Translated from Seikyo Shimbun article published on 19 November 2023.

“Let’s do it now! Let’s create a whirlwind of dialogue throughout to pave the way to lasting peace. We must unite the world with the philosophy of Buddhist humanism.”

Since he was inaugurated as Soka Gakkai 3rd President, Ikeda Sensei had traveled the world, building the solidarity of “good citizens” who desire peace. With the belief that “the power of dialogue will open up a new era of peace,” he held many dialogues with world renowned leaders, scholars and cultural figures including Dr. Toynbee, a leading historian of the 20th century, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai of China, President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, and President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

Ikeda Sensei gives his second lecture entitled “Mahayana Buddhism and twenty-first century civilisation” at the invitation of Harvard University, the world’s most prestigious University in America (September 1993)

A series of about 80 dialogues Ikeda sensei held with leading thinking persons as well as the 32 lectures given by him in various universities and learning institutions such as Harvard University in the United States have been compiled and published into books for posterity.

In addition, he built the “golden bridge of peace” in Asia and the world as a private citizen and issued a bold proposal for the normalization of Japan-China relations in 1968, calling for an early restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the cold war in 1974 and 1975, Ikeda Sensei visited China, Soviet Union and the United States respectively with the goal to have dialogues with the world leaders to relieve the tension between the countries.

At the 11th Soka Gakkai Student Division General Meeting, Ikeda Sensei issued a bold proposal for the normalization of Japan-China relations. ( Nihon University Auditorium in Ryogoku, Tokyo on September 8, 1968)

Ikeda Sensei presented various proposals, including authoring 40 annual peace proposals to commemorate 1.26 “SGI Day” since 1983, to declare his mentor’s spirit of calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. He continued to give consistent support to the United Nations “the parliament of humanity” and share the hope-filled philosophy for the abolition of nuclear weapons and avoidance of the clash of civilization and climate crises.

Furthermore, Ikeda Sensei had established the Toda Peace Institute, Institute of Oriental Philosophy and Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and dialogue in America and Soka Institute Amazon Environmental Research Center in Brazil and supported the trend of creating peace from the perspective of academic research.

“I want to eliminate misery from the Earth” — the flame of the vow entrusted to Ikeda Sensei from Toda Sensei is now being passed on to Ikeda’s disciples around the world.

source: https://www.seikyoonline.com/article/2829B2AC0153816D2DB789AAC49C0050