288 Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

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.

Life isn't always smooth. If it were, we would never grow & develop as human beings. If we succeed, we are envied; if we fail, we are ridiculed & attacked. Sadly, this is how people are. Unexpected grief & suffering may lie ahead of you. But it is precisely when you encounter such trying times that you must not be defeated. NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER RETREAT!

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

Our voice resonates with life. Because this is so, it can touch the lives of others. The caring and compassion imbued in your voice finds passage to the listener's soul, striking his or her heart and causing it to sing out; the human voice summons something profound from deep within, and can even compel a person into action.

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

Courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin. Compassion without courage is not genuine. You may have a compassionate thought or impulse, but if you don’t do or say anything, it’s not real compassion.

Having lived through the transition from totalitarianism, I am acutely mindful of the need to never take for granted the basic freedoms of thought, expression and belief that democracy brings.

So long as human history continues, we will face the perennial challenge of realizing, maintaining and strengthening peace through dialogue, of making dialogue the sure and certain path to peace. We must uphold and proclaim this conviction without cease, whatever coldly knowing smiles or cynical critiques may greet us.

People who cease to grow can't inspire others. Leadership begins with challenging oneself.