Peace, Justice, and the Poetic Mind: Conversations on the Path of Nonviolence
Peace and justice are frequently invoked as ideals. They often end up merely as slogans. In their new dialogue book, Peace, Justice, and the Poetic Mind, co-authors Stuart Rees and Daisaku Ikeda share ideas on how to avoid this fate. A number of commitments make this possible. There is the commitment, not to any ideology, but to protecting and nurturing the dignity of all people. There is the commitment to nonviolence as a “law for life.” There is the commitment to create the conditions for peace across every sector of society. And, finally, there is a commitment to embracing poetry and “the poetic mind” as the creative tools par excellence for envisioning and realizing a future in which peace and justice are one.
“This latest in a series of books documenting conversations between Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, and leading global citizens features Dr. Stuart Rees, peace activist and professor emeritus of the University of Sydney. Topics for the twelve dialogues featured in this text range from the family histories and upbringings of both speakers to the individual nuances of their shared vision for a peace-, justice-, and joy-filled future for the world community. The authors’ sensitive and compassionate insights on the current condition of humanity are rendered even more powerful by frequent citations of poetry. While there is much in this book to engage the intellect, the numerous quoted verses speak to a deeper realm of the reader’s psyche.”
—Isabel Nuñez, Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University Fort Wayne
“In this dialogue, Daisaku Ikeda and Stuart Rees take us on a journey that is rich in insights and delightful in its story telling. As they seamlessly traverse the varied and fertile ground of poetry, spirituality, ethics and identity, we encounter the passion and wisdom of two men whose engagement with the human predicament has never wavered. It is engagement born from a firm grasp of the horrors of war and the enormity of the nuclear peril. But it is also engagement born of the conviction that human effort can make a difference. Peace, Justice, and the Poetic Mind offers us a compelling diagnosis of our ills. More than that, it points to the nonviolent pathway that leads to a just peace, and offers the pilgrim of peace much needed encouragement and inspiration.”
—Joseph Camilleri, OAM, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Stuart Rees is professor emeritus at the University of Sydney and former director of the Sydney Peace Foundation. Born in England, he was the founding director of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and served in that position for eighteen years.
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
Stuart Rees
CONVERSATIONS
1. Peace Is Not Only the Absence of War
2. Living Up to Our Mission
3. Spiritual Struggle
4. Identity and Globalization
5. A Law for Life
6. Unsung Heroes
7. A World Without Nuclear Weapons
8. Creating the Conditions for Peace
9. Poetry to Reawaken
10. Fighting for What Is Right
11. Dignity for All
12. Altruism Over Egoism
Appendix 1. Selected Works—Daisaku Ikeda
Appendix 2. Selected Works—Stuart Rees
Notes
Index
About the Authors
Excerpts from the Preface by Daisaku Ikeda:
“What are the challenges that we need to undertake in the twenty-first century?
“It is time we rethink the concept of peace and discard the conventional concept expressed in the ancient Roman proverb, ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ Instead, we must seek to establish the kind of civilization that chooses nonviolence and denounces war if we are to realize the peaceful coexistence of all.
“Countless human lives were sacrificed in the twentieth century in the name of ideological and nationalistic causes. We must no longer tolerate the ‘justice in name only’ that allows the use of any means to achieve an end and capitalizes on human lives. We must instead strive to build a solidarity of people’s justice that serves to protect the dignity of all human beings…”
*
“The central theme woven throughout our dialogue is ‘peace with justice’—a topic [Dr. Rees] has continued to pursue since he was inaugurated as the first director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. His unchanging belief is that ‘peace is not the mere absence of war. Even though a situation may look peaceful on the surface, as long as there are people who suffer from injustice, including poverty and lack of opportunities, that situation is not worthy of the name of peace in its true sense.’”
*
“This book is a collection of my exchanges on the quest for peace and the way for the realization of social justice with Dr. Rees, whom I deeply respect. It is a book driven by our mutual conviction in the immense power of one book to bring about change.
“My sincere hope is that this book will offer insights to young people who shoulder the future and serve as a catalyst to transform the coming era.”
Excerpts from the Preface by Stuart Rees
“First, if peace only means a ceasefire in a war or an end to violence in domestic disputes, it is unlikely to have much lasting effect on human rights and on the quality of life of the people involved. But if peace negotiators used their imagination, they could focus on peace with justice, not simply peace. That is a crucial distinction. Striving for peace with justice depends, among other things, on exploring context, country and culture, individual needs and aspirations, and an appreciation of nonviolence.
“That brings me to my second point—the value of poetry. In common with other art forms, poetry strives to convey meaning that enables readers and listeners to realize ideas and possibilities that they may have never previously imagined. The poetic mind cannot tell people what to do but can excite and motivate. The poetic mind cannot claim to have answers, but thinking poetically begins to realize human potential because it depends on humor and insight plus a willingness to laugh at oneself and to ponder life’s wonders, cruelties, and absurdities. Such a way of thinking and writing brings us, inevitably, to peace with justice.”
*
“Our dialogue stays in touch with humanity by opposing violence of all kinds, in particular by advocating the creation of a world without nuclear weapons. President Ikeda’s annual peace messages have appealed for the creation of an international nuclear disarmament agency. We discuss ways to respond to his appeal as a national and international priority for any individuals or groups concerned with promoting peace with justice.
“Our dialogue about the philosophy, language, and practice of nonviolence refers not only to the cultural heritage of Buddhism but also to a respect for views derived from all religions and from citizens with no religious beliefs. Such understanding and tolerance is the core of that humanist orientation of peace linked to poetry…”
Description
Peace and justice are frequently invoked as ideals. They often end up merely as slogans. In their new dialogue book, Peace, Justice, and the Poetic Mind, co-authors Stuart Rees and Daisaku Ikeda share ideas on how to avoid this fate. A number of commitments make this possible. There is the commitment, not to any ideology, but to protecting and nurturing the dignity of all people. There is the commitment to nonviolence as a “law for life.” There is the commitment to create the conditions for peace across every sector of society. And, finally, there is a commitment to embracing poetry and “the poetic mind” as the creative tools par excellence for envisioning and realizing a future in which peace and justice are one.
Advance Praise
“This latest in a series of books documenting conversations between Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, and leading global citizens features Dr. Stuart Rees, peace activist and professor emeritus of the University of Sydney. Topics for the twelve dialogues featured in this text range from the family histories and upbringings of both speakers to the individual nuances of their shared vision for a peace-, justice-, and joy-filled future for the world community. The authors’ sensitive and compassionate insights on the current condition of humanity are rendered even more powerful by frequent citations of poetry. While there is much in this book to engage the intellect, the numerous quoted verses speak to a deeper realm of the reader’s psyche.”
—Isabel Nuñez, Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University Fort Wayne
“In this dialogue, Daisaku Ikeda and Stuart Rees take us on a journey that is rich in insights and delightful in its story telling. As they seamlessly traverse the varied and fertile ground of poetry, spirituality, ethics and identity, we encounter the passion and wisdom of two men whose engagement with the human predicament has never wavered. It is engagement born from a firm grasp of the horrors of war and the enormity of the nuclear peril. But it is also engagement born of the conviction that human effort can make a difference. Peace, Justice, and the Poetic Mind offers us a compelling diagnosis of our ills. More than that, it points to the nonviolent pathway that leads to a just peace, and offers the pilgrim of peace much needed encouragement and inspiration.”
—Joseph Camilleri, OAM, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Author(s)
Stuart Rees is professor emeritus at the University of Sydney and former director of the Sydney Peace Foundation. Born in England, he was the founding director of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and served in that position for eighteen years.
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
Stuart Rees
CONVERSATIONS
1. Peace Is Not Only the Absence of War
2. Living Up to Our Mission
3. Spiritual Struggle
4. Identity and Globalization
5. A Law for Life
6. Unsung Heroes
7. A World Without Nuclear Weapons
8. Creating the Conditions for Peace
9. Poetry to Reawaken
10. Fighting for What Is Right
11. Dignity for All
12. Altruism Over Egoism
Appendix 1. Selected Works—Daisaku Ikeda
Appendix 2. Selected Works—Stuart Rees
Notes
Index
About the Authors
Excerpts
Excerpts from the Preface by Daisaku Ikeda:
“What are the challenges that we need to undertake in the twenty-first century?
“It is time we rethink the concept of peace and discard the conventional concept expressed in the ancient Roman proverb, ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ Instead, we must seek to establish the kind of civilization that chooses nonviolence and denounces war if we are to realize the peaceful coexistence of all.
“Countless human lives were sacrificed in the twentieth century in the name of ideological and nationalistic causes. We must no longer tolerate the ‘justice in name only’ that allows the use of any means to achieve an end and capitalizes on human lives. We must instead strive to build a solidarity of people’s justice that serves to protect the dignity of all human beings…”
*
“The central theme woven throughout our dialogue is ‘peace with justice’—a topic [Dr. Rees] has continued to pursue since he was inaugurated as the first director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. His unchanging belief is that ‘peace is not the mere absence of war. Even though a situation may look peaceful on the surface, as long as there are people who suffer from injustice, including poverty and lack of opportunities, that situation is not worthy of the name of peace in its true sense.’”
*
“This book is a collection of my exchanges on the quest for peace and the way for the realization of social justice with Dr. Rees, whom I deeply respect. It is a book driven by our mutual conviction in the immense power of one book to bring about change.
“My sincere hope is that this book will offer insights to young people who shoulder the future and serve as a catalyst to transform the coming era.”
Excerpts from the Preface by Stuart Rees
“First, if peace only means a ceasefire in a war or an end to violence in domestic disputes, it is unlikely to have much lasting effect on human rights and on the quality of life of the people involved. But if peace negotiators used their imagination, they could focus on peace with justice, not simply peace. That is a crucial distinction. Striving for peace with justice depends, among other things, on exploring context, country and culture, individual needs and aspirations, and an appreciation of nonviolence.
“That brings me to my second point—the value of poetry. In common with other art forms, poetry strives to convey meaning that enables readers and listeners to realize ideas and possibilities that they may have never previously imagined. The poetic mind cannot tell people what to do but can excite and motivate. The poetic mind cannot claim to have answers, but thinking poetically begins to realize human potential because it depends on humor and insight plus a willingness to laugh at oneself and to ponder life’s wonders, cruelties, and absurdities. Such a way of thinking and writing brings us, inevitably, to peace with justice.”
*
“Our dialogue stays in touch with humanity by opposing violence of all kinds, in particular by advocating the creation of a world without nuclear weapons. President Ikeda’s annual peace messages have appealed for the creation of an international nuclear disarmament agency. We discuss ways to respond to his appeal as a national and international priority for any individuals or groups concerned with promoting peace with justice.
“Our dialogue about the philosophy, language, and practice of nonviolence refers not only to the cultural heritage of Buddhism but also to a respect for views derived from all religions and from citizens with no religious beliefs. Such understanding and tolerance is the core of that humanist orientation of peace linked to poetry…”