• POWER OF HUMAN SPIRIT
    • We should never decide that something is impossible and buy into the belief, “I’ll never be able to do that.” The power of the entire universe is inherent in our lives. When we firmly decide, “I can do it!” we can break through the walls of self-imposed limitations
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Interconnectedness
    • Life is a chain. All things are related. When any link is harmed, the other links are affected. We should think of the environment as our mother. There is no crime worse than harming one’s mother.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • EDUCATION
    • Education must inspire the faith that each of us has both the power and the responsibility to effect positive change on a global scale.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • DIALOGUE
    • Key to dialogue is respect for the other person, a willingness to listen, and a readiness to learn from them.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Culture
    • Culture is the flowering of each individual’s true humanity, which is why it transcends national boundaries, time periods and all other distinctions.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Peace
    • Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Happiness
    • Happiness is not the absence of problems or worries; it is to be undefeated no matter what problems or worries we may face. And this happiness is not solely focussed on oneself. Truly happy are those who can help others become happy.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Gratitude
    • Having gratitude and appreciation for the countless people and things that support our lives—that awareness, that feeling, that joy—will invite even greater happiness. Rather than being thankful because we are happy, being thankful itself will make us happy… gratitude puts us in rhythm with the universe, turning our lives in a positive direction. When we cannot say thank you, our personal growth has stopped. When we are growing, we can see how wonderful others are, too. When we stop growing, all we see are other people’s faults.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Compassion
    • What our society today needs more than anything is the spirit of empathy—the ability to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are facing hardship and suffering, to understand and share what they are going through. When the spirit of compassion becomes the bedrock of society, and is embodied by society’s leaders, the future will be bright with hope.
      Daisaku Ikeda
  • Courage
    • Small things matter. What may look like a small act of courage is courage, nevertheless. The important thing is to be willing to take a step forward… No matter how wonderful our dreams, how noble our ideals or how high our hopes, ultimately, we need courage to make them a reality. We can come up with the greatest ideas or plans in the world, or be filled with boundless compassion for others, but they will all come to naught unless we have the courage to put them into action. Without action, it’s as if they never existed.
      Daisaku Ikeda