Within Soka Gakkai, daily life is structured around a consistent rhythm of practice that centers on chanting and recitation. The core of this rhythm is the morning and evening performance of gongyo, a formal service that involves reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra—specifically the “Expedient Means” (second) and “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapters—followed by silent prayers. This recitation is typically carried out before the Gohonzon, a scroll enshrined in the home altar and regarded as a mandala embodying the enlightened life-condition. Through this ritualized engagement with the sutra, practitioners seek to align their lives with the profound law it expresses.

Interwoven with gongyo is the chanting of daimoku, the repeated invocation of “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,” the title of the Lotus Sutra and the essential practice of this tradition. Members chant daily, often morning and evening, and may also chant at other times, focusing on concrete determinations for personal transformation, family well-being, and the broader ideal of kosen-rufu, or peace grounded in inner change. This chanting is likewise generally done before the Gohonzon, and is understood as a direct means of tapping into one’s inherent Buddha nature and summoning the courage and wisdom to face life’s challenges.

Alongside chanting and recitation, there is a strong emphasis on study as a daily or regular discipline. Members engage with the writings of Nichiren and with Soka Gakkai publications, including guidance from its presidents and other study materials, using these texts as lenses through which to interpret their own experiences. This study is not merely intellectual; it functions as a mirror for self-reflection and a guide for what is often termed “human revolution,” the ongoing work of inner transformation expressed in everyday conduct and relationships.

Finally, daily practice naturally extends into action in the world. Members are encouraged to support and encourage one another, to share Buddhism with others as an expression of compassion, and to participate in local meetings and community-oriented activities when possible. In this way, the twice-daily gongyo and regular daimoku before the Gohonzon form the spiritual foundation, while study and engagement with others translate inner resolve into concrete behavior. The entire pattern of practice is oriented toward transforming one’s own life condition and, through that transformation, contributing to the well-being of society.