Even if things don't unfold the way you expected, don't be d... - Daisaku Ikeda

"Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself."

"A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader."

"Leave behind the passive dreaming of a rose-tinted future. The energy of happiness exists in living today with roots sunk firmly in reality's soil."

"Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us."

"it is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others. This perspective is at the heart of Buddhist teachings."