Sunday, November 11, 2012
Q&A with Ikeda Sensei 2


Chapter 2         Carrying dreams


Q9, what was your dream when you were a kid?
A: I had 2 dreams when I was a kid. The first one was to live a quiet life and writing a novel that I can pass on to the next generations. The second dream was to let the charming cherry blossom to bloom and make the people feel happy.

Q10, what should we do now in order to contribute to the world in the future?
A: Youngsters should learn foreign languages. To have a heart that walks towards peace together is more important than any other things. To be able to do that, we need to communicate with others. There are lots of people learning Japanese out there, we must learn their languages as well. It is important to be able to communicate directly to foreigners. This is the key point that will allow you to contribute to the society.

Q11, I don’t think that I have a “mission”.
A: You’re all still very young. To mark a conclusion out of the 10 years you’ve lived through is an early act. Even if you don’t think you have a mission, I do not think so. I believe and respect all of you. I believe there must be a mission that belongs only to you.

Q12, What is the purpose of mankind to live on Earth?
A: I like to ask “why” too. “Why must we study?” “Why must we live in hardship?” These questions are important as they will lead to our future ambitions. If we only think for our own benefit, then our life would be wasted. Life as such is lonely. “For mankind”, “for our parents”, “for the society”, “for justice”, “for peace” – thoughts as such will allow you to reach your dreams, becoming a true noble person in the future.

Q13, what do you think of war?
A: There is nothing more devastating than war. We must never let war cause us more pain. My eldest brother was sent to the battlefield in China. I could never forget that time when he returned, he fiercely yelled “It was our country’s fault! They’re being cruel! I pity the people in China.” In the end, my brother died in war in Myanmar. My mother was devastated when she found out about this. We must tell the truth if we do not wish for war to repeat.

Q14, what did Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda think of war?
A: Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda was a very strict person. They both commented that, “War brings misfortune to the people; education brings happiness. War destruct life, but education gives life. War separates people, but education binds them together. War deprived the future of youngsters, but education opens up doors of opportunities for them. Thus, we must construct an indestructible citadel of humanistic education! Through the strings of education, we bind youngsters from around the world together. Only till then can war be wiped away. Only the victory of education could bring an everlasting victory to the people!”

Q15, what is so fascinating about reading?
A: How much of “fun” you could experience from reading actually determines the depth of your life. Reading a good book is like meeting a great teacher. Reading is our “human right”, where other animals do not possess. We only live once, but when we read, we go through all sorts of life and stories of people. In fact, we can even have a dialogue with the people who are hundreds and thousands of years away from us.

Q16, I don’t like to read!
A: If we were to talk about the reasons of having no interest in reading, the list could go on for days. We could say that it is the teachers’ responsibility, or our parents’, but no matter how “great” such reasons are, it doesn’t make us any better. We won’t become a better person for having a “great” reason for not reading. In fact, we shall train ourselves to have an attitude of never running away from things. Give yourself a try and see how it works. Habit is something we can build up by ourselves, and those who have a habit to learn could do almost anything.

Q17, I’m too afraid to tell anyone that I was bullied!
A: It is never a shame to look for others to talk about your problem. Don’t worry, because you’re not the one who did something wrong. It is the one who bullied you that’s guilty.

Q18, I don’t like to be criticized!
A: To be criticized, is an inevitable process of you becoming a noble person. We might not like to hear truthful words at times. But it doesn’t do anyone good if both the parties end up being unhappy from this.


Shared by,
Rainbow.

Translated by,
Happy.

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Written at 3:35 PM by Paper Pilot.