About Me
Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), is a Buddhist thinker, author and educator who believes that only through personal interaction and dialogue across cultural and philosophical boundaries can human beings nurture the trust and understanding that is necessary for lasting peace. To date, he has traveled to more than 50 countries in pursuit of this ideal, holding discussions with many distinguished political, cultural and educational figures. Topics include a range of issues crucial to humanity--such as the transformative value of religion, the universality of life, social responsibility, and sustainable progress and development.Ikeda was born on January 2, 1928, in Tokyo, Japan. His family's business was producing a form of edible seaweed. An avid reader, Ikeda began composing poetry at an early age. His interests include art, music, philosophy and photography.Ikeda was seventeen when the Second World War ended in 1945. His four elder brothers had been drafted for military service, and the eldest was killed in combat. Ikeda's family suffered greatly, as did other ordinary Japanese, on account of the war. The anguish of those days left an indelible impression on the young Ikeda and prompted his life-long endeavor to root out the fundamental causes of human conflict. Although the hardships of the war disrupted most of his chances for education, he was able to graduate from Fuji Junior College's department of economics.In 1947, Ikeda met Josei Toda, the man who was to become his mentor and play a decisive role in shaping the course of his life. Toda, later the second president of the Soka Gakkai, was an innovative educator who was deeply committed to the ideals and practice of Nichiren Buddhism. During the war, he was imprisoned together with the first Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi-who later died in prison-by the authorities because of their opposition to Japanese militarism. Upon his release after more than two years of confinement in July 1945, Toda dedicated his life to the development of the Soka Gakkai and the realization of a humane society.Ikeda joined the Soka Gakkai soon after meeting Toda, and worked alongside his mentor to launch the organization's movement to promote peace, culture, and education. He also embarked on a course in self-education under Toda's tutelage, exploring philosophy, literature, the natural sciences, economics, politics and other disciplines.Ikeda assisted his mentor for more than a decade until the latter's death in 1958. In 1960, Ikeda succeeded Toda as head of the Soka Gakkai, becoming its third president, and in 1975 he became president of the newlyformed Soka Gakkai International.Ikeda has defined the organization's objectives as: "Working for peace by opposing all forms of violence and contributing to the welfare of humankind by pursuing humanistic culture and education." "Peace," as it is used here, is not the mere absence of war, but indicates a condition where the dignity and fundamental rights of all people are respected. Ikeda recognizes that peace must emanate from within individuals--a view based on the Buddhist conviction that people inherently possess the ability to create value and harmony in society, and between themselves and their environment. For Ikeda, culture is the lively expression of this unique human characteristic. He also attaches great importance to education as an essential vehicle for the development of individuals' creative potential. Education and culture are, in this sense, prerequisites for peace.Referring to the United Nations as "the congress of humanity," Ikeda emphasizes the importance of working with the world body for realizing these goals. In the past, the SGI, which is registered with the UN as a nongovernmental organization (NGO), has organized exhibitions on human rights, war and peace, and development and the environment, in conjunction with various UN departments. It has also carried out extensive refugee relief activities, and recently collected nearly 300,000 used radios for presentation to the United Nations in Cambodia to help facilitate free elections. In addition, Ikeda himself has made numerous proposals on peace and international affairs.The SGI leader has founded several institutions, such as the Soka schools (from kindergarten through university level), the Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, in order to promote educational, cultural and artistic activities and conduct exchanges with like groups and institutions on a global scale. Ikeda has also initiated a wide range of grassroots exchange programs and delivered speeches at a number of institutions of higher learning around the world, including Harvard University, the Institut de France and Beijing University.Mr. Ikeda has received honorary doctorates from 200 universities, including University of Glasgow (UK), Moscow State University, Sofia University (Bulgaria), University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Ankara University (Turkey), University of Nairobi (Kenya), University of the Philippines. He has honorary professorships in 14 universities, including Beijing University and National University of San Marcos (Peru).For his humanitarian endeavors in a range of fields, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including the United Nations Peace Award, National Order of the Southern Cross of the Republic of Brazil, Honorary Cross of Science and the Arts from the Austrian Ministry of Education, Medal of the Grand Officer of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture, and the World Poet Laureateship from the World Poetry Society.Major books that he has written include: The Human Revolution (12 volumes),Choose Life: A Dialogue with Dr. Arnold J. Toynbee; Dawn After Dark with Dr. René Hughye; Before It Is Too Late with Dr. Aurelio Peccei; A Lifelong Quest for Peace with Dr. Linus Pauling; Dialogue of World Citizens with Dr. Norman Cousins; Choose Peace, with Dr. Johan Galtung; The Snow Country Prince, The Cherry Tree, The Princess and the Moon and Over the Deep Blue Sea (children's books translated into over ten languages).
www.sgi-usa.org
