and reading them online. 

Upcoming events 

Calendar for May