Ikeda and other youth share insights on issues that invariably confront young people of all nationalities and eras. Drawing on their belief that every person has within them an “inexhaustible wellspring” of strength and wisdom, the authors assert that every difficulty, no matter how serious, are essential experiences to achieve a fuller, happier life. The most fulfilling way to live, they assert, is one spent for the happiness of both oneself and others.

A collection of essays on individuals whose lives have inspired Ikeda for the way they led lives of hope, courage and peace. Some like Mahatma Gandhi and Rosa Parks are widely known, while others much less so. All, however, strove tirelessly to end conflict and overcome the barriers that impeded their task of bettering the world—a struggle that essentially made the impossible possible. (Includes companion DVD of essay, “Another Way of Seeing Things.”)

This work offers fascinating perspectives on birth, aging, sickness and death, known in Buddhism as the four universal sufferings that all human beings must bear. Without fully understanding life’s most elemental ordeals, Ikeda says, “we can neither live meaningfully nor die in peace.” In fact, without suffering—as well as our basic human impulses, which lie at the root of all suffering—there can be no enlightenment.

Drawing from a rich vein of life experiences, futurist Hazel Henderson and Ikeda examine the rise of “grassroots globalists”—ordinary citizens who actively take part in building a more peaceful, harmonious and sustainable future. Despite the daunting scale and scope of the planetary concerns they discuss, the authors provide a practical and inspiring guide on how individuals can indeed make a difference.

In this fast-paced discourse, Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate, and Ikeda share recollections of their work for peace through their respective roles as concerned scientist and concerned citizen. They cover a broad range of topics, from longevity and the appropriate use of science to disarmament and the human quest for progress, justice and equality, offering fascinating insights from the vistas and vantages of West and East.

In their discussion, Elise Boulding, a Quaker, and Ikeda, a Buddhist, draw on the teachings of divergent faiths to put forth a vision of a world without armies and a global culture of peace. Education, they argue, is the medium through which such a world can be achieved, and dialogue—engaged in every aspect of daily life, starting in the home—the way to put it into practice.

In this seminal work, historian Arnold J. Toynbee and Ikeda exchange views on an array of topics, probing for answers to urgent issues as well as the questions that have been raised from the dawn of human history. Although coming from different backgrounds, they agree that the key to unraveling the dilemma facing both the individual and society—that of self-mastery or self-destruction—lies within, with our capacity for inner transformation.

This collection of Ikeda’s poetry and photographs consists of his thoughts from what he describes as life’s “daily whirlwind of activities” and the people he encounters along the way. But this is no ordinary photo album: Every picture and poem, originally jotted down in his diary or notebook, reflects his belief and hope in people, especially youth, to create a brighter future for all.

David Krieger, founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and Ikeda make it clear that humanity can never live truly in peace until the bane of nuclear arms is lifted forever. Nor can the task of waging peace be left to politicians; that responsibility, they insist, rests with every citizen. The first step toward this end: a redefinition of security, with the focus shifting from the nation-state to humankind as a whole.

A biographical account of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, the man who is known historically as the Buddha is portrayed as a warm and engaged human being, rather than the commonly held image of a distant mystic. Ikeda draws on the narratives of the Buddhist canon to provide insights into Shakyamuni’s life and the struggles he faced—and how it shaped an enduring legacy of freeing people from suffering.

A collection of Japanese essays and their English editions, Ikeda seeks to renew faith in our ability to build peace despite the magnitude of the challenges we face. To do so, a different mindset must be adopted, one valuing cooperation, unity and cohesion over competition, fragmentation and isolation. The primary instrument with which to recast our differences as enriching rather than dividing: the power of dialogue.