English Education in Primary School

In Japan, the passion of learning English is surging these days. Especially Eiken or TOEIC is getting more popular. A few years ago, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced that they were preparing to introduce English education to elementary school in Japan. However, unfortunately, I think it won't work well. Why?

First of all, I don't think there are enough native English speakers who are qualified to teach English in school in Japan. To speak English and to teach English is a very different cup of tea. For example, I have once learned English at a famous English Conversation School, but I could not encounter excellent teachers there. I think teaching English as a second language is required many skills and patience.

Secondly, there are many things that students should learn at elementary school, while learning hours are getting limited. If you add English education to current curriculums, students cannot have much time to learn Kanji or reading skills of their mother language, or Japanese, and other subjects. If you do not get reading comprehension at an early stage of life, you cannot be a person of use when you grow, especially in a global arena.

On the other hand, it is true that you have advantages to learn English at primary school. Through learning English, students can understand there are many cultures and languages in the world. This kind of experience can help students nurture international mindset where they can accept different values. In the long view, I believe it helps prevent conflicts and promote mutual understanding throughout the world.

As for me, I want to have my two-year-old daughter (today is her birthday!) take English lessons as early as possible. When I have time, I am supposed to read English picture books to her with CD.

Taking situation surrounding English education and elementary school into consideration, I now cannot agree with introducing English class to elementary school at this time. However, when things are arranged properly, we should go ahead without hesitation.

Summer Vaction

I went to Marunum Kogen highland in Oku Nikko (deep in Nikko) with my wife and daughter as a summer vacation. It is about 1,500 meter above sea level where we had comfortable and relaxed days there. There are many conifer trees like white birch and beech trees that discharge a lot of fresh air. I felt those places kind of an "Oxygen Bar," which is popular in metropolitan areas.

We stayed Pension Yamamoto, an European style tiny family-run accommodation, for three nights and four days. It was a really cozy place where owner's couple were very friendly and all heartfelt dishes were delicious. Especially, croissants cooked by owner's wife were one of my two-year-old daughter's favorite. She ate surprisingly amount of food there.

During our stay, we went to Shirane-san (Mt. Shirane) by a cable car in Marunuma and enjoyed an Onsen (hot spring) public bath in Yunoko, but we mainly concentrated on refreshment without going far away.

Now I get back to my daily life and remember this beautiful memory.

War Memoria Day-(3)

3. Meat Eating Habit

To put it simply, there is a principle that those who kill will be slain. On the other hand, the principle means that those who give their life to others will be enliven. From a religious and life-centralism perspective, it is apparently desirable to stop meat eating. Because farm animals have will to live and don't want to be killed against their will. Especially an industrialized meat processed system has caught on these days, domestic animals tend to be treated in a very cruel way. Whether cows, pigs and chickens would be, they are confined to very narrow spaces for people want better and delicious meat at a low cost.

In addition that, they are given unnatural feed in high calories that they do not originally favor. According to "A Diet For A New America," written by John Robbins, it is estimated that one out of three of grain produced worldwide is given to domestic animals. Furthermore, there is a fact that you need 7 kilograms of grain to gain 1 kilograms of beef. The author says that if everyone in the world only ceases to eat beef, you will obtain amount of food that provide 9 billion people on the planet. This means that you can save starving people all around the world only by quitting eating beef. In other words, it is possible for us to bring about a society that is friendly also for human beings and animals by reflecting upon and changing our daily life styles to an extent we can.

When taking those elements into consideration, to realize world peace from a religious perspective, first of all, we need to recognize our true self. Namely, we are children of God, not physical beings. Therefore, we are never sinners, rather we have infinite potentials and abilities to improve this world as much as we want. Secondly by trying to lead a life that doesn't take from others but a one that gives to others, we can change our world without any blood shed.

Those are all I was taught from SNI founder Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi and the Vice President of SNI, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi through their books and lectures.

Thank you very much!

War Memoria Day-(2)

2. Materialistic point of view

If you see a human being as a physical being, you will take your heart to seek money, food, sleeping and sexual desires as much as you want. This apparently destroys yourself, your family, your friends and all. As a same way, if you consider this world consisted of material, you will see a lot of conflicts over lands, natural resources, food, interest and so on. As mentioned above, physical matter has a nature to expand itself unlimitedly. If you want to lead a happy and secure life, you need to separate yourself from your physical being completely.

If I touch on the relation between a war and a materialisitic viewpoint, we should keep in mind, before and during WW2, that Japan excessively sought interest in Manturia and energy sources and they stormed into war to battle with world. In other words, they were obsessed with pursuing those material. Very unfortunately, this atrocity caused deep anger from neighbor countries and it still has a bad impact on security in East Asia.

More than that, you can say that many wars and struggles being waged in the world today are fights over land. A typical example is a battle over Jerusalem. Not only Judaism and Christianity think it a holly land, but Islam does.

Therefore, as long as materialistic point of view is dominated, we cannot feel easy in terms both of physically and mentally.
(continued)

Gender Discrimination-(2)

In Japan, the introduction of "Women only" train car seemed to be accelerated. In my commuter train, Joban and Chiyoda subway line, it appeared from this June.(See the photo) It is a battle plan to counteract the growing number of groping, though this measure haven't seemed to work well so far.

However, an Italian retaurant in Hakodade, a harbor city of northan part of Japan, have set up "Women only" time, according to an English version of Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's leading newspaper. The paper introduces the pros and cons of this maneuver. For example, a 50-year-old man says, "It's simply a business tactic," but another 42-year-old man sees it as kind of a reverse discrimination.

I agree with the 50-year-old man's opinion and think it an only strategy. I don't care about it because if some women need these spaces, it is natural for restaurant owners to offer them. However, I don't see the number of those restaurants and other places will be on the rise in the future in this country.

I rather prefer a society where both men and women can coexsit comfortably. Is it a pie in the sky? How about in your country? Do you have "Women only" car trains or retaurants?

War Memorial Day-(1)

Today is the 61st anniversary commemorating the end of the World War Second. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan, worshipped controversial Yasukuni Shrine, in this memorial day for the first time since he took office. I don't want to touch upon this highly political issue, rather I want to ponder why peace cannot be realized despite every single person in the world pursues.

I have once heard that about only 200 years had no wars in human's history. Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi, the founder of Seicho-No-Ie, Japan based religious organization, raised some reasons why wars never cease from a religious perspective. There are three points as follows:

1. The notion that a human being has an original sin.

If you believe that a man has an original sin, you will be punished by the principle that a sinner should be atoned for. Some religions or factions focus that a uman has an original sin whether they be Christianiy and Buddhism. However, Jesus Christ never called a human being as a sinner. Rather, he taught like this:

"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name"
(MATTHEW 6-9)

We can see Jesus called God as "Our Father." This means that we all are children of God. I accept that those followers of such religions that focus on human's sin don't intend to exacerbate people's destiny, but what they preach did or does or will hamper their destiny by the rule that what you image manifests. Therefore, you need to use creative, positive and cheerful words to prevent conflicts and improve human's fate.
(continued)

Gender Discrimination-(1)

Women's role in Japan is fairly diversified these days. For example, some women choose to be single while working all their life. Therefore, women's views about working are said to have changed in the past decade. If this is so, how has it changed?

Firstly, the number of couples where both the husband and the wife have a job is increasing in Japan. Many feel independent and satisfied with not only serving as housewives but also as career women. You would see many magazines that feature working women while rearing children.

On the other hand, the current ratio of women executives in Japan's corporations is about ten percent, increased only by one percent in the past decade. In the workplace, there still are discriminations on the grounds of gender. It may come from the custom that men were given priority.

However, the rate of women that accounts for all graduates with an advanced education has increased by eight percent from 1994 to 2004, though the figure is the lowest in 30 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. This may prevent women from securing a responsible position in a company.

Japan is witnessing a change in terms of women's career. However, we can see another trend on the trains, in the restaurants and other places. What do you think is it?
(continued)

Terrorist Plot

In today's morning paper, a lot of articles covered the news on a terrorist plot against America-bound airlines. Fortunately, Mass Murder was prevented and some British nationals of Pakistani origin were arrested.Investigation is now going on. I was really relieved to see such an atorocity was not committed, however, I was pretty surprised with their tactic. I mean they used liquid in pet bottle as an explosive substance and instant cameras... If they were clever enough to catch up with such an idea, I think, they should have used the idea in a different way for more peaceful purposes.

I suppose it is easy for non-muslim people in industrialized countries to criticize what Islam extremists was about to bring on in London, however, we need to know and understand what they have in mind and what drives them do such a terrible act.

In the Seicho-No-Ie teachings, our destiny and environment is a reflection of our mind. It also means that the destiny and environment of the world is a reflection of the world's mind. Unfortunately there are many outrages not only in Beirut, Bagdad, Tehran and Pyongyang but also in mind of ordinary people, therefore, we need to discharge the opposite feelings, namely positive, cheerful and beautiful ideas to the universe.

This is why I pray Shinsokan, Meditation to visualize God, in the morning and night and pray for world peace. Here is PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACE by Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi, 1893-1980, the founder of Seicho-No-Ie.

God's infinite love flows into me (us),
And shines forth from me (us) as a
brilliant spiritual light of love.
The spiritual light of love grows and
grows in intensity,
Covering the entire world,
And filling the hearts of all mankind,
With thoughts only of love, peace, order,
and the Truth of oneness in God.

Seminar in Kanagawa-(2)

As a part of our environment preservation activity, the room temperature was maintained over 28 degree centigrade and all trash was separated properly.

What impressed me most is the fact students have been changed day by day. Quite a few students had problems on parent-child relations, friends, studies, etc. However, as time went by and taking lectures and some useful advices by friends and senior members, they seemed to have confident to solve those problems.

And I noticed that some students have divorced parents. I felt they sought parental love because they tried something mischievous to attract staff members attention. I need to take measures to deal with those stiations.

Participating this seminar, I was convinced that it was God who conducted the seminar. I was also spiritually cleansed and reborn as a child of God.

Thank you very much for all participants, managing staff members and all members who dedicated to this event.

Seminar in Kanagawa-(1)

I attended a Seicho-No-Ie Spiritual Training Seminar for junior and high school students in Kanagawa as a dispatched lecturer from 4th to 7th this August. About 30 students as well as about the same number of managing staff enjoyed this 4 day-seminar. The seminar includes several lectures, round table discussions, a mind purification ceremony, mutual Shinsokan meditation, outdoor workshops and so on. Kanagawa Missionary area is famous for a disciplined managing system and deliberate preparation, therefore, the seminar was really organized.

In my lectures, I focused that God creates only good, therefore, every human being is a child of God that possesses infinite ability and potential. And I showed them how parents love their children introducing about myself. More than that, I explained in a Seicho-No-Ie way of life that we should avoid meat food not only from a religious perspective but from an ecological and humanitarian point of view.

I mean, SNI teaches to respect every single life, so it is natural for us not to eat meat. And I briefed how domestic animals are grown and treated and how those animals are changed to packed meat. Actually, throughout the seminar, there are no meat food in every dish. They were really delicious so that almost all students did not realize they had had no meat food until I touched on it.

During my lectures, students were surprisingly well behaved. They took memos and paid attention to me and some photos that I projected on a big screen. I believe this is because Kanagawa youth members take care of those students on a daily basis, therefore, they prepare to listen to this kind of topics. Anyway, I really appreciate that.
(continued)

Food Additive

Recently, I read a Japanese book on food additive. The author, Tsukasa Abe, was a former sales staff of an food additive company and once called as "food addiitve sommelier," therefore, he explained how food can be sold such a low cost by adding some powder and how much additive contains in ordinary food. After reading this book, my desire for snacks was almost completely removed.

To tell the truth, I have quit eating meat for five or six years, however, I liked snacks very much. I told this story to my wife and suggested that we only purchase additive-free food, then she really welcomed this proposal and we immediately started to put it into practice. But as additive-free food is usually expensive, we have carefully to plan what to buy at a food shop.

I was taught by reading this book that to know is the first step to improve our life. This book is originally introduced by honorable spiritual Mentor, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, Vice President of Seicho-No-Ie at a Special Conference for SNI ministers on July 5th. I really appreciate him for such priceless teachings.

Preparation for a seminar

Today I concentrated on preparation for the lectures at home that I would deliver at a Seicho-No-Ie spiritual training seminar for senior and junior high school students in Kanagawa from August 4th to 7th. At the seminar, I am responsible for five lectures such as――"Let's realize the true yourself, only one in the world," "A happy life comes from expressing gratitude to your parents," "How precious Life is," "Let's learn your country's own values and contribute to the world," and "Let's have a magnificent dream!" Having prepared these lectures, I myself was also realized that I am enlivened by invisible Great Life as well as my parents and others. I am really looking forward to seeing those students and staff members there.

Memorial Service

My wife and I with our daughter had a memorial service yesterday. For whom? For our rabbit, Aka. She passed away on July 30th of last year at age of 5-year-and-4-month-old, so now, just a year went by. We made a simple altar for her and read "HOLY SUTRA NECTAREAN SHOWER OF HOLY DOCTRINES," a sutra that is said to be condensed the teachings of Seicho-No-Ie. Since she favored melon very much when she was alive, we served a piece of melon in front of the altar. My wife and I felt she was really delighted.

Incidently, we named the rabbit Aka when Aka came to our home. At that time, we did not have children, therefore, we tried by using power of words to invite our children. I mean, every time we called the rabbit, we said, "Aka-chan, Aka-chan" or "Baby, Baby" in Japanese. We learn that words have power to create from the SNI's teachings, so we applied this principle.

As a result, my wife had fortunately carried a daughter two years ago. It had been eight years since we got married. We believe Aka called our daughter, Manami, to come this home. Thank you Aka and have a happy life in HEAVEN!

Tetsuya Abe

Attracted by ISTS-(3)

■I want to share the joy based on faith with people all over the world

In the seminar, I had conversations with people of various background. This filled me a sense of contentment. I couldn't believe that I could convey what I meant in my poor English. Among the attendee, who the most impressive were a Brazilian couple living in London. The husband is a former Catholic priest and the wife is a SNI regional lecturer. Actually, she divorced her first-husband and then devoted her whole life to this movement rather than be depressed. It was a SNI event in London when they met for the first time. They were getting passionately involved in SNI movement there. As times goes by, they found they hit it off together and ended up marrying. Cerebrated by attendees of the ISTS, they conducted a wedding ceremony that my wife and I attended, at SNI-Hawaii Jisso Center. We still have been maintaining a good relationship with them.

On the third day of the seminar, we had time to learn how to launch and spread SNI. Seeing a video that introduces SNI's history, I was really moved to tears for the fact that SNI was founded in Japan, I was born in Japan, I could learn this teaching in Japanese. In addition to that, I really appreciated my circumstances that I could learn this teaching directly from Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi, Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, president of SNI, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, vice president of SNI.

On the last day of the seminar, shaking hands with participants, I had my mind set on how "I would be of much use, strengthening my ability to propagate the teaching not only in Japanese but also in English."

In 1992 and 1994, Rev. and Mrs. Masanobu Taniguchi did a grand lecture tour in the United States and delivered his 4 lectures in English. When I knew this fact, I was impressed and started to learn English. On my way, I stopped some time, I restarted to learn seriously in January 1999. Having no experience studying abroad and little opportunity to use English in the workplace, the thought "I want to share a joy with people all over the world through SNI" motivates me to keep learning English until now.

I now belong to the section that takes care of overseas’ activity. I am always impressed by followers who voluntarily work in Europe every single day. Without forgetting the impression I had then, I really want to practice this teaching and maintain every effort to be a useful member of the humanity enlightenment movement and International Peace-by-Faith movement.
(End)

Attracted by ISTS-(2)

■Bright and Cheerful companions

Come to think of it, the reason I couldn't sleep on the airplane and had a headache was that we were given first class seats because of airline's convenience. Surprisingly it cost only about 300$. This led me feel excited too much. What a shame!

When I went out of the airport, the beautiful blue sky was overwhelming. The sunbeams were strong enough for me feel summer, despite it was February. The temperature seemed over 30 degree centigrade, though, it was comfortable for me due to the breeze and dry air.

The seminar began in the evening. What surprised me at first was that people there were so cheerful and bright. When a lecturer asked "Are you happy?" they promptly answered "Yes! I am happy!" This kind of response made me feel crisp. They also expressed their joy as much as they wanted.

But what embarrassed me was that everyone hugged each other from the first day, without distinction of age or sex, as greeting. However, I was getting accustomed to this habit and become not to mind quite soon.

As all lectures were delivered in English, I could, even if not completely, understand them. When I listened to a lecture teaching our organization's main concept, "A man is a child of God and perfect," I felt relaxed even if it was delivered in English. This amazed me a lot. I felt SNI has been desperately accepted, transcending nationality, race and language.

As I had been suffering from headache during the lectures, the first days was over before I knew it. I got a good night rest. When I waked up next morning, my headache disappeared completely!

In the seminar, there is usually a time when participants can express their impressions of SNI, and how they have applied SNI teaching in their everyday life and improved their life. I was selected as a presenter and presented my testimony in English for the first time on the second day. I wrote the draft before I left Japan and had it checked out by one of my colleagues, a fluent English speaker. As the time for my presentation drew near, I became very anxious. But when I was on the podium, in the midst of audience who emanated warm atmosphere, I found that I could speak unbelievably well. After the presentation, some participants spoke well of the presentation. It really pleased me.
(continued)

Attracted by International Spiritual Training Seminar

The clock hand had just turned 9 AM. Brilliant sunlight streamed through the plane window. Looking out the window, I saw the sea glittering in the morning Sun. I had a headache because I couldn't sleep on the plane. As feeling sick, anyway, I ate my breakfast. Later the plane landed at the Honolulu Airport. My wife and I headed out to the Seicho-No-Ie(SNI) Hawaii Jisso Center where the 19th SNI International Spiritual Training Seminar would be held.
This was the story on 10th in February 2000.

****************************************************************
Seicho-No-Ie's Spiritual Training Seminar is a seminar which includes lectures, Shinsokan(meditation to visualize God), mind purification ceremony, and round table discussions in which participants talk to each other in a ring, and so on. Such SNI-seminars are held not only in Japan, but also in Brazil, the U.S.A., Canada, Taiwan, South Korea and Germany in their own languages.

The International Spiritual Training Seminar(ISTS) had been launched in New York, the "melting pot" of America, in August 1995, as a part of the International Peace- by-Faith Movement, aiming at world peace by true faith. An ISTS is being held 4 times a year in North America.

I had already started to learn SNI-teaching before I participated a seminar, however, my proper encounter with SNI-Seminar was one held in Uji in 1988. When I attended a SNI seminar for the first time at SNI Uji temple in Kyoto, hearing lectures, practicing Shinsokan, taking a mind purification ceremony and other practice, my feelings of inferiority were removed and the delight of "A Man is a Child of God." welled up. There were a lot of people around me who were choked with tears of joy. Some were healed from fatal diseases, others could rebuild their divided family. Until then I had known SNI only through books, I was overwhelmed by the dynamism of the faith that moves our real life and the world.

Since I could not forget the delight I tasted then, I entered into the services of SNI International Headquarters in Japan in 1992. In 1997, I was transferred to Public Information Department where I was in charge of writing the organization's monthly newspaper. Writing about an ISTS which gathers people from various backgrounds every month, I found myself feeling that "I want to attend an ISTS someday and share delight with people all over the world."

This thought had been getting building up day by day, I ended up participating the 19th ISTS in Hawaii on 10th in February 2000.
(continued)

ISTS in New York

My wife and I went to NY to attend the 26th International Spiritual Training Seminar, where we've had a lot of valuable experiences.

I now belong to the Public Information Department at Seicho-No-Ie International Headquarters where I'm in charge of editing our monthly newspapers, the Holy Mission Newspaper, especially covering on the worldwide activities.

Although many of our kind friends worried about our trip to NY just one month after 9･11, when I prayed Shinsokan(meditation to realize God) two days before leaving Japan, it occurred to me that NOW is the just time to pray for world peace in the U.S. This thought encouraged me to go to U.S. in a very tight security.

During the seminar the lectures enhanced, saying "The world peace comes from the peace of our mind, so we should stop to hate anyone, even the terrorists." It isn't an easy task to put this into practice, but we should do. I'd like to keep this in mind and pray for world peace both in Japanese and English everyday.
And what impressed me most was the fact that almost all attendee take these attacks so serious and they thought they wanted to dedicate whatever they could. It seemed to me that the Spiritual Brothers and Sisters in NY unite perfectly at one through these accidents.

However, they were not only serious but also cheerful, bright and kind. Especially Brazilians were very good at expressing joy and happiness. Rev. Hiei Ando, an ordained minister, taught us to say "thank you" with emotion in his speech. After coming home, my wife and I immediately tried this at home. It was very effective. We are getting to express more gratitude each other than before.

The next day of the seminar, we went to the Ground Zero to see the devastated buildings with Rev. Mario Kawakami, Chief of California Missionary Area and Ms. Katsuko Suzuki, a SNI follower in NY. While praying for victims and world peace, I strongly thought all I should do is to propagate this teaching much more.

Thank you very much for God, ISTS, NY and the U.S.A.!