Daisaku Ikeda Biography: Daisaku Ikeda, the leader of the Japanese Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, which includes Herbie Hancock and other luminaries, has passed away at the age of 95. The Japanese religious organization reports that Ikeda passed away at his residence in Tokyo on November 15. On the contrary, the organization disclosed the information to the public on Saturday, November 18th. He passed away “from natural causes,” the organization said in a statement, declining to provide further information.
Ikeda, in conjunction with his two forebears, is acknowledged for revitalizing Nichiren Buddhism in the twenty-first century by emphasizing a philosophy of goodness, reverence for others, and contentment and tranquility, thereby rendering it more accessible to contemporary practitioners.
According to the group, Soka Gakkai has attracted nearly 3 million individuals from outside Japan and over 8 million member households in Japan out of its 192 countries of establishment.
Daisaku Ikeda Early Life
Ikeda, a poet, photographer, and educator, was instrumental in the international dissemination of the teachings through the 1975 establishment of Soka Gakkai International. Ikeda met Josei Toda, the second president of Soka Gokkai when he was 19 years old in the 1950s. Ikeda adopted Toda’s teachings and regarded him as his mentor. In contrast to certain religious traditions that prioritize the significance of suffering, Ikeda frequently emphasized contentment.
“By assisting others in attaining happiness, we ourselves attain happiness” was a notion that he frequently articulated. According to Ikeda, happiness consisted of “being true to oneself,” which enabled happiness to expand indefinitely.
Daisaku Ikeda Biography
| Full Name | Daisaku Ikeda |
| Date of Birth | January 2, 1928 |
| Age | 95 Years |
| Birthplace | Ōta, Tokyo |
| Birth City | Tokyo |
| Country | Japan |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Social Media |
How did the offspring of a farmer attain such an enormous stature?
Ikeda was born on January 2, 1928, in Tokyo, to a lineage of seaweed cultivators. It is believed that the atrocity of war during his teenage years profoundly impacted him, leading him to pledge his life to the pursuit of peace.
According to the organization, the fundamental Buddhist practice of Soka Gakkai members consists of reciting excerpts from the sutra, which are teachings attributed to Buddha, and disseminating the message to enable others to confront obstacles and surmount difficulties.
1960 saw the appointment of Ikeda as the third president of Soka Gakkai. He guided the expansion of “the lay Buddhist movement” in the twenty-first century, particularly in international circles.
The Influence of Ikeda on Education
By establishing an educational system grounded in religious principles and values, he aimed to cultivate personal growth and instill in students the significance of societal harmony and active participation. The academic program encompasses grades kindergarten through graduate school and has campuses in both Tokyo and California.
Soka Gakkai adherents include saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, percussionist Kenwood Dennard, and the renowned jazz pianist Hancock.
“While jazz may have originated from the African American experience, my conviction has always been that it truly evolved from a virtuous facet of the human spirit that is shared by all, namely the capacity to transform adversity into something of immense worth, or as Buddhism puts it, to transform poison into medicine,” Hancock wrote in a book with Shorter and Ikeda titled “Jazz and Buddhism.”
Daisaku Ikeda And Hollywood
Other notable Western actors, writers, and athletes, such as the late singer Tina Turner and Hollywood film icons Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth, have expressed interest in Soka Gakkai.
“As we become more cognizant of the inevitability of death in our daily lives, we begin to seek the eternal and become determined to savor each moment to the fullest,” Ikeda would frequently say. Takahiro and Hiromasa, his wife and sons, as well as Kaneko, are Ikeda’s survivors.
Close family members have already attended a private funeral. The date of a public observance will be disclosed at a later time, according to a statement from Soka Gakkai.
