Quotes By 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.

But I think we need to remember that democracy everywhere is by its nature incomplete, a work in progress.

A genuinely happy person is one who has rendered others happy.

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.

The determination to win is the better part of winning.

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.

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.'

Divorced from the cosmos, from nature, from society and from each other, we have become fractured and fragmented.

A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader.

The effects of human rights education can be dramatic in awakening people to the value and power of their own lives, as shown in the following stories.

No one should be left to suffer alone.

No one is born hating others.

It is only through such real-life daily struggles and challenges that a genuine sensitivity to human rights can be inculcated. This is a truth that is not limited to school education: it applies to all of us.

So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.

But I believe we must not allow feelings of defeat to take root in our hearts.

The gratification of desire is not happiness.

Faced with stress, too many people feel they have nowhere to turn to, that they don't have access to the kind of friendships or communities where they can easily and openly share their problems and worries.

A healthy vision of the future is not possible without an accurate knowledge of the past.

A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind.

I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.

We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces; nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history.

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.

All people have a natural desire to be needed, to have their importance to others tangibly confirmed.

Likewise, education can direct people toward good or evil ends. When education is based on a fundamentally distorted worldview, the results are horrific.

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.