In the Gosho, the Daishonin writes, 'become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.' (WND, 502 [MW-1, 146]). It's vital not to be defeated by your own weakness - to not let your weakness become your master. At such times, you should go back to the Gosho. The Gosho is the true master of the heart. For this reason, studying Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is very important.

The New Human Revolution, Vol. 5, P. 63

Hence, as I consider education in the twenty-first century, I would like to assert that what is most urgently needed is a paradigm shift from looking at "education for society's sake" to building "a society serving the essential needs of education."

In formulating the conceptual paradigm of "a society serving the essential needs of education," I was inspired by Professor Robert Thurman of Columbia University. Each time I have had the chance to meet him, I have been impressed by the depth of his vision. In an interview with the Boston Research Center (BRC[http://www.brc21.org/index.htm]), he was asked how he viewed the role of education in society. He replied, "I think the question should rather be: What is the role of society in education? Because in my view education is the purpose of human life."

This is indeed a penetrating insight. Professor Thurman says that this view is largely due to influences from the teachings of Shakyamuni, whom he considers one of humanity's first teachers. This resonates with Kant's ethical philosophy, which insists that we respect the autonomy of others and that humans must never be used as a means to an end.

Learning is the very purpose of human life, the primary factor in the development of personality, that which makes human beings truly human.

Living Buddhism, February 2001, pp. 14-15

In the face of this tendency, we need to return to the core issue of human values. I believe we need to redefine the crucial concept "development of personality."

People have come to take this phrase, described as the purpose of education in the Fundamental Law of Education, for granted. But this is a universal goal that we must strive to realize and implement. It is a fundamental concept, and it can never be reemphasized enough as the key to educational reform.

For this purpose, let us experiment by replacing the phrase "development of personality" with the word "happiness." The first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, who was an outstanding educator, never ceased to stress that the purpose of education is ensuring children's happiness. Makiguchi's pedagogy is gradually gaining international recognition today, but it was originally conceived under the prewar militarist regime in Japan, which mobilized every educational institution to foster obedient imperial subjects. It was against this process that Makiguchi protested, asserting that education's true aim should be the lifelong well-being of children and critiquing the Imperial Rescript on Education as providing nothing more than a "minimum set of moral standards."

In other words, he was a farsighted individual who, during a period of fanatical militarism, held fast to his belief that society should serve the authentic needs of humanistic education and that education must never be sacrificed to nationalist goals.

Happiness, however, must not be confused with mere pleasure. Mistaking momentary pleasure for a life of genuine satisfaction and happiness exemplifies the skewing of values that in my opinion has been at the root of the distortions of postwar Japanese society. This mistaken attitude results in liberty yielding to indulgence and self-seeking, peace yielding to cowardice and indolence, human rights to complacency, and democracy to mobocracy.

Consequently, development of personality ceases, and we are left with immature and arrogant individuals, unable to grow out of their childish ways and never listening to others, described by José Ortega y Gasset.

The experience of a truly human life - genuine happiness - can only be realized in the bonds and interactions between people. Herein lies the essence of the Buddhist perspective on human life and happiness. Enmity, contradiction and discord may seem to be an unavoidable aspect of relations between humans and our relations with nature and the universe. But it is through the process of persevering in spite of this and transforming these conflicts, restoring and rejuvenating the bonds between us, that we are able to forge and polish our individuality and character.

If these bonds are severed, the human spirit can only roam aimlessly in the pitch darkness of solitude. In psychological terms this might be referred to as a "communication disorder," a pathology of modern society due to a weakening of the bonds between people. Antisocial behavior and the increasing viciousness of juvenile crimes are acute manifestations of this social pathology. There is an ongoing debate in Japan about amending the juvenile law, but changing the law will not of itself lead to a solution of the problem. It is the responsibility of adults to patiently restore the ability to communicate by listening to the voices of isolated children calling out for help from the darkness.

There is a famous episode about Socrates in which his influence on youth is described as being like an electric ray that stings those who touch it. He explains that he can electrify others because he is electrified himself. Similarly, a teacher must be constantly creative if he is to evoke creativity in his students. This is an essential quality in an educator.

What is most important is the attitude of the teachers themselves. Human interaction is the key.

Living Buddhism, February 2001, pg. 16

The youth division of SGI-USA has been engaged in "Victory Over Violence (VOV)," a movement to educate people about nonviolence, since 1999. This movement is conducted through promoting dialogue to disseminate the spirit of nonviolence. The overarching goal is to transform the tendency to downplay the sanctity of life that became deeply rooted in the minds of our children during the twentieth century, the century of war and violence. The VOV movement is developing broadly in U.S. society and receiving support from many human rights organizations, schools and other educational institutions. Above all, it has become a tremendous source of hope and courage for young people who have suffered the effects of violence.

Like the U.S.A., Japan also needs to address this tendency to devalue life. Sensational coverage of tragic incidents, pointing at the darkness in children's hearts, will never do anything to solve the problem. It is society's values that have become inverted. As adults, we must speak out and take action. The Soka Gakkai has consistently emphasized the promotion of peace education on the grassroots level. In line with the UN international decade, I call upon the Soka Gakkai youth division and the education division to play central and active roles in raising awareness of the culture of peace and nonviolence in Japanese society.

I believe that through such engagement we can strive to construct a value-creating society and live truly non-egoistic lives grounded in mutual respect.

Education separated from society can have no vital force; likewise, there is no future for a society that has lost sight of the fact that education is its true mission. Education is not a mere right or obligation. I believe that education in the broadest sense is the mission of every individual. To awaken this awareness throughout society must be the highest priority in all our endeavors.

Finally, I would like to conclude by pledging that I will devote all my energy to creating a century in which children's lives will shine with happiness and the magnificent promise of education will finally be fulfilled.

Living Buddhism, February 2001, pp. 19-20