Books and magazines
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Esperia Buddhism, the first millennium
The book discusses 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, up to the birth of the Mahayana movement, whose origins remain poorly defined. Daisaku Ikeda examines the sparse historical information that has reached us and interprets it with his characteristic originality and intuition. He expounds the essential principles of the Lotus Sutra, the fundamental scripture of the Great Vehicle, and retraces the events of some of the protagonists in the history of Buddhism: King Ashoka and the philosophers Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, who contributed to its affirmation as one of the major world religions.
€11,00
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Esperia The Life of the Buddha
An interpretive biography of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Daisaku Ikeda, a contemporary Buddhist leader and thinker, attempts to trace, using the scarce biographical information available about Gautama Siddhartha, known as Shakyamuni or the Buddha, the motivations that led a man who had every earthly wealth and privilege at his disposal to abandon palaces, his princely title, wife, and son. He likely did so in reaction to the discovery of the fundamental sufferings of life, which spare no one, not even those who enjoy a privileged existence. Ikeda retraces the steps of the young man in search of the enlightenment that can free human beings from every bond of suffering, engaging in a quest based on sparse sources and his own experience as a Buddhist practitioner. Can what drove Gautama Siddhartha almost three thousand years ago to undertake a arduous struggle 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, also inspire the West? The author, and we with him, believes it can and helps us understand the essence of the "Enlightened One's" illumination. The original title of the work, My View of Shakyamuni, suggests the spirit with which the author approached the historical Buddha, who lived in India approximately twenty-five centuries ago. Indeed, there is very little data about his life, and the only sources are texts transmitted for centuries solely in oral form. Reconstructing the life of the "Sage of the Shakyas" therefore means trying to go far beyond what the news and hagiographic accounts have handed down to us, and making a considerable effort to interpret the many important choices Shakyamuni made throughout his life. Ikeda undertakes this journey based on his own experience as a contemporary religious leader, and it is precisely by virtue of this role that he guides us to understand the deepest meaning of the "Enlightened One's" illumination.
€11,00
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Esperia Alessandro's Choice
A novel by Daisaku Ikeda on the theme of friendship.333 BC. Alexander the Great, on his conquest of the East, contracts a severe illness. No one among the wise men in his retinue can find a cure to save him from death. But in the nocturnal quiet of the camp, as the disease slowly consumes his body, a tormenting doubt tears at his soul. Is the potion prepared for him by Philip, his loyal childhood friend and personal physician, a medicine or a poison? As swift as the wind, sent by one of his generals, a messenger on horseback arrives to deliver the letter containing the answer: Philip is a traitor. The young and invincible king will thus have to wonder whether to trust the messenger and disown his lifelong friend, or bring the cup to his lips and risk his life. The classical world meets Buddhist teachings and offers Master Ikeda the opportunity to celebrate, in a compelling and precious book, the value of loyalty and friendship. True friendship is not based on calculation. Gold and wealth cannot buy it. It makes us better: it brings out our qualities, helps us make others happy, and while we strive to do so, it gives us joy. Therefore, a friend is like a second self; in friendship two people become one, and a bond of this kind can be defined as life itself.
€9,00
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IBISG 951 New Renaissance - APRIL 2026
The first publication of the Italian Soka Gakkai Buddhist Institute, founded in February 1982, will have a new print version of 44 pages (compared to the current 32 of NR Selezione) and will adopt the current format of Buddhism and Society. It will therefore be a totally renewed magazine, with a greater number of pages and variety of content. It will be published every month and will present everything necessary to deepen faith, practice and the study of Buddhism, and to carry out Soka Gakkai activities. The lesson for the monthly study, until now in Buddhism and Society, will also be published in Il Nuovo Rinascimento. As Daisaku Ikeda writes: "Our magazines have the role of transforming despair into hope, pain into joy, the sense of powerlessness into courage, to move from 'a life in which one cries for one's karma' to 'a life in which one lives to fulfill one's mission' by revitalizing oneself and others."
€4,00
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IBISG 950 New Renaissance with B&S insert - MARCH 2026
NEW EDITORIAL PROJECT Il Nuovo Rinascimento, 44 pages, monthly, ilnuovorinascimento.orgBuddismo e Società, 36 pages, bimonthly, buddismoesocieta.org The first publication of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, founded in February 1982, will have a new print version of 44 pages (compared to the current 32 of NR Selezione) and will adopt the current format of Buddismo e società. It will therefore be a totally revamped magazine, with a greater number of pages and variety of content, it will be published every month and will present everything necessary to deepen faith, practice and study of Buddhism, and to carry out the activities of the Soka Gakkai. The lesson for the monthly study, until now in Buddismo e società, will also be published in Il Nuovo Rinascimento In 2026, its fortieth anniversary will be celebrated, in its print version it will be 36 pages and will be published every two months. Its specials, interviews and columns will thus be able to be increasingly accurate and entirely dedicated to exploring social and cultural themes in the light of Buddhism, aiming to spread a humanistic and hopeful vision in society. At the same time, it will be an even more effective tool to present the Soka Gakkai and its initiatives for peace, culture and education, including those related to projects supported by the 8x1000 funds and the Be The Hope Foundation. As Daisaku Ikeda writes: "Our magazines have the role of transforming despair into hope, pain into joy, a sense of powerlessness into courage, to move from 'a life in which one cries for one's karma' to 'a life in which one lives to fulfill one's mission' by revitalizing oneself and others."
€6,00
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IBISG 951 New Renaissance - APRIL 2026
The first publication of the Italian Soka Gakkai Buddhist Institute, founded in February 1982, will have a new print version of 44 pages (compared to the current 32 of NR Selezione) and will adopt the current format of Buddhism and Society. It will therefore be a totally renewed magazine, with a greater number of pages and variety of content. It will be published every month and will present everything necessary to deepen faith, practice and the study of Buddhism, and to carry out Soka Gakkai activities. The lesson for the monthly study, until now in Buddhism and Society, will also be published in Il Nuovo Rinascimento. As Daisaku Ikeda writes: "Our magazines have the role of transforming despair into hope, pain into joy, the sense of powerlessness into courage, to move from 'a life in which one cries for one's karma' to 'a life in which one lives to fulfill one's mission' by revitalizing oneself and others."
€4,00
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€4,50
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€4,50
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Esperia An economy for the people
It is undeniable that economics plays a fundamental role in our lives, both individually and socially. Yet, many find the subject complex and difficult to approach, tending to avoid it. In this dialogue, economist Lawrence J. Lau and Buddhist philosopher and Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda address the topic of economic development in modern society from a historical perspective, examining what lessons can be learned from the East Asian currency crises in 1997 and the global financial crisis in 2007-2009. Covering various subjects, the authors help readers understand the challenges globalization has imposed on economies, the importance of government regulation in markets, and the delicate issue of balancing a country's economic growth with the well-being of its entire population. These conversations, where economic aspects are not separated from people's daily lives, thus become small economics lessons. Thanks to simple and accessible language, one can begin to unravel the mystery of economics, a discipline that concerns the framework of the world we inhabit, and whose knowledge is often precluded from us by technical complexities and specialist terminology. "Economics," said economist John Kenneth Galbraith, "must serve human happiness" and "the fundamental force driving the economy is people." Daisaku Ikeda is president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and leader of the Buddhist movement based on the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. An activist, philosopher, educator, and poet, Ikeda has dedicated over seventy years to spreading Buddhist humanism worldwide and building the foundations for a culture of peace. SGI, which has members in 192 countries and territories, encourages individuals to develop their inner potential and contribute as global citizens to overcome the collective challenges facing humanity. He is the founder of Soka University, with campuses in Japan and the United States, and many other institutions dedicated to researching solutions to the many crises of the contemporary era. In 1983, he was awarded the United Nations Peace Award. Lawrence J. Lau was Professor of Economics at Stanford University from 1976 to 2004, then became the sixth Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, holding that position for seven years. He is the author of numerous publications including The Chinese Economy in the Twenty-first Century: An Econometric Approach. The challenge for policy is to balance economic growth with improving people's quality of life and ensuring that this effort is stable and sustainable. Soka Gakkai's second president, Josei Toda, often told us that individual happiness should never be sacrificed at the altar of social prosperity, but that the two aspects must advance hand in hand. I believe there is a growing urgency for economic activity to focus not only on efficiency but also on the collective interest. Daisaku Ikeda To overcome the current crisis, developed economies must focus on restarting the real economy, pursuing a path of sustainable growth and not inventing further financial tricks. We must not lose sight of the fact that the role of the financial sector is to support other sectors of the economy and that ultimately the financial sector must be directly based on the performance of the real economy. Lawrence J. Lau
€15,90
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Esperia The eternal Soka citadel
"The dawn has broken": these were the words young Daisaku Ikeda, on his way to Kansai to confront the authorities in what later became known as the "Osaka Incident," addressed to a woman who asked for his message to the members. It was July 3, 1957. A victim of false accusations, Ikeda was imprisoned for about two weeks. When he was finally released, he rejoined his fellow believers in Osaka, declaring with conviction that victory invariably awaits those who uphold the correct Buddhist teaching, in the spirit of the non-duality of mentor and disciple. This, ultimately, is the subject of the essays included in this volume, written between 2016 and 2017, in which Daisaku Ikeda indicates the path to follow as disciples to build together a great, unassailable, and even more solid Soka citadel, and to expand an increasingly diverse network of solidarity among capable people, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, who courageously face great struggles, based on the principle "Buddhism is inseparable from society." Some essays are particularly addressed to the Men's, Women's, and Youth Divisions, always emphasizing the strength that springs from the Soka family when it advances in unity, and the importance of nurturing the members of the Future Division, the torchbearers of justice.
€10,00
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Esperia Daisaku Ikeda in Europe
A collection of excerpts from The New Human Revolution on President Ikeda's travels in Europe and Italy.
€5,00
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IBISG 950 New Renaissance with B&S insert - MARCH 2026
NEW EDITORIAL PROJECT Il Nuovo Rinascimento, 44 pages, monthly, ilnuovorinascimento.orgBuddismo e Società, 36 pages, bimonthly, buddismoesocieta.org The first publication of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, founded in February 1982, will have a new print version of 44 pages (compared to the current 32 of NR Selezione) and will adopt the current format of Buddismo e società. It will therefore be a totally revamped magazine, with a greater number of pages and variety of content, it will be published every month and will present everything necessary to deepen faith, practice and study of Buddhism, and to carry out the activities of the Soka Gakkai. The lesson for the monthly study, until now in Buddismo e società, will also be published in Il Nuovo Rinascimento In 2026, its fortieth anniversary will be celebrated, in its print version it will be 36 pages and will be published every two months. Its specials, interviews and columns will thus be able to be increasingly accurate and entirely dedicated to exploring social and cultural themes in the light of Buddhism, aiming to spread a humanistic and hopeful vision in society. At the same time, it will be an even more effective tool to present the Soka Gakkai and its initiatives for peace, culture and education, including those related to projects supported by the 8x1000 funds and the Be The Hope Foundation. As Daisaku Ikeda writes: "Our magazines have the role of transforming despair into hope, pain into joy, a sense of powerlessness into courage, to move from 'a life in which one cries for one's karma' to 'a life in which one lives to fulfill one's mission' by revitalizing oneself and others."
€6,00
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