Such is the path of education.
Such is the correct path of humanity.
And such is the path,
Supremely important
To all humankind,
Of improving
Our learning & character.
My friends,
Do not empty, meaningless lives!
Rather, with confidence and boundless hope,
Live & win
Unsurpassed lives
Of the greatest value,
Fortified by learning!
Only education enables
Human beings to awaken fully
To their innate humanity.
True education
Broadens & deepens the mind
As well as forges a healthy body;
It is also a step towards
A cultivated intellect & passion
And the full development of personality.
Such education
Is not for the purpose
Of gaining prestigious academic credentials
Or high position in society;
Nor is it for the sake
Of lording it over others
Or feeding one's own vanity.
True education enables us to attain
The unpretentious, far-sighted path of life,
Which fosters genuine character.
The philosopher of the American Renaissance
Emerson declared:
"The main enterprise
Of the world for splendour, for extent,
Is the upbuilding of a[human being].
Education,
Using knowledge as a pump,
Enables us to draw
From the font of wisdom.
It is a realm of endeavour
In which we forever hone and polish
Our intellectual, physical, & mental capabilities
With a vibrant spirit of self-improvement.
There is an ancient Greek saying
That I have treasured
Since my teens:
"There is no greater education than adversity".
Such education
Polishes human character.
It gives rise to
A spirit of service
To humanity-
No,
A spirit of selfless dedication
To humanity.
Such education
Nurtures
A spirit to champion peace,
No,
A spirit to give one's life
To the struggle
For peace.
This is the lofty spirit
Of the truly educated.
My wish,
My friends,
Is that you do not become slaves
To the kind of education
That has been all too prevalent until now,
One that only focuses
On getting ahead in the world.
Distance yourself
From that shallow crowd
And seek
A higher freedom!
For the sake of humanity,
For the sake of peace,
For the sake of a profoundly meaningful life!
Education must never be bound
By the political authorities!
Transcend the sordid realm of politics
And strive ever to create
The new age
That humanity has dreamed of,
One where all can live
In liberty & freedom.
To achieve that,
Let us work together
In partnership
With those who are educated
In the truest sense of the word,
And struggle resolutely,
Wisely and bravely,
Against the devilish nature
Of corrupt power.
Never forget that
In education we can find
Limitless bullets of wisdom,
Infinitely enriching,
With which to triumph
In the struggle of good over evil.
The true meaning of education
Lies in standing up firmly
To base & dishonest individuals.
The father of Soka education
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi said:
"Those who are obsessed with personal gain
And cannot distinguish between right & wrong
Are not qualified to be educators.
In addition, those who are able to make that distinction
But fail to translate it into action
Are worthless as educators.
An educator must
Know the difference between right & wrong
And courageously act on it".
Don't become self-serving pseudo-scholars
Who care only about advancing their own careers!
That is not genuine education.
Those who misappropriate education
And look upon others with contempt
Reveal their true insidious
Self-gratifying nature.
The Dutch humanist
Erasmus
Sternly rebuked
Unprincipled scholars who
Cared more for their salaries
Than for fostering their students.
Take a look
At those who seek personal glory,
Like prowling beasts in search of prey,
They may imagine themselves celebrities,
But they are in fact fools.
A philosopher has said:
"They are utterly uncivilised,
And appalling in their arrogance".
"No, they are like wild-eyed horses
Headed for a crashing fall".
A certain youth proclaimed sternly:
"We cannot accept education
From immoral educators.
It,s intolerable!
They behave like buffoons
Or living corpses bereft of all hope.
We have no desire to listen
To their parched, lifeless, dreary voices".
We want to hear
Lofty, refined voices,
Voices in rhythm with the steps
Of people of good conscience.
And we want
Reasoned & principled education
That penetrates deep into our hearts.
We want
Lectures that overflow with
Lofty ideals,
Profound intelligence,
And intellectual rigour,
Yet which also
Shine with the light
Of a great compassion
For students.
We want education
That is conveyed
In inspiring, stirring voices.
We want to hear
The warm
And wondrously profound
Reverberations
Of wisdom.
We want teachers
Who are serious about teaching,
Great & amazing teachers
Who brim with enthusiasm & excitement.
Only when teachers demonstrate
Such serious commitment
Can we feel
Their warm concern for us.
And only when we feel
Such warm concern
Can the shared vow for the future
Of teacher & student
Be deepened.
Away with conceited displays of pedantry!
Away with the snobbery of academic credentials!
Kindling a love for learning
In the questing hearts of youth
And together with them
Cultivating a greater awareness
Of the world at large -
Shouldn't this be an educator's gift
To his or her students?
Tolstoy,
The great Russian writer
Who devoted himself
To educating the common people,
Declared:
"A selfish person
Is always limited."
Teachers exist
For the sake of students.
Students do not exist
For the sake of teachers.
When apathetic teachers,
Tied to the past,
Look down on
Students who possess
Eager, inquiring minds
And boundless potential,
It is nothing but
A pitiful, self-satisfied
Academism.
Students & teachers
Should be companions
In the quest for knowledge,
Moving forward,
Seeking earnestly together
The learning required
For a century of humanity
Pervaded by culture & peace.
A philosopher said:
"Regard your students
As more precious than your children!
Know that the path of mentor & disciple
Is more noble & profound
Than the bond between parent & child!"
Education is
A life-to-life exchange
Built on a spirit of deep fellowship.
Only through such education
Will it be possible to achieve
Progress & development
For the creation of new society-
A society of culture,
A society of peace,
A society of human harmony,
A society of value-creation,
And a society of peaceful co-existence.
Our sun[of Soka education]
Is shining.
Gentle breezes
Caress us.
The dawn of learning
Has arrived for us.
Throngs of students,
Cheeks flushed with excitement,
Make their way eagerly
To our school.
We sit
On the throne of learning,
Together with fast friends
Who have come to study with us
From many countries.
We study again today
For the sake of a glorious life.
We study so that we can write
A history of triumph.
We study so that we can contribute
To the peace & happiness
Of hamankind.
Our school[Soka University]
Soars proudly on a green hilltop!
As we gaze at the indomitable from
Of Mt Fuji in the distance,
We strive to forge solid,
Unshakeable selves.
The great Amrican educator
John Deway said that
The purpose of edcation
Is to enable people to give full play
To all the abilities they possess.
And the statue of Mahatma Gandhi
That adorns the campus
Of Soka University of America
Call out to us:
"Real education consists in
Drawing the best out of yourself".
A life devoid
Of ceaseless self-cultivation
Ultimately leads to deadlock
And inevitable defeat.
Now ,we the youth
Have arisen.
At the start of the new century,
We have bravely set off
With an earnest determination
To become champions of learning.
Our endeavours shine
With clear truth
And clear knowledge.
Youth
Are the nation's treasure.
Indeed, they are the treasure
Of humankind.
Youth
Are the treasure
That creates a new age.
Youth
Are the inspiration
That gives us courage
To go on living
Amid the realities of human society.
They are cretivity incarnate,
Capable of producing limitless value.
Organisations that cherish
And foster the youth
Are certain to triumph.
The same is true for nations.
Will the vast masses
Of life's spectators
Continue to live dull, complacent lives?
So many people
Are controlled
By the worlds of work & money.
Is our earth
A joyous realm of light & hope?
Or is it a grim realm of darkness & misery?
Is our history
One of shame & violence?
Is our society
Just an absurd charade
Of mutual deception?
Truly pitiful are
These foolish,
Deluded days
In which people are killed
For the most petty misstep,
And the good & just
Are arrogantly insulted.
True education
Imparts honourable
Guiding principles & human values
It thus plays an important role
In whether we succeed in aking our lives
Valuable & meaningful or not.
Tolstoy dclared that
The basis of ay educatin should be
Religious teaching-
That is, the explanation
Of the purpose & meaning of life.
To Be Continue
