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A Youthful Diary by Dr Daisaku Ikeda

(At a press conference in New Delhi recently I was asked by a press reporter to identify three books that influenced me most. Without any hesitation I mentioned the Bhagavat  Gita, Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography My Experiments With Truth and  A Youthful Diary  by the SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. These three books for different reasons continue to engage my attention as I battle with the day-to-day issues of my life and in most of my training sessions with youth I extensively use the experiences of both Gandhi and Ikeda in their younger days in order to motivate the youth.

 In my 10-volume Ikeda Study Series, the 8^th volume entitled “Ikeda’s  A Youthful Diary; A Handbook on Youth Leadership” I had analyzed the unique and inspiring lessons in management and the art of growing up a brave and young leader like Dr.Ikeda offers to youth everywhere.

 In four chapters namely A Youthful Diary:Unique and Inspiring; Challenges Before a Young Leader; The Golden Bond of Mentor and Disciple and Lessons from The Diary, I tried to communicate the joy I experience as I read it every time. I should confess that it is a book of all times and a source of guidance and strength everyday. I take the liberty to reproduce the four chapters in four instalments in order to share with my readers the essence of this classic of our times – Radhakrishnan)

A Youthful Diary, thoughtfully subtitled, One man’s Journey from the beginning of Faith to World-wide Leadership for Peace by the SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, though in its format contains notes of his experiences and observations from 1949–1960, chronicles the very exciting experiences and reflections of the author as he battled his way up. The Diary in its fullness offers a veritable mine of extremely important guidelines to every one, who is engaged in a ceaseless striving to improve the quality of life and strives to meet the challenges of daily life. If in a sentence or two, one has to describe the 512-pages of        A Youthful Diary, you have it in the following words of the author:

Deep in my heart was one single thought -- how I could best help to fulfill my teacher’s goals and ambitions. I saw myself as the vessel of Mr. Makiguchi’s and Toda’s hopes. This meant working tirelessly on a practical level to protect the precious Soka Gakkai membership. (Preface)

The Youthful Diary, as one starts reading it, reveals both an amazing wealth of insights on leadership and spiritual inspiration to the reader. What struck me as I started reading this book is the fact that even in the opening pages of the Youthful Diary there is a remarkable and striking freshness of thought and unusual determination of a young man of hardly 20 years old, who is moved by a strong spirit to fulfill his mission. He records,

“through faith, youth must cultivate a wealth of spirit, a vast tolerance”.

The very first day’s entry (May 31, 1949) offers a glimpse of the mind of the writer. What follows is a highly stimulating and inspiring, at the same time intimate experiences of a young man who is destined to become a history-maker by his courageous and historic initiatives to usher in a peaceful new century, inspired by his mentor. The writer indicates that

… the years spanned in my diary represent a period when my own life as an individual was taking shape. These were the years of my marriage, the births of our children, the blessings of a happy home life; so I could fortunately pursue the fight for my religious convictions without doubt or distractions. (Preface)

The ten-years covered in the Diary were crucial periods in the life of young Ikeda, his mentor Josei Toda and the growth of Soka Gakkai from its earlier period of excruciating and hostile challenges from various forces to its eventual victory and growth into one of the most formidable socio-educational and religious movements for peace and sustainable living today.

The Youthful Diary is not a fictional narrative. It is autobiographical in every sense, but with a difference and freshness of a genuine source of inspiration to both young and old. Normally, what distinguishes autobiographical writings from other forms of creative expressions are the honesty and frankness with which the writer expresses himself or herself. Young Ikeda scores here also admirably. He doesn’t hide anything.

Though the Diary was not originally intended for public reading, it is now a classic document on the spiritual growth of one of the most outstanding and multi-faceted and profound philosophers of contemporary time. What makes the Diary a distinct and priceless document of the initial stages of a ‘movement-building’ for peace, education, culture and religious renaissance is the depth of human passion and loyalty to the mentor and determined efforts to fulfill the dream of the mentor. The young Ikeda displays with amazing honesty and dedication.

The entry on September 9, 1949 reveals the essential Ikeda and his steely devotion:-

Chanting daimoku is the only way to break through deadlocks, whether of the body or the mind.

I believe in my eventual victory Daimoku will be its driving force.

I am young.  I will advance. Straight ahead, on the road I must follow.

I am young.  I will fulfill what the heavens have ordained.

I am young.  I will muster my courage, convinced that all struggles under my teacher’s guidance will lead to the good.

I am young.  I must keep my spirits up, whether I win or lose, even during painful or lonely times. (p. 47)

Young Ikeda mentions candidly the utter financial difficulties he faced those days. He had to live even without an overcoat in winter and just with one or two shirts. He had also to content with delayed salary for months together besides facing serious opposition to activities regarding the propagation of faith. This was in addition to the extremely difficult bad health on account of tuberculosis he was suffering from. What kept him motivated and energized in those days were his absolute faith in his mentor and his determination to make Human Revolution a reality and kosen-rufu an achievable objective.

A lesson young Ikeda learned is

“The faith that can change destiny cannot be carried out easily. Must not doubt. The fundamental cause lies in my own determination and faith.

I have a Mission. Without a mission, a Bodhisattva of the Earth has no reason to exist. Human beings must never forget their mission. Since this is the case, my only choice is to courageously carry our powerful unyielding, indomitable faith. (p. 146)

The Youthful Diary also offers exquisite lessons on the art of community building for peace and harmony. It is candid, forthright and inspiring. And in these qualities the Youthful Diary comes very close to one of the highly accomplished and well commented books of contemporary times, Gandhi’s autobiography, My Experiments With Truth.

My Experiments With Truth, has attracted worldwide attention as a classic of modern times.  It offers remarkable insights into the progression of human soul in its resolute march to express itself to the ever-changing ethos in the course of life's journey. Over the years, this record of Gandhi's perception of a part of his own life has become a masterpiece, winning universal acclaim for the honesty with which the author interprets his life up to the first quarter of this century. Surprisingly, Gandhi did not conceive it to be an elaborate treatise.

Gandhi called it "The Story of My experiments with Truth". This reveals his readiness to subject his own life as the testing ground and his approach is that of a scientist who will neither compromise truth nor forsake his efforts to arrive at the truth he is searching for, notwithstanding the other temptations. He looked at the vast vicissitude of philosophy not from the conventional angles of contemplation but on the hard realities and challenges of everyday life, with man at the centre and man as the prime concern. Philosophy for him, as in the Indian tradition, is not a set of formulations, it is transformation of the spirit, soul and the whole life-style which will elevate humankind in order to live happily and shed rays and lights of happiness around. It surely does not mean anything to those who want to flourish in human misery and to whom individual contribution to better human life does not mean anything.

"What I want to achieve - and what I have been striving and pining to achieve these thirty years - is self-realization, to see God face to face, to attain Moksha. I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal. All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directed to this same end. But as I have all along believed that what is possible for one is possible for all, my experiments have not been conducted in the closet, but in the open; and I do not think that this fact detracts from their spiritual value. There are some things which are known only to oneself and one's Maker. These are clearly incommunicable. The experiments I am about to relate are not such. But they are spiritual, or rather moral; for the essence of religion is morality".

As one reads through the various entries for the ten-years covered in the Youthful Diary, one will definitely get very valuable and inspirational guidance on raising capable youth leaders besides familiarizing with the strenuous efforts needed to lay the foundation for a movement. The team led by President Toda and ably supported by a young, energetic and visionary disciple like Ikeda offered humanity a miracle team of Revolutionaries of Faith. The Youthful Diary in that respect becomes a handbook for future leaders on leadership and management.

Great lives certainly inspire and the Youthful Diary is a classic example of great literature which inspires not only with the insights it offers but the travails, the determination, loyalty, the protagonist passes through. Usually an autobiography or a diary will offer the vision and experiences of the writer. And seldom does the writer of a diary go beyond his immediate circle while recording his experiences. In that sense, most of the diaries of great men and women, however good they are, are not counted among great classics.

Ikeda’s Youthful Diary stands out as a class by itself. It of course offers intimate reflections of young Ikeda in his resolute march to realize the dream of his mentor from whom he inherited a restless period of activity. The entry on page number 3 indicates his determination to advance, come what may:

‘must advance toward the dawn, never wavering in my conviction, following my life-long – no, my eternal mentor’.

The ten-year entries also provide the sanctity and spiritual bond of mentor disciple spirit. The picture one gets of President Toda from the pages of the Diary is that of a very lovable, caring father-figure who took infinite care in mentoring his disciple. In return, young Ikeda kept great vigil, respect, love and admiration towards his mentor. Their relationship as mentor and disciple scaled such spiritual heights that each complemented the other and there was a confluence of vision and sublimation of ideas which eventually elevated the Toda-Ikeda relationship to such a level that millions who follow these two leaders today find in them the highest watermarks and the ultimate of human achievement. In that respect the Youthful Diary becomes a divine epistle on mentor disciple relationship.

The Youthful Diary has all the qualities of a great classic and will definitely inspire generations of readers besides the several millions of SGI members all over the world. What distinguishes a great classic from other books is its power to inspire all categories of readers. Even students of management and leadership, social activists, political leaders, students of comparative religion will find the Diary a reliable handbook on movement-building and mentor disciple relationship. It’s a poem in over 512-pages on what a determined person can achieve if he has a vision, mission, dedication and a mentor like Josei Toda. Ikeda writes:

In this life,

win victory with the noble spirit

of mentor and disciple.

And Ikeda has demonstrated convincingly that under a reliable mentor like Toda, this is possible. A Youthful Diary illustrates the viscicitudes of his own heroic journey from the beginning of faith to worldwide leadership for peace. The magic of mentor-disciple bond and spirit makes the impossible possible.

The Diary reveals extraordinary insights into the transformation of young Ikeda in to a great leader who exhibits through his courageous initiatives the inexhaustible levels to which man can rise in service of  humanity. It is an inspiring chronicle on the sanctity and greatness of Mentor-disciple relationship. When one reads what Ikeda said about mentor-disciple bond and the entries together,

“Mentor and disciple are inseparable. Because they are so united. I too embrace my mentor’s heart as I travel the world opening the way for a great river of peace and happiness. A river’s grandeur attests to the greatness of its source. What inspired me to write The New Human Revolution Series as a continuation of The Human Revolution was my thought that the extent to which kosen-rufu has unfolded since my mentor’s passing serves as genuine proof of his greatness.”

“I believe in Mr. Toda, and I’ll strive till the bitter end. I’ve got to recognize my weak points and change them… Otherwise I’ll be miserable all my life.

“Must advance again, with all my might. Remember the childhood and youth of great men of the past.”

This excerpt from the June 16, 1949, entry crystallizes the essence of Daisaku Ikeda’s      A Youthful Dairy.

            Through the tale of the ever-deepening relationship between the young Daisaku Ikeda and his mentor-in-life – Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai – we see Mr. Ikeda’s continual sense of challenge for advancement, self-perfection and development of capability.

            A Youthful Dairy offers the author’s unvarnished reflections on life, work, family, faith and friends as well as a compelling account of both his triumphs and setbacks on the road to establishing the foundation of today’s global movement for peace that is the Soka Gakkai International.

            I first encountered my mentor Josei Toda and joined the Soka Gakkai when I was 19 years old (in August 1947). Shortly after that I composed a poem, titled ‘Ablaze with hope’, which I would now like to share with my young friends, some of whom may be struggling with adversity.

A blaze with hope,

I face the raging waves.

Though I may be poorly clad,

and even should others mock

or ridicule me,

I will endure with fortitude.

Just watch me succeed!

I spur myself on:

“First work hard,

with all your youthful vigour.

Though some may slight you,

always wear a smile.

Heart aflame,

advance strong and true

along your chosen path.”

Smiling brightly,

serenely,

at the arduous road ahead,

today, again,

I will advance –

gazing up at the sky,

at the summit

of a hope-filled future.

            The entry of April 15, 1960 in the Youthful Diary offers very valuable insights into the extremely valuable bond of mentor-disciple that existed between President Toda and Daisaku Ikeda.

            “I was raised by President Toda as his direct disciple. He trained me continually and repeatedly. How could I fear any battle? The time for me to repay my debt of gratitude to him has come.

            Ours is a battle to create history for Japan and the rest of the world. There is no greater honour in life. No one could be prouder.

            Josei Toda is my mentor, and I, Daisaku Ikeda, am his disciple.

            I, Daisaku Ikeda, son of a fisherman, at last stand at the battlefront of kosen-rufu. Must realize the karmic importance in this. May all the Buddhas throughout time and space and all the Buddhist gods and bodhisattvas protect me!

            Never before have I deeply contemplated the work of a Buddha. My practice in this lifetime has become so gravely important that the depths of my life are filled with awe.

            Must uphold the great Gohonzon, no matter what may happen. Must always exert myself in faith and practice. Strong faith is everything. The power of this Buddhism will determine everything.”