Daisaku Ikeda Biography Quotes 5 Report mistakes

Early Life and Background
Daisaku Ikeda was born on January 2, 1928, in the Omori area of Tokyo, Japan, into a family that made a living in the seaweed trade. Growing up during a time of scarcity and war, he experienced illness in childhood and the hardships of the final years of World War II, including air raids over Tokyo. These experiences shaped his later commitment to peace and human dignity. After the war, he worked to help support his family, while educating himself through voracious reading and an early interest in writing.

Encounter with Josei Toda and the Soka Gakkai
In 1947, at age 19, Ikeda met Josei Toda, an educator and the second president of the Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist movement inspired by the 13th-century teacher Nichiren and by the humanistic educational ideas of the first Soka Gakkai president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. Makiguchi had died in prison during the war for his beliefs, and Toda emerged from imprisonment determined to rebuild a movement centered on the dignity of life. Ikeda found in Toda a mentor who united spiritual conviction, intellectual rigor, and a profound belief in youth. Under Toda's guidance, Ikeda honed his organizational skills, led youth initiatives, and developed his convictions as a writer and public speaker. When Toda died in 1958, Ikeda dedicated himself to actualizing his mentor's vision.

Leadership and Global Development
In 1960, Ikeda became the third president of the Soka Gakkai. He focused on empowering individuals through Buddhist practice and lay leadership, strengthening community networks, and encouraging social contribution. He also set out to internationalize the movement, visiting communities abroad and engaging people from diverse cultures. In 1975, with representatives from many countries gathering in Guam, he helped establish Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and became its founding president. The choice of Guam, a place marked by wartime history, symbolized his goal of transforming the scars of conflict into a foundation for peace and friendship.

Education, Culture, and Institutions
Ikeda's leadership centered on three interlinked aims: peace, culture, and education. He founded Soka University in Tokyo in 1971 to advance student-centered education grounded in respect for life, later supporting the establishment of Soka University of America, which opened in California in 2001. He also fostered a network of Soka schools from kindergarten through university levels, inspired by Makiguchi's educational philosophy. In the cultural sphere, he established the Min-On Concert Association to promote international cultural exchange and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum to deepen public access to the arts. These institutions embodied his belief that art and education cultivate empathy and broaden the horizons of society.

Writings and Dialogues
Ikeda was a prolific writer and poet. His multivolume novel The Human Revolution depicted the postwar growth of a humanistic Buddhist movement through the struggles and renewal of ordinary people. He later continued that story in The New Human Revolution. Beyond fiction, he wrote essays on ethics, education, and global citizenship, and he issued annual peace proposals beginning in 1983 to coincide with the SGI's founding day. His dialogues with global thinkers became widely read, notably Choose Life with historian Arnold J. Toynbee, and book-length exchanges with Club of Rome cofounder Aurelio Peccei and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. He also conversed with scientists and peace advocates, including Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. Through these dialogues, Ikeda sought to bridge cultural divides and to explore practical steps toward disarmament, environmental stewardship, and human rights.

Advocacy for Peace and Human Rights
Influenced by Josei Toda's postwar denunciation of nuclear weapons, Ikeda made nuclear abolition a central theme of his public advocacy. He supported educational campaigns, museum exhibitions, and citizen-driven initiatives calling for disarmament and the strengthening of international law. He encouraged SGI's engagement with the United Nations and civil society partnerships, emphasizing the role of ordinary people in building cultures of peace and nonviolence. Ikeda's writings urged a vision of global citizenship grounded in dialogue, empathy, and shared responsibility for the planet.

Organizational Challenges and Renewal
Ikeda's long leadership also faced challenges. In 1979 he stepped down as president of the Soka Gakkai in Japan amid heightened public scrutiny and internal tensions, later serving as its honorary president while continuing to lead the SGI. In 1991, the relationship between the Soka Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood broke down, resulting in a formal split. Ikeda guided members through this period by reaffirming the primacy of lay believers, ethical conduct, and community engagement. Successive Soka Gakkai presidents in Japan, including Minoru Harada, worked with him to sustain organizational stability and growth while maintaining SGI's international focus on dialogue and human rights.

Personal Life and Character
Ikeda married Kaneko Ikeda, who was a steady partner in encouraging members and advancing educational and cultural initiatives. Those around him often recalled his emphasis on listening, mentoring youth, and expressing gratitude. He cultivated lifelong friendships with figures across cultures and faiths, and he frequently highlighted the courage of individuals who confronted discrimination and oppression. By consistently linking the inner transformation of the individual with social change, he framed personal growth as inseparable from commitment to the community.

Later Years and Legacy
Ikeda continued writing, corresponding, and issuing peace proposals into his later years, even as he reduced public appearances. He died in Tokyo on November 15, 2023, at the age of 95. Tributes from members, educators, and cultural leaders emphasized his role as a bridge-builder and humanistic thinker. His legacy includes institutions devoted to education and culture, a global lay Buddhist network focused on peace and human rights, and a substantial body of literature and dialogues. The influences of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda remained central to his mission, as did his exchanges with global figures such as Arnold J. Toynbee, Aurelio Peccei, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Linus Pauling. Through these relationships, Ikeda advanced a practical humanism that sought to turn the sufferings of the 20th century into lessons for a more peaceful and creative 21st century.

Our collection contains 5 quotes who is written by Daisaku, under the main topics: Never Give Up - Leadership - Change - Perseverance.

• 1995 The New Human Revolution (Novel)
• 1985 Before It's Too Late: A Dialogue (Dialogue)
• 1976 Choose Life: A Dialogue (Dialogue)
• 1976 The Living Buddha: An Interpretive Biography (Biography)
• 1964 The Human Revolution (Novel)

• Wikipedia