Soka Education : A Buddhist Vision for Teachers, Students and Parents

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.

Daisaku Ikeda is the author of The Way of Youth, For the Sake of Peace, and The Living Buddha. He is the president of Soka Gakkai International, one of the most prominent Buddhist schools in the world today, with over 12 million members. For his role as a peace activist, he received the United Nations Peace Award.