Our World To Make: Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Rise of Global Civil Society
In Our World To Make, authors Ved Nanda, a practicing Hindu and prominent figure in the field of international law, and Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist thinker and peace advocate, engage in an expansive dialogue that demonstrates that it is but a short leap — or no leap at all — from the personal practice of religion to resolute support for the emerging norms and institutions of global civil society. Our World To Make shows that religion practiced with integrity demands nothing less.
After an exploration of the shared principles of Hinduism and Buddhism that guide their work for peace and justice, Nanda and Ikeda look closely at international movements aimed at the development and protection of human rights, the elimination of nuclear weapons, and the creation of legal frameworks to punish war crimes and crimes against humanity. The overall impact of Our World To Make is to fill the reader, religious or not, with a powerful sense of hope for our shared global future.
“Indeed the world is ours and it is up to us to make it as beautiful and free as it can be! Our World To Make is a book of inspired words and inviting references. It is impossible to read it without being invited into the space of enriched possibilities explored by these two wise men. Our World is a gift to Hinduism, Buddhism, and humanity as a whole. Let’s hope that the dialogue between Nanda and Ikeda will continue and that many will join in!”
—Andrea Bartoli, Dean, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
“In today’s world, people are asking about who we are as human beings and what we have become. In Our World To Make, two eminent thinkers have employed an intriguing dialogue on Buddhism and Hinduism to inform us about how we might individually and collectively respond to these questions, and that we have but to look within ourselves and our living universe for the needed capacity to shape a world of peace and well-being for all. Our World To Make merits our committed reading.”
—Winston Langley, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Massachusetts Boston
”Our World To Make was a privilege to read. Daisaku Ikeda and Ved Nanda engage in a warm exchange, addressing how to face the challenge of transforming reality through the spirit of compassion. Their rich sharing of the beliefs, values, and history of Hinduism and Buddhism reflects an authentic curiosity and joyfulness, as they uncover their own mutual understanding of each other’s life philosophies. Their dialogue gently pushed me to consider how to persist with unyielding courage, putting people first, and moving from nationalism to humanism.”
—Maria Guajardo, Dean, Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Soka University, Japan
“This dialogue, between two scholars who have dedicated their lives to public service in more ways than normal, brings forth many foundational values from Hindu and Buddhist practice and applies them to modern times. Our World To Make is engaging and articulate, and it will help contemporary intellectuals hone their thought processes to advance global harmony and peace.”
—Bal Ram Singh, Founding Director, Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and President, Institute of Advanced Sciences
Ved Nanda is Evans University Professor and Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law at the University of Denver. Among many positions of international service, he is past president of the World Jurist Association and now its honorary president, and a member of the advisory council of the United States Institute of Human Rights.
Daisaku Ikeda is president of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization with more than twelve million members worldwide. He has written and lectured widely on Buddhism, humanism, and global ethics.
Preface
Daisaku Ikeda
Preface
Ved Nanda
CONVERSATIONS
1. Common Ground
2. The Spirit of India
3. A Renaissance of Hinduism
4. Buddhist Compassion
5. Humanistic Education
6. A Century of Human Rights
7. A New Civil Society
Appendix 1. Selected Works—Daisaku Ikeda
Appendix 2. Selected Works—Ved Nanda
Glossary
Notes
Index
About the Authors
Excerpt from the Preface by Daisaku Ikeda
“In today’s world, there seems to be no end to the cycle of violence and animosity. Frequent conflicts and terrorist attacks, the suppression of human rights, the widening gap between rich and poor, the destruction of the environment: These are all problems threatening the lives of millions of people worldwide.
“In every era, unfortunately, those most victimized are society’s least powerful—ordinary people, especially innocent children. Dr. Nanda has described the present as an ‘era of mortal struggle for hope,’ one in which the entire world strains under the weight of the manifold adversity it bears.
“This essential reality is no different from the situation confronting Shakyamuni more than twenty-five hundred years ago. The Sutta Nipata, or Group of Discourses, reads, ‘Seeing people floundering, like fish (floundering) in little water, seeing them opposed to one another… ‘
“In such a turbulent world, the primary purpose of religion must be to guide people to live together in ways most befitting us as human beings, leading all on the path of hope toward peace and happiness.”
Excerpts from the Preface by Ved Nanda
“This dialogue had its genesis in my December 1994 journey to Japan, where I had the tremendous privilege to visit Soka University of Japan and speak at length with Soka Gakkai International president Daisaku Ikeda. In President and Mrs. Ikeda’s company, I enjoyed a thrilling performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 by students of Soka University and Soka Women’s College. This was not my first time traveling to Japan, but I found myself seeing the country with new eyes.
“My friend and colleague Dr. Maria Guajardo Lucero, who has been a member of the Soka Gakkai International for many years, accompanied me on this occasion. Her esteem for President Ikeda and the organization gave a spark to our conversation during our flight to Tokyo.
“Even after her glowing advance introduction, what I found during my visit far exceeded my expectations. I certainly could not have fully anticipated the warmth, vision, and wisdom of President Ikeda before having the opportunity to sit and speak with him in person. We talked for quite a while. Since that time, I have come to appreciate just how precious that extended visit was, as I have witnessed the full schedule of President Ikeda and the dizzying demands on his time. This engaging leader of the Soka Gakkai International made a lasting impression on me.”
*
“The more I read President Ikeda’s thoughtful works, the more I am impressed with his panoramic, transcendental approach and the depth of his understanding of not only Buddhism, which is of course the focus of his life and mission, but also of other religions and cultures. I especially appreciate his profound understanding of Hinduism and its place in the history of modern India, as Mahatma Gandhi’s movement of nonviolence and civil disobedience shaped it. President Ikeda is equally conversant with the lives and works of many modern Indian spiritual and intellectual leaders, such as Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Aurobindo.
“Having been born a Hindu and continued on this path all my life, I felt compelled in the course of our conversations to consider anew the meaning of Hinduism in my life, as I was drawn into the very process of reflection that the conversations are intended to trigger in readers.
“Engaging in this dialogue has been not only a most enjoyable process for me but an uplifting experience as well…
“Throughout the dialogue, while my hectic schedule has forced me to ask the greatest possible leniency from the Soka Gakkai International staff on deadlines, I have been astounded by President Ikeda’s ability to meet the demands he places upon himself. I still do not totally understand how he has accomplished what he has—the wide dissemination of the Buddhist humanism that he cherishes through his books and his exchanges with so many statesmen, religious and spiritual leaders, literary figures, and intellectual giants in the world. This is not to mention his artistic and poetic works and his founding of Soka universities and other Soka schools, as well as research institutes. The millions of people who have learned the Nichiren Buddhist way through the Soka Gakkai International attest, through their unequivocal dedication and commitment, to the value of this visionary way of life.
“I feel privileged to have met President Ikeda and consider it my good fortune to have had the opportunity to participate in a small way in this great undertaking for a future based upon mutual respect and the quest for a peaceful world.”
Description
In Our World To Make, authors Ved Nanda, a practicing Hindu and prominent figure in the field of international law, and Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist thinker and peace advocate, engage in an expansive dialogue that demonstrates that it is but a short leap — or no leap at all — from the personal practice of religion to resolute support for the emerging norms and institutions of global civil society. Our World To Make shows that religion practiced with integrity demands nothing less.
After an exploration of the shared principles of Hinduism and Buddhism that guide their work for peace and justice, Nanda and Ikeda look closely at international movements aimed at the development and protection of human rights, the elimination of nuclear weapons, and the creation of legal frameworks to punish war crimes and crimes against humanity. The overall impact of Our World To Make is to fill the reader, religious or not, with a powerful sense of hope for our shared global future.
Advance Praise
“Indeed the world is ours and it is up to us to make it as beautiful and free as it can be! Our World To Make is a book of inspired words and inviting references. It is impossible to read it without being invited into the space of enriched possibilities explored by these two wise men. Our World is a gift to Hinduism, Buddhism, and humanity as a whole. Let’s hope that the dialogue between Nanda and Ikeda will continue and that many will join in!”
—Andrea Bartoli, Dean, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
“In today’s world, people are asking about who we are as human beings and what we have become. In Our World To Make, two eminent thinkers have employed an intriguing dialogue on Buddhism and Hinduism to inform us about how we might individually and collectively respond to these questions, and that we have but to look within ourselves and our living universe for the needed capacity to shape a world of peace and well-being for all. Our World To Make merits our committed reading.”
—Winston Langley, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Massachusetts Boston
”Our World To Make was a privilege to read. Daisaku Ikeda and Ved Nanda engage in a warm exchange, addressing how to face the challenge of transforming reality through the spirit of compassion. Their rich sharing of the beliefs, values, and history of Hinduism and Buddhism reflects an authentic curiosity and joyfulness, as they uncover their own mutual understanding of each other’s life philosophies. Their dialogue gently pushed me to consider how to persist with unyielding courage, putting people first, and moving from nationalism to humanism.”
—Maria Guajardo, Dean, Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Soka University, Japan
“This dialogue, between two scholars who have dedicated their lives to public service in more ways than normal, brings forth many foundational values from Hindu and Buddhist practice and applies them to modern times. Our World To Make is engaging and articulate, and it will help contemporary intellectuals hone their thought processes to advance global harmony and peace.”
—Bal Ram Singh, Founding Director, Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and President, Institute of Advanced Sciences
Author(s)
Ved Nanda is Evans University Professor and Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law at the University of Denver. Among many positions of international service, he is past president of the World Jurist Association and now its honorary president, and a member of the advisory council of the United States Institute of Human Rights.
Daisaku Ikeda is president of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization with more than twelve million members worldwide. He has written and lectured widely on Buddhism, humanism, and global ethics.
Table of Contents
Preface
Daisaku Ikeda
Preface
Ved Nanda
CONVERSATIONS
1. Common Ground
2. The Spirit of India
3. A Renaissance of Hinduism
4. Buddhist Compassion
5. Humanistic Education
6. A Century of Human Rights
7. A New Civil Society
Appendix 1. Selected Works—Daisaku Ikeda
Appendix 2. Selected Works—Ved Nanda
Glossary
Notes
Index
About the Authors
Excerpts
Excerpt from the Preface by Daisaku Ikeda
“In today’s world, there seems to be no end to the cycle of violence and animosity. Frequent conflicts and terrorist attacks, the suppression of human rights, the widening gap between rich and poor, the destruction of the environment: These are all problems threatening the lives of millions of people worldwide.
“In every era, unfortunately, those most victimized are society’s least powerful—ordinary people, especially innocent children. Dr. Nanda has described the present as an ‘era of mortal struggle for hope,’ one in which the entire world strains under the weight of the manifold adversity it bears.
“This essential reality is no different from the situation confronting Shakyamuni more than twenty-five hundred years ago. The Sutta Nipata, or Group of Discourses, reads, ‘Seeing people floundering, like fish (floundering) in little water, seeing them opposed to one another… ‘
“In such a turbulent world, the primary purpose of religion must be to guide people to live together in ways most befitting us as human beings, leading all on the path of hope toward peace and happiness.”
Excerpts from the Preface by Ved Nanda
“This dialogue had its genesis in my December 1994 journey to Japan, where I had the tremendous privilege to visit Soka University of Japan and speak at length with Soka Gakkai International president Daisaku Ikeda. In President and Mrs. Ikeda’s company, I enjoyed a thrilling performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 by students of Soka University and Soka Women’s College. This was not my first time traveling to Japan, but I found myself seeing the country with new eyes.
“My friend and colleague Dr. Maria Guajardo Lucero, who has been a member of the Soka Gakkai International for many years, accompanied me on this occasion. Her esteem for President Ikeda and the organization gave a spark to our conversation during our flight to Tokyo.
“Even after her glowing advance introduction, what I found during my visit far exceeded my expectations. I certainly could not have fully anticipated the warmth, vision, and wisdom of President Ikeda before having the opportunity to sit and speak with him in person. We talked for quite a while. Since that time, I have come to appreciate just how precious that extended visit was, as I have witnessed the full schedule of President Ikeda and the dizzying demands on his time. This engaging leader of the Soka Gakkai International made a lasting impression on me.”
*
“The more I read President Ikeda’s thoughtful works, the more I am impressed with his panoramic, transcendental approach and the depth of his understanding of not only Buddhism, which is of course the focus of his life and mission, but also of other religions and cultures. I especially appreciate his profound understanding of Hinduism and its place in the history of modern India, as Mahatma Gandhi’s movement of nonviolence and civil disobedience shaped it. President Ikeda is equally conversant with the lives and works of many modern Indian spiritual and intellectual leaders, such as Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Aurobindo.
“Having been born a Hindu and continued on this path all my life, I felt compelled in the course of our conversations to consider anew the meaning of Hinduism in my life, as I was drawn into the very process of reflection that the conversations are intended to trigger in readers.
“Engaging in this dialogue has been not only a most enjoyable process for me but an uplifting experience as well…
“Throughout the dialogue, while my hectic schedule has forced me to ask the greatest possible leniency from the Soka Gakkai International staff on deadlines, I have been astounded by President Ikeda’s ability to meet the demands he places upon himself. I still do not totally understand how he has accomplished what he has—the wide dissemination of the Buddhist humanism that he cherishes through his books and his exchanges with so many statesmen, religious and spiritual leaders, literary figures, and intellectual giants in the world. This is not to mention his artistic and poetic works and his founding of Soka universities and other Soka schools, as well as research institutes. The millions of people who have learned the Nichiren Buddhist way through the Soka Gakkai International attest, through their unequivocal dedication and commitment, to the value of this visionary way of life.
“I feel privileged to have met President Ikeda and consider it my good fortune to have had the opportunity to participate in a small way in this great undertaking for a future based upon mutual respect and the quest for a peaceful world.”
