It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. You can gain nothing by criticizing their imperfections.
Daisaku IkedaRead
It is crucial that we develop real awareness of ourselves as citizens of Earth, linked by mutual and indissoluble bonds. When we clearly recognize this reality and ground ourselves in it, we are compelled to take a strict accounting of our way of life.
Interpretation
We must understand our interconnectedness as global citizens to reflect on our lifestyles responsibly.
Daisaku Ikeda emphasizes the importance of recognizing our shared existence on Earth, highlighting that this awareness fosters a sense of responsibility towards our actions and their impact on the planet and each other. By acknowledging our mutual connections, we are encouraged to evaluate our habits and choices in a way that promotes sustainability and empathy, thus enhancing our collective well-being.
In practice
In a speech at an environmental conference, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for collective action.
It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. You can gain nothing by criticizing their imperfections.
There’s no need for us to be held back by the past or how things have been so far. The important thing is what seeds we are sowing now for the future.
True love should be transformative; a process that amplifies our capacity to cherish not just one person but all people. It can make us stronger, lift us higher and deepen us as individuals. Only to the extent that we polish ourselves now can we hope to develop wonderful bonds of the heart in the future.
Let us give something to each person we meet: joy, courage, hope, assurance, or philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always give something.
Just as a diamond can only be polished by another diamond, it is only through genuine, all-out engagement with others that people can polish their character, and help each other to reach greater heights.
Creating harmony amidst diversity is a fundamental issue of the twenty-first century. While celebrating the unique characteristics of different peoples and cultures, we have to create solidarity on the level of our common humanity, our common life. Without such solidarity, there will be no future for the human race. Diversity should not beget conflict in the world, but richness.
It is a principle incorporated into the settled policy of America, that as peace is better than war, war is better than tribute.
No new horror can be more terrible than the daily torture of the commonplace.
Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.
The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing.
If someone puts up the argument that King Louis gave the Romagna to Pope Alexander, and the kingdom of Naples to Spain, in order to avoid a war, I would answer as I did before: that you should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.
I don't think you can measure wealth in dollars and cents. I really don't believe that at all because there are some things that money cannot buy. One of them is health. And the other is security in your relationships and friends.
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