The vice- chancelor of Jagaran lakecity University, Anoop Swaroop, says that there is need to noursh a philoso The global turmoil that has followed terrorist attacks on Paris, Mumbai and New York in recent years underscores the need to nourish a philosophy that emphasises the sanctity of life for lasting peace.
This thought was voiced by Anoop Swaroop, the vice-chancellor of Jagran lakecity University, while awarding an Honorary Doctorate of Humane letters (Humanity and Arts) to Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher and president, SokaGakkai International (SGI), an organisation working for global peace based on Buddhist philosophy.
“The very ethos and central tenet of Ikeda’s thought, and of Buddhism, is the fundamental sanctity of life, a value which Ikeda sees as the key to lasting peace and human happiness,” said Swaroop.
He said the terrorist attacks, be it Mumbai, New York, london or Paris and the retaliatory response to it, makes Ikeda and his thought become ever so relevant.
“A non-killing world view with infinite reverence towards life and universal peace is the call of the day as envisioned by Professor Glenn D Paige at the ‘Çentre for Global Nonkilling’ and the only sane way forward lies in the Gandhian precept so well propounded in Ikeda’s thought, “to fight darkness you need light,” added Swaroop.
“Ïn Ikeda’s view, global peace relies ultimately on a self-directed transformational change within the life of the individual, rather than on societal or structural reforms alone,” he said.
He said that only iconic personalities such as Daisaku Ikeda and the path of Buddha, Gandhi and (Martin luther Jr) King will bring lasting change in this world of ours for our future generations to cherish.
The award by JlU was conferred on Ikeda in recognition of his untiring pursuit of peace and love for humanity and accepted on his behalf by SokaGakkai, president, Minoru Harada.
The citationexpressed appreciation for Ikeda’s 2015 Peace Proposal and his emphasis on dialogue across differences for the sake of mutual co-existence as well as the self-directed transformation within the individual that leads to social transformation.
The award was announced earlier at the university’s first convocation ceremony that was held in the institution’s sprawling campus in Bhopal.The university was founded in 2013 with the purpose of contributing to a humane, equitable and sustainable society. President Ikeda’s unceasing dedication to the cause of peace has gained him appreciation world over. He is a rare recipient of 363 honorary doctorates so far. The current honour will be the 14th academic honour from India. Earlier prestigious institutions from India that have given awards include the University of Delhi, Vishwabharati University and Himachal Pradesh University, to name a few.
In his acceptance speech as conveyed by Harada at the event, president Ikeda conveyed his deep appreciation for this honour and said that it was a great privilege to be recognised by a distinguished institution of higher learning. He said, “Educational efforts grounded in a philosophy of respect for the dignity of life can be a source of enduring inspiration to people and create unfathomable value. Jagranlakecity University continues to vibrantly extend the influence of human spiritual awakening and spread the message of peace. I am moved by your motto, ‘Igniting Minds, Changing lives,’ and the ways in which you seek to concretise it. The state of Madhya Pradesh is known for its diamonds. I believe that the lives of young people are like diamonds in the rough. As humanity wrestles with the darkness of the times, the world yearns for the light that issues from young people imbued with indestructible hope.”
Echoing these thoughts, Vishesh Gupta, chairperson, Bharat SokaGakkai (the Indian affiliate of the SGI) said, “Fixing his gaze on the distant future, president Ikeda is always focusing on taking action in the present moment. President Ikeda says, “life is short. The most valuable thing we can devote our lives to is fostering people who will build a new age for the sake of tomorrow.”
“And, in exact accord with this belief, both SokaGakkai and Jagranlakecity University are engaging in fostering the new generation who will shoulder the responsibility for the future of humanity,” he added.
In the vote of thanks, educator Vandana Jain said that president Ikeda believes that education is one of the most sacred and valuable tasks and he urges us to always ask, For what purpose should one cultivate wisdomIJ The true purpose of education he believes is to serve the people, remove suffering and protect humanity. So, as we leave today, let us respond to Ikeda’s expectations by reaffirming to bring in a new age of value creating education for the sake of peace and human happiness!"
Jagran lakecitY University was awarded the Most Emerging University ofMP in 2013 and has also been the recipient of many awards. phy that emphasis the sancity of life for lasting peace