List of Daisaku Ikeda Quotes

Strength Is Happiness. Strength Is Itself Victory. In Weakness And Cowardice There Is No Happiness. When You Wage A Struggle, You Might Win Or You Might Lose. But Regardless Of The Short-term Outcome, The Very Fact Of Your Continuing To Struggle Is Proof Of Your Victory As A Human Being.

Within The Heart Of Every Person Exists The Flame Of Wisdom That Transforms All Suffering Into Kindling For The Fire Of Creative Energy.

The Reactions Of The Human Heart Are Not Mechanical And Predictable But Infinitely Subtle And Delicate.

One Cannot, Without Reflection, Make Some Into Bearers Of Goodness And Others Into Miscreants, Judging Them By Relative Positive Or Negative Criteria. These, Like Everything Else, Change According To Historical Circumstances, The Character Of A Society, The Time And Subjective Points Of View.

No One Can Live Entirely On Their Own, Nor Can Any Country Or Society Exist In Isolation.

It Is Important That We Have The Inner Richness To Be Able To Look Up At The Stars Or The Moon And Compose A Poem Once In A While. When We Open Wide Our Minds And Fix Our Gaze On The Universe, We Fix Our Gaze On Our Own Life.

Peace Will Be Realized Only By Forging Bonds Of Trust Between People At The Deepest Level, In The Depths Of Their Very Lives.

History Is Filled With Tragic Examples Of Wars That Result From Diplomatic Impasse. Whether In Our Local Communities Or In International Relations, The Skillful Use Of Our Communicative Capacities To Negotiate And Resolve Differences Is The First Evidence Of Human Wisdom.

Salute To The Smiling Faces Of The 21st Century.

The Economy Is After All Driven By People. No Matter How Dire The Situation May Be, As Long As People Are Firm, A Turnaround, Revival And Progress Can Be Possible.

Since Ancient Times, People From Throughout Asia Have Brought To Japan Their Talents, Knowledge And Energy, Helping To Lay The Basis For Japan's Existence As A Country.

Human Rights Will Be A Powerful Force For The Transformation Of Reality When They Are Not Simply Understood As Externally Defined Norms Of Behavior But Are Lived As The Spontaneous Manifestation Of Internalized Values.

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.

Buddhism Holds That Everything Is In Constant Flux. Thus The Question Is Whether We Are To Accept Change Passively And Be Swept Away By It Or Whether We Are To Take The Lead And Create Positive Changes On Our Own Initiative. While Conservatism And Self-protection Might Be Likened To Winter, Night, And Death, The Spirit Of Pioneering And Attempting To Realize Ideals Evokes Images Of Spring, Morning, And Birth.

Leadership That Exploits And Sacrifices Young People On The Altar Of Its Goals Is Nothing More Than Raw, Demonic Power. Genuine Leadership Is Found In Ceaseless Efforts To Foster Young People, To Pave The Way Forward For Them.

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.

Likewise, Education Can Direct People Toward Good Or Evil Ends. When Education Is Based On A Fundamentally Distorted Worldview, The Results Are Horrific.

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.

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.

When You Devote Yourself To Achieving Your Goal, You Will Not Be Bothered By Shallow Criticism. Nothing Important Can Be Accomplished If You Allow Yourself To Be Swayed By Some Trifling Matter, Always Looking Over Your Shoulder And Wondering What Others Are Saying Or Thinking. The Key To Achievement Is To Move Forward Along Your Chosen Path With Firm Determination.

Anyone Who Has Ever Made A Resolution Discovers That The Strength Of That Determination Fades In Time. The Moment You Feel That Is When You Should Make A Fresh Determination. Tell Yourself, “ok! I Will Start Again From Now!” If You Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up An Eighth. Don’t Give Up When You Feel Discouraged-jus T Pick Yourself Up And Renew Your Determination Each Time.

Extreme Poverty Threatens People's Right To Life Itself And Makes Impossible The Enjoyment Of The Rights And Freedoms Essential To A Humane Way Of Life.

But I Believe We Must Not Allow Feelings Of Defeat To Take Root In Our Hearts.

One's True Worth As A Human Being Is Not A Matter Of Outward Appearance Or Title, But Derives Rather From The Breadth Of One's Spirit. Everything Comes Down To Faith And Conviction. It Is What Is In One's Heart, And The Substance Of One's Actions That Count.