A Tribute to the Mentor
"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.”
These words echo in my entire being, These words and many more such inspirational tenets of life from a person whom I embraced as my mentor more than 15 years ago. The leader of one of the largest Buddhist order worldwide with more than 12M followers in 192 countries, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda lived his entire life true to the teachings and ideals of Buddhism.
Dr. Ikeda was born on Jan 2nd, 1928, in Tokyo, in a family of seaweed farmers. As a child, he was diagnosed with chronic tuberculosis and doctors told that he would not live beyond 30. "What sickness can therefore be an obstacle"...he proclaimed and went on to create trailblazing journey of transforming millions of lives enabling people discover their true potential as human being and achive victories. Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, passed away on November 15, 2023 at the age of 95. We call him Sensei which means mentor or teacher in Japanese.
Until I encountered his teachings, spirituality to me meant believing in 'God' and 'Goodness'. I was still puzzled as to where to find both. Sensei taught us both were within us. Sensei taught us about a new dimension of spirituality - called "Faith in Daily Life". Faith which would make you find peace not in meditating alone but staying amidst the topsy-turvy of daily life and challenging something...Something within..
Sensei taught us the philosophy of "Oneness of Self and Environment" and to me it was like a whole life decoded into easily understandable principals to be imbibed and practiced in our daily conduct as ordinary human being to manifest the extraordinary potential inherent in our lives equally.
Sensei came from an ordinary family; he acquired his education working thru the day and studying thru the night at night schools. He was at one time earning his livelihood working as a newspaper hawker; He determined of having a publication of their own newspaper one day. Sensei one day waiting at a university with his mentor; dreamt of establishing universities one day where humanism could be cultivated among students, He dreamt of becoming an author, and once when a top politician cancelled the visit to be the chief guest of a large gathering of youth at the last minute, he determined to develop leader in all walks of life who valued "Treasures of the Heart".
His perseverance made him an author of more than 250 books. Sensei received more than 200 honorary degrees, as well as numerous international honours, including the United Nations Peace Medal (1983), the International Tolerance Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre (1993), the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award (2008), and the Gandhi International Peace Prize for Social Responsibility (2014). He fulfilled his dreams of establishing Soka universities and schools and also kindergartens in five countries,
Mr. Ikeda took over the leadership of Soka Gakkai, the largest lay Buddhist organization at the age of 32. He travelled to more than 50 countries and met Heads of States, Academicians, Artists, Authors and other prominent leaders of society to promote peace, culture and education. Sensei has presented Peace proposals to UN every year since 1983.
Ikeda Sensei taught us "Never to get defeated" and take challenges as peaceful practices, practice humanism, change poison into medicine, smile to our parents, encourage the person in front of us and cherish every individual.
Sensei taught us not to be dogmatic, fanatical or ritualistic but to win with compassion, reason and observation of one's own mind.
and like Sensei used to quote Victor Hugo "We are all under sentence of death, but with a sort of indefinite reprieve.” Let's take every moment of our life as the last moment and put all our best in it.
In his words, “When we change, the world changes. The key to all change is in our inner transformation- a change of our hearts and minds. This is human revolution. We all have the power to change. When we realize this truth, we can bring forth that power anywhere, anytime, and in any situation.”
Adieu Sensei, we shall always hold you in our hearts. Forever Sensei..
with profound gratitude
" Pakhi"
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