The World of Nichiren Daishonin's Writings, a Discussion on Humanistic Religion - Volume Two

The World of Nichiren Daishonin's Writings #1

by Daisaku Ikeda

In these insightful discussions, Daisaku Ikeda explores from a variety of angles the life, times, and teachings of Nichiren Daishonin as described in his writings. We learn how Nichiren' s actions— from his vows at an early age to bring happiness to the people through his fearlessness in face of life-threatening persecutions— can become a model for us today. And the humanistic interpretations of key Buddhist concepts bring new clarity to ideas such as “ attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime” and “ establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land.” More than just history and theory, the inspiration offered here aims to provide a deeper understanding of how to put into daily practice Nichiren's philosophy of hope and victory.

Genres: Buddhism

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Daisaku Ikeda was a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder, educator, author and poet. He was the third president of the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist organization and the founding president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), which is today one of the world's largest and most diverse lay Buddhist organizations, promoting a philosophy of character development and social engagement for peace.

Ikeda was the founder of the Soka (value-creation) schools, a nondenominational school system based on an ideal of fostering each student's unique creative potential and cultivating an ethic of peace, social contribution and global consciousness. The school system runs from kindergarten through graduate study and includes a university in Tokyo, Japan, and another in California, U.S.A.

Ikeda was a staunch proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace. Since the 1970s he has pursued dialogue with a wide range of individuals around the world in political, cultural, educational and academic fields. Over 50 of these have been published in book form, with people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Elise Boulding, Joseph Rotblat and André Malraux. In furtherance of his vision of fostering dialogue and solidarity for peace, Ikeda has founded a number of independent, nonprofit research institutes that develop cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration on diverse issues: the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. The Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum promote mutual understanding and friendship between different national cultures through the arts.

Ikeda was a prolific writer who has published more than 100 works, ranging from Buddhist philosophy to biographical essays, poetry, children's stories and photographic collections.