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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.

-Daisaku Ikeda

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The Important Thing Is

Daisaku Ikeda

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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.

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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.

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

Never Be Shaken, No Matter What Happens Or What Others May Say. Never Be Flustered; Never Lose Confidence. This Is The Way We Should Strive To Live Our Lives. Being Able To Do So Is A Sign Of Genuine Character.

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

Anyone Who Has Ever Made A Resolution Discovers That The Strength Of Their Determination Fades With Time. The Important Thing Is Not That Your Resolve Never Wavers, But That You Don't Get Down On Yourself When It Does And Throw In The Towel.

Happiness Does Not Exist As An Isolated Quality, Nor Does It Conform To A Single Fixed Pattern. Happiness Is Something That Breathes And Lives In The Relationships Between One Person And Another.

True Happiness Means Forging A Strong Spirit That Is Undefeated, No Matter How Trying Our Circumstances.

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.

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

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

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

Increase Your Joy By Doing The Good You Wish To Have Done To You.

No Matter How Hopeless Or Bleak Things Appear, The Moment Always Comes When Suddenly Our Spirit Revives, And Hope Is Reborn. That Is Why We Must Never Give Up.

When We Change, The World Changes. The Key To All Change Is In Our Inner Transformation- A Change Of Our Hearts And Minds. This Is Human Revolution. We All Have The Power To Change. When We Realize This Truth, We Can Bring Forth That Power Anywhere, Anytime, And In Any Situation.

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

Human Rights Will Be A Powerful Force For The Transformation Of Reality When They Are Not Simply Understood As Externally Defined Norms Of Behavior But Are Lived As The Spontaneous Manifestation Of Internalized Values.

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

Life Is Painful. It Has Thorns, Like The Stem Of A Rose. Culture And Art Are The Roses That Bloom On The Stem. The Flower Is Yourself, Your Humanity. Art Is The Liberation Of The Humanity Inside Yourself.

Hope Transforms Pessimism Into Optimism. Hope Is Invincible.

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.

Creating Harmony Amidst Diversity Is A Fundamental Issue Of The Twenty-first Century. While Celebrating The Unique Characteristics Of Different Peoples And Cultures, We Have To Create Solidarity On The Level Of Our Common Humanity, Our Common Life. Without Such Solidarity, There Will Be No Future For The Human Race. Diversity Should Not Beget Conflict In The World, But Richness.

The Power Of Art Can Break The Shackles That Bind And Divide Human Beings.

A Moment’s Encounter Can Decide The Direction Of One’s Entire Life

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.

Common Humanity

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Ultimately, The Only Way To Make Good Friends Is To Become A Good Friend Yourself. Good People Gather Around Other Good People.

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

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

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.

Leadership That Exploits And Sacrifices Young People On The Altar Of Its Goals Is Nothing More Than Raw, Demonic Power. Genuine Leadership Is Found In Ceaseless Efforts To Foster Young People, To Pave The Way Forward For Them.

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.

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.

The Experience Of Losing A Loved One Impels Us Toward A Deeper Understanding Of Life. Everyone Fears And Is Saddened By Death. That Is Natural. But By Struggling To Overcome The Pain And Sadness That Accompanies Death, We Become Sharply Aware Of The Dignity And Preciousness Of Life And Develop The Compassion To Share The Sufferings Of Others As Our Own.

When You Devote Yourself To Achieving Your Goal, You Will Not Be Bothered By Shallow Criticism. Nothing Important Can Be Accomplished If You Allow Yourself To Be Swayed By Some Trifling Matter, Always Looking Over Your Shoulder And Wondering What Others Are Saying Or Thinking. The Key To Achievement Is To Move Forward Along Your Chosen Path With Firm Determination.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

You Must Not For One Moment Give Up The Effort To Build Up New Lives For Yourself.

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.

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

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.

Hardships Make Us Strong. Problems Give Birth To Wisdom. Sorrows Cultivate Compassion. Those Who Have Suffered The Most Will Become The Happiest.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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

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.

Often The Biggest Obstacle In Meeting Life’s Challenges Is Actually Our Own Fear Of Failure.

Fear Of Failure

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

The Idea Of Interdependence Is Central To Buddhism, Which Holds That All Things Come Into Being Through The Mutual Interactions Of Various Causes And Conditions.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Gratitude And Appreciation

Self-centered Anger Generates Evil, But Wrath At Social Injustice Becomes The Driving Force For Reform. Strong Language That Censures And Combats A Great Evil Often Awakens Adverse Reactions From Society, But This Must Not Intimidate Those Who Believe They Are Right. A Lion Is A Lion Because He Roars.

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.

There’s No Need For Us To Be Held Back By The Past Or How Things Have Been So Far. The Important Thing Is What Seeds We Are Sowing Now For The Future.

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.

Our Hopes, Desires And Ambitions Are Powerful Forces Existing Within Us For The Shaping Of The Future. They Are The Generating Forces That Create The Future.

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

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.

If You Become Deadlocked,return To The Prime Point.

With Love And Patience, Nothing Is Impossible.

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.

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.

Faith And Daily Life, Faith And Work-these Are Not Separate Things. They Are One And The Same. To Think Of Them As Separate-that Faith Is Faith, And Work Is Work-is Theoretical Faith. Based On The Recognition That Work And Faith Are One And The Same, We Should Put One Hundred Percent Of Our Energy Into Our Jobs And One Hundred Percent Into Our Faith, Too. When We Resolve To Do This, We Enter The Path Of Victory In Life. Faith Means To Show Irrefutable Proof Of Victory Amid The Realities Of Society And In Our Own Daily Lives.

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.

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

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

Visions Of The Future

No One Should Be Left To Suffer Alone.

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

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

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.

If We Are To Put The Era Of Nuclear Terror Behind Us, We Must Struggle Against The Real 'enemy.' That Enemy Is Not Nuclear Weapons Per Se, Nor Is It The States That Possess Or Develop Them. The Real Enemy That We Must Confront Is The Ways Of Thinking That Justify Nuclear Weapons; The Readiness To Annihilate Others When They Are Seen As A Threat Or As A Hindrance To The Realization Of Our Objectives.

It Is Important That We Have The Inner Richness To Be Able To Look Up At The Stars Or The Moon And Compose A Poem Once In A While. When We Open Wide Our Minds And Fix Our Gaze On The Universe, We Fix Our Gaze On Our Own Life.

Genuine Sincerity Opens People's Hearts, While Manipulation Causes Them To Close.

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.

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."

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

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

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

A Genuinely Happy Person Is One Who Has Rendered Others Happy.

Genuine Happiness

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.

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

The Gratification Of Desire Is Not Happiness.

Why Doesn't Constant Trampling Defeat The Dandelion? The Key To Its Strength Is Its Long And Sturdy Root, Which Extends Deep Into The Earth. The Same Priciple Applies To People. The True Victors In Life Are Those Who, Enduring Repeated Challenges And Setbacks, Have Sent The Roots Of Their Being To Such A Depth That Nothing Can Shake Them.

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. This Is Not An Easy Struggle. Indeed, It May Be The Most Difficult Task In The World, For Opening The Door To Your Own Life Is, In The End, More Difficult Than Opening The Doors To The Mysteries Of The Universe.

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

One Thing Is Certain: 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. This Is A Fact. When You Clearly Envision A Victorious Outcome, Engrave It In Your Heart And Are Firmly Convinced That You Will Attain It, Your Brain Makes Every Effort To Realize The Mental Image You Have Created. And Then, Through Your Unceasing Efforts, That Victory Is Finally Made A Reality.

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.

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.

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

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.

Just As Cherry, Plum, Peach And Damson Blossoms All Possess Their Own Unique Qualities, Each Person Is Unique. We Cannot Become Someone Else. The Important Thing Is That We Live True To Ourselves And Cause The Great Flower Of Our Lives To Blossom.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

So Long As Nuclear Weapons Continue To Exist, So Will The Temptation To Threaten Others With Overwhelming Military Force.

We Should All Develop The Mind To Rejoice In, Praise And Share In The Gift Of Those Who Have Artistic Talents And A Richness Of Heart, Whether They Achieve Wide Recognition Or Not. Cultivating Such A Beautiful Mind Is A Very Worthy Effort. Culture And Art Are Not Just Decorations. They Are Not Just Accessories. What Matters Is Whether Culture Enriches The Essential Substance Of Our Lives.

Health Is Not Simply The Absence Of Illness. Real Health Is The Will To Overcome Every Form Of Adversity And Use Even The Worst Of Circumstances As A Springboard For New Growth And Development. Simply Put, The Essence Of Health Is The Constant Renewal And Rejuvenation Of Life.

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

No Matter What Kind Of Difficult Situation One May Find Oneself In, Some Opening, Some Opportunity To Fight One's Way Out, Can Always Be Found. What's Most Important Is To Hold Fast To Hope, To Face The Future With Courage.

Difficult Situations

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.

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.

Only When We Connect To Nature, Engaged With Nature, Are We Truly Alive And Vigorous. To Really Be Alive, One Must Be Under The Sun, The Moon, The Shining Stars And Surrounded By The Beautiful Greenery And Pure Waters Of The Natural World.

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

If You Lose Today, Win Tomorrow. In This Never-ending Spirit Of Challenge Is Found The Heart Of A Victor.

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.

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

Strength Is Itself Victory.

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

If You Summon Your Courage To Challenge Something, You’ll Never Be Left With Regret. How Sad It Is To Spend Your Life Wishing, “if Only I’d Had A Little More Courage.” Whatever The Outcome May Be, The Important Thing Is To Step Forward On The Path That You Believe Is Right.

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.

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.

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

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

Instead Of Engaging In Cutthroat Competition, We Should Strive To Create Value. In Economic Terms, This Means A Transition From A Consumer Economy - The Mad Rush For Ownership And Consumption - To A Constructive Economy Where All Human Beings Can Participate In The Act Of Creating Lasting Worth.

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

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

Since Ancient Times, People From Throughout Asia Have Brought To Japan Their Talents, Knowledge And Energy, Helping To Lay The Basis For Japan's Existence As A Country.

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.

Like The Ocean That Remains Calm In Its Depths Even When Waves Rage Over Its Surface, And Like The Sun That Continues Shining On High Even During Storms, We Can At Each Moment Create Value And Develop Our State Of Life, Enjoying Our Existence To The Fullest In Times Of Both Suffering And Joy.

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

Genuine Happiness Can Only Be Achieved When We Transform Our Way Of Life From The Unthinking Pursuit Of Pleasure To One Committed To Enriching Our Inner Lives, When We Focus On 'being More' Rather Than Simply Having More.

People Can Only Live Fully By Helping Others To Live. When You Give Life To Friends You Truly Live. Cultures Can Only Realize Their Further Richness By Honoring Other Traditions. And Only By Respecting Natural Life Can Humanity Continue To Exist.

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.

No One Is Born Hating Others.

The Eyes Of A Poet Discover In Each Person A Unique And Irreplaceable Humanity. While Arrogant Intellect Seeks To Control And Manipulate The World, The Poetic Spirit Bows With Reverence Before Its Mysteries.

Keep Moving Forward, Even One Or Two Steps, In Your Own Way. Those Who Live Out Their Lives To The Fullest, Unperturbed By The Noisy Clamor Around Them, Are The True Winners.

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

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.

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.

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.

Knowledge Itself Is A Neutral Tool That Can Be Used For Good Or Evil. Wisdom, In Contrast, Always Directs Us Toward Happiness. The Task Of Education Must Be To Stimulate And Unleash The Wisdom That Lies Dormant In The Lives Of All Young People. This Is Not A Forced Process, Like Pressing Something Into A Preformed Mold, But Rather Drawing Out The Potential Which Exists Within.

Culture Is An Elevated Expression Of The Inner Voice Which The Different Peoples Of The Earth Have Heard In The Depths Of Their Being, A Voice Which Conveys The Vibrant Compassion And Wisdom Of The Cosmic Life. For Different Cultures To Engage In Interaction Is To Catalyze Each Other's Souls And Foster Mutual Understanding.

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.

All People Have A Natural Desire To Be Needed, To Have Their Importance To Others Tangibly Confirmed.

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.

Suffering Of Others

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.

Speak Out Tirelessly With Conviction.

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

Life Is The Blossoming Of Flowers In The Spring, The Ripening Of Fruit In The Fall, The Rhythm Of The Earth And Of Nature. Life Is The Cry Of Cicadas Signalling The End Of Summer, Migratory Birds Winging South In A Transparent Autumn Sky, Fish Frolicking In A Stream. Life Is The Joy Beautiful Music Installs In Us, The Thrilling Sight Of A Mountain Peak Reddened By The Rising Sun, The Myriad Combinations And Permutations Of Visible And Invisible Phenomena. Life Is All Things.

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.

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.

In Life When We Feel We Have Reached A Limit, That Is When The True Battle Begins. Just When You Despair And Think It Is Impossible To Go Any Further, Will You Become Apathetic, Or Will You Say It's Not Over And Stand Up With An Unyielding Spirit? The Battle Is Decided By This Single Determination.

The Economy Is After All Driven By People. No Matter How Dire The Situation May Be, As Long As People Are Firm, A Turnaround, Revival And Progress Can Be Possible.

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.

The Course Of Our Lives Is Determined By How We React--what We Decide And What We Do--at The Darkest Of Times. The Nature Of That Response Determines A Person's True Worth And Greatness.

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

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.

Buhhdism Is Wisdom. As Long As We Have Wisdom, We Can Put All Things To The Best Use, We Can Turn Everything In The Direction Of Happiness.

A Person's True Nature Is Revealed At Times Of The Greatest Adversity.

Salute To The Smiling Faces Of The 21st Century.

I Can Do More. I Can Grow. I Can Become A Bigger And Better Human Being.

Bigger And Better

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

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.

Nothing Is More Precious Than Peace. Peace Is The Most Basic Starting Point For The Advancement Of Humankind.

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

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

The Challenge Of Preventing Any Further Proliferation Of Nuclear Weapons Is Just Such A Trial In The Quest For World Peace, One That Cannot Be Achieved If We Are Defeated By A Sense Of Helplessness. The Crucial Element Is To Ensure That Any Struggle Against Evil Is Rooted Firmly In A Consciousness Of The Unity Of The Human Family, Something Only Gained Through The Mastery Of Our Own Inner Contradictions.

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.

True Love Should Be Transformative; A Process That Amplifies Our Capacity To Cherish Not Just One Person But All People. It Can Make Us Stronger, Lift Us Higher And Deepen Us As Individuals. Only To The Extent That We Polish Ourselves Now Can We Hope To Develop Wonderful Bonds Of The Heart In The Future.

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

An Attitude Of Compassion Does Not Mean Looking Down On Someone, Pitying Them In Their Misery. Compassion Is Based On Respect. We Discuss Life As Equals, Learn From Each Other And Strive Together To Improve Our Lives.

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.

Even If Things Don't Unfold The Way You Expected, Don't Be Disheartened Or Give Up. One Who Continues To Advance Will Win In The End.

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.

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

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

A Person Who Respects Others Is Respected By Others In Return. Those Who Treat Others With Compassion And Concern Are Protected And Supported By Others. Our Environment Is Essentially A Reflection Of Ourselves

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.

We Are Responsible For Our Own Destiny. What Matters Is How We Improve Ourselves From This Moment Forward.

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.

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

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

No Matter What Our Personal Circumstances May Be, If We Ourselves Become A Source Of Light, Then There Will Be No Darkness In The World.

We Can Bring Brilliant Flowers Of Victory To Bloom In Our Lives When We Weather The Hardships Of Winter And Emerge Triumphant Based On Our Practice Of The Mystic Law. The Key To Victories Lies In How Hard We Struggle When We Are In Winter, How Wisely We Use This Time And How Meaningful We Live Each Day Confident That Spring Will Definitely Come.

People Need To Be Made Conscious Of A Very Simple Reality: We Have No Choice But To Share This Planet, This Small Blue Sphere Floating In The Vast Reaches Of Space, With All Of Our Fellow 'passengers.'

Life Is Filled With Potential That Is Truly Unfathomable. At Last We Are Coming To See The Enormous Power It Possesses. That Is Why We Must Never Write Anyone Off. In Particular, We Mustn’t Put Boundaries On Our Own Potential. In Most Cases, Our So-called Limitations Are Nothing More Than Our Own Decision To Limit Ourselves.

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.

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.

The Person Who Lives Life Fully, Glowing With Life’s Energy, Is The Person Who Lives A Successful Life.

Victory Lies In Not Getting Defeated.

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Keith Hernandez

Casper Van Dien

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