Dawn After Dark

This book, "Dawn After Dark," is a discussion between an acclaimed French art critic, writer and expert on French painting, René Huyghe, a member of the Académie Français, and an international Buddhist leader, Daisaku Ikeda. The dialogue aims at gaining an overall perspective on humanity's current predicaments and the reforms needed to move forward and avert disaster. To paraphrase Huyghe's introduction, never before has humanity had to face problems on so vast a scale as those confronting us today. Until recent times, human groups had no interest in knowing anything but their own needs, customs and beliefs. Rejecting or ignoring the beliefs of others, they attempted to enforce their own set of values wherever they went. Today, a more universal awareness is emerging. Humanity has come to realize that it is essential to examine the characteristics, causes and effects of current problems and to establish reforms to avert them. In this book, Huyghe and Ikeda bring together and compare ways of thought from opposite sides of the world, France and Japan. Through an objective comparison of traditions, cultures, and religions from East and West, they provide us with a global view of problems at hand. Their discussion is divided into five parts. In the first, the nature of the varous dilemma we confront is exposed and shown to be first and foremost a moral crisis. The second part points to its historical roots, and the third investigates the changes that humanity is now undergoing, the social tasks before us and what is needed from within ourselves to build a new, more peaceful society.The fourth part turns to solutions - the key to harmony in life and the means to reform the inner lives of human beings. Part five discusses major resources for peace that are uniquely human, art and religion, which are linked by a sense of the sacred. With their distinct but complementary viewpoints, Huyghe and Ikeda take different paths that eventually converge to illuminate the increasingly complex world in which we live with clarity and profound optimism.

In this book, Rene Huyghe, writer of dozens of books on Art, Art History and Collections, one of Europe's great intellectual masters of the Art World, meets with Daisaku Ikeda, writer of dozens of books on philosophy and Buddhism, one of the world's great Buddhist leaders. Throught their exchanges, we learn not only about each man and his fields of expertise, but about the wisdom each has gained by their keen observations of life itself - through their fields of expertise, and well as their incredibly rich and diverse sets of experiences. Both men have lived through the untold horrors of war, both know that Art and Culture holds keys to leading humanity toward a new "Dawn After Dark."

Tina Turner is the reason I found this book, and all others by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International. After hearing Tina Turner speak about her Buddhist practice in interviews, and hearing her give credit to Buddhism for her happiness and in life, I decided to look further into it myself.Tina mentioned Daisaku Ikeda as the person who brought Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to America. This is the Buddhist practice to which Tina attributes her spiritual fulfillment and strength. Thanks to Tina's explanations, I was able to locate the Soka Gakkai International and from there I discovered many profound, inspirational and educational writings by Daisaku Ikeda. This book is just one of Mr. Ikeda's many contributions to further the understanding of Buddhist principles and their application in every day life.I highly recommend that anyone interested in the Buddhist practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo read the writings of Daisaku Ikeda to learn more about Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

In this book, Rene Huyghe, writer of dozens of books on Art, Art History and Collections, one of Europe's great intellectual masters of the Art World, meets with Daisaku Ikeda, writer of dozens of books on philosophy and Buddhism, one of the world's great Buddhist leaders.Throught their exchanges, we learn not only about each man and his fields of expertise, but about the wisdom each has gained by their keen observations of life itself - through their fields of expertise, and well as their incredibly rich and diverse sets of experiences. Both men have lived through the untold horrors of war, both know that Art and Culture holds keys to leading humanity toward a new "Dawn After Dark."