Daisaku Ikeda
The heart is what is important." There is nothing more vulnerable, nothing more corruptible than the human mind; nor is there anything as powerful, steadfast and ennobling.Collection: Powerful
Strength is happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happinessCollection: Strength
Let us join our efforts toward building the unshakable foundations for a culture of peace.Collection: Teamwork
Life is the blossoming of flowers in the spring, the ripening of fruit in the fall, the rhythm of the earth and of nature. Life is the cry of cicadas signalling the end of summer, migratory birds winging south in a transparent autumn sky, fish frolicking in a stream. Life is the joy beautiful music installs in us, the thrilling sight of a mountain peak reddened by the rising sun, the myriad combinations and permutations of visible and invisible phenomena. Life is all things.Collection: Beautiful
Anyone who has ever made a resolution discovers that the strength of their determination fades with time. The important thing is not that your resolve never wavers, but that you don't get down on yourself when it does and throw in the towel.Collection: Determination
A sense of being part of the great all-inclusive life prompts us to reflect on our own place and on how we ought to live. Guarding others' lives, the ecology and the earth is the same as protecting one's own life. By like token, wounding them is the same thing as wounding oneself. Consequently, it is the duty of each of us to participate as members of the life community in the evolution of the universe. We can do this by guarding earth's ecological system.Collection: Community
Take heart, and do not let disappointment or shame stop you from moving forward. The true outcome of life is only apparent at the very end.Collection: Disappointment
Victory lies in not getting defeated.Collection: Lying
The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself toward your success.Collection: Nerves
A truley heroic way of life lies in squarely confronting and courageously overcoming the pounding vicissitudes that life always throws in our pathsCollection: Life
It is precisely when we have suffered defeat that we can determine to win and open the path to future victory.Collection: Winning
The institutions of human society treat us as parts of a machine. They assign us ranks and place considerable pressure upon us to fulfill defined roles. We need something to help us restore our lost and distorted humanity. Each of us has feelings that have been suppressed and have built up inside. There is a voiceless cry resting in the depths of our souls, waiting for expression. Art gives the soul's feelings voice and form.Collection: Karma
A moment’s encounter can decide the direction of one’s entire lifeCollection: Encounters
Salute to the Smiling Faces of the 21st Century.Collection: Buddhist
Humanity's collective mission in the cosmos lies in the practice of compassion.Collection: Lying
We should all develop the mind to rejoice in, praise and share in the gift of those who have artistic talents and a richness of heart, whether they achieve wide recognition or not. Cultivating such a beautiful mind is a very worthy effort. Culture and art are not just decorations. They are not just accessories. What matters is whether culture enriches the essential substance of our lives.Collection: Beautiful
How aware are we of our own inner life, our spirituality-something so intangible yet so priceless? How much effort do we make to perceive that which is not obvious, which can neither be seen nor heard? I believe the exploration and enrichment of the human spirit is what determines our very humanity. Such enrichment provides an inner compass that can lead civilizations to greatness.Collection: Karma
We are responsible for our own destiny. What matters is how we improve ourselves from this moment forward.Collection: Inspirational
We have both a weak self and a strong self; the two are completely different. If we allow our weak side to dominate, we will be defeated. The thought ,"I am still young and have a lot of time, so I can relax and take life easy" is a function of our own weakness.Collection: Strong
A great work of art is one that truly moves and inspires you. You yourself must be moved. Don't look at art with others' eyes. Don't listen to music with others' ears. You must react to art with your own feelings, your own heart and mind.Collection: Art
Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life.Collection: Creativity
Knowledge itself is a neutral tool that can be used for good or evil. Wisdom, in contrast, always directs us toward happiness. The task of education must be to stimulate and unleash the wisdom that lies dormant in the lives of all young people. This is not a forced process, like pressing something into a preformed mold, but rather drawing out the potential which exists within.Collection: Lying
Nothing is more precious than peace. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.Collection: Peace
Instead of engaging in cutthroat competition, we should strive to create value. In economic terms, this means a transition from a consumer economy - the mad rush for ownership and consumption - to a constructive economy where all human beings can participate in the act of creating lasting worth.Collection: Mean
The challenge of preventing any further proliferation of nuclear weapons is just such a trial in the quest for world peace, one that cannot be achieved if we are defeated by a sense of helplessness. The crucial element is to ensure that any struggle against evil is rooted firmly in a consciousness of the unity of the human family, something only gained through the mastery of our own inner contradictions.Collection: Struggle
When you devote yourself to achieving your goal, you will not be bothered by shallow criticism. Nothing important can be accomplished if you allow yourself to be swayed by some trifling matter, always looking over your shoulder and wondering what others are saying or thinking. The key to achievement is to move forward along your chosen path with firm determination.Collection: Determination
Speak out tirelessly with conviction.Collection: Speaks Out
It is important that we have the inner richness to be able to look up at the stars or the moon and compose a poem once in a while. When we open wide our minds and fix our gaze on the universe, we fix our gaze on our own life.Collection: Stars
Within the heart of every person exists the flame of wisdom that transforms all suffering into kindling for the fire of creative energy.Collection: Heart
Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself.Collection: Art
Strength is Happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being.Collection: Strength
Buhhdism is wisdom. As long as we have wisdom, we can put all things to the best use, we can turn everything in the direction of happiness.Collection: Long
Have the depth of faith to regard everything as a source for creating happiness and value.Collection: Faith
"Those who give up dreams, do injury to their own hearts and cannot possibly enjoy a profound sense of fulfillment in the end.Collection: Dream