What Those Tears Taught Me
Rev. Takashi Maeda
Director, Rissho Kosei-kai International
Hello, everyone. The experience that first led me to faith took place when I joined a volunteer activity during my second year of high school. Together with members of the Rissho Kosei-kai sangha, I visited the home of a woman who had lost both her husband and her right leg during the war. We helped build a kitchen shelf for her.
When our work was finished, and we were about to leave, she came outside on her crutches to see us off. We said, “Thank you very much,” and started riding away on our bicycles. Just then, I heard a loud thud behind us. When I turned around, I saw her sitting on the ground, waving to us with tears streaming down her face.
As a high school student, I was deeply moved by that sight. I realized that even a small act of kindness could bring such profound joy to another person. The experience touched my heart in a way I have never forgotten. To this day, that scene remains vivid in my memory as the starting point of my faith and continues to inspire my activities.
In this month’s message, President Niwano teaches us that people possess a desire to find happiness with others, not merely by themselves. The light we kindle for others not only brightens their hearts but also warms our own. Acts of giving and volunteer service are certainly examples of this, but in our daily lives, so are kind words and thoughtful gestures. Each one is a small light.
As we cherish the compassionate heart of a bodhisattva, may we continue to light these small flames for those around us. I believe that, little by little, these acts of kindness bring happiness to others while also becoming a source of joy and fulfillment in our own lives.
