On October 9, 1988, Daisaku Ikeda and Chingiz Aitmatov, the foremost literary figure of modern Kyrgyzstan, met in Tokyo for the first time. They later collaborated on the publication of “Ode to the Grand Spirit: A Dialogue,” a wide-ranging and heartfelt exploration of life and humanity. As Ikeda notes about Chingiz Aitmatov, “The moment I shook hands with him, I intuitively felt that he was a man of lion-like courage. His countenance revealed a dauntless spirit. He exuded an air of great strengt