Ideal for the Country

 To appeal the intent of this book to a wide audience, the Beyond National Egoism Network has posted a call for “Everyone, let us raise an ideal for the country―Aspiring toward becoming a nation for international peace and the environment”. We sincerely hope that many people read this call along with the book, and that the circle of people with whom it resonates will expand. We would appreciate your comments and opinions.

 Everyone together, let us raise an ideal for the country
― Aspiring toward becoming a nation for international peace and the environment 
  

We all have a dream.
A dream of peace.
A dream that all beings can live together full of love.
A dream that everyone throughout the world can live at ease, without fear from war.
A dream of living fulfilled, without suffering from hunger and poverty, discrimination and isolation.
A dream of man and nature coexisting and the beautiful Earth lasting forever.

 

We are all one, and the Earth is one.
The 21st century is the era of global citizens. We have no national borders.
Let us join our hands and join our hearts.
Let us open the door to peace, toward a world overflowing with love and compassion.

 

Now, we are directly facing serious crises and a dead-end situation, and are standing at a crossroad that will sway the future of humankind.
Global-scale environmental destruction, food-supply shortage and poverty in developing countries, energy issues, wars, terrorism, and economic crises, are among the problems enshrouding the world.
Within Japan, we bear economic, societal and political problems of which the future is unclear, and many people have lost hope and meaning in living, and fallen into apathy and giving up.

 

What is the root cause that is generating these circumstances?
It is human “egoism”, the self-centered way of thinking that is covering the world.
In other words, the way of thinking of caring only about oneself, family, organization, or nation created a monster of limitless desires, excessive competition and depriving each other, and has been cutting the bonds of life between people and between humans and nature.
Of these, the presence of “national egoism” has definitive power.

 

Compared to the influence of individuals, organizations and other factors, it is a nation’s fundamental stance and its decisions that have overwhelming power over the state of the actual world.
It is a nation that declares war on another nation, and tremendously influences the world by determining the direction of environmental, social welfare, and economic policies.

 

Awareness that “We are all one, and the Earth is one” is the starting point for realizing world peace.
However, without considering the actual power of nations, the tide of the world will not change fundamentally by merely depending on a change in the awareness of individuals and groups. For this reason, we have not been able to attain a world of true peace till this day, despite the efforts of many concerned people throughout the history of humankind.

 

Now, of all times, let us change our way of thinking.
Going “beyond national egoism” is the only road to solving the suffering and worries of individuals, various turmoil within the country, and the dead-end situation of human society caused by factors such as wars and environmental destruction.

 

Let us stand outside the cause and effect relationships in history until now, and for the first time in the history of humankind, create a flow toward a fundamental solution. Let us create a bright future for the children born on Mother Earth.

 

Will our nation choose peace or choose war? Will we choose the road to live together with nature, or choose to fall to ruin together?

 

No matter how much we pursue national egoism, we will not be able to achieve true peace in the world, true prosperity of one's country, nor true happiness of an individual.

 

Let us go beyond national egoism and of our own free will, renounce all warfare including war for self-defense. Let us aspire for bringing to reality true world peace by contributing to the resolution of the world’s various problems through peaceful means based on the spirit of coexistence and altruism.
When many countries raise this ideal, it is likely that the conflicts among nations that have bound humankind for thousands of years will be significantly alleviated, and we will make major progress toward the realization of true world peace.

 

Let us begin with the first step from Japan.
Since Japan is the only country that has suffered bombings from nuclear weapons during wartime, it is all the more reason that we sincerely desire true peace from our hearts.
As already expressed in the present Peace Constitution, Japan trusts in the justice and sincerity of the peace-loving peoples of the world, and vowed to renounce all military power and develop the country through peaceful means by contributing to the peace and prosperity of the world.

 

This Peace Constitution is the greatest treasure given to all of humankind, not only Japan.
However, it cannot be said that the true spirit of this constitution has been sufficiently put into practice yet.
Let us assertively bring to life anew the spirit of this Peace Constitution, reveal completely our true heart, and aspire for bringing to reality true world peace by contributing to solving the world’s various problems with the country’s concerted efforts.
Let us raise in Japan as the nation’s ideal, "a nation for international peace and the environment", devoting the concerted efforts of the country including politics and economics, and science and technology to environmental conservation of the earth and the welfare of humankind.
First, Japan will be a pioneer for the countries of the world, and open a path toward no national egoism.
If an ideal toward no national egoism is raised in Japan, the world will likely make a major turn with this new Japan at the pivot, toward a world based on the bright spirit of coexistence.
For this, first, let us collaborate with people who agree to this idea, and by Japan taking initiative to renounce national egoism, create a new “momentum” unprecedented in human history, of contributing to the realization of world peace with our utmost effort.
Why don’t we, each one of us on our own initiative, become a steward, join hands with fellow people around the world, and combine our wisdom to achieve this noble ideal.

 

Now of all times, let us decide,
not only for ourselves or our family, not only for our company or organization, and not only for our country,
to devote ourselves to world peace, to the welfare of humankind, and to peace for all living beings,
to choose a way of life in which an individual’s efforts, the nation's ideal and humanity's desire become one,
to choose the road to living not only for ourselves but together with others, not as self-sacrifice, but following the voice that wells up from the depths of our hearts.
We can feel true inherent joy of humans when we and others cooperate to bring happiness to the entire world, utilize the instinct of altruism and symbiosis within us.
One’s daily work and studies as is, will connect to giving Japan vitality, and with these connecting directly to true world peace, would that not be true meaning to life for each of us?
The vital point is to raise an ideal in Japan to “go beyond national egoism”.

 

We sincerely wish that this call will become a flame of hope spreading throughout the world, dissolving national egoism and further dissolving all forms of egoism, and for the first time in the long history of humankind, the way will open to a new civilization based on oneness and coexistence.

 

Let us rise together to pass on to our future generations, a peaceful world full of love. Is that not true meaning in life and true happiness as a person who has been given life and is living in this world?