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ページ 3Special Series:
The Humanist Principle—Compassion and Tolerance (1)Daisaku Ikeda
Felix Unger
Preparations are now underway for the publication of dialogues
between Daisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International (SGI),
and Felix Unger, President of the European Academy of Sciences andArts. They met three times, in 1997, 2000 and 2001, and since then they
have exchanged opinions in letters and other correspondence. In thefirst dialogue, they touch on the progression of violence in the world,and speak of the need to build ways, within the spirit, to overcome all
possible confrontations in order for humans, as citizens of the earth, tocoexist. In future, as well, they will confront many topics dealing withmodern civilization, on themes such as “A Spirit of Tolerance andMercy,” “Religion and Humanity,” “Creation of a Century of Peace,”“Space, Earth, and Humanity,” and “Life and the Ethics of Life,” during
which they will surely talk about how to raise the flag of humanism.

Dialogue and the Fate of the EarthIkeda: Is it the hard power of military and economic might or the soft
power of dialogue that brings peace and security? The choice between
the two has been sharply debated since the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001. Has the globalization of dialogue kept pace with the rapid systemization and globalization of the economy and of communications? In
the world today direct and structural violence trigger many problems forhumanity. Some time ago, at Soka University, you made a highly
instructive comment: “Our ability to engage in dialogue will determine
the further fate of this Earth.”
Never before have sincere intercultural and inter-religion dialogues
been as necessary as they are now. I shall be supremely happy if this
dialogue with you, president of the institute of leading thinkers called
the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, contributes to the globalization of dialogue.

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Unger: To that end, I intend to give my best to the project.
Today, with the incursion of materialistic value criteria, many religions are losing their shared traditional values. The globalization you
mention gives impetus to the process. As the value put on life diminishes, slaughter becomes more common. On the one hand, religion
declines; on the other, materialism grows more prevalent. Halting thistrend requires us to recall values inherited from the distant past.
Ikeda: I see what you mean. As Lev N. Tolstoy said, recognition of thesacredness of every individual life is the first and only basis of all morality. Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions share fundamental ethical prohibitions against killing. To make the twenty-first a century freeof violence and killing we must make such prohibitions the foundationof global ethics. In your speech at Soka University, you said, “Inter-religion dialogues must form the axis of all intercultural dialogue.”
Unger: Soka Gakkai International, with which I have had repeated contacts for more then ten years, is a powerful Buddhist organization seeking to define reasonable goals for humanity from the Buddhist tradition
and apply them to the real world.
This tradition is exemplified in you, Mr. Ikeda. Within the frame ofenormous theological, organizational, and publication abilities, you
strive to express the value of humanity in our world. Through international cultural exchanges, you have transmitted the message of peacewith startling force. As we begin this dialogue, I should like to ask what
has motivated you personally.
Removing Suffering and Bestowing Joy
Ikeda: Whether direct or structural, violence causes great suffering.
Instead of merely contemplating others’ suffering, we must rise up andpractice the Buddhist doctrine of “removing suffering and bestowingjoy” (bakku yoraku in Japanese). Sympathetic action of this kind constitutes the whole spirit of Mahayana Buddhism. The great Japanese priest
and philosopher Nichiren Daishonin (1222-82), whom we of Soka
Gakkai revere, taught this spirit in his treatise “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” (Rissho Ankoku Ron). Selfishly
ignoring the misery the threat of violence causes others cannot lead tosalvation of one’s own soul.
In the very midst of World War II, two Japanese men strove to act on
the basis of the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin. They were TsunesaburoJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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Makiguchi, first president of Soka Gakkai, and Josei Toda, second president and my own direct mentor. Militarist authorities threw Mr.
Makiguchi in prison, where he died. Mr. Toda, too, was imprisoned but
survived to carry on Mr. Makiguchi’s spirit in the struggle for peace. I
am Mr. Toda’s spiritual heir.
Mr. Toda longed to eliminate misery from the world. Working to realize his goal is my whole life. In brief, my work for peace is first a religious mission, second an attempt to fulfill a vow made to my mentor,
and third the result of my own war experiences.
War as Satanic Folly
Ikeda: During World War II, evil ultra-nationalism shattered the peaceof our family. We lost our home in air raids, and my oldest brother diedat the front. Though a courageous woman, my mother was crushed bynews of his death. Later, when his ashes were returned to us, she satholding the container, her shoulders shaking in grief. I shall always
remember the sight. At an early age, I learned that, no matter how it
may be papered over with lies, war is foolish, hideous misery.
Unger: The founders of Soka Gakkai worked actively for peace during
World War II and incurred personal suffering and loss of freedom. From
this starting point, Soka Gakkai has earnestly engaged in working for aworld free of nuclear weapons. I have the greatest respect for that work.
Ikeda: I am grateful for your understanding. Mr. Toda’s resolution toprohibit nuclear arms and his insistence that anything threatening our
innate right to life is evil and satanic constitute his testament to us.
Nuclear weapons have the power to destroy all life—the human race andthe whole ecological system. We must make all humanity aware of thisevil. Part of our work to this end is the exhibition entitled “Nuclear
Arms-Threat to Our World,” which we have held in 23 nations and 38
cities, including Vienna, the capital of your homeland. In promoting
cultural exchanges we have held several other exhibitions in Vienna:“Treasures of Japanese Art;” “The Lotus Sutra and Its World: Buddhist
Manuscripts of the Great Silk Road;” and “Dialogue with Nature,” anexhibition of my own photographs, supported—to my honor—by youracademy. I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude
again.

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Peaceful Coexistence with Nature
Unger: Though I do not know your intentions precisely, this is how I
interpret your photographic goals. Man is to be regarded as a member ofnature and is on the right road only when grounded in nature. In yourlandscape photographs, you reveal this symbolically in a fascinating
way—pristine nature, cultivated nature, and completely manmade gardens. Your images show not only the possibility of peaceful coexistencewith nature, but also the foundation in nature for peaceful human togetherness.
In spite of this possibility, however, man is capable of dominating
nature and destroying the basis of life. In your book LIFE: An Enigma,
a Precious Jewel, you explain this from the standpoint of Buddhist tradition.
Ikeda: Yes. In that book I examine relations between nature and humanity. In the Buddhist view, the fundamental law, which may be called thecosmic force of life, manifests itself in all individual life forms—
humanity, nonhuman nature, and the stars of the firmament. Not mere
isolated parts, individual life forms are integrated with the cosmic life
force. In other words, the part is the whole, and the whole is the part.
Human beings and nonhuman nature are integrated parts of the same
cosmic life force and, because they are unique in the individual sense
and whole in the symbiotic, cosmic sense, they are irrevocably integrated with each other. Therefore, to destroy nonhuman nature is to destroy
humanity. Buddhism cannot countenance human destruction of nonhuman nature or its exploitation to satisfy selfish greed. Furthermore, Buddhists regard environmental devastation, social devastation in the formof rampant violence and extreme poverty, and spiritual devastation in theform of hypertrophic egoism as having a common root deep in the cosmic life force.
Although our spiritual traditions differ, the European Academy of
Sciences and Arts, which you founded with the support of European
leaders and intellectuals, shares the SGI outlook on various issues. Bymeans of intercultural and inter-religion dialogues on the basis of traditional Christian values, the academy attempts to restructure relations
between human beings and the spirit, society, and nonhuman nature. I
am proud to play a part in the academy’s noble mission as an honorary
senator.
Now permit me to ask you a few questions. You are the president of
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7geon. I imagine that certain people who instructed you either in yourfield of learning or in private life have earned your profound respect.
Who are some of them?
Good Teachers
Unger: Two of my uncles were good teachers who exerted a strong
influence on me from the time when I was small. One was Count Karl
von Arco, a representative of one of the oldest families in Austria. He
taught me how to think in all instances and how to act when in difficulty.
The other was Professor Gernot Eder, who taught me scientific, analytical, metaphysical, and broadly inclusive thought. Later, I enjoyed theguidance of a wonderful cardiologist, Prof. Kurt Polzer, who was afatherly mentor to me.
Ikeda: Those must have been splendid relationships. I can see that your
youth was rich with intellectual development. Your father was a famous
painter and the rector of the University of Applied Arts Vienna[Hochschule für angewandte Kunst in Wien]. What are your most vivid
recollections of him? Which of the lessons you learned from your mother remain most firmly fixed in your heart?
Unger: I appreciate your asking about my late parents. My father was apainter with a very keen eye. He could accurately capture a landscapeand render it in splendid colors—as you do in your photographs. My
wonderful mother taught me having no fear in doing things and to thinkin metaphysical concepts. Her father was an important Austrian painter.
Ikeda: Thank you for the compliment. Your parents lived through bothworld wars and through the turbulent times of Hitler’s Anschluss, themerging of Germany and Austria.
Unger: Yes, they were still very young at the time of the Anschluss.
Father had to go to war, but they survived the fires of the conflict.
My father spoke clearly, extremely accurately, and honestly. From
him I learned the importance of speaking correctly and justly in troubled
times like the present. I imagine he learned this from his own father,
who was an architectural engineer. My family taught me that money is
not everything and that living justly is important. A cheerful, broadminded, optimistic person, mother taught me never to be afraid. No matter what problems she encountered, she would always say, “It’s nothing!

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There’s bound to be a solution!”
Ikeda: Your parents were wonderful people, fine philosophers whotaught you the way to justice and happiness. I sense the great light offaith in them. True education consists in cultivating minds willing to
struggle for the sake of justice.
Founded fourteen years ago, the European Academy of Sciences andArts has grown into an organization of 1,200 intellectuals from morethan 50 countries in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East,
and Asia. King Juan Carlos of Spain is a protector, and Václav Havel,
former president of the Czech Republic, is a honorary senator, andMikhail S. Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, is a honorary member. I have had the honor of meeting all these people. Traditional academies exist all over Europe. Why did you decide to establish
a new kind of academy?
The Harmonious Triangle
Unger: The European Academy of Sciences and Arts was founded in
response to the contemporary nexus of problems. We founders realizedthat the image of science has shifted away from the human and has
become lopsidedly material. We felt that, as materialism gets the upper
hand in science and society, humanity diverges from its essential qualities and degenerates metaphysically, thus threatening to spoil humannature. Concern for this situation motivated the founding of the academy.
The natural sciences are founded on humanity. The tendency towards
materialism denies their spiritual aspects. Something similar occurs in
the field of economics. Instead of serving human needs—including spiritual needs—science becomes independent and dominates humanity.
Our academy views science from another standpoint.
Human relations consist in a harmonious, manageable triangle madeup of relations with nature, relations among human beings, and relations
with the spiritual. These three orient human existence and facilitate
problem solving. All three are essential, and none must be overstressed.
Sciences that take nature as their theme—natural sciences and technological disciplines—require social and spiritual supplementation. The
same is true for sciences that investigate relations among humanbeings—from social sciences and linguistics to law, economics, and politics. Psychology and medicine build a bridge between natural and spiritual, social sciences and connect them with the purely spiritual fields ofJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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9philosophy, art, and religion.
Ikeda: At Soka University, you said in your speech, “We must enable
the sciences to work together to form a network encompassing all oflife....It is imperative for science to acquire an all-disciplinary philosophy.” In other words, human beings must occupy the center of your harmonious triangle of natural science, social science, and the humanities.
In different terms, human beings do not exist for the sake of science;science exists for the sake of human beings. What concrete actions is
your academy taking to deal with this issue?
Health Care and the Sustainable Society
Unger: The academy is planning various projects for the present and thenext few years in connection with problems of a sustainable society andinvestigations of water resources.
One of our big projects is the Institute of Medicine. We think that, in
Europe, increasingly brutal capitalism, preposterous public authorities,
bureaucratization of hospitals, and inept politics have created a twoclass system of medical care. People with money can afford medical
care; those without must look out for themselves. As a doctor, I find thisset of circumstances intolerable. We have founded the Institute of Medicine in the hope of working together with the European Parliament andthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to develop a new health-care system. We must not be satisfied with pragmatic—
not to say, superficial—correctives but must look deeper into the problem. It is clear to all my colleagues at the academy that contemporary
medicine has miscalculated the nature of its own existence.
Ikeda: In what connection?
Unger: Its strong inclination towards the natural sciences has caused
medicine unintentionally to regard patients as peculiar cases describablein natural-scientific terms. The patient becomes an anomaly that should
be dealt with like other social anomalies, for instance, criminality. This
invites the involvement of the authorities, since the patient as anomaly isa cost factor and cost factors must be minimized. Thus the patient
becomes a mere object of medical and state action, and medicine
acquires a meaning the opposite of its true one, which is to serve theinterests of the patient and his or her good health exclusively.

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Ikeda: Yes, you are saying that doctors are losing sight of the fundamental point that medicine exists for the sake of the patient. They
subdivide fields of research and adopt the reductionist viewpoint that
accumulated research in limited areas will provide them with a holistic
view. Observable in Western medicine, this phenomenon can be seen in
all the natural sciences. Studying only specific parts, losing sight of thepatient as a whole, and considering patients not as human beings but ascases—anomalies, as you put it—may be in a sense inevitable sincemodern Western medicine developed within the framework of the naturalsciences. But such an approach tends to neglect the living human being.
In a dialogue we conducted, the British historian Arnold J. Toynbee
said that it seems hardly possible for anyone to be a spiritually andethically adequate physician unless he [she] has some religious orphilosophical view of, and attitude towards, human life and towards theuniverse in which mankind finds itself.1 Reforming medicine cannot be
accomplished only within the medical field. It requires the help of religion, philosophy, ethics, politics, economics, and sociology.
Medicine directly concerns the totality of human life. That is why,
first of all, we must make sure it includes the triangle your academy
advocates: natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Science and Religion Seeking Common Denominators
Unger: Another related activity of our academy is the attempt to findcommon fundamental elements among fields of learning. Our philosophers and natural scientists willingly affirm this undertaking. Finding
common denominators is the noblest task of science. As the science that
implies the most radical contemporary social, ethical, and anthropological consequences, genetic technology provides especially powerful suggestions. As a doctor, I am occupied with the problem of when life
begins and ends. In this issue, genetic technology plays a part.
Ikeda: Both Shakyamuni and Jesus compared their roles as saviors withthat of a physician. The Buddhist scriptures speak of Shakyamuni as theGreat Healer; that is, a physician to life itself. Treating the malfunctioning part is not enough to cure the illness. Medicine alone cannot answer
questions about the beginning and end of life, or life and death. The
assistance of religion is needed. Dialogue between medical science andreligion is indispensable to addressing the issue of genetic engineeringand life ethics. Later I should like to refer to your great experience as a
cardiac surgeon in this connection.

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Unger: Today, as information increases and is transmitted increasingly
rapidly, dialogue becomes more essential than ever before. Whether they
like it or not—whether they know it or not—cultures are integrated. And
this makes possible more intense exchanges. The exciting thing about
intercontinental discussions is the way they enable us to compare ourown traditional ways of thinking with those of other peoples. Serious
comparisons of this kind always reveal more similarities than differences.
Ikeda: Through dialogue, people brought up in different philosophicaltraditions discover more shared elements than differences.
The same is true of inter-religion dialogue. With their long histories,
world religions share many fundamental elements. In April 2002, I met
with Abdurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia and leader ofthe largest Indonesian Islamic organization. We agreed that all religions
exist for the sake of human happiness and that, without compromising
their doctrines, all religions should cooperate in the name of peace.
Unger: Yes. Though they differ on some points, all religions share thesame hope of peace for humanity.
Minimal Genetic Difference
Ikeda: At the United Nations millennium summit in the fall of 2000,
President Wahid said that dialogue gives human faces to people of different ethnicities, cultures, and historical backgrounds. He added that
dialogue propagates shared values and opens the way to the realizationof harmony and a global peace culture.
Dialogue is the best way to help us discover our common humanity
and return to universal human values.
Unger: As a doctor, I realize that human beings throughout the world
are amazingly similar physiologically. On this physiology we impose
violent cultural and religious differences. But given our bodily similarities, are we not fooling ourselves when we define cultural and religious
differences as basic conflicts?
Ikeda: Physiological identity is one human equality that transcends raceand ethnic group. Genetic technology has recently shown that individual
differences in human DNA disposition amount to no more than 0.1 percent. What is more, as the world-renowned Indian agronomist and presi-

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dent of the Pugwash Conferences M.S. Swaminathan insists, humanbeings and plants closely resemble each other genetically. In short, modern genetics confirms the oneness of all life on Earth.
Unger: Scientific knowledge suggests that we should seek common elements and resemblances on different continents and in different culturesand religions.
Ikeda: For three years, beginning in 1997, the European Academy of
Sciences and Arts has conducted six symposia on the theme “BuddhistChristian Dialogues.” In response to your request, SGI has participatedin them.
Unger: In spite of differences in systems of thought like that between
Buddhist wisdom and Christian revelation, these six symposia were successful in ascertaining common points between the two religions thatcan be applied toward triumphing over problems concerning all
humankind. We have to build bridges.
Happiness Based on the Sanctity of Life
Ikeda: I agree with you that Christianity and Buddhism share manythings in common. First, both are salvationist religions. Buddhist compassion and Christian love both seek the salvation of humanity. The mission of Buddhism is the salvation of humankind through compassion
derived from the universal force of life and made manifest in human
life. In the face of oppression, Shakyamuni and his disciples traveled thebreadth of India saving the ordinary people.
Unger: Christianity teaches the love of God and strives to inculcate
neighborly love. Jesus Christ and his disciples suffered oppression andhardship as they taught the people. Jesus said, “Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray forthem which despitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
Ikeda: Second, both Christianity and Buddhism indicate ways of shedding light on human suffering and leading people to true happiness.
Buddhism identifies fundamental, innate ignorance of the source of life
as the basic cause of suffering. Christianity sees original sin as thesource of all unhappiness. Both posit an eternal realm where the causesof suffering will be exposed and true happiness will be attained.

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Unger: As you point out, though their philosophical grounds for
explaining it differ, both Christianity and Buddhism focus on the way
through life: birth, aging, illness, and death.
Ikeda: Their third shared characteristic is teaching the dignity ofhumanity and of life on the basis of the sacred. Buddhism teaches thatthe transcendent cosmic force of life is manifest in each individual lifein the form of the Buddha nature. The dignity of life and of humanity
derives from the manifestation of that nature. In the world civilization of
the future, these dignities must become the mainstays of ethics andvalue criteria.
Unger: In the Christian view, human dignity derives from our having
been created in God’s image. In spite of their differences, Buddhism andChristianity converge on certain points transcending current problems,for instance, human rights, value systems, and the global environment.
Buddhism the Bridge between Christianity and Islam
Ikeda: When we met in July, 2001, you proposed expanding the Buddhist-Christian Dialogues to include all four of the major religions:those two plus Judaism and Islam. I was in complete agreement. SGI
representatives took part in the first of the expanded conferences scheduled for September 15, 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks on the
United States.
Unger: Originally the conference theme was to have been life ethics.
But at the beginning of the meeting, I said that the attacks perpetrated
four days earlier increased the danger of global conflict. Against thebackground of this emergency, I proposed that the representatives of thefour religions consider innate human destructiveness and aggressiveness. They did so. And, after lively debate, they reached a consensus to
the effect that violent military retribution must be avoided and that discussion is the way to halt war.
Ikeda: I am grateful for the wise leadership you demonstrated at thattime. I understand that the theologian and a journalist Dr. Norbert
Göttler expressed the opinion that Buddhism can bridge the gap between
Christianity and Islam. Repeated in 2002 and 2003, these conferencesamong the four great religions have produced significant positive results.

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Unger: Through our discussion, we earnestly hope to show that dialogue and mutual cooperation among all religions is both possible anddesired by all humanity. Dialogues between Christianity and Buddhism
and among the four great religions have inspired my determination tojoin you in continuing to speak out for the dignity of life, respect forhumanity, and peace.
Tolerance as a Universal Duty
Ikeda: In the spirit of inter-religion dialogue, in January 2002, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts issued its Tolerance Charter, which
I should now like to discuss. It proclaims tolerance to be the duty of all
people. How did the document evolve?
Unger: Our Tolerance Charter can be understood as having evolved
from the multi-disciplinary and international nature of the academy. Our
many religious dialogues have shown living together to be both a virtue
and a pressing demand. The desire to fulfill it led to the creation of acouncil to formulate the charter as representing our senate and speaking
for the academy. For us, it has great cultural significance.
Ikeda: The preamble of our SGI charter, enacted in November 1995,
proclaims our dedication to the ideal of global citizenship, the spirit oftolerance, and respect for human rights. All three concepts are foundedon humanism. In addition it states our intention of making positive contributions to society by addressing problem-solution through nonviolent
dialogue. Tolerance is one of its main pillars. The succeeding ten articles of the main text set forth goals and principles.
Unger: Our Tolerance Charter has two parts: the preamble and six program definitions. We formulated the preamble from social circumstances and conditions. It has three parts.
Ikeda: The Tolerance Charter states that everyone must respect different
ways of living and recognize them as valuable. I put this injunction into
practice by repeatedly engaging in and publishing dialogues conductedwith people of diverse religious backgrounds: Christian, Islamic, Hindu,
and so on.
Unger: It describes human life as constantly changing and sees the
speed and scale of change as characteristic of our time. It adds theJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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injunction to employ a tolerant culture to counter the diverse forms of
intolerance we observe. Growing individualization leads many people torate their own lives as absolute and to be unsympathetic with others. The
family ought to function as the stable nucleus of human society. But,
imperiled, it is increasingly incapable of doing so. We remind all official
personages of their responsibility to make tolerance valid as a social
good.
I wonder if the SGI preamble does not restrict itself too much to thehumanistic aspects of Buddhism. We direct our claim to all peoples
alike, no matter what their religious or political affiliations.
Tolerance Defined
Ikeda: The SGI Charter rests firmly on the Buddhist goal of developing
universal humanity. Our membership comes from 190 countries andregions and transcends national, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. The
diverse traditions of ethnicity, culture, and religion in the regions where
we are active may be either tolerant or intolerant. Through the stimulusof open dialogue we strive to encourage benevolent tolerance. We
believe that the culture of dialogue provides the soil in which universal
humanity can bloom in diverse forms. The SGI Charter expresses ourvow as Buddhists to encourage peace and symbiosis.
Unger: The preamble of the Tolerance Charter is followed by six definitions.
Tolerance is the individual readiness to stand up for the dignity of any
other human being.
Tolerance is part of a value system that emphasizes human dignity.
Tolerance requires a person’s ability to understand other people and torespect different behaviour.
Tolerance is based on a self-confident point of view.
Tolerance serves as a protector of dignity and freedom of each humanbeing within in his or her own cultural environment.
The guaranty and continuing development of tolerance should be considered our common duty and the fundamental element of any education.
Ikeda: I agree totally with the spirit of tolerance set forth in these definitions. The following articles demonstrate the way the spirit of tolerance
finds clear expression in the main text of the SGI Charter.
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mental human rights and not discriminate against any individual on
any grounds.
* SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect otherreligions, engage in dialogue and work together with them toward
the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity.
* SGI shall respect cultural diversity and promote cultural exchange,
thereby creating an international society of mutual understanding
and harmony.
* SGI shall promote, based on the Buddhist ideal of symbiosis, theprotection of nature and the environment.
* SGI shall contribute to the promotion of education, in the pursuit oftruth as well as development of scholarship, to enable all people tocultivate their individual character and enjoy fulfilling and happy
lives.
As these statements make clear, the academy’s Tolerance Charter andthe SGI Charter generally coincide in their approach to the spirit of tolerance.
Going the Second Mile
Unger: Our reaction to dialogue is one of the many things we share.
Any sincere dialogue indicates the kind of tolerance represented in the
New Testament appeal to go the “second mile.” This difficult metaphor
refers to the Roman requirement made on all Jews to accompany a
Roman citizen for a mile to carry his baggage. Christ’s injunction to go
a second mile lays the groundwork for dialogue, since sharing the roadfor the additional distance gives both parties a chance to talk things over.
You come from the Buddhist tradition, and your image of the world
differs from the Christian one. Nevertheless, we Christians are becoming increasingly familiar with your image. Not that we want to accept it
entirely, but we discern its profoundly humanistic elements. The traditions behind your charter and our Tolerance Charter differ. We do not
associate tolerance with our religious tradition as you do; we are more
intensely secular. Still we are connected by basic values, and working
together reveals new elements.
Ikeda: The content of the academy’s Tolerance Charter should serve asa model for the leaders of all nations. Overcoming intolerance is one ofthe primary aims of the United Nations, as is stated in the preamble toits charter: “...to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbors....”

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In 2001, The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance was held in Durban. From the
preparations stage, SGI representatives participated enthusiastically inall phases of the conference. In spite of international efforts of this kind,
however, intolerance and discrimination are proving difficult to uproot.
Unger: Undeniably, things like racism stand in the way of tolerance.
You and I both adopt human rights as our starting point. But we should
try to trace their nature and evolution. Are human rights universally
applicable? Or do they reflect largely the European tradition, especiallythe tradition that started with the French Revolution?
The Evolution of Human Rights
Ikeda: Undeniably Europe has played a major role in establishinghuman rights. For instance, the 18th century European Enlightenment
was a mainstay in the struggle for rights proclaimed in the Americanand French revolutions. In the 20th century, in Europe and many otherparts of the world, people strove to create a firm foundation for the universalization of respect for human rights. The culmination of these
efforts was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by thethird meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. In the
declaration we can perceive a firm resolution that the atrocious violationof human rights committed during World War II should not be repeated.
The people who made major contributions to the compilation of the
Universal Declaration include Austregésilo Athayde, late president of
the Brazilian Academy of Letters—with whom I engaged in a dialogue
on the topic Human Rights in the 21st Century; Dr. René Cassin, president of the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg and laureateof the Nobel Peace Prize; and Eleanor Roosevelt. Mr. Athayde gave
precedence to human rights over political systems and methods andinsisted that, eternal and universal, they must be free of political or temporal restrictions.2 In the search for a correct understanding of theirfoundations, Mr. Athayde traced the history of concern with humanrights all the way back to the Code of Hammurabi in the 18th century
BCE.3 Do you agree that this topic is worth pursuing further?
Unger: Of course.
Ikeda: In our discussion of the universal basis for human rights, Mr.
Athayde mentioned the Mosaic Decalogue. I spoke of the Buddhist fun-J ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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damentals known as the Five Precepts and Ten Good Precepts. The firstof the Five Precepts prohibits the taking of life. The nonviolence andrespect for life it embodies characterize the whole set of five. Buddhism
stresses the dignity of life because each individual life is endowed with
the Buddha Nature and with the possibility of manifesting it.
As Mr. Athayde said emphatically, “In the Orient, Buddhism reveals
the process for the acquisition of human rights.... Those who lack thevision to detect the ‘sacred’ in others (as it is expounded in Buddhism)
are incapable of understanding the root idea of human dignity. This is
one of the reasons I sympathize with the Buddhist way of thinking.”4
Nichiren Daishonin clearly proclaimed humankind’s innate freedom.
Living in the 13th century, he suffered oppression at the hands of rabidstate authorities. But he declared, “Even if it seems that, because I wasborn in the ruler’s domain, I follow him in my actions, I will never follow him in my heart.”5 These words represent a crystallization of thephilosophy extolling the freedom of the human spirit. They are includedin Birthright of Man, compiled by UNESCO to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Honoring human rights expands the world of tolerance, whereas
despising them allows the evil of intolerance to run rife. This is why the
21st century must witness redoubled efforts among world religions,
including Christianity and Buddhism, to evolve from their traditions ofthought and spirit a philosophical basis for human rights.
Unger: The reality the media report to us daily from the whole world
terrifies me. It is really ghastly. Intolerance is the bad in us humanbeings. But I say again that tolerance is in our genes. In spite of the horrors of present global events, I view possible future developments optimistically. Two factors make me think this way. One is to be found in
the tradition of Joachim di Fiore, Nikolaus Cusanus, and Pierre Teilhard
de Chardin. All three of these thinkers were convinced that the humanspirit develops and that we are capable of spiritual maturity. Teilhard de
Chardin pointed out perspectives for genetic engineering in this connection. Genetic technology shows us that we are all the result of variation,
thus the result of mutations. That is why I entertain the justifiable hopethat humanity can develop in ways that will ultimately make peacefulcoexistence possible.
Hope for the Future
Ikeda: All three of the philosophers you mention believed that theJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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19human spirit can grow infinitely. This belief gave them hope for the
future. Nichiren Daishonin, too, had radiant hope for peaceful symbiosis
among members of the human race. He lived in 13th century Japan at atime of widespread pessimism and despair. In Buddhist terminology, it
was what is called the Latter Day of the Law, a time after the death of
Shakyamuni when the Buddhist faith has been lost, human society
becomes increasingly defiled, and the age is confused and corrupt. But
Nichiren Daishonin believed that precisely these critical conditions
meant the time had come to create from confusion a new spiritual flourishing and to realize a world of lasting peace. He saw himself as theactive leader of this historic reformation.
Unger: The evolution of Europe from fractured bellicosity to anincreasingly-apparent unity is significant. In this process we always confront the problem of how to overcome old nationalism and forge European unity while at the same time preserving vital regional structures
within the total framework. Europe has achieved two striking, encouraging things: the Schengen Agreement and the Euro as the uniform currency. The Schengen Agreement has done away with border controls in
many—though not yet all—European countries.
A Pluralistic, Nonmilitary Europe
Ikeda: By preserving local regionality, Europe voluntarily moves
towards unity in a peaceful way. Its pluralistic, nonmilitary order is
expected to serve as a model for a new regional and global order. I am
reminded of the Austrian Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, who
advocated the Pan-European concept. In 1967, he and I engaged in
repeated dialogues. At the time, I was young enough to have been hisson. His earnest way of speaking made me feel as if he were bequeathing a mission to me. Our dialogues were published as the book Bunmei
Nishi to Higashi [Civilization, East and West]. In it, Count CoudenhoveKalergi said that averting a third world war will be possible only if we
consistently stress the importance of human symbiosis and mutual truston the basis of a spiritual movement transcending conflicts arising fromracial, religious, ideological and national differences.6 This statement ismore important now than it was when originally made thirty-odd years
ago. Bonds of mutual trust and a federation of compassion and tolerance
are essential if we are to halt the steadily-increasing violence in theworld.

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Utopian Dream or Practical Plan
Unger: I became personally acquainted with Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi at a Pan-Europe congress in Vienna in 1964. He wasdescended from the Hapsburgs, who, guided by the principle of live andlet live, ruled Central Europe in an exemplary fashion. Many languages
were brought together under one crown; that is, one idea. The tradition,
which goes back to Charlemagne and the ruling ideas of the Holy
Roman Empire, provided a bond assuring people that they could live
well. Today we need a similar European idea operative in more than thefields of bureaucracy and economy. In 1923, Count Coudenhove-Kalergi
took up this idea, reminiscent of the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, anddeveloped a brilliant vision from it.
Ikeda: Yes, in the book Pan-Europe, which is dedicated to the youth ofEurope, he wrote that whether an idea remains a Utopian dream or isactually put into practice depends on the numbers and strength of thepeople who believe in it. If supported by a few thousand, it remains
Utopian; and if by a few million, it becomes a government program.
It will be actually implemented when its supporters number tens of
millions. If he were alive today, the Count would rejoice to see that
hundreds of millions of people believe in his idea. To reach this stage,
however, Europe had to experience the extreme intolerance of fascism
and Stalinism.
Unger: The extraordinary brutality and intolerance of Nazism and Stalinism and their, till then, unimaginable contempt for humanity remain a
trauma for Europeans to this day. We still ask ourselves how an ideology
could have swept away a highly-diversified culture like ours and could
have led to indiscriminate mass murder. Or, in harsher terms, what went
wrong in the highly-diversified European culture to provide grounds forsuch ideologies to operate and flourish? To be sure, dictatorial socialism
was ultimately eradicated. But does this automatically mean the end of
all ideologies contemptuous of humanity—the end of all hegemonic
powers, which do so little for human life?
Holes of Oblivion
Ikeda: Totalitarian ideologies contemptuous of humanity may appear
over and over in various forms. Totalitarianism worships group strengthand regards the individual always as a tool of the state system. UnderJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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21such systems, national egoism tramples on human dignity. Arnold J.
Toynbee and I discussed this topic exhaustively. He told me that fascism
and communism, which are new lower religions, emerged to replace
Christianity. But because they were in themselves too inferior for people
to worship, they became religions worshipping group power.
Unger: Japan, too, has experienced similar traumas. How do Japaneseartists and intellectuals discuss the past, and what conclusions do theyreach?
Ikeda: In the past, very few artists, intellectuals, and religious leadersresisted rampant, contemptuous totalitarianism. Josei Toda, second president of Soka Gakkai, resisted nationalist Shinto so fiercely that he was
imprisoned. This is one of the reasons why I put absolute trust in him. It
is true that in postwar Japan, when professions of pacificism and antiwar
sentiments ran high, some artists and intellectuals sincerely and earnestly opposed totalitarianism. At the same time, however, many of themavoided directly coming to terms with the misery Japan caused other
Asian nations.
The political philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) has used thewords the holes of oblivion to express the way that totalitarianism erases
folk memory. Many Japanese have consigned the misery Japan inflicted
on others to the hole of forgetfulness and oblivion. The resulting failure
to overcome the totalitarian mindset fully is one of the reasons why the
citizens of the Asian countries Japan invaded still mistrust us. During its
long history, Austria has evolved profound wisdom in connection withtolerance. Still, under the Nazis, it experienced extreme intolerance. The
former Yugoslavia, a hotbed of ethnic conflicts, was once part of the
Habsburg Empire. The Danube Union, a source of Count CoudenhoveKalergi’s Pan-Europe concept, was Austrian in origin.
Pairing Freedom and Conscience
Unger: The imperial tradition of Charlemagne, which lasted for a thousand years, until the time of Charles I (1887–1922), would have been
impossible without a human concept of empire. Even today there exists
an idea of Europe under which everybody can live in freedom. One of
the ingredients of Christian, freedom is based on and expressed in theGospels, especially the Epistles of Paul, where it is said that humanbeings can develop only in conditions of spiritual freedom. But, in thiscontext, when put into action, freedom is to be understood as pairedJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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with the individual conscience.
Ikeda: Exactly. Otherwise, freedom can lapse into self-indulgence. That
is why religious cultivation of the conscience is essential in a free society. During the Cold War, a split between the East and the West ruptured
the spirit of symbiosis cultivated over long years. But the European
world started reviving when the Cold War ended. The Berlin Wall came
down fifteen years ago. What were your reactions to the event?
The Fall of the Wall
Unger: November 9, 1989, the day the wall came down, had tremendous significance for Europe.
Called “Die Wende,” or the reversal, in German, it did in fact reverse
everything about Europeans’ way of life. But, with it, World War II truly
came to an end.
The day was a very moving experience. It meant that relations among
Central European nations were being normalized. My wife Monica and I
went straight to Berlin, where we hammered off a bit of the wall, which
we still have at home.
No one had imagined that communism would collapse all at once
without a single gunshot. I felt certain that the destruction of the wall
opened new, hopeful perspectives for Europe.
Not long ago, I traveled to Riga, the capital of the Republic of Latvia,
where I clearly stated that, in the past, there had never been problems
between Russia and Europe. The trouble started when communist ideology split Europe apart. That is all over now. From the European standpoint, discourse with Moscow or Saint Petersburg is nothing special.
Long ago Russia, Germany, and Austria talked things over in a natural
set of relations that was, unfortunately, discontinued for about a century.
All Earthlings
Ikeda: I visited Berlin in October, 1961, two months after the Berlin
Wall went up. To some friends who were with me I said, “I am sure thatin 30 years, this Berlin Wall will no longer stand.” I was expressing, nota wish or a prophecy, but my conviction that the freedom- and peaceloving human spirit would triumph. At the same time, I was expressing
determination to devote myself entirely to making my mentor Josei
Toda’s dream of global citizenship a reality.

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Unger: I believe that, as Josei Toda said, we must all arrive at an awareness of being citizens of the Earth, in spite of speaking different languages, living in different cultures, and entertaining different religious
views. This idea ought to unite us instead of driving us apart. We are all
children of God.
Ikeda: I hope that you and I can continue our discussions of compassion and tolerance in ways that help build a spiritual basis for the unification of humanity.

THE ROLE OF RELIGION
Religion as Healing
Unger: In this second chapter we address the central theme of our dialogue: religion, which for me is the essence of humanity. How have I as
a doctor in our times reached this conclusion? Are not people turningaway from the great churches in growing numbers? And is this not reasonable? Certainly the answers to both questions is yes. But, as a doctor,
I observe that, in difficult times, many patients cling to their religious
beliefs.
Ikeda: That is an important observation. The suffering of illness makes
people confront their own deaths and inspires profound reexaminationsof life. Sincere concentration on life and death awakens in the mind theneed for an unshakeable philosophy and religion. Nichiren Daishoninteaches: “Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way.”7 He also
writes: “I should first of all learn about death, and then about otherthings.”8
The Japanese attach great importance to the appearance of the dead.
Some people die with a gentle, beautiful facial expression, which istaken as evidence of their having led fulfilled and valuable lives. Others
may die with any of various other expressions. How does this emphasis
on final appearance strike you as a doctor?
Unger: As you say, people die with different kinds of expressions on
their faces. Those whose lives have been very fulfilled and happy andthose who complete their lives with confidence and mental calm can besaid to die in a good state of life. And, if reincarnated, such people will

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be reborn in a good state. Investigations show that people whose final
facial expression is distorted and frightful have met death with problemson their minds. Perhaps they lacked self-confidence and fulfillment during life.
Four Encounters
Ikeda: Buddhism presents the solemn facts of life, aging, illness, anddeath in terms of the teachings of the Four Sufferings. No medical
advances and no amount of material wealth can solve the problems theypose. The fundamental issue of our existence is overcoming them insuch a way as to maximize the radiance of life.
The story of the Four Encounters outside the confines of his father’spalace reveals how Shakyamuni became aware of the Four Sufferings.
On one occasion, Prince Gautama—as Shakyamuni was known before
he entered the religious life—went out from the palace by the east gate
and met an old person. On another day, upon going out by the southgate, he encountered an ill person. On yet another day, when he left thepalace by the west gate, he came upon a corpse. These encountersenlightened the prince to the inevitability of the Four Sufferings. Then,on the fourth occasion, leaving by the north gate, he encountered a religious ascetic. These four encounters inspired Gautama to abandon secular life for the life of religious pursuits.
Fundamentally religions exist to enable people to confront the truth oflife in the form of birth, aging, illness, and death and then to pursue thequest for real happiness. In this sense, all human beings are innately
religious. As you put it, religion “is the essence of humanity.” Fleeing
from the Four Sufferings and losing sight of the wise religious way to
pursue happiness aid and abet the tendency to undervalue life.
Unger: I agree. Today issues like abortion and genetic manipulation
blur definitions of the beginning and ending of human life. This in turnmakes it easy for science to take advantage of life. The nature of ourtimes makes it imperative to employ inter-religion dialogues to build aculture of respect for life. On the one hand, our world is dominated byutilitarian values—that is, constant technological advance. On the other
hand, we are entering an age of emphasis on life values immeasurable inutilitarian terms. Profound religious experiences are becoming increasingly important to an understanding of the meaning of life.
Ikeda: Very true. Confronting the Four Sufferings teaches us how toJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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deepen our “understanding of the meaning of life” and, reaffirming its
dignity, makes life more radiant. This is the essential mission of religion. Goethe, who himself overcame great sickness, wrote in Hermann
und Dorothea, “The affecting image of death is neither fearsome to thewise nor an end to the pious. It draws the one back to life and teaches
the other how to act. It strengthens the hope of future salvation in the
afflicted pious. For both, death becomes life.”9Unger: A very significant passage.
Ikeda: In a similar connection, the International Conference on Palliative Treatments, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral
Care in November 2004, dealt with the importance of ameliorating bothactual physical suffering in patients with stubborn illnesses and the suffering caused ultimately by death itself.
A doctor of my acquaintance told me of terminally-ill cancer patients
who, in spite of their own suffering, worry about helping and encouraging their friends and others. As the doctor said, such people are strong in
the face of illness and death. In contrast, when a crisis comes, people
who have lived for nothing but their own egoistic needs prove weak.
Strength is to be found in lives lived in open solidarity with others anddoing everything possible for their sakes.
The quintessence of Mahayana Buddhism is the teaching of the dignity of life and the compassionate Bodhisattva Way based on Nichiren’steaching concerning karmic cause and effect. Compassionate deeds
eliminate the sufferings of and impart joy to others. At the same time,they evoke and develop the performer’s Life force. Nichiren Daishonin
wrote that both birth and death are joy and that we use the aspects ofbirth, aging, sickness, and death to adorn the tower that is our body.10
Respect for Life
Unger: Christian love, too, is a highly positive, supremely noble energy.
Jesus Christ constantly spoke of love as a generator of perfect energy.
Any doctor or scientist who intervenes in life can hardly avoid feelingrespect for it. The more a person knows about its relation with Nature,
the greater that respect.
Ikeda: We must strive to cultivate a world view founded on suchrespect, which is the foundation of all true religion. The dignity of life
must become the absolute, universal norm for the 21st century. Giving

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precedence to anything over life inevitably leads to oppression of humannature.
As you know from experience, respect for life is the point of contact
between science and religion.
Unger: I believe the age of reductionism is behind us. Anyone today
who attempts to reduce all higher manifestations of life to simple, lowlevel processes becomes embroiled in contradictions.
Cosmic Tie-ups
Ikeda: Since the time of Descartes, scientific progress has been thought
to depend on resolving difficult things into their component parts. In
fact, however, all forms of life are organically connected in one great
entity. The French-born American doctor and microbiologist René
Dubos (1901–82), whom I met, commented that the palpable meaningsof religion, philosophy, and social beliefs all arise from the awareness,
however indistinct, that one’s whole being is related to the universe, thepast, the future, and all humanity outside oneself. This significance ofconnectedness with the whole universe resembles a religious experience.
As you know, Western words for religion probably derive from Latin
religare, to tie together. In other words, religion is a quest for tie-ups
between the individual and the sacred.
Each religion has a cosmology in which humanity has an assigned
place and role. Awareness of cosmic connections constitutes the natureand reason for human existence and would seem to be the source of religiosity.
Unger: Questioning the meaning of existence is more than a childish
quest for security. People are not deluding themselves when they seek amainstay in religion. Furthermore religion satisfies the basic humanneed for people attempting to include the force of life in such greater
human connections as the following:
1. Relations between humanity and Nature;
2. Relations among human beings;
3. Relations between the human and the spiritual.
The loss of one of the three factors results in discord. Our existence
remains balanced only as long as this triangle of relations remains wholeand harmonious.
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Thousand Realms in a Single Thought Moment expounded by Tiantai(T’en-tai) (538–97) and Nichiren Daishonin. Explained simply, thisteaching holds that all (three thousand) of the worlds of phenomena arecontained in one-thought moment; that is, one instant of life. Each of
those instants manifests Ten Realms of Life (Ten Worlds11) and is therefore by nature highly diverse. As a result of what is called mutual
possession, each of the ten realms can include all ten in itself, for one
hundred worlds. Multiplied by the Ten Factors of Life12, this gives one
thousand. And this in turn multiplied by the Three Realms of Existence13
gives a total of three thousand. Your idea of the triangle of relations corresponds to the Buddhist doctrine of the Three Realms of Existence.
Because the single moment of life—the single thought moment—
includes the entire phenomenal world (the Three Thousand Realms),
reform in one profound human thought moment can effect reform
throughout society and the environment. Our single thought moments
contain cosmic wisdom and compassion. The goal of the Soka Gakkai
Human Revolution movement is to call forth this wisdom and compassion and to act in solidarity to build a tranquil, peaceful society andenvironment.
Unger: I am aware of the Buddhist philosophy that strives to create
peace in individual minds, in society and humanity, and in the Natural
world and its ecology.
Ikeda: In our dialogue, demonstrating profound understanding of Buddhism, Arnold J. Toynbee mentioned the importance and necessity of aworld religion that would enable humankind to realize that they are partof the whole cosmic life and expressed his hope that Mahayana philosophy will enable us to overcome greedy egoism.
How Religions Relate to Nature
Unger: You seem to interpret what we, from the Christian standpoint,call the Creator of the World as a spirit binding all things together.
Christians consider love to be the bond between humanity and the Creator. The philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) emphasized this and spent his whole life working on the question of unity
between divine and human reason. In a certain way, you go still farther
to see the spirit of God—what you would call the universal spirit—atwork, not only in the human spirit, but also in all things. Christianity has
not endowed the world of Nature with such great value. As a result ofJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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the Fall, at the end of time, creation itself will need to be saved. Only
then will God be all in all things. You do not recognize this kind of postponed deification. I have been using Christian terms like the spirit ofGod, though they may be inapplicable to Buddhism.
Ikeda: Instead of positing a postponed deification, Buddhism teaches
that the supremely-precious Buddha nature is inherent equally in all
things and can be revealed and manifested at any time and in all places
through the operation of the deep relationship between latent cause andmanifest effect. The world of nonhuman Nature too is endowed with the
Buddha nature.
Buddhism also teaches that the distinctive characteristics of each individual should be allowed to reach full brilliance in their own ways justas the cherry tree, the plum, the peach, and the apricot all bloom inappealingly distinctive ways. The meaning of life is to manifest thissupreme value fully, thus enriching the radiance of the self and the environment.
Another Buddhist doctrine called esho-funi in Japanese teaches theindivisible oneness (funi) of life (sho) and its environment (e). Human
actions determine the extent to which society and natural world canmanifest their values. In other words, Buddhism recognizes in humanactions the power and responsibility to elevate and impart value to thewhole world, including the realm of nonhuman nature.
Unger: What you say provides much food for thought. To avoid misunderstanding, we must try to clarify the Buddhist and Christian understandings of spirit.
Ikeda: That is true. Another increasingly important factor in connection
with environmental issues is examining how religions define Nature andrelate to it. In February, 2005, I spoke with Wangari Maathai, Kenyan
environmental minister, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and founder of theGreen Belt Movement, an NGO devoted to conserving the environmentand raising living standards. Members of the movement have alreadyplanted thirty million trees. Delighted to be the first environmentalist toreceive the Nobel Peace Prize, she was deeply sympathetic with the
Buddhist philosophy of attaching great importance to life, Nature, andthe human community. In the 21st century, religion must revive its
efforts to teach human beings how to live with clear views on society,the world, and all Nature.

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Dialogue: a Mechanism for Collision Aversion
Unger: For me the core questions are “Where did I come from?” and“Where am I going?” Religions, philosophies, and art have posed andtried to answer these questions. They continue doing so today. But someof their answers either fail to satisfy me entirely or appear senseless or
false. Tolerance requires me to say this clearly, because I would not takeseriously any answer that I have not assessed. But assessing is different
from condemning. We must always keep this in mind.
Ikeda: The graver the issue, the more it requires candid dialogue. The
civilization of the 21st century must be a civilization of dialogue, as myfriend the Harvard Professor Du Weiming has proposed. Professor Du is
active in many areas. For instance, in connection with the United
Nations “Year of Dialogue among Civilizations” in 2001, he spoke on
Confucian civilization at a meeting of the Panel of Eminent Persons
convened by Secretary General Kofi Annan. He has called dialogue animportant mechanism for eliminating intercultural contradictions andcollisions, and insists that we must recognize and respect others’ values
and conditions and learn from and benefit from each other. By taking thelead in inter-religion dialogues you act in accord with his admonitions.
The Therapeutic Dimension
Unger: To rectify the distortions arising everywhere today, we must
reorganize everything to work to the advantage of humanity. When it
loses sight of the fundamental need to serve those advantages, sciencecan become domineering. The same is true of religion. When used as
tools to promote the good of humanity and life, however, science andknowledge become an art.
Ikeda: That is beautifully expressed. I agree entirely.
Unger: Eugen Biser, theologian and dean of our academy, interprets
both Buddhism and Christianity in a therapeutic dimension open to bothindividuals and humanity as a whole.
Ikeda: Shakyamuni’s teaching of the Four Noble Truths represents atherapeutic method of curing human sufferings. They are the truth ofsuffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of
suffering, and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering. Because,J ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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from the time of Shakyamuni himself, it has exerted all its energy toeliminating suffering, Buddhism can be called therapy on all levels,from the individual to society as a whole.
Unger: Today as society globalizes, the social therapeutic dimension
seems to be growing increasingly important. Accordingly, it must deal
with a large number of traditions, viewpoints, and values that, withinglobal society, interact side by side, albeit incoherently. Compelled tocobble together their own private thought systems from what is available, people make use of all apparently suitable elements, no matter
whether or not they fit together.
Ikeda: The economic activities of transnational corporations, improved
air travel, satellite broadcasting, and the Internet bring us into contact
with diverse traditional philosophies and value systems of different historical and cultural backgrounds. On the one hand, the reception ofdiverse values enriches our thinking. On the other, however, it confronts
us with the destruction of traditional cultures and confusion of value criteria. In this age of globalization, we must discover and firmly establish
both uniqueness and universality of values.
The exclusive pursuit of universality can lead to uniformity. On theother hand, total immersion in individuality may generate self-righteousness. As you say, losing sight of overall connections and remaining
obsessed with individuality breeds self-righteousness, prejudice, anddiscrimination. A religion that understands the individual in terms of thewhole of humanity and that strives to promote harmony between individuality and society and the natural environment can play a big role inpreventing this.
Tolerance and Intolerance
Unger: Since religion is a powerful factor in life, we ought to prevent its
leading to intolerance. But history casts doubt on our ability to do this.
For instance, while teaching neighborly love, Christianity is sometimes
intolerant, as is illustrated by things like the Crusades, the persecution of
the Jews, and attitudes toward abortion. We must ask ourselves whether
religion and intolerance are inseparable. What are your thoughts on thesubject?
Ikeda: A very important point. Fundamentally religion is not necessarily always intolerant. The crisis of tolerance involves not only religion,

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but also a complex interweaving of various factors including politics andeconomics.
At the same time, in all parts of the world today, people must struggle
against the threat of intolerance. In connection with this issue, we mustask ourselves what the nature and goals of religion are.
Religion must lead people toward eternal universal truth. Since this is
the case, all religions must ultimately be characterized by a desire tocontribute to the pursuit of human happiness. Religions that lapse into
intolerance and consequent self-righteousness reject their own religiosity.
Unger: Throughout history, some religious representatives have tried—and continue to try—to pretend that their own version of the truth is the
only ultimately-valid one. In this they have abetted intolerance. Thus,
intolerance has come to seem the aboriginal, more vital power, whereas
aspirations toward tolerance seem late, artificial, and weak.
Ikeda: It is natural for believers to be convinced of the absolute natureof truths attained though insight or revelation. But no religion thatstrives to elucidate the truth can allow such convictions to drag theminto self-righteousness, exclusivism, and narrow-mindedness. For thesake of clarifying ultimate truth, religions should pool their wisdom andcompete in the name of human happiness. Truths uncovered by otherreligions often complement and prove truths uncovered by one’s own.
Sweeping negation of other religions negates their universal truths,
including those shared with one’s own religion.
Tolerance as a Philosophical Concept
Unger: In this context, experience with the European Enlightenment of
the eighteenth century can help us. Ultimately the Enlightenment taught
us to see through and repudiate claims of absolute validity. In Europe,tolerance is often regarded more as a philosophical than as a religious
idea.
Ikeda: In English and many Western languages, traditionally thosewords which indicate or describe ideals and principles can be thought torepresent philosophical concepts. In the modern West, with the advanceof secularization, traditional theological explanations of the reason forhuman existence have lost power to convince. Since the time ofKierkegaard (1813–55), existential philosophies have pointed this out.

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From their viewpoint, as you say, in the West, tolerance is a philosophical ideal.
In Japan, which lacks the Western philosophical tradition of pursuing
eternal, universal ideals and principles, deciding if tolerance is a religious or philosophical matter is difficult. In the Orient, religion has beena philosophy of humanity, life, and actual practice. Naturally, therefore,a philosophical issue is a religious issue. If tolerance is a virtue needed
to help humanity overcome suffering, obviously religion must show theway.
I seek the way on the basis of the Buddhist philosophy of the dignityof life, universal equality, and respect for humanity. Bodhisattva Never
Disparaging, who appears in the Lotus Sutra, sets us an example byalways paying reverence to the supremely precious Buddha nature in all
people. Those ignorant of their own Buddha natures despise and persecute him. Ultimately, however, his efforts are rewarded; and the occasion of his death awakens his detractors to their own inherent dignity.
Unger: Perhaps religion’s main task is indeed to restore to people asense and awareness of their own value. In things like fasting, prayer,
meditation, and self-knowledge, it has the means to accomplish this.
Restoration of awareness of self-value, can serve as a foundation forsymbiosis in this millennium.
Ikeda: I agree. The person who is deeply aware of the dignity of his
own life respects the lives of others and pioneers a triumphant way oflife in which individualities are manifest to the maximum.
Formalistic and True Tolerance
Unger: Diversity is indeed a real issue. In the extreme secularization of
the present, owing to the limitless liberty of pluralism, as long as his or
her field of interest remains inviolate, each person is completely free toact according to inclination. Undoubtedly this set of circumstances contributes greatly to the exploitation and destruction of the planet at thehands of human beings. These developments are moving ahead in tandem with what might be called politically correct tolerance as a mere
formality, which is patently insufficient. By the end of the 20th century,
desecration of the globe had made substantial tolerance urgently necessary. Sustaining the world requires human beings to come to terms with
their own essential natures. Because this must begin with the individual,
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ment, and human (life) protection. Thoughtful consideration of the valueof life is essential to the last of the three. Inter-religion dialogues canwork out basic policies for it and for the protection of humanity andsociety and create global values transcending religious differences.
Ikeda: Yes, I can see that. Formalistic tolerance that gives free play tothe egoism of both sides of an issue is impermissible. True tolerance isfounded on overcoming rapacious human greed. This is a role religion
has played since ancient times. Your three models represent three indispensable guidelines for transcending greed and cultivating tolerance. To
raise basic policies to the level of such universal values of life, we standin need of inter-religion dialogue.
Religion and Authority
Unger: But the professional clergy represents a stumbling block.
Though it is a part of life itself, true tolerance leaves them indifferent.
They fear that their own authority will be undermined. And, like everyone who is afraid, they resort to threats. They menace with damnation
anyone who does not parrot their own words.
Ikeda: An authoritarian clergy is degenerate and has lost sight ofsalvation as the basic mission of religion. All the great founders haveestablished their religions in response to the cries of suffering contemporaries. The teachings and clarifications of life and truth they have
evolved from their own ideas have spread and resonate with the hearts ofthe people because they address popular needs. Nonetheless, once rigidsocial systems and positions have been established, clergymen begin
using the people as mere means to protect their own advantages andprestige. When this happens, they ignore the popular voice. If the great
goal of salvation for the masses drops from sight, all desire to improveand all wisdom to see the truth are lost. This lowers levels of religiosity
and results in false, tyrannical priests more secular than the secular.
Unless we struggle resolutely against such false priests, the people will
fall upon the road to misery.
In my youth, state Shinto, the psychological mainstay of the ultranationalists, propelled the people of Japan into a war of aggression. As
you know, Soka Gakkai’s first two presidents, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi
and Josei Toda, unrelentingly wrote and spoke out against the authoritiesof the time. Inevitably, after Japan’s defeat, I too was critical of religion
yet was in search of a correct philosophical attitude toward life. At thatJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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point I met my mentor Josei Toda and was so strongly attracted by his
profound humanity that I came to embrace faith in the Buddhism of
Nichiren Daishonin, to which he was devoted. From our very first meeting, I felt as if I had known him for years. With great sincerity and candor, he urged us to create a nation with a peaceful, placid culture, acountry that could contribute to the well-being of all humanity. From
Mr. Toda I learned that true religion serves the interests of peace-building, cultural development, and the happiness of the ordinary people. I
understood fully that it generates indomitable faith, action, and humaneness.
Unger: In keeping with Mr. Toda’s admonition, you now devote yourself tirelessly to promoting peace through cultural exchanges that are
indispensable to the peaceful future of humanity.
Ikeda: In his Ein Gewissen gegen die Gewalt [A Conscience Against
Violence], the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig (1881–1942) described atheologian, Sebastian Castellio (1515–63), who issued a declaration oftolerance, saying that authority always tries to clothe its violent deeds inreligious or world-view ideals.
Unger: Yes. That is an historical fact.
Ikeda: Zweig insisted that violence inevitably cheapens all ideas. Religion is destroyed from within when it allows itself to be used by or actually cooperates with authoritarian violence and belligerence. Authority
has a demonic inner egoism. In contrast, true religion essentially acts torelieve human suffering. Whereas authority oppresses, dominates, andtrivializes humanity from without, religion evokes the force of life fromwithin and makes human beings capable of creating great value. By its
nature, religion is an art for purifying the egocentric greed of authority
and orienting political power towards the interests of the ordinary people.
Unger: Yes, politics should be an art of service to the people. After all,the word minister derives from a Latin term meaning servant.
Ikeda: Religion should be a force for converting mistaken authoritarianism. Sometimes, however, its desire to protect itself by means of political authority or to become an authority and a power in itself generates
intolerant cruelty. Because, as you say, religion is an essential part ofJ ̲Orient̲05 06.2.1 4:54 PM

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human nature, hypocrisy on the part of religious leaders invites profound distrust. Tyranny on the part of false religious leaders hiding
behind authority is unforgivable. We must rely on such peaceful means
as free speech to resist intolerance that threatens human dignity. This is
the meaning of positive tolerance, the spirit of which is to protect theordinary people from deception and to make them stronger and wiser.
This is the kind of work we of Soka Gakkai are engaged in.
Unger: Precisely. People with tolerant minds have the courage toadvance the cause of peace. They can resist the fanaticism and vengefulness that threaten human dignity. It is a mistake to assume—as I said
earlier—that intolerance is aboriginal and strong, whereas tolerance islate and weak. Tolerance and religion are inseparable.
Ikeda: I might cite an historical reference substantiating your assertionof the inseparable nature of religion and tolerance. Some of the leading
intellectuals in the world I talked with showed a keen interest in theancient Indian king Ashoka and his humanistic politics founded on Buddhist compassion conducted in the name of the general happiness. An
advocate of tolerance, he recognized others’ freedom of belief. In addition, abandoning wars of conquest, he carried out extensive peacefulexchanges with many other countries. His method demonstrates theideal relation between politics and religion and provides a shining example of the way religious tolerance promotes brilliant prosperity. King
Ashoka politically embodied the spirit of Shakyamuni, the compassionate ideals that were the origin of Buddhism.
In all religions, constantly referring to the spirit and basic teachingsof founders is of the greatest importance. King Ashoka opposed religious leaders who had abandoned the spirit of Shakyamuni and had forgotten their responsibility for saving the ordinary people. One of themany edicts he had carved on stones and pillars as a way of communicating with the people is this: “Whoever, whether monk or nun, splits
the Sangha (Body of Believers) is to be made to wear white clothes andto reside somewhere other than in a monastery.”14
Josei Toda was fond of telling us that, if they should assemble in one
room, the founders of the world’s great religions and philosophies
would certainly find much to agree upon. All strivers for human liberation and peace, Jesus, Muhammad, and Shakyamuni supported theafflicted and helped the suffering, as did Nichiren Daishonin, whom werevere.
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admonition to return to the teachings of Shakyamuni, who sought to free
all peoples from suffering. It was also the admonition to once again
value the dignity of all human beings and return to the Lotus Sutra
which recognizes the dignity of every individual. The return to the roleof relieving human beings and bringing them true happiness is the alphaand the omega of religion.
Harmony with Scientific Thought
Unger: As a scientist, I can say that tolerance is the basic condition forcoexistence. In their own way, religions are science. They generate theologies to guide believers in the search for God and in this way provide
new stimuli.
Ikeda: Religion is the wise pursuit of the truth of life and the cosmos. It
is an existential search for ways to realize human happiness. On thebasis of the results of their search, all religions and sects have developedorganized systems of teachings in the form of theologies and philosophies. Using their own religious experiences, founders and believers
evolve coordinated theoretical systems. In this sense, religions embody
the empirical logic required of modern science.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi was an educator. The desire to make each
student happy inspired him to define the values that every life ought tomanifest and to build his own original theory around them. During thecourse of this undertaking, he encountered the Buddhism of Nichiren
Daishonin and was so sympathetic with its ideas of the dignity ofhumanity and the possibility of reforming real life and society that hebecame a believer. This was the origin of the Soka Gakkai popular
movement for peace, culture, and education, which is founded on
Nichiren Buddhism. As a modern man, Mr. Makiguchi set out to provethe correctness of Nichiren Buddhism and the theory of value throughscientific methods involving actual practice and verification. His
approach was a modernized version of the method Nichiren Daishoninhimself used to compare religions and philosophies: documentary proof,
theoretical proof, and actual proof. As I have indicated, Buddhism, especially the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, is rational and empirical in
the manner of modern science.
Unger: Fascinating.
Ikeda: The religion that serves as a basis for 21st century civilization

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must both harmonize with and lead scientific rational thought. I believethat Buddhism includes ideas that resonate with the observations of contemporary science, humanities, and social studies. My discussions withintellectuals from all over the world have confirmed me in this belief.
What are your opinions of the assertion that, from the 17th century, withthe rise of rationalism in reaction against religious wars, religion itself
retreated to be replaced by reason and science, which in their turnbecame a new kind of religion.
Unger: Certainly in the last two hundred years, the mathematical andrational have been overvalued. The image of our world is eccentric,
unregulated, and abnormally inclined in the direction of the rational andtheoretical. Excessive stress on money is synonymous with our distorted
world image. Regulations are off in my own field of medicine, too. In
medical schools, human beings are looked down on as mere objects.
Patients are treated as prospective payers of medical insurance. We must
firmly realize that science is not and cannot be a replacement for God.
Exclusive emphasis on reason has essentially altered relations between
human beings and Nature, among human beings, and between thehuman and the spiritual. We have fallen out of an anthropocentric harmony. Concerned people are beginning to realize that “there are morethings in heaven and earth” (Hamlet, 1. V.) that cannot be measured.
Like all other world images and cultures, the new global culture mustclearly rest on the possibility that human beings can embrace faith.
Though subject to diverse interpretations, religion is the source of all
culture. That is why inter-religion dialogues of the most substantial kindare essential.
Inter-religion Dialogues
Ikeda: From this viewpoint, inter-religion dialogues must be made thecore of inter-civilization dialogue.
Unger: Dialogue serves to widen our horizons by calling attention to
the experiences of others. But this is more difficult to do in the case ofreligion than in the case of natural science. In the natural sciences, measurements can be compared to provide reliable bases. A kilogram ofbread is always a kilogram of bread. But spiritual bread cannot be soeasily compared. Although no less important than precisely-weighable
material bread, it cannot be readily measured and sold. As we put too
much faith in material bread, bit by bit, the material gains the upper

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hand over the spiritual until, ultimately, we have a capitalism in whichhumanity has metaphysically degenerated. Thus a means of self-management has been converted into a goal in itself. I object to this because
capital must not be taken as a gauge for measuring the value of life.
Ikeda: The academy you head is currently conducting inter-religion
dialogues as a strategy for combating the materialism of contemporary
civilization. You have already held Christianity-Buddhism dialogues(published in both English and German). Your expanded dialogues
among the four great religions—Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, andJudaism—constitute a courageous struggle of great significance for thehistory of humanity.
Start by Saving Humanity
Unger: In Europe, very strong, even critical, secularization marginalizes
religion with the result that European churches no longer have the powerful voice they once had. I by no means regard secularization as a misfortune.
I see opportunities in it. Because it compels churches to justify themselves, it throws a great deal of the dogmatic ballast of the past overboard. Only by showing that they are conducive to harmonious humancoexistence can churches legitimize themselves.
Ikeda: You describe what we must require of religion in the 21st century. The lifeline of religion is empathy and cooperation in overcoming
suffering. In the Buddhist scripture known as the Vimalakirti Sutra, theailing layman Vimalakirti says he is sick because all living beings are
sick.15 Nichiren Daishonin, too, said that the sufferings of all living
beings were his own sufferings.16 The spirit of accepting others’ sufferings as one’s own is surely the driving power that can propel inter-religion dialogues, overcome differences, and build a symbiotic society.
In our book Before It Is Too Late, Aurelio Peccei and I discussed thepossibility of global religious cooperation. He posed the pressing question: “Have all these great religions ever called on the other major faiths
to work and learn together how to guide the world population away fromits present plight and towards terrestrial salvation before it is too late?”17
Unger: What are the goals of inter-religion dialogues as you envisagethem?

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Ikeda: To make a resume of what we have said, first comes mutual
understanding among religions. This is the initial stage of tolerance.
Each religion has its own thought system on which its own system ofbeliefs rests. If representatives of the different thought systems try tounderstand each other, they will discover that they have much in common.
Unger: We have already discussed in some detail the aspects shared by
Christianity and Buddhism.
Ikeda: The second goal of inter-religion dialogues is for each religion tolearn from the others and use the lessons learned for further self-development. All religions must grow in response to other philosophies andreligions, the spirit of the times, and world conditions.
The third goal is, as Dr. Peccei pointed out, for all religions “to workand learn together how to guide the world population away from its present plight.” Our current plight can be described in terms of three classesof relations: the three you stress—relations between human beings andNature, among human beings, and between the human and the spiritual.
The first set of problems pertains to relations between humanity and
the Natural environment in the sphere of ecology: destruction of the ecological balance most dramatically represented by global warming.
Then come problems of human-to-human relations in the political andeconomic sphere, including nuclear arms, conflict and war, economic
disparity and poverty, and human rights and closely-related terrorism.
Central to all three, the third category involves human spiritual decline
and breakdown made apparent through phenomena like apathy, outbreaksof violence, chronic mental illness, and drug addiction even among theyoung. In this connection, ethical controls on rapidly-developing information science and genetics are being discussed.
Challenging problems on a humanity-wide, global scale demands
application of results from many fields of learning. The key to everything is revival of the spirit and creativity to enable us to make full use
of our intellectual heritage. In all these efforts, religion has the missionof empowering that spirit and elevating our ethical and moral values.
Unger: You have outlined in detail the way in which religion, in yourprecise understanding of it, can assist in opening the way to a peacefulworld in which humanity and non-human Nature are recognized equitably. There can be no doubt that religion has the power to accomplish
this.

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NOTES
Choose Life (New York: Oxford Univ. Press. Inc., 1989) p. 96.
Direitos Humanos no Século XXI [Human Rights in the 21st Century] (Rio deJaneiro/Såo Paulo: Editora Record, 2000), p. 81.
3
Ibid. p. 104.
4
Ibid. p. 110, 120.
5The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin [WND], p. 579.
6
Bunmei Nishi to Higashi [Civilization, East and West] (Tokyo: Sankei Shimbunsha
Shuppankyoku, 1972), p. 89.
7
WND, p. 937.
8
Goshozenshu, p. 1404.
9Ninth Song “Urania: Prospect [Aussicht]”.
10
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (trans. by Burton Watson, Soka
Gakkai, 2004), p. 90.
11
The Ten Worlds: (1) hell, (2) hungry spirits, (3) animals, (4) asuras or egoistic
anger, (5) human beings, (6) heavenly beings, (7) voice-hearers, (8) cause-awakened
ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas
12
The Ten Factors of Life: Appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internalcause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning toend
13
Three Realms of Existence: The realm of the five components, the realm of living
beings, and the realm of the environment.
14
Trans. by Ven. S. Dhammika: “white clothes” mean “lay clothes.”15
The Vimalakirti Sutra (trans. by Burton Watson, Columbia Univ. Press, 1997), p.
65.
16
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 138.
17
Before It Is Too Late (Kodansha International, 1984), p. 97.
1
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Daisaku Ikeda
Born in 1928. Honorary President of Soka Gakkai. President ofSoka Gakkai International (SGI). Founder of The Institute ofOriental Philosophy. Established educational institutions suchas Soka University, Soka University of America and Soka
Schools; cultural institutions such as the Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum; as well as academic
and peace-research institutions such as Toda Institute for Global
Peace & Policy Research and the Boston Research Center forthe 21st Century. Authored numerous literary works such as“The Human Revolution” (12 volumes), “The New Human Revolution” (in progress), and “The Intimate Talks with Global Pioneers,” and “Recollections of My Meetings with Leading World
Figures.” Furthermore, there are many collections of dialogues
with intelligentsia from around the world, “Choose Life” (A.
Toynbee), “Moral Lessons of the Twentieth Century” (M.S.
Gorbachev), “Choose Peace” (Johan Galtung), etc. He hasreceived 182 honorary doctorates and honorary professorships
from universities and institutes around the world, such as
Moscow State University, University of Glasgow and Beijing
University.
Felix Unger
Born in 1946. Doctor of medicine (cardiac surgery). Graduateof Medical School of the University of Vienna in Austria. Headof the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Salzburg State Hospital, by way of Professor at Innsbruck University and resident at
the Clinic for Cardiology of the University of Vienna. In 1990,
as one of the founding members of the European Academy of
Sciences and Arts assumed position of President. He is also
director of European Heart Institute. Author and editor of 16
volumes, including “Health is wealth,” Strategic Visions for
European Health Care at the beginning of the 21st century
Report to the European Parliament. His wife Monika is an
artist. Holds honorary medical doctorates from Budapest University, Timisoara University, and honorary doctorates fromSoka University, Marburg University and Riga University.

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ページ 42Feature:A Vision of 21st Century Oriental Thought
From the Symposium Cosponsored by the Daisaku Ikeda ResearchSociety of Beijing University:

The third joint symposium of our Institute, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with “Modern
Civilization and Dialogue between Religions” as its theme, was held at
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing (on October 12 and 13,2004). The first symposium was held in 1999 and the second in 2001. In
addition, on October 15 and 16, under the dual auspices of the Ikeda
Daisaku Research Group, at Beijing University’s Center of JapaneseStudies, and our Institute, an international academic symposium, on thetheme “A Vision of 21st Century Oriental Thought” was held at Beijing
University. About 80 guests from 16 universities and research organizations, having facilities researching the thought and philosophy of SGI
President Ikeda, participated in the symposium, including China’s
Hunan Normal University, Canton-Zhaoqing University, and the Chinese
Culture University of Taiwan. At the opening ceremony, messages fromthe Vice-President of Beijing University Ji Xianlin and SGI President
Ikeda were introduced. During the symposium, presentations discussing
Buddhist views of humanity, women and civilization were made, on the
Chinese side by Beijing University Professor Wei Changhai, Institute ofJapanese Cultural Studies (Beijing University) Chief Liu Jincai and Professor Wang Xinsheng, and on the Japanese side by our Research Fellows Mikio Matsuoka, Toshie Kurihara, and Shuichi Yamamoto. From
August 16–21 of the same year, the 37th International Conference of
Asian and North African Studies (ICANAS), having the general theme“Unity Within Diversity,” was held in Moscow. ICANAS is a world-classacademic conference, with a 130-year-old tradition. At the opening ceremony, Russian President Putin and SGI President Ikeda’s message wereintroduced, and during the “Spiritual Culture” subcommittee, President
Ikeda’s keynote thesis, “Century of Peace and the Lotus Sutra” was presented. From our institute, institute director Yoichi Kawada, Chief
Research Fellow Toru Shiotsu and Senior Research Fellow Hiroshi
Kanno also participated in giving presentations.
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ページ 43Message

Daisaku Ikeda

M

Y heartiest congratulations on the international symposium at
Peking University in China, hosted jointly by the Daisaku Ikeda
Research Society of the Center of Japanese Studies of Peking University
and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP) located in Hachioji,
Tokyo, Japan. I wish in particular to thank all the scholars from various
educational institutions who, despite their busy schedules, took time toattend the symposium, among them representatives from Soka University in Tokyo, of which I am the founder.
The participants, representing specialists in various fields related toOriental thought, in conjunction with the delegates from Japan, came
together to examine the theme “Perspectives of Oriental Philosophy inthe 21st Century.” Approaching it from many different angles, their discussions will be, I am sure, of far-reaching significance.
Propelled largely by technological advances developed in modern
Western society, our present-day civilization has been able to provide
human beings with countless conveniences and much material wealth.
Striking progress in the areas of transportation, communication, and theexchange of information has led to a process of increasing globalization.
At the same time, however, globalization has brought with it cultural
conflicts, deeply troubling problems related to the natural environment,
nuclear proliferation, the widening of the gap between rich and poor,
marked increases in the refugee population, and other questions tied toethnic and religious differences, dark clouds that profoundly shadow thehorizon. The 9/11 terrorist attacks of three years ago are symbolic ofthese problems.
As a result of such friction, many innocent citizens in various parts of
the world have found themselves caught up in acts of indiscriminate terrorism, and the situation shows signs of continued worsening. Hatredand distrust grow ever deeper, and the forces of division appear to betearing humanity apart.
But human life is richly endowed with good impulses as well, withemotions of compassion and mutual trust. These impulses toward good43