: THERE'S NO LAW THAT SAYS PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER
By Daisaku Ikeda
, DECEMBER 2008 (IPS) - Our world today faces unprecedented problems. Without global
solidarity and a conscious commitment to peaceful coexistence both
within human society and with the systems of life that support us, it
is becoming clear that there is no future for us. We have reached a
point where we each need to strive in our own unique way to make the
greatest possible contribution to the realisation of human rights,
writes Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese Buddhist philosopher and
peace-builder and president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI)
grassroots Buddhist movement.
In this article, the author writes that ultimately, the promise of
human rights can only be fulfilled through the development of a rich
spirituality rooted in a respect for the lives of others and heartfelt concern for the natural environment.
According to the Buddhist understanding of interdependence, nothing in this world can exist in isolation. Any attempt to build personal
happiness or societal flourishing on the suffering of others cannot,
in the long term, succeed. Rosa Parks, the mother of human rights in
the US, once spoke of the advice she received from her mother: "My
mother taught me self-respect. She said, 'There's no law that says
people have to suffer.'" She stressed it was important not only to
respect others, but to be the kind of person other people respect.
//NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, CZECH REPUBLIC, IRELAND, POLAND, THE UNITED STATES, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM// (END/2008)
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