In honor of the 50^th anniversary of the travels for peace of Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher, World Poet Laureate and educator, an 8-foot bronze of Walt Whitman with Butterfly will be on display at the Whitman Birthplace. The statue will be open for public viewing during the regular hours of the Whitman Birthplace from October 12, 2010.

Daisaku Ikeda, like so many great thinkers and social activists, has been profoundly influenced by “the Good Gray Poet”. As an educator and the leader of a 13 million member international Buddhist peace movement, Ikeda has paid homage to Whitman in his prose, poetry and speeches, reaching people around the globe with Whitman’s message.

“A poet of the people”, says Ikeda, “Whitman’s work was a companion to me in my youth. I still remember the thrill I felt when, in impoverishment following the war’s end (WWII), I scraped together the money to buy a translation of Leaves of Grass…Whitman’s poetry magnanimously affirms humanity and celebrates hope for a new age. This volume, which encouraged more than I can say, was priceless to me.”

Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd., West Hills. 
631-427-5240