Great Construction

World-Vision

     Henceforth man must not be national or international minded but world minded. There is an interesting story in this regard. Just after World War II, a man who had been in the Japanese army, visited me and told me very bitterly that it was regrettable that Japan had surrendered to the Allied Nations. As I did not show the reaction which he expected, he asked me in disgust whether I was a Japanese or not? I immediately answered “no”. He was so astonished at my answer that he trembled with emotion and asked me to what country I belonged. So I replied, “I am world-man. I belong to the world.” He was quite surprised at my answer and asked me to explain what I meant in words such as he would understand.
     My answer was: It is very wrong to discriminate between nations and races. The Japanese before the war were much conceited and thought their own country was especially favored by God since Japan had shown supremacy in the wars with China and Russia. This conceit was directly responsible for the military wresting control of Japan from the peace lovers, and this indirectly led us into World War II. Therefore, the war lords in Japan despised the people of other countries, so much so, that they invaded other countries and decimated them without any self reproach. Such barbaric deeds led Japan to defeat in World War II. This kind of selfishness where people only think of their own country without any sympathy for others, will prevent the world from enjoying eternal peace.
     For example, suppose each prefecture in Japan struggled against each other, it would quickly be settled, as such disagreement would be similar to a family quarrel. The same can be applied to the world. The Emperor Meiji composed a waka poem to the effect that strife can not occur, should all the people on earth have brotherly love toward one another. World peace could be realized tomorrow should all peoples adopt this way of thinking. War simply could not happen if people would be as broadminded as expressed in Emperor Meiji’s poem. Self conceit such as forming of groups based on certain “isms” and ideas, deeming others to be enemies or to uphold national policies, national spirit, nationalism or ideas of a country’s divinity, are sure to lead to disaster or hinder the realization of world peace.
     This way of thinking is the most progressive in this modern world and from the viewpoint of world culture, the desirable people are those given to such a way of thinking.
     The same can be applied to religion. It is quite anachronistic to form sects. As for our religion, we do not advise our followers not to make contact with other faiths. On the contrary, we rather recommend that they do so. The tenet of our religion is pacifism through which to harmonize all the world and make the world one great family. In this sense, we are willing to accept other faiths and work hand in hand with them.

The Glory, Number 023, February 10, 1959