The better a man knows himself, the closer he can come to an understanding of the universality of his own humanity; the more empathy he must have for other individuals. The more a man understands his own pain, loss and frustration; the more he will feel compassion for the pain and loss of others. A philosophy that, if practiced avidly, increases self-understanding and compassion for others will, as it spreads through society, result in a general strengthening of the humanistic values of the society as a whole.
When I first discovered the Buddhism of the medieval Japanese sage Nichiren almost thirty years ago, I thought that this was possibly a philosophy and religion which, as it spread throughout the world, might, as it changed and elevated the lives of those who practiced it, also change societies. The prime threat to humanity then seemed to be nuclear war with its at least horrible and possibly unthinkable consequences. Today, other threats such as ecological destruction and the disparity of the quality of life expectancy between rich and poor nations, promise growing suffering, if not at such a swift rate as nuclear destruction would. I am now more convinced than ever, through personal experience and social observation, that this Buddhism, as promulgated primarily by an organzation called Soka Gakkai International, offers true hope for human life and society on this earth.