The Lotus and the Maple Leaf : The Soka Gakkai Buddhist Movement in Canada

The Soka Gakkai Buddhist movement in Japan has revived Buddhism in the lives of millions of Japanese, changed the course of Japanese government, brought creative new ideas to the field of education, and has impacted the worlds of art and culture. This movement is now gaining popularity in Canada. Why are so many Canadians now joining this movement? What is the appeal beyond the Canadian-Asian Community and how has this Buddhist sect managed to assimilate itself in a Christian society? This book seeks to answer those questions and more. It chronicles the rise of this branch of Japanese Buddhism in Canada and it studies the relationship between the parent group in Tokyo and its Canadian branch.