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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.

-Daisaku Ikeda

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The Problems Of Aging

Daisaku Ikeda

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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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

By Changing Our Inner State Of Mind, We Can Change Any Suffering Or Hardship Into A Source Of Joy, Regarding It As A Means For Forging And Developing Our Lives. To Turn Even Sorrow Into A Source Of Creativity - This Is The Way Of Life Of A Buddhist

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Bigger And Better

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Fear Of Failure

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

A Truly Beautiful Person Is One Who Is Good At Discovering Beauty.

Beautiful Person

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Salute To The Smiling Faces Of The 21st Century.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

Greatest Treasure

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

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

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

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 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.

It Is By Fighting And Triumphing Over The Enemies Of The Buddha That We Ourselves Become Buddhas.

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.

What Our World Most Requires Now Is The Kind Of Education That Foster Love For Humankind, That Develops Character-that Provides An Intellectual Basis For Realization Of Peace And Empowers Learners To Contribute To And Improve Society.

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

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.

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.

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

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

The Darker The Night, The Nearer The Dawn. Victory In Life Is Decided By That Last Concentrated Burst Of Energy Filled With The Resolve To Win.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

Gratitude And Appreciation

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

Genuine Happiness

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

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.

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.

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

How Aware Are We Of Our Own Inner Life, Our Spirituality-something So Intangible Yet So Priceless? How Much Effort Do We Make To Perceive That Which Is Not Obvious, Which Can Neither Be Seen Nor Heard? I Believe The Exploration And Enrichment Of The Human Spirit Is What Determines Our Very Humanity. Such Enrichment Provides An Inner Compass That Can Lead Civilizations To Greatness.

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.

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.

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."

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

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.

Japan Learned From The Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki That The Tragedy Wrought By Nuclear Weapons Must Never Be Repeated And That Humanity And Nuclear Weapons Cannot Coexist.

Hiroshima And Nagasaki

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.

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.

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

The Gratification Of Desire Is Not Happiness.

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

Speak Out Tirelessly With Conviction.

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.

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

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

Hope For The Future

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

What Matters Is The Value We’ve Created In Our Lives, The People We’ve Made Happy And How Much We’ve Grown As People.

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.

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

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.

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

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

The Determination To Win Is The Better Part Of Winning.

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

Hope Transforms Pessimism Into Optimism. Hope Is Invincible.

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.

Strength Is Itself Victory.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Strength Is Happiness.

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.

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.

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

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.

I Have For Some Time Urged That A Nuclear Abolition Summit To Mark The Effective End Of The Nuclear Era Be Convened In Hiroshima And Nagasaki On The 70th Anniversary Of The Bombings Of Those Cities, With The Participation Of National Leaders And Representatives Of Global Civil Society.

Hiroshima And Nagasaki

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.

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

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

Visions Of The Future

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

With Love And Patience, Nothing Is Impossible.

A Person, Who No Matter How Desperate The Situation, Gives Others Hope, Is A True Leader.

Take Heart, And Do Not Let Disappointment Or Shame Stop You From Moving Forward. The True Outcome Of Life Is Only Apparent At The Very End.

Victory Lies In Not Getting Defeated.

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.

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.

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.

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Elfriede Jelinek

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