Daisaku Ikeda

Daisaku Ikeda

34 quotes

Daisaku Ikeda is a Japanese religious leader whose words have traveled far beyond their original audience. The range of their thinking — from Society to History — speaks to an intellectual restlessness that shows in every quote. We feature 56 quotes from Daisaku Ikeda spanning Society, History, Knowledge, Hope, and Education, making them one of the most prolific voices in our archive. Perhaps their most recognizable line: "To communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future."

“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

Family

All Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Future

“Men and women who know the brutal reality of war, who know that war strips people of their very humanity, must unite in a new global partnership for peace.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Peace

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

History

“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

Family

“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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Change

“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

“In the past, human society provided encouragement and opportunity for people to extend support to each other, especially in highly stressful situations.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Society

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Education

“With love and patience, nothing is impossible.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Patience

“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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

History

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Hope

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Society

“Humanity has experienced many revolutionary changes over the course of history: revolutions in agriculture, in science, industrial production, as well as numerous political revolutions. But these have all been limited to the external aspects of our individual and collective lives.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

History

“To communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Future

“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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Leadership

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

Education

“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

History

“Rather than turning away from the staggering scale and depth of misery caused by war, we must strive to develop our capacity to empathize and feel the sufferings of others.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

War

“No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Society

“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

Education