Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

With love and patience, nothing is impossible.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Love

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

Education

There are no greater treasures than the highest human qualities such as compassion, courage and hope. Not even tragic accident or disaster can destroy such treasures of the heart.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Love

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

Success

The determination to win is the better part of winning.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Wisdom

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

Success

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

Hope

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

Life

Ultimately, all human activities have as their goal the realization of happiness. Why, then, have we ended up producing the opposite result? Could the underlying cause be our failure to correctly understand the true nature of happiness?

— Daisaku Ikeda

Success

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

Love

The eyes of a poet discover in each person a unique and irreplaceable humanity. While arrogant intellect seeks to control and manipulate the world, the poetic spirit bows with reverence before its mysteries.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Life

The reactions of the human heart are not mechanical and predictable but infinitely subtle and delicate.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Love

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.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Life

No one is born hating others.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Wisdom

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Happiness

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

Education

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Life

We must take steps to prevent further nuclear weapons development or modernization.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Wisdom

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

Success

You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Success

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Love

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Wisdom

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

Wisdom

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.

— Daisaku Ikeda

Truth