When one takes action for others, one’s own suffering is transformed into the energy that can keep one moving forward; a light of hope illuminating a new tomorrow for oneself and others is kindled. – Daisaku Ikeda
The reactions of the human heart are not mechanical and predictable but infinitely subtle and delicate. – Daisaku Ikeda
We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces; nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history. – Daisaku Ikeda
A commitment to human rights cannot be fostered simply through the transmission of knowledge. Action and experience play a crucial role in the learning process. – Daisaku Ikeda
Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on ‘being more’ rather than simply having more. – Daisaku Ikeda
Divorced from the cosmos, from nature, from society and from each other, we have become fractured and fragmented. – Daisaku Ikeda
Japan learned from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the tragedy wrought by nuclear weapons must never be repeated and that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist. – Daisaku Ikeda
The crucial thing is to arouse the awareness that as a matter of human conscience we can never permit the people of any country to fall victim to nuclear weapons, and for each individual to express their refusal to continue living in the shadow of the threat they pose. – Daisaku Ikeda
But I think we need to remember that democracy everywhere is by its nature incomplete, a work in progress. – Daisaku Ikeda
People need to be made conscious of a very simple reality: we have no choice but to share this planet, this small blue sphere floating in the vast reaches of space, with all of our fellow ‘passengers.’ – Daisaku Ikeda
I believe that we must maintain pride in the knowledge that the actions we take, based on our own decisions and choices as individuals, link directly to the magnificent challenge of transforming human history. – Daisaku Ikeda
It is crucial that we develop real awareness of ourselves as citizens of Earth, linked by mutual and indissoluble bonds. When we clearly recognize this reality and ground ourselves in it, we are compelled to take a strict accounting of our way of life. – Daisaku Ikeda
Women are, in my view, natural peacemakers. As givers and nurturers of life, through their focus on human relationships and their engagement with the demanding work of raising children and protecting family life, they develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through to underlying human realities. – Daisaku Ikeda
Poems and songs penned as an unstoppable outpouring of the heart take on a life of their own. They transcend the limits of nationality and time as they pass from person to person, from one heart to another. – Daisaku Ikeda
Having lived through the transition from totalitarianism, I am acutely mindful of the need to never take for granted the basic freedoms of thought, expression and belief that democracy brings. – Daisaku Ikeda
In the past, human society provided encouragement and opportunity for people to extend support to each other, especially in highly stressful situations. – Daisaku Ikeda
Where there is an absence of international political leadership, civil society should step in to fill the gap, providing the energy and vision needed to move the world in a new and better direction. – Daisaku Ikeda
It is natural for us, as human beings, to look forward. Our eyes naturally look ahead. In this sense, we are made for moving toward a goal. – Daisaku Ikeda
So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force. – Daisaku Ikeda
The problems of aging present an opportunity to rethink our social and personal lives in order to ensure the dignity and welfare of each individual. – Daisaku Ikeda
Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others. – Daisaku Ikeda
No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation. – Daisaku Ikeda
I have for some time urged that a nuclear abolition summit to mark the effective end of the nuclear era be convened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 70th anniversary of the bombings of those cities, with the participation of national leaders and representatives of global civil society. – Daisaku Ikeda