“Hope is a flame that we nurture within our hearts… and kept burning through our own determination. Most crucial is our determination to continue to believe in the limitless dignity and possibilities of both ourselves and others.” – Daisaku Ikeda

Hopeful and Highly Relevant

Daisaku Ikeda is a Buddhist philosopher, educator, essayist and anti-nuclear activist. This book is a compilation of selected essays he has written during the bleak times when he battled his childhood illness, surviving through WWII in Japan, facing the death of his mother and brother – his essays explore humanism, free-thinking, poetry, cultural exchanges of peace, hope-based dialogue and ultimately the message that we should always be hopeful despite the hard times.

Even though Ikeda’s essays were written so long ago during WWII, a lot of his essays on hope can be applied to today’s society. At first I thought this will be a highly idealistic read but I was surprised on how essential these essays are to today’s world where hope is so fragile. How can we remain hopeful at times like these, and how can life be more meaningful? Ikeda teaches us that “the key to live in a stress-filled society lies in feeling the suffering of others as our own – in unleashing the universal human capacity for empathy.” There are some really great nuggets of wisdom in his essays, if you feel like a thought-provoking and reflective read, I highly recommend this book!

Some other great quotes from this book:

“We can best negotiate the challenges we face when guided by hope, not when motivated by fear.”

“There is no need for anyone to carry the burden of a heavy heart alone.”

“Genuine happiness can be achieved only when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, to a focus on being more rather than simply having more.”

Episodes of Daisaku Ikeda's life as examples of a fulfilling life achieved trough Buddhist teachings. Interesting and hagiographisch, and made me think there is still a looooong way to go.

Episodi della vita di Daisaku Ikeda, come esempi di una vita soddisfacente condotta alla luce degli insegnamenti buddisti. Interessante ed agiografico, mi ha fatto comunque riflettere su quanta strada ancora ci sia da fare.....