Daisaku Ikeda Quotes

Whatever the outcome may be, the important thing is to step forward on the path that you believe is right.

Before comparing yourself with others, win the battle with yourself. Strive to be better today than yesterday, and better tomorrow than today.

The place where you are now is vital. The path toward victory opens from where you stand.

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

Hope transforms pessimism into optimism. Hope is invincible.

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.

Within the heart of every person exists the flame of wisdom that transforms all suffering into kindling for the fire of creative energy.

Rise to the challenges that life presents you. You can't develop genuine character and ability by sidestepping adversity and struggle.

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.

The course of our lives is determined by how we react--what we decide and what we do--at the darkest of times. The nature of that response determines a person's true worth and greatness.

Keep moving forward, even one or two steps, in your own way. Those who live out their lives to the fullest, unperturbed by the noisy clamor around them, are the true winners.

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.

A truley heroic way of life lies in squarely confronting and courageously overcoming the pounding vicissitudes that life always throws in our paths

Nothing is more precious than peace. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.

The power of art can break the shackles that bind and divide human beings.

So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force.

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

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

The effects of human rights education can be dramatic in awakening people to the value and power of their own lives, as shown in the following stories.

Come on obstacles! I've been expecting you! This is the chance that I've been waiting for!

The darker the night, the nearer the dawn. Victory in life is decided by that last concentrated burst of energy filled with the resolve to win.

Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next.

A truly beautiful person is one who is good at discovering beauty.

While conservatism and self-protection might be likened to winter, night, and death, the spirit of pioneering and attempting to realize ideals evokes images of spring, morning, and birth.

Let us join our efforts toward building the unshakable foundations for a culture of peace.

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

When human beings live together, conflict is inevitable. War is not.

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

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

Happiness does not exist as an isolated quality, nor does it conform to a single fixed pattern. Happiness is something that breathes and lives in the relationships between one person and another.

No one should be left to suffer alone.

Hope changes everything. It changes winter into summer, darkness into dawn, descent into ascent, barrenness into creativity, agony into joy.

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.

It is precisely when we have suffered defeat that we can determine to win and open the path to future victory.

We are responsible for our own destiny. What matters is how we improve ourselves from this moment forward.

It is natural for us, as human beings, to look forward. Our eyes naturally look ahead. In this sense, we are made for moving toward a goal.

In most cases, our so-called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit ourselves.

There are some among the so-called elite who are overbearing and arrogant. I want to foster leaders, not elitists.

The wisdom and experience of older people is a resource of inestimable worth. Recognizing and treasuring the contributions of older people is essential to the long-term flourishing of any society.

I can do more. I can grow. I can become a bigger and better human being.

There’s no need for us to be held back by the past or how things have been so far. The important thing is what seeds we are sowing now for the future.

Do something! Start something! As you make consistent efforts, you will begin to see your goals come into focus. You will discover your mission--the one only you can fulfill.

Strength is happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness

The gratification of desire is not happiness.

The idea of interdependence is central to Buddhism, which holds that all things come into being through the mutual interactions of various causes and conditions.

I believe that a culture of peace must be the essential foundation of our efforts for peace.

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

Often the biggest obstacle in meeting life’s challenges is actually our own fear of failure.

Hope is life's greatest treasure. If you have no hope, create some!

A person fully awakened to the jewel-like dignity of their own life is capable of truly respecting that same treasure in others.