Wisdom of Tolerance, The

By Abdurrahman Wahid

Book Description

Two spiritual leaders from different worlds discover remarkable common ground in this illuminating dialogue between cultures and faiths. Abdurrahman Wahid from Indonesia and Daisaku Ikeda from Japan engage in a profound conversation that reveals how Buddhism and Islam, despite their distinct traditions, share fundamental aspirations for peace and human understanding.

Through their exchange, these distinguished thinkers explore the unexpected connections between their island nations, drawing on centuries of shared trade and cultural interaction. Their discussion weaves together insights from diverse sources, from classical composers like Beethoven to filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, demonstrating how wisdom transcends cultural boundaries.

A particularly striking moment emerges when they examine parallel stories from their respective traditions: Indonesia's tale of the Bamboo Princess and Japan's Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. These narrative echoes become powerful symbols of our shared humanity, suggesting that common threads unite all cultures beneath surface differences.

Both leaders draw deeply from their personal experiences of conflict and hardship, as well as the teachings of Buddha and Prophet Mohammed, to illuminate how genuine courage manifests through tolerance and nonviolence. Whether exploring Nichiren Buddhism or reframing the true meaning of jihad as peaceful communication of divine truth, their conversation transforms conventional understanding of religious dialogue.

This thoughtful exploration offers readers a model for meaningful interfaith engagement, showing how individual conversations can bridge seemingly vast divides and foster genuine harmony between different spiritual paths.