Daisaku Ikeda's Thoughts on Writing
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Writing Power of Words Reading Poetry
Writing
Writing and speech are the mark of humanity. They are forces capable of resisting violence and building true and lasting peace.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 8, 2002, p. 173
I will write. I am determined to continue writing. Let us all join forces to further develop this magnificent “bastion of the pen” of the people.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 459
Please write for the sake of people’s happiness. Write for the sake of human triumph. We are comrades in the struggle to craft words for peace.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 21, 2010, p. 287
The power of the written word sometimes defies imagination.
My Dear Friends of America, 2024, p. 13
Words are mysterious. They have tremendous power.
My Dear Friends of America, 2024, p. 46
Why should mere words written on a piece of paper have such power? Shin’ichi responded sincerely: “Paper can have remarkable power, can’t it? Would you toss away a check for fifty or a hundred thousand yen because it’s ‘just paper’? If you get a telegram saying, YOUR MOTHER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION, wouldn’t you still be deeply affected, even though it’s just words on paper?” A map is just paper. But if we have trust in the map and use it, we will arrive at our intended destination.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 25, 2017, p. 163
What we need are writers with unsurpassed, lion-like courage, who are prepared to bear full responsibility . . . and take up their pens with a resolve to change the world. If we have just five or ten such journalists, then that’s all we need. Success in communicating our message through speech or writing does not depend on the number of people involved.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, 2017, p. 233-234
Words have the potential to create, influence, and determine the direction of the times.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 4, 2010, p. 169
A written work is an expression of its author, a reflection of that person’s life state.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 2, 2018, p. 74
This may be a silly question, but what constitutes good writing? Shin’ichi nodded and said: “Since your writing is a reflection of your heart, I think good writing aptly conveys your philosophy, has a fresh, unique and insightful point of view, and communicates your life-state and spirit. Simply put, truly good writing leaves everyone who reads it feeling satisfied and enlightened. No matter how great your message, if only scholars and intellectuals can understand what you’ve written you will alienate everyone else.”
If people cannot comprehend what you’re trying to say, you’re simply writing for your own amusement. That’s why it’s important to aim for a style of writing that anyone can understand and be moved by. A newspaper that forgets its readers, that forgets about ordinary people, will never be able to change society.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 66-67
Try to be fresh and avoid repeating the same words and expressions. Otherwise, readers will get bored and won’t want to read the article. Publishing a newspaper is a struggle against falling into a rut. You mustn’t rely on the same old patterns. Inspiring originality and creativity is very important.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 78-79
Now, why do mistakes happen? They often happen when we carelessly assume that we have done enough and fail to check and recheck our work in the proper fashion. This is negligence, and it is a grave problem. The only way to prevent this is to train everyone in the basics so thoroughly that they naturally pay attention to details and avoid mistakes.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 60
Errors occur when, for example, even though you’re checking all your work, you aren’t able to concentrate properly because you’re feeling tired and run down from lack of sleep. This causes carelessness and oversights. Behind this is a failure to realize that the workplace is a battleground and that it’s where you should always be at your best. Not recognizing this is like a boxer going into the ring when he’s exhausted and out of shape.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 60
Shinichi contributed a short essay to the first issue where he declared that initiating a war of words dedicated to truth and justice could change the direction of the Cold War and the numerous armed conflicts around the world. It would be based on the conviction that “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
The New Human Revolution, vol. 8, 2002, p. 174
Words have tremendous power. They can change people’s awareness and change the times. That is why those in power wishing to control the people have always tried to manipulate words and eliminate the influence of reformers in society. Such people misuse the mass media to spread lies, branding reformers as evil, deviant, and insane and trying to stir up hatred and fear… For this reason, Shinichi put his energy into developing the writers department.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 8, 2002, p. 175
Received guidance and advice from Mr. Toda about the logical system of “main point, outline and development” in terms of both work and public relations.
A Youthful Diary: One Man’s Journey From the Beginning of Faith to Worldwide Leadership for Peace, 2001, p.3
You need to strengthen your abilities, and the key to that is concentrated effort, working twice as hard as anyone else. If, for instance, you spend an hour working on even a brief ten-line article, your effort will be reflected in the depth of the finished product.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 67
A famous reporter I once met confessed to me that he used to take home articles written by top senior reporters at his paper and copy them out as a kind of personal exercise. The degree to which you study and strive on your own will determine your success. It may not be apparent at the time, but five, ten or twenty years later, it will be plainly evident.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 67
Start by writing down your dreams or goals on a piece of paper. There’s something really magical about the written word. Writing down what you want to do will put you on the path to get there. By the way, scientists have recently found that writing your goals down on paper stimulates the brain and makes you want to try to achieve those goals.
Soar Into the Skies of Hope, 2016, p. 69
It has always been my hope that our young people, in particular, will read good books and familiarize themselves with good writing. Reading books is also the way to inherit the intellectual legacy of humankind.Whereas reading stimulates and develops our minds, helping us acquire critical thinking skills, watching television is a very passive way of receiving information, and its images can be deceptive. There is a need to revive authentic writing issuing from the profound depths of the human spirit in order to counteract writing that is full of lies and deliberate misrepresentation.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 452-453
When I finished reading the letter, I immediately took up my pen. Wishing to convey to him the message “You have a mission only you can fulfill! Don’t give up!” I wrote the following: Friend, be strong,/ and stand up with courage!/ I have faith in you,/ in your sincere devotion. /Your arduous efforts at work/ and your late-night studies— /they, too, are training for your life. /Embrace struggles with joy!
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 402
Poems and songs penned as an unstoppable outpouring of the heart take on a life of their own. They transcend the limits of nationality and time as they pass from person to person, from one heart to another.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 447
Even an old fountain pen, if it happened to have belonged to some great writer, is a source of fascination for people, seeming to speak of the secrets behind the masterpieces written with it.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 447
The first step in reviving dialogue where human bonds and communication have broken down is to revitalize and infuse the written and spoken word with the light of spirituality. Literary masterpieces are the ideal vehicle for this endeavor.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 8
Even today, at the age of 75, I am still engaged in this challenge. I continue to write, to speak out, to keep up the struggle of words and language — determined to go on writing, and be a hundred, a thousand times as productive as I was in my youth.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 153
Let us harness to this challenge our minds, our voices, our spoken and written word. Let us continue to cry out for truth and justice for as long as we have breath. For underlying all of this, what is most essential is that we have that courage and passion.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 153
Publishing is a force for elevating culture by disseminating ideas and fostering spiritual dialogue.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 30, 2021, p. 386
The “poetic spirit resides in this power to communicate a fundamental and profound perception, in which many can share and participate.” Truly moving poetry goes beyond expressing feelings and emotions. Essentially, it is a crystallization of the bond between individuals, between people and society, and between humanity and nature.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 143
There is no doubt that the revival of the poetic spirit is essential today. I am especially eager for younger generations to inherit the vigorous spirituality of poetry, and this is why I often share words of the world’s great poets, such as Whitman, at entrance ceremonies at Soka University of America and other Soka schools.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 148
It is said that writing reveals a person’s character. In other words, it reflects one’s heart, one’s spirit, one’s state of being. Indeed, the entire inner reality of one’s life is manifested in one’s writing. That is why writing that is born of pain and struggle, and that overflows with burning passion, touches people’s lives.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 14, 2020, p. 90
If your writing is superficial and concerned only with appearances, you won’t be able to refute injustice. Such writing is smug and self-complacent. Only when you are giving your all to writing in order to protect the correct teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and for the sake of the people does the pen become mightier than the sword.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 14, 2020, p. 185-186
My motivation for writing The New Human Revolution was to engage in a life-to-life dialogue with young people throughout Japan and across the globe, just as my mentor had offered me one-to-one training at what I call “Toda University”.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 330
I think reading good writing is like eating good food, a pleasurable experience.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
Mr. Toda told me to always read the preface and afterword of every book I read. He said one could judge the writer’s ability to some extent in those sections of the book.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
Power of Words
Please write for the sake of people’s happiness. Write for the sake of human triumph. We are comrades in the struggle to craft words for peace.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 21, 2010, p. 287
Words have the potential to create, influence, and determine the direction of the times.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 4, 2010, p. 169
There are times when a single word can change history, when an ordinary day can become eternally remembered.
Hope is a Decision, 2017, p. 95
Explanation and understanding are made possible through the power of words. Without them, justice and good are impossible.
2003 Peace Proposal, p. 2
The power to move people at the deepest level is not found in formulaic assertions or dogma, but in words that issue from a person’s experience and carry the weight of that lived reality. Exchanges conducted in such language can mine the rich veins of our common humanity, bringing back to the surface glistening spiritual riches that will illuminate human society.
2016 Peace Proposal, p. 10
The struggle of words is very serious—it’s not a game!
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 68
The power of the written word sometimes defies imagination.
My Dear Friends of America, 2024, p. 13
Try to be fresh and avoid repeating the same words and expressions. Otherwise, readers will get bored and won’t want to read the article. Publishing a newspaper is a struggle against falling into a rut. You mustn’t rely on the same old patterns. Inspiring originality and creativity is very important.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 18, 2009, p. 78-79
Why should mere words written on a piece of paper have such power? Shin’ichi responded sincerely: “Paper can have remarkable power, can’t it? Would you toss away a check for fifty or a hundred thousand yen because it’s ‘just paper’? If you get a telegram saying, YOUR MOTHER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION, wouldn’t you still be deeply affected, even though it’s just words on paper?” A map is just paper. But if we have trust in the map and use it, we will arrive at our intended destination.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 25, 2017, p. 163
Shinichi contributed a short essay to the first issue where he declared that initiating a war of words dedicated to truth and justice could change the direction of the Cold War and the numerous armed conflicts around the world. It would be based on the conviction that “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
The New Human Revolution, vol. 8, 2002, p. 174
Words have tremendous power. They can change people’s awareness and change the times. That is why those in power wishing to control the people have always tried to manipulate words and eliminate the influence of reformers in society. Such people misuse the mass media to spread lies, branding reformers as evil, deviant, and insane and trying to stir up hatred and fear… For this reason, Shinichi put his energy into developing the writers department.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 8, 2002, p. 175
Start by writing down your dreams or goals on a piece of paper. There’s something really magical about the written word. Writing down what you want to do will put you on the path to get there. By the way, scientists have recently found that writing your goals down on paper stimulates the brain and makes you want to try to achieve those goals.
Soar Into the Skies of Hope, 2016, p. 69
The first step in reviving dialogue where human bonds and communication have broken down is to revitalize and infuse the written and spoken word with the light of spirituality. Literary masterpieces are the ideal vehicle for this endeavor.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 8
The struggle of words is something that we can each carry out wherever we may be. Many are the champions of this struggle who, with nothing more than pen and paper, have made even the powerful tremble.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 153
In the struggle to communicate the truth, it is extremely important, indeed crucial, that we polish our intellect and wisdom, acquire practical skills and improve and strengthen our ability to articulate our commitment to justice.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 154
Even today, at the age of 75, I am still engaged in this challenge. I continue to write, to speak out, to keep up the struggle of words and language — determined to go on writing, and be a hundred, a thousand times as productive as I was in my youth.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 153
Let us harness to this challenge our minds, our voices, our spoken and written word. Let us continue to cry out for truth and justice for as long as we have breath. For underlying all of this, what is most essential is that we have that courage and passion.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 153
“Now is the time to awaken and drive out the forces of darkness!” [Zhou Enlai’s] vehement words were like a sharp hail of justice striking at corruption. They were swords of dazzling truth slashing through dark intrigue. They were a battle bugle rousing the courage and pride of the people. Zhou expressed what the people had wanted to say. The words they could not speak poured forth from his pen as a mighty lion’s roar.
To the Youthful Pioneers of Soka, 2015, p. 152
Words are mysterious. They have tremendous power.
My Dear Friends of America, 2024, p. 46
There is no doubt that the revival of the poetic spirit is essential today. I am especially eager for younger generations to inherit the vigorous spirituality of poetry, and this is why I often share words of the world’s great poets, such as Whitman, at entrance ceremonies at Soka University of America and other Soka schools.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 148
I sympathized with [South African poet Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali,] who had used poetry, the highest manifestation of the human spirit, to combat apartheid, an infamous crime against humanity. In times of crisis, it is the poet’s role to sound the alarm and awaken the people. Further, it is the mission of the poet to cause the sun of boundless courage and hope to rise in the people’s hearts and in this way make peace possible.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 151
Words infused with spirit are everlasting. And please know how valuable your poetry is. I believe that the poetic spirit will revive in the twenty-first century. Unless it does, our souls will suffocate.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 151
Beautiful poetry isn’t simply a collection of fancy words and phrases. True beauty comes only from a beautiful spirit. I believe, too, that beautiful words come from a spirit that fights for humanity amid life’s challenges. Poetry is the product of trying to express in words the emotion of everyday life. And so is literature.
All great literature, ancient and modern, is a bridge connecting one human being to another, one spirit to another. The quality of our lives is determined by how many of those bridges we can cross.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 207
Reading
Emerson was a great thinker, a masterful poet and an unrivaled speaker and writer. He was a philosopher who endeavored to bring to light a new spirit sought by humanity. As a youth, I read his writings avidly. In the desolation that followed World War II, I turned to them again and again as nourishment for my starved soul.
My Dear Friends of America, 2024, p. 258
It has always been my hope that our young people, in particular, will read good books and familiarize themselves with good writing. Reading books is also the way to inherit the intellectual legacy of humankind.Whereas reading stimulates and develops our minds, helping us acquire critical thinking skills, watching television is a very passive way of receiving information, and its images can be deceptive. There is a need to revive authentic writing issuing from the profound depths of the human spirit in order to counteract writing that is full of lies and deliberate misrepresentation.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 452-453
I participated in a reading group with several youth in my neighborhood. Books were scarce, so we borrowed and lent those we had among ourselves. Though I was poor, I treasured books as my most prized possessions. The shelves in my room contained books both classic and modern, from both East and West, mainly works of literature. My most ardent wish at the time was to establish a deep, solid view of life.
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, 2023, p. 453
I believe that the means to encourage a flowering in the neglected inner lives of children will always be exposure to literature and the arts. In short, I believe the key is to be found in reading books.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 8
The first step in reviving dialogue where human bonds and communication have broken down is to revitalize and infuse the written and spoken word with the light of spirituality. Literary masterpieces are the ideal vehicle for this endeavor.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 8
The value of the reading experience when shared with friends or teachers is greater than that when reading in isolation.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 9
After all, the experience of reading comes down to a tenacious, intimate dialogue between author and reader.
Reviving Education: The Brilliance of the Inner Spirit, 2001, p. 10
When I was young my interests in reading were very narrow. Along the way, however, urged on by necessity, the field of my interests has ranged much more widely. This is due to my having perceived that to be a wholesome person it is as important to digest books in various fields as it is to ingest a varied diet. There are even books that I make special efforts to read with the realization that good medicine tastes bitter.
My Reading Strategy in “My Recollections”, 1980, p. 128-129
Reading literature makes us think of others’ situations and encourages us to address them with genuine concern and compassion. It enables us to speak from the heart. It is from such a sense of humanity that charity in its truest form emerges.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 205
I think reading good writing is like eating good food, a pleasurable experience.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
Mr. Toda told me to always read the preface and afterword of every book I read. He said one could judge the writer’s ability to some extent in those sections of the book.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
When you read lots of great literature, the words therein are naturally fused with your own. Then, when you see a beautiful scene, words come to you without effort. By reading a great deal, one’s perception of nature changes.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
All great literature, ancient and modern, is a bridge connecting one human being to another, one spirit to another. The quality of our lives is determined by how many of those bridges we can cross.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 206
Encountering a great book is like encountering a great teacher. Reading is a privilege known only to human beings. No other living creature on the planet has the ability. Through reading, we come in contact with hundreds and thousands of lives, and commune with sages and philosophers from as long as two millenia ago.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 137
To gain true satisfaction and pleasure from anything requires some kind of practice, training and effort. You cannot fully enjoy skiing without working at it. The same goes for playing the piano or using a computer. It also takes effort, perseverance and patience to appreciate reading. Those who have tasted this joy, who have looked at books as friends, are strong.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 138
You cannot imagine how strict Mr. Toda was when it came to reading. Seeing youth engrossed in tabloid publications, he would become furious, sternly rebuking them: “How can you enjoy that garbage? Do you want to be nothing more than a third- or fourth-rate person? You must read epic novels, you must read the classics! You can never hope to forge your character if you don’t read them while you are young! You will never become a leader in the future!”
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 140
Poetry
The “poetic spirit resides in this power to communicate a fundamental and profound perception, in which many can share and participate.” Truly moving poetry goes beyond expressing feelings and emotions. Essentially, it is a crystallization of the bond between individuals, between people and society, and between humanity and nature.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 143
There is no doubt that the revival of the poetic spirit is essential today. I am especially eager for younger generations to inherit the vigorous spirituality of poetry, and this is why I often share words of the world’s great poets, such as Whitman, at entrance ceremonies at Soka University of America and other Soka schools.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 148
I sympathized with [South African poet Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali,] who had used poetry, the highest manifestation of the human spirit, to combat apartheid, an infamous crime against humanity.
In times of crisis, it is the poet’s role to sound the alarm and awaken the people. Further, it is the mission of the poet to cause the sun of boundless courage and hope to rise in the people’s hearts and in this way make peace possible.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 151
Words infused with spirit are everlasting. And please know how valuable your poetry is. I believe that the poetic spirit will revive in the twenty-first century. Unless it does, our souls will suffocate.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 151
Poetry expands and liberates the human spirit to an infinite degree. It enriches it. Like music, it transcends boundaries and divisions and links all human hearts. There is no discrimination in the world of poetry.
The Art of True Relations: Conversations on the Poetic Heart of Human Possibility, 2014, p. 151-152
Beautiful poetry isn’t simply a collection of fancy words and phrases. True beauty comes only from a beautiful spirit. I believe, too, that beautiful words come from a spirit that fights for humanity amid life’s challenges. Poetry is the product of trying to express in words the emotion of everyday life.
Discussions on Youth: For the Leaders of the Future, 2025, p. 207