If you're seeking encouragement quotes, I'm pleased to present this handpicked collection of powerful, practical and inspiring quotes by Daisaku Ikeda.
Daisaku Ikeda (born January 2, 1928) is a Buddhist philosopher, prolific writer, poet, peace activist and educator.
I've been deeply encouraged by the beautiful words of Mr Ikeda. He offers wonderful and practical encouragement especially when one is facing great trials and tribulations.
It's been on my To-Do list to compile a small selection of his many quotes to share with you here and I'm glad I did it. It's my hope that his meaningful words would reach and encourage you in some ways.
Savor these quotes slowly and digest them! In times of crises or sufferings, come back to this page and be renewed, refreshed and inspired! When you're down and seeking hope, read his words again and be uplifted!
A person's true nature is revealed at times of the greatest adversity.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
A pyramid isn't built from the top down. The apex is attained only by laying strong foundation stones, one by one. The same is true of achieving a lofty objective. The crucial thing is to lay the first stone, to take the first step.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
A true leader fosters young people and spurs them on to greater heights.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
As long as we are human, we are bound to make mistakes. We all fall prey to flawed beliefs and views. What distinguishes a forward-looking person from an intransigent one, a virtuous person from a dishonest one, however, is whether one can candidly admit to one's mistakes and take bold steps to redress them.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Become like the sun. If you do so, all darkness will be dispelled. No matter what happens, live confidently with the conviction that you, yourself are the "sun." Of course, in life there are sunny days and cloudy days. But even on cloudy days, the sun is still the sun. Even when you are suffering, it is vital that you strive to keep the sun shining brightly in your heart.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Cheerfulness is not the same as frivolity. Cheerfulness is born of a fighting spirit. Frivolity is one manifestation of cowardly escape.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Effort and hard work construct the bridge that connects your dreams to reality. Those who make steady efforts are full of hope. And hope, in turn, arises from steady efforts. Embrace your dreams and advance as far as they can take you.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Everything begins with the resolve to take the first step. From that action, wisdom arises and change begins. Without action, nothing changes.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Failure is an instrumental part of every success. Whether our life has been a triumph or tragedy can only be judged at its very end.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Fish rots from the head, as the saying goes. Organizations, too, degenerate from the top. Those who assume positions of leadership need to constantly strive to better themselves and to overcome the tendency to become arrogant.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Happiness doesn't exist on the far side of distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. Not you, however, sitting in idle passivity. It is to be found in the vibrant dynamism of your own life as you struggle to challenge and overcome one obstacle after another, as you clamber up a perilous ridge in pursuit of that which lies beyond.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Happiness is not something far away. It is to be found neither in fame nor in popularity. When you live with integrity, your hearts begin to fill with a happiness as vast as the universe. It?s about being true to yourself and starting from where you are. From there your happiness will expand and grow limitlessly.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Hope transforms pessimism into optimism. Hope is invincible. Hope changes everything. It changes winter into summer, darkness into dawn, descent into ascent, barrenness into creativity, agony into joy. Hope is the sun. It is light. It is passion. It is the fundamental force for life's blossoming.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Human life is indeed wondrous. You may be ill physically, but as long as your mental state is strong, it most certainly will exert a positive influence on your body. There may be no better remedy than hope.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Human life possesses a potential deeper than the great wide ocean and vaster than the sky. We may tend to give up and resign ourselves to present circumstances, thinking "There is no way." But by breaking down these barriers in our minds, we can enjoy vibrant lives, filled with powerful life force like the sun.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
If everything is smooth sailing right from the beginning, we cannot become people of substance and character. By surmounting paining setbacks and obstacles, we can create a brilliant history of triumph that will shine forever. That is what makes life so exciting and enjoyable. In any field of endeavour, those who overcome hardships and grow as human beings are advancing towards success and victory in life.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
If you want to understand the causes made in the past, look at the results as they are manifest in the present. And if you want to know what results will be manifest in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present. The reality of your future self is forged by current action, in your behavior now.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
It takes courage to become happy -- courage to remain true to one's convictions, courage not to be defeated by one's weaknesses and negativity, courage to take swift action to help those who are suffering.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
In reality, everyone struggles with anxieties. The seed of happiness only blooms when one stays strong and never gives up.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Let us give something to each person we meet: joy, courage, hope, assurance, or philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always give something.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Life is a constant battle against deadlock. As long as we are alive, as long as we continue challenging ourselves, we are bound to come up against difficult obstacles that need to be overcome. If life were all smooth sailing, if we never encountered setbacks, that in itself would be a sign of stagnation.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Life is filled with potential that is truly unfathomable. At last we are coming to see the enormous power it possesses. That is why we must never write anyone off. In particular, we mustn't put boundaries on our own potential. In most cases, our so-called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit ourselves.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Life without hardships may seem more attractive, but it is a shallow, lackluster thing.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Life's true joy and happiness can only be savored by those who live out the chosen path of their beliefs, no matter what others may say of them.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
No one can better bask in summer's balm than those who have endured winter's bite. Similarly, it is those who have suffered through life's darkest hours who are able to truly savor the bright dawn of happiness. The person who has transformed the worst of fate into the best of fortune is life's champion.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
None of us can exist in isolation. Our lives and existence are supported by others in seen and unseen ways, be it by parents, mentors or society at large. To be aware of these connections, to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something back to society in a spirit of gratitude is the proper way for human beings to live.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Of course, people want to live long. But in the end, what matters more is what we have been able to leave behind -- the value we have created in our lives, the number of people we have made happy and how much we have been able to grow and expand as a person.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
One thing is certain: That is that the power of belief, the power of thought, will move reality in the direction of what we believe and conceive of it. If you really believe you can do something, you can. That is a fact.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Rather than seeking to better themselves, jealous people focus their energies on dragging others down. Actions rooted in jealousy will only cause suffering and will not create any value or benefit for anyone. We are only able to develop our own good qualities to the extent that we can respect what is admirable in others.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Rise to the challenges that life presents you. You can't develop genuine character and ability by sidestepping adversity and struggle.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Success can never be geninue unless it is based on the accumulation of steady and strenuous efforts, expended day by day and from moment to moment.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
The important thing is to take that first step. Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
The seeds of firm conviction already contain within them the flowers and fruits of happiness. But if we plant the seeds of self-doubt, naturally, only noxious weeds will sprout.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
The ungrateful feel that it is below them to show any kind of appreciation. They are under the delusion that showing gratitude to others diminishes their own worth. But it is this sense of appreciation that elevates, enriches and expands the human spirit. A lack of gratitude is actually a sign of arrogance.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
The worst mistake you can make is to give up on yourself and stop challenging yourself for fear of failure. Keep moving forward with a firm eye on the future, telling yourself, "I'll start from today!" "I'll start afresh from now, from this very moment!"
-- Daisaku Ikeda
There is no true joy in a life lived closed up in the little shell of the self. When you take one step to reach out to people, when you meet with others and share their thoughts and sufferings, infinite compassion and wisdom well up within your heart. Your life is transformed.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
There is no such thing as a life without trials and tribulations. A life without meeting obstacles is a weak one. One cannot depend on someone who has not had to overcome difficulties.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
There may be times when others seem enviable. But others are others and you are you. Rather than comparing your joys and sorrows to those of others, you should aim to surpass your limits in the situation you are in right now. Those who can do this are the true victors in life.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Those who are always complaining about their circumstances find that success continually eludes them. As do those who speak ill of others or who make excuses for their failures.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Trust is difficult to earn and it is easily lost-the trust built over a decade can be shattered in an instant by one offhanded remark or deed. A person who is not swayed from their chosen path, even during the most trying times, will ultimately find that he or she is trusted by all.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
When we are aware that each moment of each day, each gesture and step we take, is truly mystical and full of wonder, we will live our lives with greater thought and care. We will also have greater respect and appreciation for the lives of others.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
When we find ourselves facing adversity, we may think we've reached our limit, but actually the more trying the circumstances, the closer we are to making a breakthrough. The darker the night, the nearer the dawn. Victory in life is decided by that last concentrated burst of energy filled with the resolve to win.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
When you clearly envision the outcome of victory, engrave it upon your heart, and are firmly convinced that you will attain it, your brain makes every effort to realize the mental image you have created. And then, through your unceasing efforts, that victory is finally made a reality.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
When you encounter a severe difficulty, you may despairingly feel that it is the end of everything and give up. However, you should never succumb to such difficulties in life. You must win by all means. If you do, you will later be able to look back with a feeling of satisfaction on your days of desperate struggle.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
When your determination changes, everything will begin to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself toward your success. On the other hand, if you think, "This is never going to work out," then at that instant every cell in your being will be deflated and give up the fight. Then everything really will move in the direction of failure.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Where can we find happiness? Happiness is not found in a tranquil life free of storms and tempests. Real happiness is found in the struggles we undergo to realize our goals, in our efforts to move forward.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
While it is important to win, it's even more important to remain undefeated no matter what happens.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
Why doesn't constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them.
-- Daisaku Ikeda
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