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| Civilization is neither to have electric lights, nor airplanes,
nor to produce nuclear bombs. Civilization is not to kill man, not to destroy things, not to make war. Civilization is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another. |
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Places such as this Peace Pagoda were made on earth and modeled after the Pure Land. No one gains or loses anything there. I have erected this Peace Pagoda with the sole intention of creating a world of joy. No one shall be enraged at seeing the Peace Pagoda or worshipping Lord Buddha in this way. Everything that we have here - the flowers, adornments of the altar and drums - are tools prepared to arouse a heart of joy. Thus, tranquil shall become this realm of ours, and the life here will be ever filled with celestial beings. The celestial beings do not come from some other realm, but rather are all the people who come here to step into the world of joy.
Everything lies in our own hearts and minds. How we perceive things are reflections of our hearts and minds. We should not descend but at least be able to have a peaceful feeling and then strive to bring forth a world of joy. We can be joyful alone, but the world of joy is fully revealed to us when there are many joyful people. All the hearts of the great number of people that gather must be filled with joy. The question does not lie anywhere else but in our own hearts. We should awaken to the Honzon (the object of worship), the most precious thing in our hearts and minds. |
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--The Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii Founder of Nipponzan Myohoji Jan. 18, 1978 |
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