I would like to share with you an open letter from Masami Saionji regarding a new, international charter for peace that is being endorsed now by leaders in many fields. I hope you like her letter. About the Fuji Declaration by Masami Saionji From moment to moment, the world is relentlessly changing. No one can stop changes from taking place. The question is, in what direction are these changes taking us? Are they opening doorways to a wondrous future, or are they driving us toward ruin and devastation? During the 20th century, this world experienced a rapid development in material culture and civilization. However, due to the dominance of materialistic values, and the priority given to economic expansion, humanity has been following an extremely dangerous path. Until now, most human beings have been striving to lay their hands on limited material resources—resources that are in short supply. Rather than drawing out the infinite resources within us, most have set their sights on materialistic aims—physical comforts that will make our life more agreeable. Money, land, houses, cars, delicious things to eat; position, fame, control over others—for a great many people, aims like these are seen as the ultimate reason for living. Because our thinking is built on a belief in limitation, we have created a way of life where everything is lacking: a lack of food, a lack of money, a lack of health, a lack of friendship, a lack of love. Now, all over the world, we can see the results of this way of living. We can see widespread poverty, illness, greed, catastrophes, and environmental destruction. And day by day, these problems are growing more and more severe. Why is there so much suffering? Why is there so much discrimination, so much mistrust and discontent? All this, I believe, results from our belief in limitation. In struggling with each other to gain limited benefits, we adopted the rule of ‘survival of the fittest’ and let ourselves be controlled by it. Divisions arose between the winners and the losers, the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor. Those who could grasp the largest share of goods could enjoy a life of abundance, while others were left empty-handed. And even when we have attained more material benefits than we can ever use, we live in constant fear of losing them. Our abuse of great nature has brought us to where the earth is in danger of losing its existence. What are we to do? At this late date, how can we change direction? Some people feel that we can change the world by tackling each problem, and remedying each condition one by one. Yet unless we make a fundamental change in the mindset that gave rise to them, the same conditions will surely emerge again! How can we change our underlying attitudes? How can we re-enliven our own hearts? Our only choice, I feel, is to return to our starting point and begin again. We have to search deeply within us to find what is lasting and real. First, I feel, we need to stop and reflect upon what it is that each human heart holds dear. We often hear people call for their rights, demanding freedom and equality. Yet of what value are freedom and equality unless we use them well? We must wake up and see that, sooner or later, we will have to take responsibility for the results of all our decisions—all that we have said and done. To live responsibly, first and foremost, each of us needs to know the dignity of our own precious life. This, I feel, is our starting point. And when we can sense the dignity of our own life, inevitably, we will hold a feeling of awe toward the lives of others. Today, most of us have forgotten this feeling of awe, respect, and love. Most are still dominated by fear and selfishness. For most, the guiding thought is As long as I am all right, nothing else matters. The hostility, discrimination, chaos and greed that overrun this world all come from the same source—a loss of reverence for the lives of others. Here and now, each human being needs to make a new start and begin to care about the future of humanity. Each human being needs to take just one step forward. It need not be a big step—just something we are capable of. From the moment we take that first step, our lives will start to change. Step by step, doubt will be supplanted by trust, grudges will turn to forgiveness, discrimination will transform into respect, and hostility to conciliation. We are no longer living in an era where it is sufficient to feel at peace with our own selves. From now on, each and every individual has to join together in affirming the dignity of life. What I propose is a global-scale charter, called the Fuji Declaration, that transcends all differences in ethnicity, creed, religion, and way of thinking, and embraces all human hearts. The peace that we human beings seek is built upon the dignity of our own life, and reverence for the lives of others. I urgently hope that now, each of us will grasp the opportunity to shed our feelings of selfishness and greed, and revive the lost spirit of humanitarian love, by upholding this affirmation of human dignity—this declaration for constructing peace and stability on Earth. Is this not the best time for us to return to our starting point and build a way of life that will positively affect the lives of the next generation? Shall we not pass along to them a world filled with bright hopes for the future? Whether we do this or not depends on the choices that we make at the present moment. The Fuji Declaration is an affirmation of the dignity of our own lives and the awe that we feel in face of the lives of others. It is an expression of love and respect for the whole of humanity. It is an opportunity for each of us to become a “change-maker”—one who rekindles the divine spark in each human heart. In rekindling this divine spark, we can change negative thoughts, words, and actions into light-filled ones. Our bright words will serve as the cornerstone for an opulent new civilization on Earth. Bright, powerful words are the fruits of our sublime, sacred consciousness—the consciousness of life itself. By means of our bright words—our sacred consciousness—we can unleash the momentum for creating true and lasting peace on Earth. It will come about through the choices made by each individual human being. Now is the time when we can make it happen. Starting right now, let us pass along no more negative inheritances to future generations. Let our legacy include no more negative thinking, no more hostilities, no more wars, no more anger and greed, no more discrimination and conflict; no more poverty and starvation, no more illness. Let our legacy be one of unlimited human potential, dignity, respect, and love. The decision is up to us. May Peace Prevail on Earth
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 06:11:56 +0000
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