Waking the Buddha: How the Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History Is Changing Our Concept of Religion Paperback – May 1, 2014

This is one of the best books on the Soka Gakkai in USA and on Nichiren Buddhism out there today. as a 30+ year practitioner, I highly recommend it. The author thoroughly researched the subject and has presented an informed objective view that accurately portrays the largest and most diverse Buddhist lay organization on the planet. For Buddhism to be relevant to this day and age, to be truly contemporary and accessible to the widest and most diverse population is a matter of utmost importance to the survival of humanity and our wonderful home, planet Earth. Nichiren Buddhism has impacted the lives of over 12 million people around the world and transformed people at the very core revealing a way of life of unsurpassed happiness for those who practice it and their environments.This is the true purpose of the appearance of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni and is based on the Lotus Sutra which he taught as the essence of Buddhism. I am eternally grateful to Mr. Strand, a practitioner of many spiritual paths, a former zen monk and a dedicated journalist for his courageous and very well written work. It is my greatest desire that this book finds it's way into the hands of countless people and exposes them to the Soka Gakkai, it's three founding presidents Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda and the Buddhism of the Sun - Nichiren Buddhism. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Also recommended: Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death by Daisaku Ikeda, The Buddha in Your Mirror by Ted Morino, Greg Martin and Woody Hochswender and The Buddha in Your Rearveiw Mirror by Woody Hochswender.

Clark Strand is one of a growing band of eminent, independent experts intrigued by the rapid worldwide growth of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist movement. In 'Waking the Buddha', he sets out to discover why SGI has become more successful than any other school of Buddhism in the contemporary world. Yet this book is much more than just a sociological or academic study. What draws you in and moves you most is not so much the author’s expertise, but his humanity and his concern for the planet. What impressed me was not just the rigour of his intellectual enquiry, but the warmth of his seeking spirit,Clark asserts that SGI has not settled back into the ‘predictable mediocrity of a successful religion.’ He says that 'what the SGI has discovered isn't just a new form of Buddhism. It's a new way of being religious.' He adds: ‘You might say that the Soka Gakkai is Buddhism taken as far as Buddhism - or for that matter, any religion - can go.’ And: ‘SGI is the next model of progress that the world is looking for.'These are bold claims but they are backed by academic rigour and spiritual insight. And Waking the Buddha will be an absorbing read not just for Buddhists but for anyone interested in sociology, religion, philosophy and the future of the planet. I expected to enjoy this book on an intellectual level, I expected to find it insightful and I expected to find it well informed. But Strand’s account of SGI is much more powerful than a mere academic study. It left me feeling grateful, hopeful, uplifted and invigorated. In fact, on a level I absolutely did not expect, I found it waking the Buddha, waking the Buddha in me. More here: [...]

An insightful discussion of the history of one of the rise of the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai in Japan, from its roots in educational reform to its worldwide expansion as a group of dedicated followers of Nichiren, the 13th century Japanese Buddhist priest and Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. This amazing story of dedication, loss, success in the face of great odds and unprecedented circumstances, is told from an outsider's sympathetic view. Strand admires the attitude and actions of the SG Buddhists and calls for more Buddhists (and relgious folks of any sort) to follow their lead in making religion relevant to contemporary life and social, global concerns. Strand had unprecedented access to practitioners young and old, from pioneer days to new American members. He does not shy away from various controversies the group has faced, including its severence from the priesthood in 1991. A must read for SGI Buddhists, religious scholars, activists, and people who have heard of the SG or SGI but have inaccurate or nonexisting information about it. Easy to read printing and short length makes it a quick & comfortable read.

Waking the Buddha is an excellent book for many types of people. It is wonderful for those of other religions/spiritualities to help gain an understanding an empathy for those who do not believe/practice what you do. It is also great for those new to Buddhism and those who have been practicing for years as well. It was the second book I read on my journey to converting to SGI Buddhism and played an integral role in my decision to convert. However, it is not evangelical in any way, nor does it read as propaganda. It is simply an awakening to the basic principals and understandings of Nichiren Buddhism and its parallels to other religions. As someone who was raised as a Christian, this book helped me to see that all "religions" have many parallels and are essentially working toward the same cause, they just all have a different way of getting there. This book was easy to read and great for a good basic understanding of Nichiren (SGI) Buddhism.

Opened up my mind,Helped attacking my inner devilsBrought change in my mindset

Finally, an objective, well-researched and optimistic study of the Soka Gakkai humanistic Buddhist movement. I am one of the fortunate ones to be able to meet him very soon at his lecture and book-launching in Montreal!

A book particularly valuable for understanding the "phenomenon" Soka Gakkai International and the spiritual needs of the world in which we live

Strand erklärt als ehemaliger Zen Buddhist, warum der Laienbuddhismus der Soka Gakkai die Religion des 21. Jahrhunderts ist. Zu grosse Worte? Lesen und selbst an eine Gästeversammlung einer Gruppe in der Nähe gehen.

Interesting to read an outside perspective of the Buddhism I practise. Definitely, this was a positive (if not glowing), account of the SGI and its founders, by Clarke Strand. He appears to be someone who has explored many types and aspects of religion, and, (more recently), has had a strong involvement as a Zen teacher. This gives to my mind, even greater strength to his assertions. I believe they contain a greater objectivity, than someone who was already a practitioner. So to say that the SGI, with its one-to-one dialogue; mentor /disciple relationship; personal empowerment; and global perspective principles, has begun a fresh paradigm in religion, is remarkable, and, (I believe), one we practitioners should rightly be proud of. On a different note, I was particularly interested in a point that Strand makes, (three quarters of the way through the book), that indeed there may be many variations of the Lotus Sutra. He quotes three: Shakymuni’s; Tien Tai’s, and Nichiren’s. The mode is different, but the essential message is the same. I had read this before, but I found Strand’s description easier to comprehend. So, from the description of Josei Toda’s enlightenment in prison, (that the Buddha is life itself), to the revelation that the Lotus Sutra is always there in the Universe, waiting to be discovered, this book provides a fascinating read, and one that I hope will inspire many others to discover for themselves, the wonderful humanistic movement that is the Soka Gakkai.