Top 200 Daisaku Ikeda Quotes (2025 Update)
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51. “Hope transforms pessimism into optimism. Hope is invincible.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

52. “Ideal love is fostered only between two sincere, mature and independent people. Real love is not two people clinging to each other; it can only be fostered between two strong people secure in their individuality.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

53. “If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

54. “Prayer is the way to destroy all fear. It is the way to banish sorrow, the way to light a torch of hope. It is the revolution that rewrites the scenario of our destiny.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

55. “An attitude of compassion does not mean looking down on someone, pitying them in their misery. Compassion is based on respect. We discuss life as equals, learn from each other and strive together to improve our lives.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

56. “Embrace your dreams and advance as far as they can take you.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

58. “Just as a diamond can only be polished by another diamond, it is only through genuine, all-out engagement with others that people can polish their character, and help each other to reach greater heights.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

59. “Just as cherry, plum, peach and damson blossoms all possess their own unique qualities, each person is unique. We cannot become someone else. The important thing is that we live true to ourselves and cause the great flower of our lives to blossom.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

60. “No matter what kind of difficult situation one may find oneself in, some opening, some opportunity to fight one’s way out, can always be found. What’s most important is to hold fast to Hope, to face the future with courage.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

61. “A person who respects others is respected by others in return. Those who treat others with compassion and concern are protected and supported by others. Our environment is essentially a reflection of ourselves.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

63. “The Earth never ceases to spin. All life is dancing : The trees, the wind, the sea. Keep dancing for the rest of your life.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

64. “Sometimes we complain without thinking much of it, but the frightening thing about complaining is that every time we do, a cloud descends over our heart, and our hope, appreciation and joy gradually wane.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

65. “Hopes, dreams, faith and a sense of mission enable us to open up our lives.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

68. “Only when we connect to nature, engaged with nature, are we truly alive and vigorous. To really be alive, one must be under the sun, the moon, the shining stars and surrounded by the beautiful greenery and pure waters of the natural world.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

69. “No matter how complex global problems may seem, it is we ourselves who have given rise to them. They cannot be beyond our power to resolve.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

70. “What our world most requires now is the kind of education that foster love for humankind, that develops character-that provides an intellectual basis for realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

71. “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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

72. “When one takes action for others, one’s own suffering is transformed into the energy that can keep one moving forward; a light of hope illuminating a new tomorrow for oneself and others is kindled.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

73. “Have the depth of faith to regard everything as a source for creating happiness and value.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

75. “Women are, in my view, natural peacemakers. As givers and nurturers of life, through their focus on human relationships and their engagement with the demanding work of raising children and protecting family life, they develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through to underlying human realities.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

76. “Japan learned from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the tragedy wrought by nuclear weapons must never be repeated and that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

77. “It is senseless to blame others or your environment for your miseries. Change begins from the moment you muster the courage to act. When you change, the environment will change. The power to change the world is found nowhere but within our own life.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

78. “I cannot say this too strongly: Do not compare yourselves to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

79. “Courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin. Compassion without courage is not genuine. You may have a compassionate thought or impulse, but if you don’t do or say anything, it’s not real compassion.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

81. “Humanity’s collective mission in the cosmos lies in the practice of compassion.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

82. “In life when we feel we have reached a limit, that is when the true battle begins. Just when you despair and think it is impossible to go any further, will you become apathetic, or will you say it’s not over and stand up with an unyielding spirit? The battle is decided by this single determination.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

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

— Daisaku Ikeda

84. “Take heart, and do not let disappointment or shame stop you from moving forward. The true outcome of life is only apparent at the very end.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

85. “If you summon your courage to challenge something, you’ll never be left with regret. How sad it is to spend your life wishing, “If only I’d had a little more courage.” Whatever the outcome may be, the important thing is to step forward on the path that you believe is right.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

86. “One’s true worth as a human being is not a matter of outward appearance or title, but derives rather from the breadth of one’s spirit. Everything comes down to faith and conviction. It is what is in one’s heart, and the substance of one’s actions that count.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

87. “Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

88. “Hope is life’s greatest treasure. If you have no hope, create some!”

— Daisaku Ikeda

89. “Living here on Earth, we breathe the rhythms of a universe that extends infinitely above us. When resonant harmonies arise between this vast outer cosmos and the inner human cosmos, poetry is born.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

90. “No matter what our personal circumstances may be, if we ourselves become a source of light, then there will be no darkness in the world.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

91. “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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

92. “Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

93. “The problems of aging present an opportunity to rethink our social and personal lives in order to ensure the dignity and welfare of each individual.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

94. “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.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

95. “Our hopes, desires and ambitions are powerful forces existing within us for the shaping of the future. They are the generating forces that create the future.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

96. “Leadership that exploits and sacrifices young people on the altar of its goals is nothing more than raw, demonic power. Genuine leadership is found in ceaseless efforts to foster young people, to pave the way forward for them.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

97. “What may look like a small act of courage is courage nevertheless. The important thing is to be willing to take a step forward.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

98. “A moment’s encounter can decide the direction of one’s entire life.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

99. “We have both a weak self and a strong self; the two are completely different. If we allow our weak side to dominate, we will be defeated. The thought ,“I am still young and have a lot of time, so I can relax and take life easy” is a function of our own weakness.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

100. “By changing our inner state of mind, we can change any suffering or hardship into a source of joy, regarding it as a means for forging and developing our lives. To turn even sorrow into a source of creativity – this is the way of life of a Buddhist.”

— Daisaku Ikeda