I would like to thank the chairman, the members of the board of directors, and my fellow participants for this opportunity, as a Japanese Buddhist, to speak about the contribution of religion to world peace.

When the Portuguese first encountered Japan in the middle of the sixteenth century, they introduced Christianity, astronomy, and the printing press. And more than three centuries later, when the Portuguese Ambassador to Japan, Wenceslao de Moraes, lived in Japan, he introduced Portugal to many of our customs, manners, and ways of thinking. These are just two examples of cultural exchange between our two countries over the centuries. And I believe that it is thanks to this long history that I am able to speak to you here today.

Please allow me to quote a few famous lines from the Preamble of the UNESCO Constitution. "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed". In other words, we must all find inner peace before we can realize peace in our world. The UNESCO Constitution also states, "a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind." For religious leaders, this means that interreligious dialogue and solidarity is indispensable to world peace. Because much is expected of religious leaders, our responsibility is enormous

Please let me continue to speak about the contribution of religion lo world peace by elaborating on two points. First, how do we become peace-minded people, and second, how to we pave a secure path for interreligious dialogue and cooperation that helps people be peace-minded.

When we stop to examine the causes of war in every part of the world, we see that distrust, suspicion, and misunderstanding between different races, countries, and religions give rise to selfish, violent actions. Indeed, "wars begin in the minds of men." Buddhism slates this truth in the following terms. There are three things that poison the human mind: greed, anger, and ignorance. All three arise from self-centered egoism, which leads one to seek personal gain and comfort at the expense of others. This selfish egoism is the source of mistrust and suspicion between people, between countries, and even between religions.

Similarly, as a result of the human selfishness that has pervaded our world, we human beings are now confronted with environmental hazards, for which we can only blame ourselves. Again, it is the three poisons in our minds that are the source of these threats to peace and the endless problems we face as human beings.

All of this is due to our inability to open our eyes and fully realize Divine Truth. This Divine Truth is the one thing in this world that never changes. It teaches us that all the living things, including human beings, cannot escape from growing old and sick and dying. It also teaches us that all things in the universe are interrelated, including all beings here on earth, which depend on each other to exist. Stated differently, all of us are brothers and sisters, having received life from the same great life-force.

When we fix our gaze on Divine Truth, from our innermost hearts we come to cherish all life forms. Buddhism calls this compassion. To make Divine Truth part of oneself, it is not enough to seek it through religious practice. One must have the courage to be free from doubt and delusion and ability to help others realize Divine Truth. This is the courage of a bodhisattva.

In the first half of the twentieth century, one of Japan's most famous writers of and a devout Buddhist, Kenji Miyazawa, described the bodhisattva's desire in these simple, clear words, "it is impossible for him to be truly happy unless the whole world is happy." Miyazawa himself worked tirelessly to help the impoverished farmers around him, up to the moment he took to his deathbed. Though he never took formal religious vows, Miyazawa was a modern example of the bodhisattva. Truly, he was a man mindful of peace. Of course, Miyazawa is only one of countless people who have lit a lamp for peace in their own community. We think immediately of Gandhi in India, Florence Nightingale in Europe, Martin Luther King in America, and Albert Schweitzer in Africa. When we give thanks for what they have achieved, we should remember -as these great leaders did themselves- the thousands who followed their example

While I am expressing thanks, I would like to mention the people who take time off from school, work, and family life to devote themselves to organizing the annual World Prayer for World Peace Meeting. Of course, I mean the members of the Society of San Egidio.

In every part of the world, in every field, in every walk of life there are peace-minded people who inspire many others to realize their own bodhisattva desire. I think that this is the contribution religion makes to world peace

Above all, it is especially important that scientists realize the desire of the bodhisattva. Science has made many contributions to human happiness. Bit it has also given rise to nuclear arms, pollution, and driven people to be excessively materialistic. These evils are due to human ignorance and egoism.

The twentieth century was a century of war. The major goal of religious leaders who joined in dialogue and cooperation was to dispel misunderstandings and prejudices among religions, and thereby eradicate one cause of world conflict.

Through the ages down to the present, a number of conflicts have been started or prolonged in the name of religion, leading to a tremendous number of victims. The first contribution religious leaders can make to world peace is to repent this common history and make amends by building better relations based on trust and understanding.

At the same time, in the new century it is important that we gather to share experiences, wisdom, and intelligence regarding the means of increasing the number of peace-minded people, bodhisattvas. Interreligious cooperation would then serve the purpose of promoting peace-minded people and the bodhisattva spirit. This is the second contribution religious leaders can make to world peace.

Some people say that praying does not bring peace. However, peace-minded people and bodhisattvas are already people who do pray. So if the world were filled with people who pray, that would increase the number of peace-minded people and bodhisattvas.

There is no peace without prayer. If prayer disappears from the hearts of people, our world is lost. Prayer is a means of reflecting on one's selfishness and repent of it, and it is also an expression of one's devotion to peace. We must reaffirm this repeatedly to assure that the importance of prayer is transmitted long into the future.

Thank you very much.