Sooo as you may already know I'm a Nichiren Buddhist of the Lay Buddhist Organization known as the SGI which means Soka Gaikkai (Value-Creating Society) International.
The President of this organization is my mentor and he goes by the name of Daisaku Ikeda. I would like to share some of his words with you, in hopes that they will inspire you as they inspire me! Love YOU!
The eyes of a poet discover in each person a unique and irreplaceable humanity. While arrogant intellect seeks to control and manipulate the world, the poetic spirit bows with reverence before its mysteries. –
Daisaku Ikeda
The institutions of human society treat us as parts of a machine. They assign us ranks and place considerable pressure upon us to fulfill defined roles. We need something to help us restore our lost and distorted humanity. Each of us has feelings that have been suppressed and have built up inside. There is a voiceless cry resting in the depths of our souls, waiting for expression. Art gives the soul’s feelings voice and form. - Daisaku Ikeda
Salute to Poets
By Daisaku Ikeda
There is a power in words, Poets! that incites
an infinite power Poets whose fine hearts xenophobic rejection;
to revive, restore feel the full torment with low and ugly rumor
and make blaze anew. Of people’s pain! whose sole purpose is
to degrade and demean;
There is a life in poetry, War, nuclear weapons, with shrieked abuse
a limitless, eternal life environmental destruction, that destroys dignity
that can stir and arouse discrimination, tearing into the heart
a society to new vibrancy. The tramping of people’s rights - like a lethal blade.
all these problems
Poets! are caused and created This flood
Reflected in by human beings. of deceptive, vacuous
your clear eyes Thus there is and violent language
- like the still waters no misery or cruelty has caused people
of a lake- beyond our power to treat all words and language
we can see: as humans as suspect.
Clusters of people to resolve. Words are
fleeing in confusion the human heart
through a field of battle. All people, everyone and this doubt
A wailing mother crave and thirst has driven people
tenderly cradling for peace, into the dark and rampant isolation
a tiny corpse. everyone seeks and pursues of cynicism and fear,
An infant, the goal of happiness. distrusting everything
starving, emaciated, including society
weakened and awaiting death. All people and humanity itself.
The trembling fist hold within themselves,
of a young boy, in their hearts, Ah, poets!
who writhes beneath a golden sun Now is the time
the crushing weights of that can brightly light their own lives to use the words
discrimination and hate. and shed far and wide of compassion and truth,
warm and brilliant beams the words of universal justice
Poets! of friendship and fraternity. that roil and seethe within your heart,
Through your keen ears This inner luster to use these words to dispel
we can hear, of life itself the dark and heavy clouds
as in an echoing valley: is the ultimate of language laden with
The self-mocking sighs font and source false and evil intent,
of young people of new creation. to stir new winds
filled with mistrust and isolation, of hope and courage,
who sense no future Poets! to bring about a
as they wander aimlessly Now is the time new and golden dawn!
through thronging crowds. to raise your voices,
The painful cry of Earth herself, to call forth and awaken Mahatma Gandhi declares:
Oceans and atmosphere polluted, the sun sleeping “A poet is one who can call forth
stripped and denuded of green, in the hearts of people the good latent in the human breast.”
bound by atomic burdens, the world over.
crying in distress Ah! The innumerable
as she continues to revolve Society is awash cruel fissures that split
on her grinding axis. with false discourse; and divide our
with propaganda blue planet.
Divisions based flowering tree Poets, arise!
on differences - cherry, plum, peach and damson - Wait for no one,
of ideology, uniquely valuable. But stand up resolute
of state, Difference is and alone!
of national and the quality that
ethnic identity, enables us With our words
of religion, to learn from each other, and with our actions,
of class. to complement and fulfill each other, let us till and turn
to respect and honor each other. the sprawling expanse,
The absurd, horrific the desert aridity
and repeated reality Poets! of people’s hearts.
of people Let us throw new bridges
turned against people across the gulfs dividing The voice of the poet
viciously discriminating, people’s hearts! who has chosen to stand alone
resenting, wrangling With the cries that issue calls out to and resounds with
and hating each other. from your soul the voice of another
turn the gears of history: self-sufficient poet.
The deepest evil, away from suspicion and toward trust A single ripple
the ultimate source from divisiveness to harmony, elicits ten thousand waves.
of all conflict and tragedy, from war to peace.
Is the dividing heart, When our cries of justice
Preoccupied with difference We are all human beings. swell to a symphony
it drives people The poetic spirit extolling humanity and life
to reject and exclude beats and throbs and when its resonant tones
others. In our veins! Reach all corners of the Earth,
wrapping and cradling it…
But this very Earth, All people are in fact
this lovely planet, sisters and brothers Then the deep red glory,
is a garden rich capable of mutual love, the dawning sun
with the full and gorgeous of coming together of peace for all people everywhere
blossoming in harmonious unity. will rise and lift
of diversity. into the sky.
It is difference All people
above all have the right
that makes each to live out our lives
Dedicated to the members of the World Congress of Poets, Sept. 2007
