Exploring the Divine Spark

This year, the Fuji Declaration Presentation included an interactive program for participants to think more deeply about the divine spark and how we can give expression to it in our lives.

To begin, participants were invited to join in reciting the five individual declarations that form the final section of the Fuji Declaration:

We affirm the divine spark in the heart and mind of every human being and intend to live by its light in every sphere of our existence.

We commit ourselves to fulfilling our shared mission of creating lasting peace on Earth through our ways of living and acting.

We intend to live and act so as to enhance the quality of life and the well-being of all forms of life on the planet, recognizing that all living things in all their diversity are interconnected and are one.

We will continually strive to free the human spirit for deep creativity, and to nurture the transformation necessary to forge a new paradigm in all spheres of human activity, including economics, science, medicine, politics, business, education, religion, the arts, communications and the media.

We shall make it our mission to design, communicate and implement a more spiritual and harmonious civilization—a civilization that enables humankind to realize its inherent potential and advance to the next stage of its material, spiritual, and cultural evolution.

Next, Maki Saionji asked participants to “please take one minute of quiet time to imagine how your thoughts and actions over the past nine years have been interconnected with your family, friends, acquaintances, and all life, influencing and shaping the world together.” After this minute of silent meditation, Maki invited participants to take a couple of minutes and contemplate the two questions that were introduced at the start of the presentation:

(1) What kind of power do you think is necessary for us to give expression to the divine spark in our lives?

(2) What kind of practices have you undertaken to nurture that power? Or, what actions do you think will be necessary going forward?

At the end of the two minutes, she recommended that everyone continue to think about these questions and “practice small actions in your daily lives to help the sacred spirit permeate society.” Participants who wished to do so were invited to share their thoughts on these two questions by filling out an online form or sending their responses by fax or mail to Fuji Sanctuary. It was also mentioned that some of the responses would be published on the Fuji Declaration website at a later date.

Maki also announced that this year’s SOPP would mark the launch of an interview series on the topic of deepening the sacred spirit, in the lead-up to the Fuji Declaration’s tenth anniversary next year. These interviews will also be posted on the Fuji Declaration website, as well as on other platforms.

Following this exercise, Yuka Saionji introduced a video message from Mr. Madhusudan Agrawal, one of the youth leaders who participated in the 2012 SOPP. Mr. Agrawal delivered his message from the training center of the Environmental Sanitation Institute, an NGO in Gujarat, India, that embraces Gandhian philosophy and works to improve sanitation, education, and social equality. The director of the institute, Jayesh Patel, is also a supporter of the SOPP, and the message May Peace Prevail on Earth appears in numerous places around the institute.

Madhusudan Agrawal

My dearest brothers and sisters in Japan and all over the world,

I fondly remember my grandfather in this moment, right now. He always used to say, “Work as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on God.”

In these troubling times, I often think, “Where is home?” As we feel more and more disconnected with our own self, with each other, with the world at large, and with mother nature and the divine, I feel that the need to know where home is becomes more and more urgent.

I personally and sincerely deeply believe that the power of prayer connects us, very deeply, with our own self, with each other, and with mother nature. It’s through prayer that I can see myself in you. It’s through prayer that I know that there is no ‘other.’ It’s through prayer that I know I am the one—the instrument—for everything good that we can do in this world together.

Holding that love, peace, and joy in my heart, I bow down and send my love and my thoughts to you all. Jai Jagat.

Following Mr. Agrawal’s message was a short video showing different views of the ESI training center and the people living and studying there.

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