CSUN On Point

Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) is a Buddhist practice known throughout the world.

SGI was created in 1975, and now has members in 192 countries including the United States. SGI members follow the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism as the center of their practice. The goal is to teach members that they have the courage, wisdom, and compassion to overcome and conquer the obstacles they face in life.

Soka Gakkai, also known as society for the creation of value, originated in Japan in 1930 under the leadership of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. Makiguchi believed this practice would be the greatest way for people to spread the Buddhist ideals of equality. One of the major goals was for members to spread respect for all of life.

“It is not a name but a title,” CSUN Religious Studies Professor Randal Cummings said. “It comes from the yogi concept of Bodhi, which means to be awake. Buddha gains enlightenment; somebody sees his glow, and they ask ‘what are you?’. ‘I am awake’.” Followers explain that being awake is an act of being present, and not only thinking about oneself, but rather about others. It is control over the actions that humans take.

As part of the practice members participate daily at home and in discussion meetings.

“The point of it is to have an open dialogue with a group of people,” SGI Vice Chapter Leader Cassie Colby said, “to share your experience, and what is going on in your life.”

SGI focuses on empowerment through the individual self, and on promoting peace, culture, and education. The practice fights to abolish nuclear weapons, and strives to keep human rights and educate others on sustainable living.

The 50K Lions of Justice festival is “focused on leading our change in injustice in society,” Ryan Ainsworth SGI District Leader said.

This festival follows the SGI Nichiren Buddhist practice. One goal is to inspire people to change the world. 50k Lions of Justice Instagram is available to see experiences of people who follow SGI-USA.

Nam-myho-renge-kyo is a chant from the Mystic Law that is a principle part of SGI. Members use this chant as an expression to embrace their own Buddha nature. It is a practice for oneself, and also for others, to capture happiness.

“It’s a spiritual workout,” SGI District Leader Mark Horton said. “You can’t see it, but you can feel it. Each person experiences something different; polishing the inside shines outside.”

Moderator: Tory Isaac

Producer: Leonard Tesher

Associate Producer: Tory Isaac

Anchor: Samantha Rodriguez

Social Media Editor: Andrea Tanchez

Reporters: Brandon Benitez, Tory Isaac, Nicholas Logan, Samantha Rodriguez, Andrea Tanchez and Leonard Tesher

Climate change is a problem affecting the entire planet, but not everyone is educated on the subject.

A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the world has approximately a decade to get its act together before catastrophic climate changes begin to happen.

“It is the biggest story of our time, without question,” CSUN Physics, Mathematics and Sustainability Professor Loraine Lundquist said. “The reason media don’t cover it, is because it doesn’t get good ratings.” 

Many people, including some powerful ones, seem oblivious to the global warming issue. Websites like End Climate Silence promote a healthy discussion on the topic, and also provide links and other information on minimal changes people can incorporate into their everyday lives.

“As dire as the IPCC report was, what it is basically saying is, we do have a very narrow window now to get a handle on climate change,” said Sean Carlin, environmental activist and a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps program.

California State University, Northridge was one of the first universities to partner with DC Solar to install 39 solar panel mobiles around campus. The goal was to educate and empower the community by promoting solar energy. The university established a recycling program in 1991, offering opportunities for students to volunteer. The Sustainability Center does community clean ups, and promotes the use of recycling bins and water-bottle refill stations on campus. They also suggest eating less meat for the good of the environment, by providing their Instagram followers with vegan recipes to try.

Animal agriculture is the one of the leading causes of greenhouse gases. The American diet is heavily meat-based. Shifting 320 million Americans to a more plant-based diet could save 91 million acres of land currently used for livestock cultivation. Raising livestock for food is also one of the leading causes of global deforestation. Nearly a third of biodiversity loss is linked to animal agriculture. Many CSUN students say they have started cutting down on their meat intake. They say they have not gone completely vegan, but are committed to buying more plant-based foods.

“I think that these small stories about single-use plastics, plant-based eating and innovation around that, electrification of vehicles, Tesla, Elon Musk, [make a difference],” artist and Valley Green conservationist Miles Lewis said. “People [like Musk] end up being on the news, and they all implicate climate change as sort of the larger topic, so hopefully that gets people identified with a way of being, and a change in industry.”

Moderator: Leonard Tesher

Producer: Andrea Tanchez

Associate Producer: Samantha Rodriguez

Anchor: Nicholas Logan

Social Media Editor: Tory Isaac

Reporters: Brandon Benitez, Tory Isaac, Nicholas Logan, Samantha Rodriguez, Andrea Tanchez and Leonard Tesher