Paradise on earth - what a beautiful sound this phrase makes!  There is probably no other phrase which gives such light and hope as this one.  Many people may think it is only a dream with no possibility of becoming a reality, but I firmly believe that paradise on earth will become a reality.  Furthermore, I perceive all the signs that the time of its realization is close at hand.

We must give deep thought to that great admonition of Jesus of Nazareth, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Jesus, whose teachings have become the foundation of a religion that has spread throughout the world, would never have uttered such words if they had no validity in them.

I am sure you would like to know what kind of a world paradise on earth will be, so I would like to describe the picture I have in mind.  To put it simply, paradise on earth is a world of happy people.  It is a world free from disease, poverty and conflict, a world with a most highly evolved civilization.

How can this present world, where humanity is suffering in agony from all kinds of miseries - one full of disease, poverty, conflict - be transformed into a paradise?  This is the big issue for us to solve.  Since disease is the main one of the three great miseries of man, a way of eradicating it must first be discovered.  Next is the problem of poverty.  The primary cause of poverty also lies in disease; the secondary cause lies in distorted thoughts and poor administration and the defective state of our social structure.  The third problem is strife-consciousness, the cause of which lies in the fact that man is still in a stage of barbarism.  The essential question is, how can these three great misfortunes of mankind be eradicated?  I have become convinced that these problems can indeed be solved.  When people join our fellowship and their spiritual understanding advances, both their physical and spiritual bodies become more and more purified and they approach a state of perfect health.  They also become progressively freed from the sufferings of poverty, and their strife-consciousness begins to disappear.  Innumerable changes that have actually occurred among our members testify that they are truly approaching a state of real happiness and fulfillment more closely year after year.

I honestly do not like to refer to the shortcomings of others, but allow me to mention those of people who have joined certain religions and are satisfied and happy with their teachings yet continue to suffer from disease or poverty.  They are better off than those who have no faith at all, but although they have been helped spiritually they are not helped physically; that is, they have only been partially helped.  True salvation should encompass both the spiritual and physical bodies.  It should bring physical health, freedom from poverty, and a total sense of material happiness and contentment for the entire family.

There are religions which have the power to save man spiritually and mentally, but not materially.  For this reason, most people have come to believe that the sole purpose of religion is spiritual salvation and that any faith which aims at material blessings must be a low form of religion.  This is absurd.  There is probably no one who does not desire material blessings.

When a person is seriously ill and asking for help, some may tell him that "man should transcend life and death."  This sounds a little strange to me, for I believe it is almost impossible for any individual not to think about living and dying.  Anyone who says he can forget life and death is deceiving himself.  An episode involving Takuan, a famous Buddhist priest, illustrates this.

When Takuan was on his deathbed, the people who had been closest to him gathered around with paper and pen and asked him to write some words of farewell.  He took the pen immediately and wrote, "I do not want to die."  Those who stood around him said to each other, "Such a great priest and he cannot have written these as his last words!  There must be some misunderstanding."  So, they placed another sheet of paper before him and proffered the pen.  Takuan wrote again.  This time his words read, "I tell you, I really do not want to die!"

I think this attitude shows how remarkable he was.  On such an occasion most priests would probably write something like, "Life or death, it does not matter," in order to impress their followers.  Takuan expressed his honest feeling without any pretense or affectation.  I was deeply impressed, thinking that an ordinary so-called high priest could not have done this.

There are some individuals who advocate certain religious teachings, while they have still not been able to free themselves from sickness, poverty or conflict.  They are to be admired for their intentions, but I do not think this is the true way to become able to help others.

It is only when you yourself have learned to live happily through the spiritual teaching you believe in that you will be able to help others who are still suffering in misery so they may become as happy as you.  Seeing your joyous state, they will begin to feel that the teachings you are trying to share must contain truth.

To be a successful example yourself is the most effective way of spreading a spiritual teaching.  Even I did not have the courage to recommend this faith to others while I did not enjoy all of the conditions for happiness.  Thanks to God's divine help and blessings, I did attain happiness.  When I knew this beyond any doubt, I became determined to expound the teachings.

Paradise on earth will be a place where all who have reached a state of genuine happiness are unified in one world.  This will indeed be the true state of the earth when it becomes a paradise.

January 25, 1949