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With great sorrow, we share the news of the passing of the founder of the Center, Daisaku Ikeda. Mr. Ikeda passed away from natural causes at his home in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on the night of November 15th, at the age of 95.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Daisaku Ikeda was a Buddhist leader, educator, philosopher, peace-builder, and prolific writer and poet. Born in Tokyo in 1928, he first-hand experienced the tragic reality of war. In 1947, at the age of 19, he embraced Buddhism through an encounter with Josei Toda, an educator and leader of the Soka Gakkai. Toda had been arrested and imprisoned for opposing the militaristic government.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These experiences combined to instill in Mr. Ikeda a lifelong commitment to peace and nuclear disarmament, which inspired all his work, including serving as the third president of the Soka Gakkai and founding the Soka Gakkai International. Despite everything, Mr. Ikeda was a staunch advocate for open dialogue as the safest path to peace. Thus, from the 1970s onward, he actively sought dialogue with prominent cultural and political figures, distinguished scholars, and a host of peace-building pioneers. To date, over 80 of these dialogues have been published in book form. For him, dialogue was always a means to explore common ground, build trust, and identify creative ways to address the complex problems facing humanity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This fall, 30 years ago, Mr. Ikeda delivered a lecture at Harvard University titled “Mahayana Buddhism and the Civilization of the 21st Century.” In it, he highlighted the key contributions that Mahayana Buddhism can make to the peaceful evolution of humanity. Shortly afterward, he founded the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century (renamed Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue in 2021) to provide a space that would carry forward the spirit of that lecture, exploring themes and concepts contributing to the creation and expansion of cultures of peace.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to our Center, Mr. Ikeda founded several cultural, educational, and peace research institutions worldwide. All these institutions share a commitment to the values of peace and humanism inspired by Soka.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the numerous messages and words of encouragement he offered to the Center since our founding, Mr. Ikeda consistently emphasized the transformative dimensions of open dialogue, as well as the value of life. For him, transitioning from a culture of apathy and violence to one that respects the dignity of all life was a key element in fostering peace. In a message he sent on the occasion of our twentieth anniversary in 2021, Mr. Ikeda shared reflections that captured the essence of his vision. He wrote:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n No matter which country we come from or the interests we represent, ultimately, we are all human. We are comrades facing together the universal human experiences of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Our lives are like precious gems carrying within them an indomitable force for good. We were all born of mothers whose deepest wish is for peace. When we open closed hearts like fists and listen and speak with honesty and integrity, we can discover the shared resonance of our souls. When we open ourselves to learning from our differences, we experience life with new richness and depth. Dialogue is the key to creating value for peace and harmonious coexistence. The efforts of this Center are firmly based on an unwavering conviction in the positive potential of dialogue, a conviction that we will uphold for eternity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As an organization with the mission of carrying forward his vision of fostering peace through learning and dialogue, we are more determined than ever to follow the path he forged, especially now, when it is needed so urgently. As staff, we feel a deeper sense of gratitude for his support and encouragement, as well as renewed energy to continue the critical work to which he dedicated himself:\u00a0 Strengthening the foundations of a world of peace and harmonious coexistence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n