Essays
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Esperia The strength of hope
A great geographical and cultural distance separates Japan from Argentina. However, Daisaku Ikeda, president of the International Soka Gakkai, and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, have managed to build a deep friendship, based on common affinities and values, in defense of human rights without borders or discrimination of any kind. Ikeda and Pérez Esquivel engage in dialogue on topics such as solidarity, the wisdom of peoples and women, resistance to totalitarianism, the search for effective action and the appreciation of different cultures, with the aim of finding a way to peace. The authors, through words and life examples, seek to convey to young people the value of energetic and passionate commitment to peace, hope and justice for their peoples and for all peoples on Earth.
€13,00
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Esperia The most valuable asset
Buddhism and the art of medicine. Illness is one of the four sufferings of life that, according to Buddhism, unite all human beings. Man has always been afraid of it, as it impairs the ability to live life to the fullest, but Buddhist scriptures state that illnesses stimulate the spirit of seeking the "Way." In order to teach an attitude to challenge diseases on the basis of faith as well as medical knowledge, in this volume Daisaku Ikeda discusses with some experts in the field the prevention and treatment of major diseases that afflict human beings of our time. "Health is not a simple absence of disease. Being healthy involves constant challenge and constant creativity. A fruitful life, a truly healthy life is constantly advancing, always opening up new scenarios. An indomitable spirit gives the power to keep moving forward. "Daisaku Ikeda
€16,50
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Esperia Buddhism, the first millennium
This volume addresses the development of Buddhism after the death of its founder Shakyamuni. Starting from the first council, organized by Shakyamuni's direct disciples, which brought order to the complex system of the Buddha's teachings, to the birth of the Mahayana movement, whose origins remain ill-defined. Daisaku Ikeda examines the scant historical information that has come down to us and interprets it with his characteristic originality and insight. He expounds on the essential tenets of the Lotus Sutra, the fundamental scripture of the Great Vehicle, and traces the events of some of the leading figures in the history of Buddhism: King Ashoka and the philosophers Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, who contributed to its establishment as one of the world's major religions.
€11,00
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Esperia Life of the Buddha
An interpretive biography of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Daisaku Ikeda, a modern-day Buddhist leader and thinker, attempts to trace, using the scant biographical information regarding Gautama Siddharta, known as Shakyamuni or the Buddha, the motivations that drove a man who had at his disposal every wealth and earthly privilege, to abandon palaces, princely title, wife and child. He did so, probably, in reaction to discovering the fundamental sufferings of life, which are not spared even to those who enjoy a privileged existence. Ikeda retraces the young man's steps in search of the enlightenment that can liberate human beings from all constraints of suffering, engaging in a search based on scarce sources and his own experience as a Buddhist practitioner. Can what prompted Gautama Siddhartha almost three thousand years ago to undertake a very hard struggle in order to overcome the impermanence of life and find the supreme happiness represented by "awakening," or Buddhahood, still be valid today? Can his message, which has changed the lives of millions of people over the centuries throughout the East, inspire the West as well? The author, and we with him, believes so and helps us understand what the essence of the "Awakened One's" enlightenment is. The original title of the work, My Vision of Shakyamuni, suggests the spirit in which the author approached the historical Buddha, who lived in India some twenty-five centuries ago. Data on his life are in fact very few, and the only sources are texts handed down for centuries only in oral form. Reconstructing the life of the "Sage of the Shakyas" therefore means trying to go far beyond what hagiographic reports and accounts hand down to us, and making a considerable effort to interpret the many important choices Shakyamuni made during his lifetime. Ikeda makes this journey on the basis of his own experience as a contemporary religious leader, and it is precisely because of this role that he guides us to understand what is the deeper meaning of the "Awakened One's" enlightenment.
€11,00
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Esperia Joy in life, joy in death
Facing the four sufferings, manifesting the four virtues. Modern civilization has forgotten the meaning of death. Yet, according to Nichiren Daishonin, unless we first face the problem of death, we will not be able to live a full and fulfilled life. Indeed, according to the Buddhist view of life, human beings can taste joy in both life and death if they tap into that special vital state called "Buddhahood": intangible, invisible, yet omnipresent in every form of existence in the universe. Indeed, according to Josei Toda's insight while in prison during World War II, it is precisely Buddhahood that constitutes the fundamental core of life, of all life. Josei Toda taught Daisaku Ikeda that Buddhism is the teaching capable of overcoming the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death, and in turn, Daisaku Ikeda returns to address the fundamental questions of existence for the benefit of readers. He does so by dialoguing on these issues with a number of members of the medical and nursing divisions of the Soka Gakkai, all of whom in their professional activities have experienced the profound relationship between Buddhism and medicine and who strive in invisible ways to sustain people's lives. In their wide-ranging dialogue, Daisaku Ikeda prompts representatives of the medical profession to reveal particularly poignant personal experiences with patients and to explain how to deal with problems common to the existence of every human being: being stricken with the flu, dealing with a family member suffering from Alzheimer's or simply hospitalized, the risk of flu pandemics, which is particularly topical. Sound advice from both practical and hygienic perspectives, as well as attitude and faith.The fundamental issue of the 21st century, Ikeda says in the preface to the volume, is precisely "that of the four fundamental sufferings. Ours is a never-ending challenge, and for this very reason I will continue to address the great issues of existence, trying to answer the questions of the contemporary world." No one can avoid the four sufferings that are at the origin of Buddhist teaching: in fact, it points the way by which each person can solve the problem of suffering in his or her life. "According to Buddhist philosophy, birth and death are part of an unbroken cycle that is guided by a set of internal causes and relationships with the environment. Death can therefore be seen as an opportunity to regain energy for later rebirth, in the same way that with sleep we regain the energy we need for the next day. By persevering in Buddhist practice it is possible to experience joy in life and death. I believe that the fundamental issue of the xxi century is precisely that of the four basic sufferings, which even Arnold Toynbee and Linus Pauling thought was essential to address. Ours is a never-ending challenge, and for that very reason I will continue to address the great issues of existence, trying to answer the questions of the contemporary world. "Daisaku Ikeda
€14,90
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Esperia A new humanism
Collection of lectures by D. Ikeda at renowned universities around the world.This volume collects the lectures that Daisaku Ikeda gave at leading universities around the world from 1975 to 1995: fragments of Buddhist wisdom that propose a society with a more humane face, one that values the individual and his or her infinite potential in a world now without borders. Always striving to grasp the commonalities between different cultures while at the same time exalting the peculiar characteristics each people, the author seeks to create bonds, bridges of friendship and understanding in a constant effort to overcome the distrust that divides West from East, one nation from another. He does so not by insisting on his own position, but by exploring the heritage bequeathed to humankind by great thinkers. Borrowing the words of the likes of Tolstoy, Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci, Pascal or the sages of ancient China, Ikeda is able to speak the same language as disparate listeners, a language common to the human heart.
€16,50
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Esperia The map of happiness
Words by Daisaku Ikeda dedicated to women. One sentence for each day of the year, accompanied by beautiful illustrations.
€15,00
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Esperia Thirty Gosho for the Ikeda Kayo-kai
Collection of thirty gosho selected by D. Ikeda for young women. The thirty gosho: The attainment of Buddhahood in this existenceLetter from SadoThe supremacy of the LawAdopting the correct teaching for peace in the landOpening of the eyesThe object of worship for observing the mind established in the fifth period of five hundred years after the death of the TathagataThe choice of timeRepaying debts of gratitudePracticing the Buddha's teachingOn the Buddha's prophecyThe actions of the devotee of the Lotus SutraThe prolongation of lifeElonging karmic retributionThe essentials for attaining BuddhahoodLetter to the brothersAnswer to Kyo'oThe three kinds of treasuresThe persecutions that befall the saintThe strategy of the Lotus SutraThe real aspect of the GohonzonWinter always turns into springThe precious towerThe drum at the Thunder GateThe inheritance of the Fundamental Law of LifeThe true aspect of all phenomenaDifferent bodies, same mindThe kalpa of diminishmentHell is the Land of Tranquil LightThe Dragon GateThe confirmation of the Lotus Sutra
€10,00
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Esperia The essence of man
On the threshold of the 21st century, rapid scientific and technological advances in medicine have enabled modern civilization to make enormous strides forward: many serious diseases have been eradicated, the terrible epidemics of the past have been stamped out, surgery, with the help of highly sophisticated techniques, now makes it possible to heal once incurable diseases and to improve the quality of life for many sick people. But at the same time, man has been experiencing increasingly widespread and worrisome "suffering of the soul." Indeed, rapid changes require engagement that undermines our spiritual energy, causing mental disorders and depression. A Buddhist philosopher, a biologist and a bioethics specialist seek common ground to address the major issues that the new millennium has brought with it: in vitro fertilization, the fight against cancer and AIDS, euthanasia, the doctor-patient relationship, and bioethics. This book provides insights, viewpoints and reflections on the challenge of being human today. The more feeble our contact with nature and interiority becomes, the more distant the goal of every human being -- happiness -- becomes. What we can hope for-this is the authors' thesis-is for science and spirituality to harmonize having Man, and his well-being, as the only end. René SimardEx rector of the University of Montreal, molecular biologist, is a renowned authority in the field of cancer research. Guy BourgeaultHe is a professor at the University of Montreal in the field of bioethics research and cultural education.
€15,90
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Esperia Religion and human values
A Japanese Buddhist leader, Daisaku Ikeda, and a British sociologist, Brian Wilson, discuss the role of religion and its connections to the major ethical and social problems of our time. their dialogue focuses on the role and importance of religion and religious feeling for both the individual and society as a whole. The positive potential of religious doctrines for the inner development of human beings and the proper functioning of society emerges. However, the authors do not fail to point out the risks associated with the institutionalization of religious movements and the use of religion as an instrument of control and power.
€15,90
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Esperia We Run Together to Kosen Rufu
Daisaku Ikeda's guides for the youth of the Student Division. The book contains messages, editorials, excerpts and dialogues by Daisaku Ikeda dedicated to members of the beloved Student Division.
€6,00
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Esperia Challenges and Visions for the Future
In the seventh volume of Protagonists of the 21st Century, the dialogue between young people and President Ikeda touches on ethical issues such as goodness and justice, the struggle against the demonic nature of authority, true freedom, and existential issues such as life and death. Urging not to leave the hard work or responsibility to others, Ikeda indicates the importance of discovering the individual mission that only we can fulfill.
€6,00
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