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The Creative Family
English (translation)Original Japanese
- GenresBuddhism
159 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1987
About the author
Daisaku Ikeda
1,240 books541 followersDaisaku Ikeda was a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder, educator, author and poet. He was the third president of the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist organization and the founding president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), which is today one of the world's largest and most diverse lay Buddhist organizations, promoting a philosophy of character development and social engagement for peace.
Ikeda was the founder of the Soka (value-creation) schools, a nondenominational school system based on an ideal of fostering each student's unique creative potential and cultivating an ethic of peace, social contribution and global consciousness. The school system runs from kindergarten through graduate study and includes a university in Tokyo, Japan, and another in California, U.S.A.
Ikeda was a staunch proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace. Since the 1970s he has pursued dialogue with a wide range of individuals around the world in political, cultural, educational and academic fields. Over 50 of these have been published in book form, with people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Elise Boulding, Joseph Rotblat and André Malraux. In furtherance of his vision of fostering dialogue and solidarity for peace, Ikeda has founded a number of independent, nonprofit research institutes that develop cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration on diverse issues: the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. The Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum promote mutual understanding and friendship between different national cultures through the arts.
Ikeda was a prolific writer who has published more than 100 works, ranging from Buddhist philosophy to biographical essays, poetry, children's stories and photographic collections.
Ikeda was the founder of the Soka (value-creation) schools, a nondenominational school system based on an ideal of fostering each student's unique creative potential and cultivating an ethic of peace, social contribution and global consciousness. The school system runs from kindergarten through graduate study and includes a university in Tokyo, Japan, and another in California, U.S.A.
Ikeda was a staunch proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace. Since the 1970s he has pursued dialogue with a wide range of individuals around the world in political, cultural, educational and academic fields. Over 50 of these have been published in book form, with people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Elise Boulding, Joseph Rotblat and André Malraux. In furtherance of his vision of fostering dialogue and solidarity for peace, Ikeda has founded a number of independent, nonprofit research institutes that develop cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration on diverse issues: the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. The Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum promote mutual understanding and friendship between different national cultures through the arts.
Ikeda was a prolific writer who has published more than 100 works, ranging from Buddhist philosophy to biographical essays, poetry, children's stories and photographic collections.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 8, 2025
I read this book some years ago. I really loved it. will have to reread it to see if I still agree with everything there.
Two distinct things I do remember and which positively influenced me a great deal are:
* Absorb and apply what values and ideas are good, applicable, and useful from past generations and from current ones. In other words, let go of what no longer is useful, humane or otherwise not helpful from the past or the present. Celebrate what is best from both and use them
* As a family, instead of walling your children off from everything you may not agree with, be open to learning new information and then talk things over - discussing and listening to one’s children’s questions and thoughts.
I maybe am not explaining this last concept very well. The basic idea was to help children think about things from a variety of ways, be broad minded, and still retain core respect for life. I think that it is common sense for a parent to decide what level of discussion is best for each child based on their age, personality, sensitivity, etc. At the same time it is important to help them understand the world.
I think this is so important. I work at a library. Sometimes people want to band an individual book or certain types of books. There are so many books on the banned books list which we all grew up with and it is very surprising to see them there. Lately, this is an even hotter topic with libraries being threatened with closure if all the books do not carry only books which a certain group values.
Being exposed to many different peoples views of life through books can be helpful. Even if, when one finds a book that is in direct contrast to one’s values ( I would guess we all would find one or more) it is good to know what other people think, where they are coming from, and perhaps gain an understanding of their values or struggles. It may turn out that the book has some ideas one does agree with, empathizes with or changes one’s mind. This won’t always be the case, but it is good to have access to this knowledge. As a parent you can choose what is appropriate for your child, as well.
Two distinct things I do remember and which positively influenced me a great deal are:
* Absorb and apply what values and ideas are good, applicable, and useful from past generations and from current ones. In other words, let go of what no longer is useful, humane or otherwise not helpful from the past or the present. Celebrate what is best from both and use them
* As a family, instead of walling your children off from everything you may not agree with, be open to learning new information and then talk things over - discussing and listening to one’s children’s questions and thoughts.
I maybe am not explaining this last concept very well. The basic idea was to help children think about things from a variety of ways, be broad minded, and still retain core respect for life. I think that it is common sense for a parent to decide what level of discussion is best for each child based on their age, personality, sensitivity, etc. At the same time it is important to help them understand the world.
I think this is so important. I work at a library. Sometimes people want to band an individual book or certain types of books. There are so many books on the banned books list which we all grew up with and it is very surprising to see them there. Lately, this is an even hotter topic with libraries being threatened with closure if all the books do not carry only books which a certain group values.
Being exposed to many different peoples views of life through books can be helpful. Even if, when one finds a book that is in direct contrast to one’s values ( I would guess we all would find one or more) it is good to know what other people think, where they are coming from, and perhaps gain an understanding of their values or struggles. It may turn out that the book has some ideas one does agree with, empathizes with or changes one’s mind. This won’t always be the case, but it is good to have access to this knowledge. As a parent you can choose what is appropriate for your child, as well.
October 22, 2016
"ones life is a composite of interactions with others". This book answered my questions like what is a family , what role does a man and a woman play in the family, how children grow up in a family, what is this love that binds the family together. A creative family is one in which each individual works towards the development of the self and others while being bound together by love.
July 16, 2021
This book has not aged well, or was lost in translation, or was always just a jumble of disconnected musings from a sixty-year-old Japanese Buddhist leader. My favorite chapter was Advice to Women. Or was it?
June 15, 2025
Pretty much a normal read.
February 21, 2013
A gift from my MIL. A great, easy read. A Simple approach to living a happier, stress free and authentic life.
A must read... For everyone!
A must read... For everyone!
August 31, 2015
A must read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews