Lotus Ink

LOTUS INK is an introduction to Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism via its collection of thirty-nine sonnets that introduce foundational Buddhist concepts that range from introductory basics of practice to mystic math, theory into action, historical figures and our place in this world.

The SGI is a worldwide value-creation society dedicated to using Buddhism to create world peace through individual happiness.

Nichiren Daishonin is a priest in 13th century Japan who discovered the essence of the Buddha’s teachings.

Since haiku did not exist as a stand-alone poetic form at that time while the sonnet did and was itself born in the 13th century, the author chose to introduce SGI Nichiren Buddhism in sonnet form.

From the preface: “As someone who began embracing Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in the West, I felt the sonnet, which was born in the same century as Nichiren Daishonin, was the perfect structure and convergence of East and West for the Buddhist content I wished to convey.”