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: LEARNING TO BE HUMAN
By Daisaku Ikeda
, JANUARY 2010, 2010 (IPS) - The smiling faces and laughing voices of children are the true
measure of a peaceful and healthy society, much more so than any
statistical indices, 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 a loss of awareness of the
interrelatedness and inseparability of our own lives and those of
others -human or otherwise- inevitably gives rise to the kind of
egoism that underlies the increasing inequalities in society and
propels the processes of environmental destruction. A firm
spiritual foundation is the key to constructing an enduring culture
of peace. If education flourishes, society, too, will prosper and
humankind will advance.
Education is not something distant from us; our schools, our homes
and our communities provide myriad opportunities for strengthening
our shared capacity for learning and teaching. The inherent
creativity of life is brought to flower by working for other people
and contributing to society, striving to learn and take meaningful
action. We all have the potential to become wiser and stronger, to
bring forth the brilliance that exists in the depths of life. It is
up to each of us to demonstrate this truth.
(*) Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese philosopher and peace-builder, is
president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) grassroots Buddhist
movement (www.sgi.org) and founder of Soka University and Soka
University of America.
//NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN CANADA, CZECH REPUBLIC, IRELAND, POLAND, THE UNITED STATES, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM// (END)
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