Lectures on the "Expedient Means and "Life Span" Chapters of the Lotus Sutra

by Daisaku Ikeda

Daisaku Ikeda A translation of the two chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the "Expedient Means" & "Life Span" chapters that we use when we recite the sutra during our morning & evening prayers with an explantion from President Ikeda.-- Soka Gakkai International

Genres: Buddhism

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Daisaku 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.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cyber reading friend told me he could not even understand the title of this book. Nichiren Daishonin distilled the two most important chapters of the Lotus Sutra called "Expedient Means" and "Life Span." I've been wrapping my mind around these ideas for a while now and it’s good to have some help in print. A PBS special on Buddhism that aired in April is far removed from the lay Buddhist organization called the Soka Gakkai. Ikeda translates the Lotus Sutra so normal people can understand. Buddhism’s essence is to strive for kozen rufu - world peace - and the happiness of all living beings. Everyone can achieve Buddhahood. Not just priests. You don’t need a priest to show the way. You don't have to shave your head and move to a mountaintop. I got this at the NY Cultural Center at 7 East 15th Street between 5th and Union Square.

I'm so grateful for Ikeda's commitment and the diversity of this organization. We all want to be part of something great. Thank you, sensei!