Daisaku Ikeda
December 25th 2023
Buddhism does not ask “What religion does this person follow?” but “What is this person’s state of life?” Buddhism exists to enable all people to cultivate and manifest the world of Buddhahood in their lives. Society is a realm of discrimination and distinctions. But Buddhism transcends all superficial differences and focuses directly on life.
Daisaku Ikeda
December 24th 2023
Where is happiness to be found? The famous Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius said, “A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.” Human happiness, he maintained, lies in doing those things only humans can: seeking the truth and acting to help those who are suffering. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, too, asserted that those who work cheerfully and take joy in the fruits of their labor are truly happy. These are the words of great thinkers, and as you can see they are in complete accord with the teachings of Buddhism.
Daisaku Ikeda
December 23rd 2023
Peace and culture are one. A genuinely cultured nation is a peaceful nation, and vice versa. When conflicts multiply, culture wanes and nations fall into a hellish existence. The history of the human race is a contrast between culture and barbarity. Only culture is a force strong enough to put an end to conflict and lead humanity in the direction of peace.