Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Drawing on Japanese scholarship as well as close reading of Buddhist scriptures, Ikeda analyzes how a movement in turmoil after the death of the Buddha began to codify its teachings and split into two streams, the Theravada ("Teaching of the Elders") and the Mahayana ("Great Vehicle"). He acknowledges the speculative nature of this task due to the "fragmentary bits of information" that have survived, but draws conclusions about the complex development of Buddhist thought by examining historical evidence and classic texts like the Vimalakirti Sutra. Ikeda shows how Mahayana philosophy emerged as a reform movement that followers believed was closer than Theravada to the true wisdom of the Buddha. Founder and president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a world-wide lay organization based on teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, Ikeda draws attention to Mahayana's emergence as a lay movement and to the importance of the Lotus Sutra. This thoughtful if sectarian introduction to Buddhism's origins describes how a movement interprets its founder's teachings, determines them to be authentic, and attempts to remain true to those ideals. An earlier version of this translation by scholar Burton Watson was published in 1977. (Aug.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Daisaku Ikeda was born in Tokyo, Japan on January 2, 1928 into a family of seaweed farmers. Ikeda is a prolific writer, environmentalist, peace activist, and follower of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, also considered "true Buddhism". He has written over 100 books on Buddhism. Ikeda was the president of Soka Gakkai, an organization supporting the practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, from 1960 to 1979 and currently maintains the position of Soka Gakkai Honorary President. Ikeda developed SGI (Soka Gakkai International) which is an international outreach program for Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. Many members of this organization refer to him as their "mentor in life".

Ikeda has been influential world-wide. He holds over 230 honorary doctorates and over 550 honorary citizenships around the world. Ikeda also holds numerous memberships and has received many awards. Ikeda has founded many educational, peace and cultural institutions including Soka University (1971), Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (1983), and Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research (1996).

Ikeda and his wife, Kaneko, married on May 3, 1952. They have three sons.

(Bowker Author Biography)