In this article, Daiki Kinoshita explores how specific Mahāyāna ethics, namely the interpretation of the Lotus Sūtra by Zhiyi (536–597), Nichiren (1222–1282) and Sōka Gakkai (1930–), can relate to core principles of international humanitarian law (IHL). He assesses how Sōka Gakkai’s three key doctrines (the dignity of life, the variability of life and the interconnectedness of life) align with some IHL principles, and analyses how Buddhist organisations can be advocates of IHL. In particular, he looks at how Sōka Gakkai agrees with – and commits to – IHL in terms of the humanitarian impact of the use of nuclear weapons.

Daiki Kinoshita works for the Public Relations Office of the Sōka Gakkai and is responsible for academic affairs. From 2011 to 2017, he worked in the Sōka Gakkai Public Relations Office for the Kansai region, where he organised seminars and symposiums. Prior to this, he was a journalist for the organization’s daily Japanese newspaper, the Seikyo Shimbun, for about 20 years. He has been an associate member of the Japanese Association for the Study of Religion and Society since 2012, a member of the Research Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs since 2019, and a member of the International Human Rights Law Association since 2021. He was awarded a bachelor of economics from Keio University in 1991.

Please read the article here.