[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 132 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAISAKU IKEDA

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 7, 2007

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
commend an admirable leader Daisaku Ikeda on the 50th anniversary of 
Soka Gakkai International. As president, Mr. Ikeda is an exemplary 
humanitarian committed to developing a peaceful world.
  As a young man, Mr. Ikeda was a disciple of Josei Toda, founder of 
Soka Gakkai International, of which 5,000 members reside in Dallas, TX. 
During this time, he adopted the mission to embrace the movement of 
human revolution based on daily efforts to transform their individual 
lives from within through a consistent and essential aspect of the 
historical challenge of nuclear disarmament, abolition and peace.
  Mr. Ikeda is a prolific writer, poet, peace activist, pianist, 
environmentalist, photographer and interpreter of Nichiren Buddhism. In 
1983, Mr. Ikeda proposed his first peace proposal in response to 
challenges of our global society grounded in his Buddhist perspective. 
This proposal is submitted each year to the United Nations.
  As president of Soka Gakkai International, Mr. Ikeda has founded 
several institutions, such as Soka schools, the Min-On Concert 
Association, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, the Institute of Oriental 
Science and the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research to 
promote educational, cultural, and artistic activities and to conduct 
exchanges with like groups and institutions on a global scale.
  He has also initiated a wide range of grassroots exchange programs 
and delivered speeches at a number of institutions of higher learning 
around the world, including Harvard University, the Institut de France 
and Beijing University.
  On behalf of the 30th Congressional District of Texas, I am honored 
to commend the life of an astounding man, Daisaku Ikeda and 
congratulate him on the 50th anniversary of Soka Gakkai International.

                          ____________________