Lou Marinoff, president of the APPA and a pioneer of “philosophical counseling,” which applies philosophies from around the world to the challenges of daily life, founded the organization in 1999. Dr. Marinoff met Mr. Ikeda on two occasions and engaged in further discussions by correspondence, which were featured in the monthly Japanese women’s magazine Pumpkin and culminated in the publication of their dialogue, The Inner Philosopher: Conversations on Philosophy’s Transformative Power.
In the special issue, Dr. Marinoff reflects on his encounters with Mr. Ikeda, writing:
“[Ikeda’s] influence continues posthumously, via his own multi-faceted catalogue of published works including dialogues with world leaders, via the many institutions he created and nurtured, via the international body of devoted scholars who study and expound upon his teachings, via the living memory of those fortunate enough to have met and interacted with him, and via the multitudes who continue to feel his vivifying presence in their daily Nichiren Buddhist practices.”
The special edition also includes contributions from various respected individuals, including Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations; Jim Garrison, professor emeritus of the philosophy of education at Virginia Tech University and former president of the John Dewey Society; Sarah Wider, professor emeritus of English and women’s studies at Colgate University and former president of the Emerson Society; Olivier Urbain, director of the Min-On Music Research Institute; and Jason Goulah, professor of bilingual-bicultural education and director of the Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education at DePaul University.
[Adapted from an article in the December 20, 2024, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
