GAKURIN SEMINARY

The Gakurin Daiju (main) Program trains “future religious leaders” who have the ability to discover their true self and help shape the future of societies, the nation, and the world through a holistic and integral education based on Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. Daiju graduates have gone on to become engaged Buddhist leaders in Japan and abroad, international leaders engaged in interreligious cooperation and peacebuilding, Buddhist scholars, as well as practitioners and leaders in diverse fields.

Through two years of practical training at the Gakurin, outstanding international youth from the global Sangha are trained to master the essence of Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra through practical training and become engaged Buddhist leaders who spread the Dharma and advance interreligious action in Japan and internationally.

In the spirit of Gakurin Koju, which means “to spread light to the world (brightening the world at your corner),” the students deepen their specialized fields while engaging in peer-to-peer training through the dormitory life, studying Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra, discovering their own mission in life, and cultivating human potentials to serve societies and the world.

As part of the 100th anniversary commemorative project of the birth of Founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, faith-inspired researchers and specialists with strong academic qualification and aspiration receive special scholarship as Gakurin Lotus Students. To date, the program has produced 9 medical doctors, 5 lawyers, and 25 researchers, for a total of 44 graduates.

The Nikkyo Niwano School for Global Leadership nurtures global leaders who build trust, cultivate virtue, and work together to create a shared future of peace and flourishing for humanity.