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The greatest tragedy in life is not to die, it is to live as if dead, to let the life within us wither. Toward what goal or achievement are we striving in life? This is the important question to ask ourselves.

Daisaku Ikeda

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Daisaku Ikeda
Age: 96
Born: 1928
Born: January 2
Philosopher
Poet
President
Writer
City of Tokyo
Dazuo Chitian
Ta-tso Chʻih-tʻien
Asks
Striving
Within
Strive
Dies
Tragedy
Goal
Achievement
Live
Toward
Important
Dead
Life
Question
Greatest
Wither

More quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

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The crucial thing is to arouse the awareness that as a matter of human conscience we can never permit the people of any country to fall victim to nuclear weapons, and for each individual to express their refusal to continue living in the shadow of the threat they pose.
Daisaku Ikeda
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Have the depth of faith to regard everything as a source for creating happiness and value.
Daisaku Ikeda
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Likewise, education can direct people toward good or evil ends. When education is based on a fundamentally distorted worldview, the results are horrific.
Daisaku Ikeda
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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
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World peace is not something that can be realized simply by politicians signing treaties, or by business leaders creating economic cooperation. True and lasting peace will be realized only by forging bonds of trust between people at the deepest level, in the depths of their very lives.
Daisaku Ikeda
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Divorced from the cosmos, from nature, from society and from each other, we have become fractured and fragmented.
Daisaku Ikeda
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When we change, the world changes. The key to all change is in our inner transformation- a change of our hearts and minds. This is human revolution. We all have the power to change. When we realize this truth, we can bring forth that power anywhere, anytime, and in any situation.
Daisaku Ikeda
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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
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There is no true joy in a life lived closed up in the little shell of the self. When you take one step to reach out to people, when you meet with others and share their thoughts and sufferings, infinite compassion and wisdom well up within your heart. Your life is transformed.
Daisaku Ikeda
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When we have a genuine sense that, no matter how difficult our present circumstances, we are not alone-that we are vitally connected with others and with the world-we will, without fail, rise up to the challenge of living again.
Daisaku Ikeda
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We are responsible for our own destiny. What matters is how we improve ourselves from this moment forward.
Daisaku Ikeda
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Having lived through the transition from totalitarianism, I am acutely mindful of the need to never take for granted the basic freedoms of thought, expression and belief that democracy brings.
Daisaku Ikeda
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What is defeat in life? It is not merely making a mistake defeat means giving up on yourself in the midst of difficulty. What is true success in life? True success means winning in your battle with yourself. Those who persist in the pursuit of their dreams, no matter what the hurdles, are winners in life, for they have won over their weaknesses.
Daisaku Ikeda
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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
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Those who always have a sense of appreciation and gratitude never reach an impasse in life.
Daisaku Ikeda
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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
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Those who give up dreams, do injury to their own hearts and cannot possibly enjoy a profound sense of fulfillment in the end.
Daisaku Ikeda
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There are some among the so-called elite who are overbearing and arrogant. I want to foster leaders, not elitists.
Daisaku Ikeda
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People need to be made conscious of a very simple reality: we have no choice but to share this planet, this small blue sphere floating in the vast reaches of space, with all of our fellow 'passengers.'
Daisaku Ikeda
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it is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others. This perspective is at the heart of Buddhist teachings.
Daisaku Ikeda