The Institute of Oriental Philosophy
   Special Lecture




"For Solidarity of Peace in East Asia"

Dr. Lee Soo-sung, known as a politician with philosophy, served as Prime Minister of South Korea and president of Seoul National University. Having received his LL.D., he wrote many books and articles on criminal law and criminal policy. In 1999, he had a dialogue with Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda, founder of the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, on various topics including culture, education and peace. In 2016, Dr. Lee assumed Executive Chairman of “The Lotus Sutra―A Message of Peace and Harmonious Coexistence” exhibition held in Seoul.


In his lecture, Dr. Lee first referred to life as a precious foundation of peace. He stressed, “It is a miracle that a human comes into this world. Each and every one of us is irreplaceable and precious.” Based on his engagement in the Lotus Sutra exhibition, he told the audience, “The Lotus Sutra expresses that each one of us has inherent Buddha-nature. You are not the only one who is special. All humans live as precious beings. Therefore, we all should not be arrogant to anyone but humble to every single person in front of us.”

In addition, Dr. Lee touched upon the history that Korea was annexed by Japan. He said, “Once a war breaks out, one has no choice but to kill the other. Although South Korea and Japan have original brotherhood, the history of two nations tells many complicated affairs. Everyone has to understand what happened in the past. We should not take wars and conflicts as small matters.” He expressed his expectations by commenting, “While there are diplomatic discords among South Korea, China and Japan, President Ikeda is awarded by many cities and institutions of South Korea and China. As long as I know, there is no one who is greater than him in the world. It is my sincere wish that, in respect for leaders like President Ikeda, a movement of hope and solidarity will spread in waves over the world.”

Organizer: The Institute of Oriental Philosophy
Lecturer: Dr. Lee Soo-sung (Former Prime Minister of South Korea)
Venue: CongreSquare (Nakano Ward, Tokyo)
Date: October 8, 2017



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