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Life Isn't Always Smooth. If It Were, We Would Never Grow & Develop As Human Beings. If We Succeed, We Are Envied; If We Fail, We Are Ridiculed & Attacked. Sadly, This Is How People Are. Unexpected Grief & Suffering May Lie Ahead Of You. But It Is Precisely When You Encounter Such Trying Times That You Must Not Be Defeated. Never Give Up! Never Retreat!

-Daisaku Ikeda

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Life Isn't Always Smooth.

Daisaku Ikeda

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Life Isn't Always Smooth. If It Were, We Would Never Grow & Develop As Human Beings. If We Succeed, We Are Envied; If We Fail, We Are Ridiculed & Attacked. Sadly, This Is How People Are. Unexpected Grief & Suffering May Lie Ahead Of You. But It Is Precisely When You Encounter Such Trying Times That You Must Not Be Defeated. Never Give Up! Never Retreat!

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Whatever The Outcome May Be, The Important Thing Is To Step Forward On The Path That You Believe Is Right.

To Be Fearless No Matter What Happens-that Is The Root Of True Happiness. To Move Forward Resolutely Regardless Of What Lies In Store-that Is The Spirit, The Resolve, That Leads To Human Victory.

Everything Begins With The Resolve To Take The First Step. From That Action, Wisdom Arises And Change Begins. Without Action, Nothing Changes.

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Let Us Give Something To Each Person We Meet: Joy, Courage, Hope, Assurance, Or Philosophy, Wisdom, A Vision For The Future. Let Us Always Give Something.

Those Who Always Have A Sense Of Appreciation And Gratitude Never Reach An Impasse In Life.

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Hopes, Dreams, Faith And A Sense Of Mission Enable Us To Open Up Our Lives.

Hope Is Life's Greatest Treasure. If You Have No Hope, Create Some!

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It Is Natural For Us, As Human Beings, To Look Forward. Our Eyes Naturally Look Ahead. In This Sense, We Are Made For Moving Toward A Goal.

When We Care For Others Our Own Strength To Live Increases. When We Help People Expand Their State Of Life, Our Lives Also Expand. Actions To Benefit Others Are Not Separate From Actions To Benefit Oneself. Our Lives And The Lives Of Others Are Ultimately Inseparable.

There Are Some Among The So-called Elite Who Are Overbearing And Arrogant. I Want To Foster Leaders, Not Elitists.

Creativity Means To Push Open The Heavy, Groaning Doorway To Life.

Rather Than Becoming Discouraged, Know That Encountering A Wall Is Proof Of The Progress That You Have Made So Far.

A Person Fully Awakened To The Jewel-like Dignity Of Their Own Life Is Capable Of Truly Respecting That Same Treasure In Others.

Bravely Overcoming One Small Fear Gives You The Courage To Take On The Next.

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The Differences Between People Need Not Act As Barriers That Wound, Harm And Drive Us Apart. Rather, These Very Differences Among Cultures And Civilizations Should Be Valued As Manifestations Of The Richness Of Our Shared Creativity.

Rather Than Turning Away From The Staggering Scale And Depth Of Misery Caused By War, We Must Strive To Develop Our Capacity To Empathize And Feel The Sufferings Of Others.

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Extreme Poverty Threatens People's Right To Life Itself And Makes Impossible The Enjoyment Of The Rights And Freedoms Essential To A Humane Way Of Life.

Dialogue And Education For Peace Can Help Free Our Hearts From The Impulse Toward Intolerance And The Rejection Of Others.

Freedom Doesn't Mean The Absence Of All Restrictions. It Means Possessing Unshakable Conviction In The Face Of Any Obstacle.

Living Here On Earth, We Breathe The Rhythms Of A Universe That Extends Infinitely Above Us. When Resonant Harmonies Arise Between This Vast Outer Cosmos And The Inner Human Cosmos, Poetry Is Born.

A Commitment To Human Rights Cannot Be Fostered Simply Through The Transmission Of Knowledge. Action And Experience Play A Crucial Role In The Learning Process.

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Adversity Gives Birth To Greatness. The Greater The Challenges And Difficulties We Face, The Greater The Opportunity We Have To Grow And Develop As People. A Life Without Adversity, A Life Of Ease And Comfort, Produces Nothing And Leaves Us With Nothing. This Is One Of The Indisputable Facts Of Life.

The Moment You Resolve To Be Victorious, Every Nerve And Fiber In Your Being Will Immediately Orient Itself Toward Your Success.

Faith Is To Fear Nothing, To Stand Unswayed, The Power To Surmount Any Obstacle.

World Peace Is Not Something That Can Be Realized Simply By Politicians Signing Treaties, Or By Business Leaders Creating Economic Cooperation. True And Lasting Peace Will Be Realized Only By Forging Bonds Of Trust Between People At The Deepest Level, In The Depths Of Their Very Lives.

Patience Is, In And Of Itself, A Great Challenge And It Often Holds The Key To Breaking Through A Seeming Impasse.

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Hope Is The Sun. It Is Light. It Is Passion. It Is The Fundamental Force For Life's Blossoming.

But I Believe We Must Not Allow Feelings Of Defeat To Take Root In Our Hearts.

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‎"those Who Give Up Dreams, Do Injury To Their Own Hearts And Cannot Possibly Enjoy A Profound Sense Of Fulfillment In The End.

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To Possess Both Wisdom And Compassion Is The Heart Of Our Human Revolution. If You Have Wisdom Alone And Lack Compassion, It Will Be A Cold, Perverse Wisdom. If You Have Compassion Alone And Lack Wisdom, You Cannot Give Happiness To Others. You Are Even Likely To Lead Them In The Wrong Direction, And You Won't Be Able To Achieve Your Own Happiness.

The Human Spirit Is As Expansive As The Cosmos. This Is Why It Is So Tragic To Belittle Yourself Or To Question Your Worth. No Matter What Happens, Continue To Push Back The Boundaries Of Your Inner Life. The Confidence To Prevail Over Any Problem, The Strength To Overcome Adversity And Unbounded Hope — All Reside Within You.

Why Is It That Sometimes Our Prayers Seem Not To Be Answered? This Is A Manifestation Of The Buddha's Wisdom, So That We Can Deepen Our Prayers, Become Stronger People, Live More Profound Lives And Secure Deeper, More Lasting Good Fortune. If Our Slightest Prayer Was Answered Immediately, We Would Become Lazy And Degenerate. And We Could Not Hope To Build A Life Of Great Dignity And Substance.

In The Past, Human Society Provided Encouragement And Opportunity For People To Extend Support To Each Other, Especially In Highly Stressful Situations.

Before Comparing Yourself With Others, Win The Battle With Yourself. Strive To Be Better Today Than Yesterday, And Better Tomorrow Than Today.

The Reactions Of The Human Heart Are Not Mechanical And Predictable But Infinitely Subtle And Delicate.

It Is Only Through Such Real-life Daily Struggles And Challenges That A Genuine Sensitivity To Human Rights Can Be Inculcated. This Is A Truth That Is Not Limited To School Education: It Applies To All Of Us.

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I Believe That A Culture Of Peace Must Be The Essential Foundation Of Our Efforts For Peace.

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Peace Will Be Realized Only By Forging Bonds Of Trust Between People At The Deepest Level, In The Depths Of Their Very Lives.

Where There Is An Absence Of International Political Leadership, Civil Society Should Step In To Fill The Gap, Providing The Energy And Vision Needed To Move The World In A New And Better Direction.

There Is No True Joy In A Life Lived Closed Up In The Little Shell Of The Self. When You Take One Step To Reach Out To People, When You Meet With Others And Share Their Thoughts And Sufferings, Infinite Compassion And Wisdom Well Up Within Your Heart. Your Life Is Transformed.

Music Speaks Directly To The Heart. This Response, This Echo Within The Heart, Is Proof That Human Hearts Can Transcend The Barriers Of Time And Space And Nationality. Exchanges In The Field Of Culture Can Play An Important Role In Enabling People To Overcome Mistrust And Prejudice And Build Peace.

No Matter How Complex Global Problems May Seem, It Is We Ourselves Who Have Given Rise To Them. They Cannot Be Beyond Our Power To Resolve

Great Art Is Created Only Through Diligent And Painstaking Effort To Perfect And Polish Oneself.

If We Look At The World With A Love Of Life, The World Will Reveal Its Beauty To Us.

As Long As We Are Human, We Are Destined To Make Mistakes. We All Fall Prey To Flawed Beliefs And Views. What Separates A Forward-looking Person From An Intransigent One, A Virtuous Person From A Malevolent One, However, Is Whether One Can Candidly Admit To Ones Mistakes And Take Bold Steps To Redress Them.

The Heart Is What Is Important." There Is Nothing More Vulnerable, Nothing More Corruptible Than The Human Mind; Nor Is There Anything As Powerful, Steadfast And Ennobling.

A Great Work Of Art Is One That Truly Moves And Inspires You. You Yourself Must Be Moved. Don't Look At Art With Others' Eyes. Don't Listen To Music With Others' Ears. You Must React To Art With Your Own Feelings, Your Own Heart And Mind.

We Are Not Merely Passive Pawns Of Historical Forces; Nor Are We Victims Of The Past. We Can Shape And Direct History.

Strength Is Happiness. Strength Is Itself Victory. In Weakness And Cowardice There Is No Happiness. When You Wage A Struggle, You Might Win Or You Might Lose. But Regardless Of The Short-term Outcome, The Very Fact Of Your Continuing To Struggle Is Proof Of Your Victory As A Human Being.

When One Takes Action For Others, One's Own Suffering Is Transformed Into The Energy That Can Keep One Moving Forward; A Light Of Hope Illuminating A New Tomorrow For Oneself And Others Is Kindled.

Dig Beneath Your Feet, There You Will Find A Spring. The Place Where You Are Now Is Crucial. Never Try To Avoid That Which You Must Do.

Whatever Your Circumstances, Whatever Your Past, The Forces That Determine Your Future Are Nowhere But Within Your Own Heart And Mind. It Is Here That The Star Of Your Destiny Shines.

It's Important To Resolve To Yourself, 'i Will Absolutely Win!' Then This Firm Commitment Will Serve As The Wellspring Of Great Wisdom And Courage That Surges Forth From Within.

To Communicate The Truths Of History Is An Act Of Hope For The Future.

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A Truley Heroic Way Of Life Lies In Squarely Confronting And Courageously Overcoming The Pounding Vicissitudes That Life Always Throws In Our Paths

The Institutions Of Human Society Treat Us As Parts Of A Machine. They Assign Us Ranks And Place Considerable Pressure Upon Us To Fulfill Defined Roles. We Need Something To Help Us Restore Our Lost And Distorted Humanity. Each Of Us Has Feelings That Have Been Suppressed And Have Built Up Inside. There Is A Voiceless Cry Resting In The Depths Of Our Souls, Waiting For Expression. Art Gives The Soul's Feelings Voice And Form.

You Must Not For One Instant Give Up The Effort To Build New Lives For Yourselves. Creativity Means To Push Open The Heavy, Groaning Doorway To Life.

Buddhism Holds That Everything Is In Constant Flux. Thus The Question Is Whether We Are To Accept Change Passively And Be Swept Away By It Or Whether We Are To Take The Lead And Create Positive Changes On Our Own Initiative. While Conservatism And Self-protection Might Be Likened To Winter, Night, And Death, The Spirit Of Pioneering And Attempting To Realize Ideals Evokes Images Of Spring, Morning, And Birth.

Anyone Who Has Ever Made A Resolution Discovers That The Strength Of That Determination Fades In Time. The Moment You Feel That Is When You Should Make A Fresh Determination. Tell Yourself, “ok! I Will Start Again From Now!” If You Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up An Eighth. Don’t Give Up When You Feel Discouraged-jus T Pick Yourself Up And Renew Your Determination Each Time.

There Are No Greater Treasures Than The Highest Human Qualities Such As Compassion, Courage And Hope. Not Even Tragic Accident Or Disaster Can Destroy Such Treasures Of The Heart.

People Who Are Rooted In The Here And Now, Who Are Not Defeated By Their Limitations, Who Don’t Compare Themselves To Others, Who Confidently Advance Along Their Chosen Path-such People Are Happy, Such People Are Truly Great.

Humanity Has Experienced Many Revolutionary Changes Over The Course Of History: Revolutions In Agriculture, In Science, Industrial Production, As Well As Numerous Political Revolutions. But These Have All Been Limited To The External Aspects Of Our Individual And Collective Lives.

Political Revolution

Courage And Compassion Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin. Compassion Without Courage Is Not Genuine. You May Have A Compassionate Thought Or Impulse, But If You Don’t Do Or Say Anything, It’s Not Real Compassion.

It Is Senseless To Blame Others Or Your Environment For Your Miseries. Change Begins From The Moment You Muster The Courage To Act. When You Change, The Environment Will Change. The Power To Change The World Is Found Nowhere But Within Our Own Life.

Women Are, In My View, Natural Peacemakers. As Givers And Nurturers Of Life, Through Their Focus On Human Relationships And Their Engagement With The Demanding Work Of Raising Children And Protecting Family Life, They Develop A Deep Sense Of Empathy That Cuts Through To Underlying Human Realities.

All Right, Let's Get To Work Again!-this Is The Spirit Of People Of Genuine Substance. Those Who Avoid Hard Work Or Neglect The Things They Have To Do, Who Just While Away Their Time, Eating, Sleeping, Playing, Watching Television-such Individuals Will Never Experience True Happiness, Satisfaction Or Joy.

Poems And Songs Penned As An Unstoppable Outpouring Of The Heart Take On A Life Of Their Own. They Transcend The Limits Of Nationality And Time As They Pass From Person To Person, From One Heart To Another.

Embrace Your Dreams And Advance As Far As They Can Take You.

Sometimes We Complain Without Thinking Much Of It, But The Frightening Thing About Complaining Is That Every Time We Do, A Cloud Descends Over Our Heart, And Our Hope, Appreciation And Joy Gradually Wane.

There Is No One As Strong As A Person Whose Heart Is Always Filled With Gratitude.

Dialogue Starts From The Courageous Willingness To Know And Be Known By Others. It Is The Painstaking And Persistent Effort To Remove All Obstacles That Obscure Our Common Humanity.

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One's True Worth As A Human Being Is Not A Matter Of Outward Appearance Or Title, But Derives Rather From The Breadth Of One's Spirit. Everything Comes Down To Faith And Conviction. It Is What Is In One's Heart, And The Substance Of One's Actions That Count.

Divorced From The Cosmos, From Nature, From Society And From Each Other, We Have Become Fractured And Fragmented.

Being Sincere, Dedicated And Honest Is The Key. People Of Integrity Triumph In The End.

People Who Cease To Grow Can't Inspire Others. Leadership Begins With Challenging Oneself.

What May Look Like A Small Act Of Courage Is Courage Nevertheless. The Important Thing Is To Be Willing To Take A Step Forward.

The Greatest Tragedy In Life Is Not To Die, It Is To Live As If Dead, To Let The Life Within Us Wither. Toward What Goal Or Achievement Are We Striving In Life? This Is The Important Question To Ask Ourselves.

If Everything Is Smooth Sailing Right From The Beginning, We Cannot Become People Of Substance And Character. By Surmounting Paining Setbacks And Obstacles, We Can Create A Brilliant History Of Triumph That Will Shine Forever. That Is What Makes Life So Exciting And Enjoyable. In Any Field Of Endeavour, Those Who Overcome Hardships And Grow As Human Beings Are Advancing Towards Success And Victory In Life.

Do Something! Start Something! As You Make Consistent Efforts, You Will Begin To See Your Goals Come Into Focus. You Will Discover Your Mission--the One Only You Can Fulfill.

Faced With Stress, Too Many People Feel They Have Nowhere To Turn To, That They Don't Have Access To The Kind Of Friendships Or Communities Where They Can Easily And Openly Share Their Problems And Worries.

With Love And Patience, Nothing Is Impossible.

I Cannot Say This Too Strongly: Do Not Compare Yourselves To Others. Be True To Who You Are, And Continue To Learn With All Your Might.

Humanity's Collective Mission In The Cosmos Lies In The Practice Of Compassion.

The Important Thing Is To Firmly Fix Our Gaze On Our Own Weaknesses, Not Run Away From Them, But To Battle Them Head-on And Establish A Solid Self That Nothing Can Sway. Hardships Forge And Polish Our Lives, So That Eventually They Shine With Brilliant Fortune And Benefit. If Left In Its Raw, Unpolished Form, Even The Most Magnificent Gem Will Not Sparkle. The Same Applies To Our Lives.

Every War, When Viewed From The Undistorted Perspective Of Life’s Sanctity, Is A “civil War” Waged By Humanity Against Itself.

The Place Where You Are Now Is Vital. The Path Toward Victory Opens From Where You Stand.

A Healthy Vision Of The Future Is Not Possible Without An Accurate Knowledge Of The Past.

Visions Of The Future

Envying Another's Beauty Will Diminish Your Own. But When You Praise Beauty In Others Your Own Beauty Deepens.

Strength Is Happiness. Strength Is Itself Victory. In Weakness And Cowardice There Is No Happiness

Strength Is Itself Victory.

Come On Obstacles! I've Been Expecting You! This Is The Chance That I've Been Waiting For!

What Is Defeat In Life? It Is Not Merely Making A Mistake; Defeat Means Giving Up On Yourself In The Midst Of Difficulty. What Is True Success In Life? True Success Means Winning In Your Battle With Yourself. Those Who Persist In The Pursuit Of Their Dreams, No Matter What The Hurdles, Are Winners In Life, For They Have Won Over Their Weaknesses.

The Power Of Growth, Of Improvement, The Power To Overcome All Stagnation And Break Through Every Obstacle And Transform A Barren Wasteland Into A Verdant Field - That Unstoppable Power Of Hope Resides Right Within Your Own Heart. It Wells Up From The Rich Earth Of Your Innermost Being When You Face The Future Without Doubt Or Fear: "i Can Do More. I Can Grow. I Can Become A Bigger And Better Human Being."

It Is Precisely When We Have Suffered Defeat That We Can Determine To Win And Open The Path To Future Victory.

Our Voice Resonates With Life. Because This Is So, It Can Touch The Lives Of Others. The Caring And Compassion Imbued In Your Voice Finds Passage To The Listener's Soul, Striking His Or Her Heart And Causing It To Sing Out; The Human Voice Summons Something Profound From Deep Within, And Can Even Compel A Person Into Action.

A Great Revolution In Just One Single Individual Will Help Achieve A Change In The Destiny Of A Society And, Further, Will Enable A Change In The Destiny Of Humankind.

The Crucial Thing Is To Arouse The Awareness That As A Matter Of Human Conscience We Can Never Permit The People Of Any Country To Fall Victim To Nuclear Weapons, And For Each Individual To Express Their Refusal To Continue Living In The Shadow Of The Threat They Pose.

Likewise, Education Can Direct People Toward Good Or Evil Ends. When Education Is Based On A Fundamentally Distorted Worldview, The Results Are Horrific.

I Firmly Believe That The Mission Of Religion In The 21st Century Must Be To Contribute Concretely To The Peaceful Coexistence Of Humankind.

Have The Depth Of Faith To Regard Everything As A Source For Creating Happiness And Value.

What We Need Most Is To Restore And Revive Our Humanity. We Must Create A Society Where People Can Live With Dignity, A Society Where People Can Live In Peace And Happiness. People Are Tired Of Games Played For Power And Profit. People Are Tired Of Hatred And Conflict. They Want To Live With More Wisdom And Confidence, And In Peace. It May Seem Like A Long And Distant Path, But I Am Convinced That The 21st Century Must See A Movement To Sow The Seeds Of Peace, Happiness And Trust In Every Person's Heart. The Seeds Of A Truly Humane Way Of Life. I Am Convinced This Is The Only Path.

Men And Women Who Know The Brutal Reality Of War, Who Know That War Strips People Of Their Very Humanity, Must Unite In A New Global Partnership For Peace.

Prayer Is The Way To Destroy All Fear. It Is The Way To Banish Sorrow, The Way To Light A Torch Of Hope. It Is The Revolution That Rewrites The Scenario Of Our Destiny.

History Is Filled With Tragic Examples Of Wars That Result From Diplomatic Impasse. Whether In Our Local Communities Or In International Relations, The Skillful Use Of Our Communicative Capacities To Negotiate And Resolve Differences Is The First Evidence Of Human Wisdom.

No One Is Born Hating Others.

Reality Is Harsh. It Can Be Cruel And Ugly. Yet No Matter How Much We Grieve Over Our Environment And Circumstances Nothing Will Change. What Is Important Is Not To Be Defeated, To Forge Ahead Bravely. If We Do This, A Path Will Open Before Us.

You Will Pass Through Storms And Heavy Rains, And At Times You Will Suffer Defeat. The Essence Of The Creative Life, However, Is Not To Give Up In The Face Of Defeat But To Follow The Rainbow That Exists Within Your Heart.

When Human Beings Live Together, Conflict Is Inevitable. War Is Not.

Effort And Hard Work Construct The Bridge That Connects Your Dreams To Reality.

Leave Behind The Passive Dreaming Of A Rose-tinted Future. The Energy Of Happiness Exists In Living Today With Roots Sunk Firmly In Reality's Soil.

Within The Heart Of Every Person Exists The Flame Of Wisdom That Transforms All Suffering Into Kindling For The Fire Of Creative Energy.

One Cannot, Without Reflection, Make Some Into Bearers Of Goodness And Others Into Miscreants, Judging Them By Relative Positive Or Negative Criteria. These, Like Everything Else, Change According To Historical Circumstances, The Character Of A Society, The Time And Subjective Points Of View.

Hope Transforms Pessimism Into Optimism. Hope Is Invincible.

I Believe That We Must Maintain Pride In The Knowledge That The Actions We Take, Based On Our Own Decisions And Choices As Individuals, Link Directly To The Magnificent Challenge Of Transforming Human History.

The Problems Of Aging Present An Opportunity To Rethink Our Social And Personal Lives In Order To Ensure The Dignity And Welfare Of Each Individual.

No One Can Live Entirely On Their Own, Nor Can Any Country Or Society Exist In Isolation.

Ideal Love Is Fostered Only Between Two Sincere, Mature And Independent People. Real Love Is Not Two People Clinging To Each Other; It Can Only Be Fostered Between Two Strong People Secure In Their Individuality.

The Role Of Humankind Is To Use The Cultural And Social Environment It Has Created To Devise New Global Values.... Human Relations With Nature Are Intimately Bound Up In Interpersonal Relations And With The Relation Of The Self And Its Inner Life.

Life Isn't Always Smooth. If It Were, We Would Never Grow & Develop As Human Beings. If We Succeed, We Are Envied; If We Fail, We Are Ridiculed & Attacked. Sadly, This Is How People Are. Unexpected Grief & Suffering May Lie Ahead Of You. But It Is Precisely When You Encounter Such Trying Times That You Must Not Be Defeated. Never Give Up! Never Retreat!

Many Things Happen In Life. There Are Joyous Days And Times Of Suffering. Sometimes Unpleasant Things Occur. But That's What Makes Life So Interesting. The Dramas We Encounter Are Part And Parcel Of Being Human. If We Experienced No Change Or Drama In Our Lives, If Nothing Unexpected Ever Happened, We Would Merely Be Like Automatons, Our Lives Unbearably Monotonous And Dull. Therefore, Please Develop A Strong Self So That You Can Enact The Drama Of Your Life With Confidence And Poise In The Face Of Whatever Vicissitudes You May Encounter.

In Most Cases, Our So-called Limitations Are Nothing More Than Our Own Decision To Limit Ourselves.

Let Us Join Our Efforts Toward Building The Unshakable Foundations For A Culture Of Peace.

When We Have A Genuine Sense That, No Matter How Difficult Our Present Circumstances, We Are Not Alone-that We Are Vitally Connected With Others And With The World-we Will, Without Fail, Rise Up To The Challenge Of Living Again.

Ultimately, All Human Activities Have As Their Goal The Realization Of Happiness. Why, Then, Have We Ended Up Producing The Opposite Result? Could The Underlying Cause Be Our Failure To Correctly Understand The True Nature Of Happiness?

Youthfulness Is Not Determined By Age. It Is Determined By One's Life Force. One Who Possesses Hope Is Forever Young. One Who Continually Advances Is Forever Beautiful.

Human Beings Are Inherently Endowed With The Power To Bring Out The Best Possible Results From The Worst Possible Circumstances.

The Profound Unity Of Subjective Existence And Objective Environment Leads Naturally To The Idea That The Life-force Of One Human Being Can Affect Other Living Beings And Even The Fundamental Being Of Humankind As A Whole. Furthermore, The Minds Of Humankind Fuse Into One And Exert A Continuous Influence, Both Physical And Spiritual, On Other Living Beings And On The Whole Of Nature.

So Long As Human History Continues, We Will Face The Perennial Challenge Of Realizing, Maintaining And Strengthening Peace Through Dialogue, Of Making Dialogue The Sure And Certain Path To Peace. We Must Uphold And Proclaim This Conviction Without Cease, Whatever Coldly Knowing Smiles Or Cynical Critiques May Greet Us.

The Misfortune Of Others Is Our Misfortune. Our Happiness Is The Happiness Of Others. To See Ourselves In Others And Feel An Inner Oneness And Sense Of Unity With Them Represents A Fundamental Revolution In The Way We View And Live Our Lives. Therefore, Discriminating Against Another Person Is The Same As Discriminating Against Oneself. When We Hurt Another, We Are Hurting Ourselves. And When We Respect Others, We Respect And Elevate Our Own Lives As Well.

We Have Both A Weak Self And A Strong Self; The Two Are Completely Different. If We Allow Our Weak Side To Dominate, We Will Be Defeated. The Thought ,"i Am Still Young And Have A Lot Of Time, So I Can Relax And Take Life Easy" Is A Function Of Our Own Weakness.

Life Can Unfold Unlimitedly As Long As We Have A Heart Of Appreciation And An Undefeated Mind.

Victory Lies In Not Getting Defeated.

One Thing Is Certain: That Is That The Power Of Belief, The Power Of Thought, Will Move Reality In The Direction Of What We Believe And Conceive Of It. If You Really Believe You Can Do Something, You Can. That Is A Fact.

It Is Crucial That We Develop Real Awareness Of Ourselves As Citizens Of Earth, Linked By Mutual And Indissoluble Bonds. When We Clearly Recognize This Reality And Ground Ourselves In It, We Are Compelled To Take A Strict Accounting Of Our Way Of Life.

We Must Take Steps To Prevent Further Nuclear Weapons Development Or Modernization.

The Earth Never Ceases To Spin. All Life Is Dancing : The Trees, The Wind, The Sea. Keep Dancing For The Rest Of Your Life.

It Is Much More Valuable To Look For The Strength In Others. You Can Gain Nothing By Criticizing Their Imperfections.

While It Is Important To Win, It’s Even More Important To Remain Undefeated No Matter What Happens.

Just As A Diamond Can Only Be Polished By Another Diamond, It Is Only Through Genuine, All-out Engagement With Others That People Can Polish Their Character, And Help Each Other To Reach Greater Heights.

But I Think We Need To Remember That Democracy Everywhere Is By Its Nature Incomplete, A Work In Progress.

The Wisdom And Experience Of Older People Is A Resource Of Inestimable Worth. Recognizing And Treasuring The Contributions Of Older People Is Essential To The Long-term Flourishing Of Any Society.

Rise To The Challenges That Life Presents You. You Can't Develop Genuine Character And Ability By Sidestepping Adversity And Struggle.

A Sense Of Being Part Of The Great All-inclusive Life Prompts Us To Reflect On Our Own Place And On How We Ought To Live. Guarding Others' Lives, The Ecology And The Earth Is The Same As Protecting One's Own Life. By Like Token, Wounding Them Is The Same Thing As Wounding Oneself. Consequently, It Is The Duty Of Each Of Us To Participate As Members Of The Life Community In The Evolution Of The Universe. We Can Do This By Guarding Earth's Ecological System.

It Is Impossible To Build One's Own Happiness On The Unhappiness Of Others. This Perspective Is At The Heart Of Buddhist Teachings.

Having Lived Through The Transition From Totalitarianism, I Am Acutely Mindful Of The Need To Never Take For Granted The Basic Freedoms Of Thought, Expression And Belief That Democracy Brings.

The Effects Of Human Rights Education Can Be Dramatic In Awakening People To The Value And Power Of Their Own Lives, As Shown In The Following Stories.

Even Places That Have Been Shrouded In Darkness For Billions Of Years Can Be Illuminated. Even A Stone From The Bottom Of A River Can Be Used To Produce Fire. Our Present Sufferings, No Matter How Dark, Have Certainly Not Continued For Billions Of Years--nor Will They Linger Forever. The Sun Will Definitely Rise. In Fact, Its Ascent Has Already Begun.

Hope Changes Everything. It Changes Winter Into Summer, Darkness Into Dawn, Descent Into Ascent, Barrenness Into Creativity, Agony Into Joy.

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