The Evolving Buddha: New Perspectives and Dynamic Change in Nichiren Buddhism (SGI)

I found this book so easy to read. Each page led to the next one so easily and that's always the sign of a good book in my opinion. The explanations, reasons and arguments for each matter being dealt with are given clearly and with obvious thought and care. Personal experiences back each one up where the author clearly felt they would explain and emphasise the point being made, and they definitely helped me to understand the points more clearly too.I totally recommend this book, to all readers not just Nichiren Buddhists. It's a very well written and very informative and interesting read.

I’ve read more than a few books about Buddhism now, and I can truly say this is the best I have come across. Clear, well-structured, and highly accessible for the lay reader, Gilbert has exposed Nichiren Buddhism as the most relevant and dynamic religion – or ‘way of life’ – for our times. I particular like how he weaves his own personal experiences into the narrative, which serves as an excellent counter-balance to the more meatier (very well researched) scholarly text. Interesting, for example, how his ‘Buddha wisdom’ showed him that his early aim to become a rock star was not for him: how the “itinerant gigging lifestyle and relentless spotlight of a successful front man” would not have made him ultimately happy. And then, having never held down a job for more than two years, he chanted to stick with his first teaching job for 7 years, and ended up doing eight!If you have any interest in Buddhism, read this book. It strips away all the myths that commonly surround this most rational of religions, and shows how one man transformed himself from a self-confessed “nervous wreck” into a fully value-creating human being – and a jolly good writer.

I bought it and quickly read through quite a bit, partly because I am a SGI member so wanted to know how am I being projected.I must say this book is a very refreshing read. The start seems to have a bit of a "lay-person" approach. But very quickly the pace catches up when the book discusses the history of buddhism. To me, it almost seems like the author is bent on breaking the concept of divinity by tracing the 'human-ness' of buddhism and sometimes religion in general. It really resonated with my own atheist leanings. The book covers a very wide array of topics, especially relevant to the modern world we live in. While it definitely cannot go in depth but it was enlightening to read it. I will definitely recommend it to everyone to read, not only because it touches on philosophical aspects of religion. But also it very lucidly hints at what spirituality of 21st century would look like. It also forcefully reminded me that I should not be proud just to be members of an organisation that is initiating a spiritual renaissance because as this book points out - we could be harboring the very ideas this renaissance is fighting against. And to conclude, it was definitely the lay-person writing style that got me through till the end of the book.

With chapter titles like "New Scientific Horizons," "The Science of Chanting" and "Our Collective Conditioning" this book grabbed my attention and held it. The title is significant, tracing how the present day philosophy and practice of Nichiren Buddhism with the SGI developed and changed, evolving over time.Gilbert reviews how quantum physics lends insight into the reasons why chanting is effective. He also gives an overview of modern academic studies of meditation and chanting by many reputable university researchers worldwide. He traces how the present day organisation developed from a philosophical and a practical individual perspective, peppering his writing with personal anecdotes, bringing it to life and weaving the chapters into a cohesive whole.Whether the you are brand new to Buddhist philosophy or a long term practitioner, this book is a must-read. I cannot recommend "The Evolving Buddha" highly enough. I have been an SGI Buddhist for 30 years and I found this book to be revitalising, rejuvenating and joyful.

This book is excellent, it gives a deep insight into modern nichiren Buddhism, it is superbly written and explains in depth topics whilst being easy to assimilate and understand, this is the sign of a talented and sincere writer. The book never makes any unsubstantiated claims and it is all backed by evidence and research, buy this book if you want to deepen your understanding of the chanting practice. Highly recommended

This is a fantastic read that is so well written. It is the perfect balance of a scholarly read but one which we can all relate to as we explore our journeys of Buddhism. Gilbert interweaves his personal experiences throughout the book and this makes it so relevant to our own daily lives. The writer takes us on a journey through the key aspects of SGI Buddhism and answers many of the questions we all ask. Thoroughly recommend ‘The Evolving Buddha’

In writing this book and structuring this argument for the adaptive, isomorphic and humanistic approach of contemporary Nichiren Buddhist practice, as undertaken by Soka Gakkai International, JD Gilbert is to be praised. His synthesis of scientific and sociological understanding of the efficacy of the spiritual practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and the syncretic and profound roots of the Mahayana philosophy it emerged from is a valuable contribution to the understanding and perspective of SGI members and those interested in this worldwide lay Buddhist movement committed to promoting universal values of peace, culture and education.

J’ai commandé ce livre suite à la mort de Tina Turner, que j’estime et qui pratiquait ce genre de bouddhisme.Je ne suis pas déçue!

As a 43 year member of SGI, I have read many books on Nichiren Buddhism and the SGI, many of them by scholars and several by non-members. I found J. D. Gilbert's Evolving Buddhism to be well researched, very readable and quite interesting. The manner in which his personal experiences were woven into the narrative was well done in illustrating how we use our practice. I even learned some new information I had not encountered before. The perspective of the evolution of Buddhism is so important - it is not a static set of rules from the dark ages of history, but a living philosophy for an ever-changing world. A must read for people of all ages and experience (or lack thereof), and especially for those with seeking minds!

Despite the fact author J.D. Gilbert weaves personal experience into his text, this is clearly based on academic intention and a serious study of previous works. He himself is based in the SGI-UK Buddhist organization, but I’ll focus on 2 examples he uses from SGI-USA : Shin Yatomi’s ’Buddhism in a New Light : 18 Essays that Illuminate Our Buddhist Practice’ (2006) and J.M. Walsh’s ‘Dial In : Soka Buddhism on the Religious Spectrum’ (2018).The timing of ‘The Evolving Buddha’ seems particularly significant. The author calls for openness, and ending ideological fundamentalism based on refusal to move into our modern, scientific world. (What comes to my mind is the dictum : « Follow the Spirit, and not the Letter. » ) Thanks to its brilliant presentation, I believe Mr. Gilbert’s message on Evolution in Nichiren Buddhism could be real inspiration for other faiths because of its universality.On first reading, my impression was a heightened awareness of the burning topic of balance between Reason vs. Faith in ideologies. It seems to me increasingly evident the global problem of fundamentalism and resulting violence in different creeds, is why we must urgently adapt and Evolve in our increasingly volatile, COVID-19 world.A well-known Islamologue(Islamologist) in Paris Sorbonne University, the late Mohammed Arkoun, often posed the question from his standpoint, in this way : Why did Islamic Civilisations stop growing centuries ago, when they were previously world masters in fields such as Science, Medicine, Poetry, Law and Art ? – He had the habit of demonstrating how flourishing intercultural and inter-religious dialogue -- such as that in Andalusia Spain or the Ottoman Empire, where religions lived shoulder to shoulder for centuries -- created a mutually-enriching, highly-evolved society. Arkoun’s conclusion was that, as soon as open interactions were stopped, divisions grew, development slowed, and fundamentalism, authoritarianism, and ultimately violence ensued.According to Mr Gilbert and some authors he cites, the era of mutually-enriching prospering were because faith founders and reformers in certain epochs/regions, focused on what Gilbert calls a Universalist approach : ie, keeping the human being (ie, all of us), at the center of their preoccupations. As for the Soka SGI movement of Nichiren Buddhism, this is what the current SGI President Dr Daisaku Ikeda often refers to as Buddhist Humanism.One of many references he has made on this topic were comments in his speech on September 10, 2003 : Emerson wrote in his journal, « One thing is certain -- religions are obsolete when reforms do not proceed from them. » Religion exists to relieve people from suffering and lead them to happiness. If this spirit is lost and reform is forgotten, then religion will grow corrupt and degenerate. (end of Ikeda citation)I’ve evoked Islam twice, but examples of fundamentalism (or the ‘dangers of the Abstract spirit, to use another expression used by SGI Pres. Ikeda), are found in all the world’s major religions. So it will not be difficult to find examples of it in Christianity nor in Judaism.Finally, in one of my favorite extracts from The Evolving Buddha, the author recalls Shin Yatomi’s work ‘Buddhism in a New Light’ where he speaks of the role « Praise » has in Lotus Sutra Buddhism in the SGI movement. I’ll quote it here :« … one’s approach to chanting is important and that if we have a dependent, passive or weak mindset towards prayer, the results will be less satisfactory. … (therefore) our belief and respect … must be in tandem with an equal faith and respect for our own lives. …Yatomi rejects any form of self-disparagement as counter-productive and contrary to the spirit of Buddhist prayer and faith. »-The expression ‘faith and respect for our own lives’ I interpret as ‘praising our own lives.’The Buddhist reformer monk Nichiren of 13th century Japan who founded the practice followed by SGI members, reminded his disciples about praise in his writing ‘The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra,’ written in 1276 : « Bear in mind that that 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra contain only a few passages elucidating the truth, but a great many words of praise. »I could not recommend ‘The Evolving Buddha – New Perspectives and Dynamic Change in Nichiren Buddhism’ more highly, for anyone interested in a world where dialogue and mutual enrichment of all faiths becomes the norm, and not the exception. I believe our future depends on it. – Michèle de Gastyne, President, Musique Universelle Arc-en-Ciel (MUAC) Paris, France

I must confess I am a great admirer of the English. With their upright stance and sense of fair play, they are one of the greatly cultured civilisations of the world. So when an Englishman writes about the Buddha, I am convinced that he will write the truth.I must add, however, that I found this book somewhat complex as it is written of several different levels simultaneously -- personal, sociological, religious etc. I'm the kind of person, who if he were studying a computer program would probably opt for a guide like 'C ++ for Dummies'! Consequently I am inadequate to do justice for the review of this book -- except perhaps mention that I loved the personal anecdotes on Nichiren Buddhism that came right out of the author's life. It would take a far more seasoned reviewer to adequately review this somewhat complex book which is a precious addition to.the bibliography of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

Thanks!!!!!!!!