Lessons from Ikeda
(Reproduced below are
the reflections Dr Radhakrishnan offered
to a group of youth at Johannesburg , South Africa who quizzed him on “ Lessons from Ikeda” )
Question: Professor
Radhakrishnan, you have researched and
written extensively on Dr Daisaku Ikeda. We understand you and Dr Ikeda have
acquaintance over three decades. Your Dialogue with Dr Ikeda entitled in
English “ WALKING WITH THE MAHATMA: GANDHI IN MODERN TIMES”available now in
five world languages is rated well by reading public. Which aspects of Dr
Ikeda’s leadership have attracted you most ?
Answer by
Prof.N.Radhakrishnan
1. Importance of Youthful
Diary:
Gandhi speaks about a book in his autobiography that cast a “Magic Spell” on him. He read Ruskin’s book Unto
This Last during a journey from Johannesburg to Durban. Gandhi says this
book changed his life.
A book that acted more or less in the same manner in my
life is the Youthful Diary by Dr Ikeda. I found this book as a great treasure and
I read this book frequently and seek answers for leadership.
I find it also as a
great handbook on the complex process of growing up and leadership which every
young person and upcoming leaders should read for guidance and inspiration.
2.Trusting the Youth and encouraging them to
emerge as potential leaders.
As a trainer of youth I have been searching new and acceptable
strategies and methods to involve youth in nonviolent methods of conflict
management and training of nonviolent leaders. Dr Ikeda’s leadership to attract
youth and make them frontline participants in his admirable efforts for value
creation attracted me. I learned from him heavily and from the Soka Gakkai friends innumerable lessons of
youth mobilization for peaceful transition.
3.Soka Education
system as a model for the 21st Century
The Soka Educational experiments and practices which began
with President Makiguchi and formatted by his disciple President Toda became an
instrument of human transformation and Human Revolution in the hands of Dr
Ikeda .Like Tagore and Gandhi, Dr Ikeda views education as a liberating force
that shapes and sustains life.
4. New
thrust for Peace activism and humanism
The worldwide networking Dr Ikeda and Soka Gakkai
developed in making peace- making, peace-keeping and peace-building as an
agenda of every human being makes him one of the greatest pacifists, peace
activists and campaigners of a warless world today.
5. The one-world
vision of Gandhi, King and Ikeda
Three great modern leaders who have amazing similarity in
their vision and strivings for world peace are Gandhi, King and Ikeda.Their
mission, if translated properly, will be a workable model to rid this world of
war and misery as President Makiguch and President Toda (Ikeda’s mentors) had
envisioned.
6 . Mentor and
disciple and living the spirit of mentor
and disciple
A unique contribution Dr Ikeda has offered to humanity is the
manner in which he has been nurturing the great bond and power of the
Mentor-disciple spirit. The mentor-disciple spirit fosters not only the
inherent power of every individual to discover his potential but also
strengthens the cosmic interconnectivity of all creations.
7. Common to both –
Gandhi and Ikeda : “ be the Change you want you see in others”
Gandhi and Ikeda continue to be two leaders of humanity who
stress the importance of change both in individual life and in society.
8. The Satyagraha of Gandhi and The Human Revolution
of Ikeda reveal immeasurable power of each individual as instrument and
agent of change.
9. Optimism : common
to both Gandhi and Ikeda
Both these leaders stress the importance of Optimism and Hope.
Ikeda’s famous advice in this regard that inspires me are: (i) Let us create
hope (ii)Let us believe in the limitless potential inherent within our life(iii)The
light of hope permeates all adversities and illuminates the darkness of
suffering(iv) The source of that light
lies within each individual’s heart.
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