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Thought for the day

Poem for peace and happiness

This is actually an excerpt from SGI President Ikeda’s Poem –  “Peace—The Foundation for Lasting Human Happiness”. I just thought it so beautifully explained the path of peace and happiness.

There is a path that birds follow
as they fly through the sky.
There is a path that fish follow
as they swim through the sea.
There is a path that the stars follow
as they travel the heavens.
And there is a path of principle
that human beings should follow.
This is none other
than the path of peace.

Let’s begin with
what we can do.
Let’s move forward,
even if just an inch.

Let’s climb that mountain,
and cross this river!
Let’s dash over those fields
and traverse that hill!
Let’s race to that town
and talk with our friends!

We are ever filled
with bright confidence
that wonderful like-minded friends
will someday follow
in our footsteps!

If you have no hope,
create some.
If the world around you is dark,
be the sun that illuminates all.

Happiness
is not something we attain
by chasing after it.
Happiness
comes to those who live with
courage and tenacity.
Similarly, peace
will come to human beings
when they lead lives
of wisdom and principle.

Peace
is not something far away.
Peace
is caring for and valuing
a single individual.
It is bringing joy, not suffering,
to our mother.
It is reaching out
to those who are different from us.
It is having the wisdom
to reconcile after an argument.

And it is protecting
our beautiful natural world.
It is fostering
a rich culture.
It is refusing to build our happiness
on the misfortune of others.
It is sharing
others’ joys and sufferings.

Those who can
bring happiness to their friends
are experts in the art of happiness.
Those who can
Bring peace to their society
are emissaries of peace.

(April 2007)
(Translated from the June 12, 2011, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper)

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