From a Japanese word meaning "to create value," this book presents a fresh spiritual perspective to question the ultimate purpose of education. Mixing American pragmatism with Buddhist philosophy, the goal of Soka education is the lifelong happiness of the learner. Rather than offering practical classroom techniques, this book speaks to the emotional heart of both the teacher and student. With input from philosophers and activists from several cultures, it advances the conviction that the true purpose of education is to create a peaceful world and to develop the individual character of each student in order to achieve that goal.
"What our world most requires now is the kind of education that fosters love for humankind, that develops character - that provides an intellectual basis for the realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society," writes Daisaku Ikeda, respected educator, prolific author and international Buddhist leader. Soka education strives to do that. Soka is a Japanese word that means "to create value," or to develop within oneself the capacity to find meaning, to enhance one's own existence and contribute to the well-being of others, under all circumstances.
In Soka Education: A Buddhist Vision for Teachers, Students and Parents Mr. Ikeda shares his thoughts on topics such as the role of education in creating a peaceful world, the meaning of a "creative life," the crucial role of the teacher, and the responsibility of the student to the creation of values. Teachers, students (and their parents) will gain a fresh spiritual perspective from which to view the ultimate purpose of education itself.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a Japanese educator and contemporary of John Dewey, the American pragmatist, first developed the principles of Soka education in the early 20th century. Makiguchi found himself influenced greatly by the American's ideas, and combining what he learned from Dewey with his own experience with Buddhist philosophy, he asserted that the purpose of education must be the lifelong happiness of the learners.
Drawing on the wisdom of Makiguchi, as well as philosophers and activists from every culture, Mr. Ikeda offers timely and important ideas. He asks "for what purpose education?" and shares his conviction that the answer must always lie in developing within the character of each individual student the "noble spirit to embrace and augment the lives of others."
Mr. Ikeda has made this philosophy the founding spirit for the several Soka schools in Japan and Asia he has established, as well as for Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, to be opened in 2001. The curriculum of these Soka schools, though based on Buddhist principles, is nonreligious and open to people of all faiths.
