Daisaku Ikeda’s Essay Selected for Philippine Junior High Textbook
Philippine textbook carrying Mr. Ikeda’s essay
An essay by Daisaku Ikeda was selected as one of the reading assignments in an English textbook for junior high school students, published by Abiva Publishing House, a major publisher of educational books in the Philippines. The op-ed, titled “Tuning In to Self-Reflection for Peace’s Sake,” was originally contributed by Mr. Ikeda to The Times of India, the country’s largest English-language daily, in October 2022.
Mr. Ikeda consistently placed great importance on
educational exchange with the Philippines, a country that endured tremendous
suffering under Japan’s military invasion during the Pacific War. He once
expressed the view that forging bonds of educational exchange—as a symbol of
peace—with the Philippines was a long-cherished wish entrusted to him by his
mentor, Josei Toda, and Mr. Toda’s mentor, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. To date, Soka
University (founded by Mr. Ikeda) maintains academic exchange agreements with
nine universities in the Philippines.
In recognition of his contributions to education,
Mr. Ikeda has been awarded 27 honorary academic titles by Philippine
universities, beginning with the University of the Philippines in 1991.
A representative from the publishing house
involved in compiling the textbook explained that the essay was chosen for its
ability to encourage learners to reflect on and engage with the theme of a
culture of peace. “The writer’s directness and his genuine appeal to build a culture
of peace in the world touched a chord,” he said.
Mr. Ikeda’s essay featured in the textbook
In the essay, Mr. Ikeda refers to ongoing
conflicts around the world and stresses that a breakthrough lies in turning our
gaze to those affected and joining together to build peace.
He cites an episode from ancient India, where
conflict arose between tribal groups over water resources. At that time,
Gautama Buddha urged people not to focus on the confrontation itself, but to
recognize that the opposing group was also experiencing “the same suffering as
their own.” Mr. Ikeda notes that the grief of losing loved ones is the same for
people in any country, and that it is therefore vital to earnestly seek
solutions—together with the international community—to alleviate the suffering
caused by conflict.
He further writes that human beings are endowed
with a “tuning fork” of self-reflection that allows them to empathize with the
pain of others, as well as a “bridge” of dialogue that enables them to connect
across divides. He calls on society as a whole to unite across differences and
establish “universal opposition to all acts of intolerance or violence.”
The essay appears in a chapter focused on the “analysis of persuasive writing” and is accompanied by comprehension questions, including, “What does the author propose as a way to resolve conflict?”
[Adapted from an article in the June 19, 2025, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
