Compass of the Times 201

Compass of the Times 201

To Seek for the Power of Humanity

Keiko Takahashi


Harboring the Dignity of the Soul

In November, many people joined our GLA community after participating in the “Ubiquitous Lecture” held during the corona crisis (”Ubiquitous” means “being everywhere,” and every possible place became a venue for the lecture). It is our real pleasure to welcome those of you who wish to explore more about the Study of the Soul¹.

This month, I would like to think about the path as a member once again, together with those who are about to walk on this new dimension in life. I would like to do this in the form of a message to new members.

First and foremost, I would like to ask all of you who start walking on the new path to cherish your life without ever belittling yourself, no matter how hectic your life is in the midst of various trials.

We humans exist as souls harboring eternal life. We are all precious beings who have experienced many lives through multiple transmigrations, and we hold wisdom within us.

Even though we have many shortcomings and immaturities, there is no limit to the possibilities that each of us possesses. Each person’s value should never be diminished. And, the purpose and mission that only that very person can fulfill are entrusted to his or her life.

That is the very reason why murmurs, such as “I thought it would be like that after all,” “It doesn’t matter,” and “That’s the way it goes,” are taboo and unnecessary in our lives from now on.

We Are Beings That Live in Saha

The place we live our lives is not a world of paradise. In the Study of the Soul, we call this world Saha, the world of suffering. The Chinese characters for Saha represent a place where we have no choice but to put a sword on our minds. It means a harsh place that when our mind moves a little, it is unavoidable that it is injured by the sword.

There are two consistent laws that make this world Saha, the world of suffering.

One is the Law of Disintegration. If left untouched, everything is bound to become old, rust, deteriorate, and disintegrate. No matter how important things are, they are destined to be lost from the start.

In addition, this world we live in is not a place that can be controlled by our own will, no matter how strongly we wish it could.

Even if we think, “I want to do this; I want to do that,” or on the contrary, we think, “I don’t like this; I hope someone will take it away,” we can do nothing on our own as there are various constraints, or we are bound by immovable conditions. We call this condition the Law of Uncontrollability.

Suppose we keep on letting these two Laws of Disintegration and Uncontrollability dominate our lives freely. In that case, our lives will be subjected to one difficulty after another, and we will lose sight of our purpose and mission that we should fulfill.

There Is a Power of Humanity That We Should Seek

Saha places a massive load on us. However, in this world that is seemingly out of control, the other force that is entirely different from these two laws is actually at work as well. This is the wonder of this world.

While there are laws that lead everything to collapse and make everything out of our control, there exists, on the other hand, the flow that leads everything towards new harmony and development, from dark transformation to light transformation. That is the true nature of the world where we live.

Under the Laws of Disintegration and Uncontrollability, the flow that tries to push everything into dark transformation appears overwhelming. It seems that a single person’s power can never change the flow.

However, if we cultivate our own mind and continue to live in accordance with the principle of the universe and of nature, our mind is liberated and becomes increasingly free and invigorated. We will then be able to respond to our purpose of life in a place where each of us lives, which is our fundamental reason to be. We will become able to draw in the other current that flows in the universe, and that leads us towards the light transformation.

We can embody the force of light transformation that is omnipresent in the universe and then release its power for the sake of the world. This is the inner power that we should exert and is the very human power that we should continue to seek through the Study of the Soul. I would like you to instill this notion deep within your mind.

Editor’s Note

Study of the Soul

The Study of the Soul is a system of theory and practice that seeks a way of life connecting the visible and invisible dimensions. In contrast to the study of phenomena, which science represents by dealing with the materialistic dimension, the Study of the Soul goes beyond that, dealing comprehensively with the materialistic dimension and the invisible dimensions of the mind and soul. This is a principle that I have discovered from intensive studies of human beings and the individual life journeys of many people whom I have met. By looking at the soul, mind, and reality as a whole, we observe human beings in the hope of responding to every possible occasion.
(Excerpted from How to Make Your Life the Best, page 40)