Compass of the Times 236

Living the Unknown Self

Keiko Takahashi

In a Changing World

All things are in a process of change. Hence, it is inevitable that we will encounter various difficulties in our lives.

We used to live in certain areas that were, to some extent, a closed world. Today, however, the entire world is connected, and the nations of the world influence each other. Within this relationship, problems continue to arise.

Take, for example, the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. China blames Japan and incites its own people to create more problems. Even when international organizations with expert knowledge declare that it is safe, China ignores such insights and creates friction, almost as if to make a false accusation. The existence of just one such country creates a problem in the world that cannot be easily solved. The situation causes trouble to some people, and we need to respond by expending a lot of energy.

Japan is surrounded by several neighboring countries that can cause such problems, and such international relations　cause problems to continue to arise.

Of course, that is not the only issue. The decline in population and birth rates, as well as educational issues such as the fall in academic performance, are casting a dark shadow over the country’s future. At this point, there is no clear path forward on any of these problems.

Furthermore, the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating, and the singularity*¹ is said to arrive in the year after next. White-collar*² occupations will undergo radical changes. In this situation, being human and living as a human being is expected to be fundamentally challenged.

Even at a glance, we can see that we must walk with very many challenges around us.

Life Begins Where the Wisdom and Power of the Soul Are Hidden

Each of us may have a heavy and difficult reality in the outer world, and we must bring forth inner wisdom and power to deal with it. This means that we must exercise the true wisdom and power that each of us possesses.

As I have mentioned, from time to time, we live our lives as souls. When we are born into the World of Phenomena, the soul encounters the body to create the mind, and it begins its journey of life centered on that mind. At that time, the soul is initially buried in the body, which means that the nature of the soul, the wisdom and power of the soul, is hidden at first.

Then, we are given the conditions of life called the Three Streams of Influence*³ to shape ourselves within that influence. These conditions determine our own limitations.

There is an important point to be made here. It is that, as mentioned earlier, the wisdom and power of the soul seem to be reset at one point and to be reduced to zero, but they are not gone.

In our lives, we will gradually draw forth the wisdom and power of the soul through the practice of the Divine Truth; that is, the simultaneous transformation of the mind (inside) and reality (outside).

The wisdom and power of the soul is hidden deep within us. It is indeed present in the depths of our existence.

Walking with the “Other Self”

In order for us humans to live, we need such wisdom and power of the soul, which breathes deep within us like the Other Self. Without bringing out that hidden, unknown self, we cannot live in the future to come.

What we need to do is to find the Other Self that we do not even feel is there at first, to awaken that unknown self and walk with it.

The first step we absolutely need to take is to believe in the existence of our hidden self, the Other Self.

Inside of you, there is the hidden self that you do not yet know. There is the Other Self that harbors the wisdom it has accumulated through many experiences of transmigration and has the resilience to face any difficulties.

I hope that you will believe in this and face challenge after challenge. There are only two months left in the year 2023. I hope that you will continue to take those steps.

Editor’s Note

1. Singularity

Singularity means the singular (unique) point. It generally refers to the technological singularity at which the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) exceeds human intelligence.

2. White Collar

White collar refers to occupations that wear shirts with white collars, such as intellectual and technical occupations and clerical and sales occupations.

3. Three Streams of Influence

Wherever we are, whether it be in a community, a workplace, or an industry, there exist tacit premises, conventional wisdom, values, and a way of life. If we live there without realizing it, we become deeply imbued with the atmosphere of that place. I have called such the Three Streams of Influence—family, place, and era that anyone invariably takes on in life. “Family” refers to the values and way of life flowing from the family, such as parents. “Place” refers to the premises and customs flowing from the locality and field of work. “Era” is the conventional wisdom and values flowing from the time and society in which we live. (Excerpted from page 59 of How to Make Your Life the Best by Keiko Takahashi)

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