A
spiritual response to
September 11*
By
Dr
Daisaku Ikeda, president
Soka Gakkai International SGI.
Tokyo
TFF associate
In the aftermath of the terrible shock of the tragic
events of September 11, 2001, I extend my deepest
sympathies to all those affected. From the bottom of my
heart, I pray for the victims, and I pray that their
families may find inner strength, healing and,
eventually, renewed happiness.
It is impossible not to be outraged at the senseless
loss of so many lives. And yet it is not the numbers that
make this tragedy so horrific. Every single person lost
was irreplaceable and immensely precious - a much-loved
sister, father, son, mother or friend. Each individual's
life contained infinite possibilities waiting to be
realized. In the most terrible manner imaginable, we have
been reminded of the immense value of human life.
In all its teachings Buddhism stresses how sacred and
precious life - especially human life - is. One scripture
reads: "A single day of life is worth more than all the
treasures of the universe." Terrorism, which so cruelly
robs people of life, can never be excused or justified by
any reason or cause. It is an absolute evil. And when
such acts are committed in the name of religion, it
demonstrates the utter spiritual bankruptcy of the
perpetrators.
As human beings sharing a common home, we have all
been impacted by this terrible deed. In the words of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., "Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere." We must unite across differences
of nationality and faith in order to create a world free
of injustice, violence and terror.
While it is vitally important that all efforts be made
to identify responsibility for this heinous act and bring
those involved to justice, international cooperation
against terrorism cannot be limited to the short-term. At
a deeper level, it requires a profound reexamination of
the nature of human civilization. For much of our
history, humanity has been trapped in vicious cycles of
hatred and reprisal. We must redouble our efforts to
break this cycle and transform distrust into trust. I
believe that this is the most effective and fundamental
antidote to terrorism and its repugnant worship of
violence.
It is the function of evil to divide; to alienate
people from each other and divide one country from
another. The universe, this world and our own lives, are
the stage for a ceaseless struggle between hatred and
compassion, the destructive and constructive aspects of
life. We must never let up, confronting evil at every
turn.
This attack was an ultimate manifestation of evil and
shows us the vilest depths to which human nature can
sink.
In the end, the evil over which we must triumph is the
impulse toward hatred and destruction that resides in us
all
Unless we can achieve a fundamental transformation
within our own lives, so that we are able to perceive our
intimate connection with all our fellow human beings and
feel their sufferings as our own, we will never be free
of conflict and war. In this sense, I feel that a "hard
power" approach, one that relies on military might, will
not lead to a long-term, fundamental resolution.
I believe that dialogue holds the key to any lasting
solution. Now, more than ever, we must reach out in a
further effort to understand each other and engage in
genuine dialogue. Words spoken from the heart have the
power to change a person's life. They can even melt the
icy walls of mistrust that separate peoples and nations.
We must expand our efforts to promote dialogue between
and among civilizations.
I am utterly convinced that we were not born into this
world to hate and destroy each other. We must restore and
renew our faith in humanity and in each other. We must
never lose sight of the fact that we can still make the
21st century an era free from the flames of war and
violence - an era in which all people may live in peace.
To this end, we must strive to make a profound reverence
for life the prevailing spirit of our times and our
planet. I believe that this is the greatest and most
enduring way to honor the memory of the victims of this
enormous tragedy.
*)
Contribution for "From the Ashes, A Spiritual Response to
the Attack on America," book published in October 2001 by
Rodale Press
©
TFF & the author 2001
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