       
   |
 |
Soka Education
About the Book
Author Bio
ABOUT THE BOOK:
"What our world most requires now is the kind of education that fosters love for humankind, that develops character - that provides an intellectual basis for the realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society," writes Daisaku Ikeda, respected educator, prolific author and international Buddhist leader.
Soka education strives to do that. Soka is a Japanese word that means "to create value," or to develop within oneself the capacity to find meaning, to enhance one's own existence and contribute to the well-being of others, under all circumstances.
|
Click here to order from your local
independent bookstore.
|
In Soka Education: A Buddhist Vision for Teachers, Students and Parents Mr. Ikeda shares his thoughts on topics such as the role of education in creating a peaceful world, the meaning of a "creative life," the crucial role of the teacher, and the responsibility of the student to the creation of values. Teachers, students (and their parents) will gain a fresh spiritual perspective from which to view the ultimate purpose of education itself.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a Japanese educator and contemporary of John Dewey, the American pragmatist, first developed the principles of Soka education in the early 20th century. Makiguchi found himself influenced greatly by the American's ideas, and combining what he learned from Dewey with his own experience with Buddhist philosophy, he asserted that the purpose of education must be the lifelong happiness of the learners.
Drawing on the wisdom of Makiguchi, as well as philosophers and activists from every culture, Mr. Ikeda offers timely and important ideas. He asks "for what purpose education?" and shares his conviction that the answer must always lie in developing within the character of each individual student the "noble spirit to embrace and augment the lives of others."
Mr. Ikeda has made this philosophy the founding spirit for the several Soka schools in Japan and Asia he has established, as well as for Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, to be opened in 2001. The curriculum of these Soka schools, though based on Buddhist principles, is nonreligious and open to people of all faiths.
Back to Top
AUTHOR BIO:
DAISAKU IKEDA is president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), one of the fastest growing and most dynamic Buddhist renewal movements in the world today. With 12 million members in 165 countries, the SGI promotes education, international cultural exchange and the establishment of world peace. The SGI philosophy is based on the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th century Japanese Buddhist teacher and reformer who, based on the Lotus Sutra, taught the sanctity of human life above all else.
As the inspirational leader for millions, Daisaku Ikeda has worked to spread the peaceful and compassionate teachings of Buddhism throughout the world over his more than 50 years of practicing Nichiren Buddhism and 40 years of worldwide leadership of the Soka Gakkai. At age 19, he took faith in the teachings of Nichiren and went on to succeed his mentor, Josei Toda, as the Soka Gakkai president in 1960.
A peace activist, Mr. Ikeda has traveled to more than 50 countries meeting and holding dialogue with people, including political and intellectual leaders, applying his strong belief that international understanding and the realization of peace begins with people-to-people contacts. Among the hundreds of honors and commendations given him around the world, he received the United Nations Peace Award in 1983.
Mr. Ikeda is the founder of numerous cultural and educational institutes throughout the world, including the Soka Schools system in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as Soka University, whose newest branch opened in Aliso Viejo, California, in 2001. He has received more than 100 honorary doctorates from universities throughout the world.
He has written more than 200 books in Japan, many of which have been translated into several foreign languages, including The Way of Youth; For the Sake of Peace; Soka Education; The Living Buddha; Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death; Choose Life (a dialogue with Arnold Toynbee) and A Lifelong Quest for Peace (a dialogue with Linus Pauling). He's also the author of numerous children's books and books of poetry.
Back to Top |
|
|
|
 |
