2011年7月8日金曜日

What Does Hope Look Like?

One sign of hope after the tsunami and earthquake disaster is, in fact, a sign. Made of broken bits of his own home, it is a wooden signboard put up by a tsunami survivor spelling out the Japanese word "Ganbaro!"

Fight!
Hang on!
Give it all you've got!

That's what the "Ganbaro!" spirit is.

A Japanese essayist, Daisaku Ikeda, who is known for unflagging optimism that springs from his Buddhist faith, wrote about three very conspicuous signs of hope in these troubled times:
(1) Human solidarity--cooperation from around the world and within communities
(2) Courage--selfless deeds by the known heroes and the unsung ones, too
(3) Youth in action--young people using their physical strength, their creativity, and their vigorous will to rise above disaster to put their communities back on their feet.

It's an inspiring essay. If you have the chance, please go to the Japan Times online and read the whole thing: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20110628a3.html