Gleaned from more than fifty years of SGI President Ikeda's works, The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace provides a window into the SGI president's thought and philosophy. His works are a boundless source of inspiration. They embody a universal message of hope and courage for a world increasingly beset with sorrow and suffering.

Gleaned from more than sixty years of Daisaku Ikeda's works, thisrevised edition adds new selections that further provide a windowinto the SGI president's thought and philosophy. His words are aboundless source of inspiration, hope, and courage for a worldincreasingly beset with sorrow and suffering.Chapters in this volume:“What Is True Happiness?”“Developing a Life State of Happiness”“The Practice for Transforming Our State of Life”“&‘It Is the Heart That Is Important'”“Transforming Suffering Into Joy”“The Principle of Cherry, Plum, Peach, and Damson”“Happiness for Both Ourselves and Others”“Facing Illness”“Creating a Brilliant Final Chapter in Life”“Joy in Both Life and Death”

Gleaned from more than fifty years of Daisaku Ikeda' s works, thisrevised edition adds new selections that further provide a windowinto the SGI president' s thought and philosophy. His words are aboundless source of inspiration, hope, and courage for a worldincreasingly beset with sorrow and suffering.Chapters in this volume:“ A Life Dedicated to Kosen-rufu” “ The Mission and Vow of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth” “ Valuing Each Individual” “ The Organization for Kosen-rufu” “ The Unity of 'Many in Body, One in Mind'” “ Leaders Who Guide Others to Happiness” “ The Mentor-Disciple Relationship Is the Heart of the Soka Gakkai” “ The Three Founding Presidents and the Path of Mentor and Disciple” “ A Religion That Exists for People's Happiness” “ The Future Division— The Treasure of the Soka Gakkai” "The Great Path to World Peace" "Conclusion: Toward the Future"

Buddhist philosopher, peace activist and octogenarian Daisaku Ikeda has spent a lifetime studying and teaching about life's universal sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. His life exemplifies the health and happiness possible from a compassionate practice of Nichiren Buddhism. In The Third Stage of Life, a dialogue with two Japanese journalists, he shares his insights on how to make one's golden years a “third youth.”What's the secret to living long? What are the keys to a healthy life? Is aging a period of decline or an opportunity to bring one's life to a satisfying conclusion? What example can we set for in others in our third stage of life?Drawing on the lives of many individuals down through the ages, Mr. Ikeda discusses these and many other questions that affect us as we grow older. From the practical to the spiritual to the personal—as when his wife of sixty years joins the discussion in later chapters—The Third Stage of Life will inspire you to keep challenging and lead a life that shines.

Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history. With new breakthroughs in modern neuroscience and the wisdom of thousands of years of contemplative practice, it is possible for us to shape our own thoughts in a similar way for greater happiness, love, compassion, and wisdom. Buddha's Brain joins the forces of modern neuroscience with ancient contemplative teachings to show readers how they can work toward greater emotional well-being, healthier relationships, more effective actions, and deepened religious and spiritual understanding. This book will explain how the core elements of both psychological well-being and religious or spiritual life-virtue, mindfulness, and wisdom--are based in the core functions of the brain: regulating, learning, and valuing. Readers will also learn practical ways to apply this information, as the book offers many exercises they can do to tap the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater peace and well-being.

How do we remain optimistic when the world seems to be falling apart around us? In these intimate essays, the author leads the reader on an inspirational journey to find answers and hope in troubled times. The book includes incisive commentaries on terrorism, good and evil, and aging and death that provide a new perspective on approaching the world with hope. The lyrical reflections on poetry and friendship highlight how such spiritual pursuits are the wellsprings of hope in dark times. Each essay suggests ways in which anyone can connect their personal search for strength, wisdom, and hope to the collective desire to bring about a just, humane, and caring society.

What do Buddhism and Islam have in common? And what positive characteristics might Buddhist Japan and Muslim Indonesia be able to offer one another? In this thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion which draws on creative artists and thinkers as diverse as Beethoven, Goethe, Tolstoy, Thomas Jefferson and Akira Kurosawa distinguished representatives from each country demonstrate that meaningful dialogue between religions and cultures begins with a one-to-one conversation between individuals. Addressing the similarities of their nations as island peoples, with a shared history of trade and cultural exchange, Abdurrahman Wahid and Daisaku Ikeda agree that the aim of dialogue, like that of Buddhism and Islam alike, is fundamentally the goal of peace. A pivotal moment in the conversation comes when reference is made to the Indonesian story of the Bamboo Princess, from the Chronicle of the Kings of Pasai; this is seen to bear close resemblance to the Japanese Taketori Monogatari, or 'Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'. Such narrative interrelationship which can be discerned even in the midst of religious and cultural distinctiveness emerges as a powerful symbol of the common humanity not just of Indonesia and Japan but of all cultures. Both thinkers continue to draw on their respective traditions, on their personal experiences of war and adversity, and especially on the lives of the Buddha and the Prophet Mohammed, to show that harmony springs from an attitude of tolerance and nonviolence which is where true courage resides. Whether masterfully expounding the teachings of Nichiren, or indicating that a proper understanding of jihad is not about religious conflict but about communicating the truth of Allah, the discussants mutually transform our understandings of value, pluralism, and amity.

What constitutes a meaningful life? What is true happiness? Nichiren Buddhism, based on the Lotus Sutra, is a teaching of hope that provides answers to these and other important questions for modern life. Ranked among the most important works in Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren's 13th-century writings were revolutionary. In On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, Nichiren turned prevailing Buddhist thought on its head. Attaining Buddhahood, or enlightenment, he argues, does not require embarking on some inconceivably long journey toward becoming some resplendent godlike Buddha, but rather it means accomplishing a transformation in the depths of one's being and revealing one's ultimate potential within. And Nichiren dedicated his life—braving all manner of persecution—to giving people a practical means for doing so. Daisaku Ikeda's simple and straightforward commentary brings alive this important writing for the modern world. Thoughtful people of all faiths will resonate with his compassionate insights on the universal teaching of happiness that is Nichiren Buddhism.

In a straightforward question-and-answer format, Buddhist teacher Daisaku Ikeda responds to the complicated issued facing American young people. Addressing adolescents as the leaders of the future, Ikeda touches on topics of peace, human rights, and environmental degredation as he urges young people with warmth and understanding to see the great potential they have as the hope for humanity. The book also provides easy-to-understand explanations of Nichiren Buddhism and the benefits of its practice.

Based on teachings from the Kadampa Buddhist Tradition, Modern Buddhism is a special presentation that communicates the essence of the entire path to liberation and enlightenment in a way that is easy to understand and put into practice.