Following his guidance trip to the Tohoku region, Shin'ichi returned to Tokyo. There he spent a number of hectic days dealing with the work that had piled up in his absence.

The Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting for February was held on the 25th at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. The hall surged with excitement as participants heard reports of President Yamamoto's guidance trip to neighboring Asian countries.

During that meeting, Shin'ichi talked about the study department examination scheduled for early March:

"With the exam not far off, I'm sure you are hard at work mentally and physically. What I'd like to stress today is that those who pass the exams should not act superior, and those who do not pass should not lose confidence or look down on themselves.

"Soka Gakkai study exams are held as a form of encouragement and as a way for us to mark our progress in our lifelong study of Nichiren Daishonin's great philosophy. So, even if you should pass the exam, if you let it go to your head and begin to look down on others, you will have failed as people of faith. On the other hand, if you do not pass, you can use that as a spur to challenge yourselves more earnestly in Buddhist study and thereby ultimately win a passing grade as people of faith, something far more important than simply passing the exam.

"In addition, I hope you will engrave the Gosho deeply in your hearts and develop faith that is truly firm and strong so that you will remain undaunted by any obstacle that might assail you."

Study exams were held on Sunday, March 5, at more than 180 sites in 125 cities nationwide. At 9:00 a.m., exams were held for study department teachers who wished to advance to the next level of assistant professor and for assistant instructors who wished to become teachers. Then at 2:00 p.m., the entrance exam was held for those seeking to become members of the study department for the first time.

That day, more than 110 thousand people took study department exams around Japan. It was roughly 3.3 times the number that had taken the last exams, in 1959, less than two years earlier.

This, too, showed the Soka Gakkai's phenomenal growth since Shin'ichi had become its president.

Among those taking the exams were housewives, company presidents, students and teachers. They were of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens. Making use of the little spare time they had from their work commitments or school studies - not to mention Gakkai activities - all of them had earnestly studied the Gosho, striving to deepen their understanding of the profound teachings and philosophy of the Daishonin's Buddhism. From many parts of the country, there were even stories of people who had once been illiterate learning to read and write as a result of such tenacious efforts.

The building of a new era and society begins when people have a solid philosophy of life and a clear awareness of their personal mission. The Soka Gakkai's study program represented an unprecedented philosophical and educational movement among the common people.

The study exams were over. That evening at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters, Shin'ichi Yamamoto spotted Study Department Chief Chuhei Yamadaira and asked, "Is everything going smoothly with the grading of tests around the country?"

"Yes, very smoothly," Yamadaira affirmed.

Shin'ichi said softly: "Those who took the exams worked very hard. I'd like to give them all a passing grade."

"We can't do that!" Yamadaira shot back.

Shin'ichi couldn't help grinning at the study chief's emphatic response.

"I know that, of course; it's an exam, after all. I was just voicing my personal sentiment.

"But just think how difficult it is for, say, a women's division member who is busy as a mother and a homemaker. Just doing Gakkai activities is challenging enough, not to mention finding time to study the Gosho. With crying children and having to clean the house and prepare meals, it's almost impossible for her to find time to study quietly even if she wants to. It's like trying to open the Gosho on a battlefield!

"Though it may be natural to challenge ourselves in our Buddhist practice, I don't want people who've studied with all their might in far-from-favorable circumstances to be discouraged and disheartened because of their exam results. Those who pass are fine; we don't have to worry about them. My thoughts are constantly with those who don't pass and what we can do to encourage them, to fill them with hope."

Yamadaira was moved. He realized that while he had been wrapped up solely in collating the test results, President Yamamoto was focused on the members, the individuals behind the statistics.

The exam grading began on the evening of March 5 and lasted through March 8. Those who passed the written exams to advance to a higher study level then had to undergo an oral exam.

Shin'ichi was at the Soka Gakkai Kansai Headquarters when he reviewed a March 8 report containing the written exam results. The average score had risen over that of previous exams. Since becoming president, he had consistently stressed the importance of Buddhist study. Now his appeals had come to bear substantial fruit.

The New Human Revolution, Vol. 4, pg. 32

I hope that we, too, will continuously seek self-improvement, always trying to polish ourselves through study and maintaining a seeking mind throughout life. Youth, in particular, should absolutely never lose their serious attitude toward study.

Mr. Toda was a truly strict teacher on this point. If I slacked off in my reading, he would reprimand me like a strict father. Time and again he would ask me, "What are you reading now?" Once, when I answered, "Emile," he proceeded to question me on what it was about. Thus, it would have been utterly impossible for me to say that I was reading a book that I actually was not. I can vividly remember, as though it were only yesterday, how I would strive within an inch of my life to master the contents. At any rate, during my youth I read constantly, never wasting whatever free time I had. This training has now become a truly great asset and source of strength for me. I hope that all of you young leaders of kosen-rufu, for the sake of your great growth and future glory, will by all means maintain this attitude toward learning.

Buddhism in Action, Vol. 6, pg. 311

Reading, on the other hand, generates a restorative breeze of inspiration in the depths of one's soul - a capacity well beyond that of such "frozen" communication. After all, the experience of reading comes down to a tenacious, intimate dialogue between author and reader. This is the reason I refer to the world of reading as a rich summation of life experiences.

Yet another reason to value reading is that it affords youth and adults alike the opportunity to rise above the routine experiences of everyday life and ponder their past and future prospects. Be it from a book previously read or one pored over for the first time, we feel something genuine, we are moved as every fiber of our being grapples with its content. Without such full engagement, it would be nearly impossible to share our impressions of books with children. The truth resonates with the listener not through empty words but through the richness and depth of one's own character.

Above all else, the experience of reading nurtures the spontaneity of children's curiosity. It encourages their self-discipline to take time for reflection and develops their capacity to seek solutions from within.

Living Buddhism, July 2001, pg. 32