“The child and its mother”.
Essay on practical education of child and mother.
Presented by Hideki Kubota, representative of the Yakumo Society
SGI ( Soka Gakkai International) “President Daisaku Ikeda’s soul.”
DATA: “Onizo, the Good-Hearted”.
A Fairy Tale by Hideki Kubota.
There is a Japanese proverb “三の子の魂百までも” which is commonly referred to in English by: “ The child is the father of the man”. (Not a literal translation but the usual equivalent in English)
It is commonly understood that a child absorbs the influence of its parents and that such an influence will remain in its soul, and model it, when it reaches adulthood and beyond. I am writing that essay but I emphasize that it reflects motivations that marked my personal childhood.
The essay “ Onizo, the Good-Hearted” is the result of some very strong impressions that I experienced in my early childhood. These strong impressions occurred when I was about three years old when I happened to see an ox-driver pass by in my neighborhood. After seeing what I saw, I returned home and described my strong feelings about my experience to my mother. That deep impression from my childhood has accompanied me through my whole life and that is why I decided to commit it to paper.
“ Onizo, the Good-Hearted” is the expression of that very powerful experience undergone when I was a child and I consider it to be one of my most important writings. That deep impression was burned into my children’s heart and soul and I can say that it is a feeling that, not only accompanied me,but ultimately guided my whole life. It provided me with the soothing light of love. The essay “ Child and mother” is based on that experience and the feelings it generated.
This story about the relation between the ox and its driver lays bare my own soul. The daily exchange of words and feelings between mother and child shapes the soul of the adult and molds its mind. The positive and negative feelings that have an impact on a child’s mind are sometimes absorbed, sometimes rejected. I learned from that very strong emotion that to live in this world we need to take into account and learn from animals, from plants and even from the wind, the water, and light in an almost anthropomorphic way. To deal with all those elements, to value them and to talk about them between mother and child are the basis of what “practical education” is all about. This essay is not the formulation of any particularly difficult doctrine.
For oxen and men to live together calls for sincerity, honesty, mutual understanding and warm feelings. It is necessary to exhaust all the means that bring about those attitudes and those virtues.
Professor Daisaku Ikeda, a devote student of Buddhism, has said that “however, difficult a problem or an obstacle, there is none that we cannot overcome through prayer”.
The essay “ Practical education for mother and child” is based on that premise.
Talking with my mother.
Whenever I returned home, in the late afternoon, I always used to report all the events of the day to my mother.
My house was at the end of a slope that bordered the railway tracks and at the top of the slope on the left side was my father’s public office.
I climbed and descended that slope every day but never experienced any fatigue from doing it.
My father was an employee at the forestry management office.
I had often seen oxen pulling heavy cartloads up theslope but one day, an ox suddenly, stopped in the middle of the slope.The cartload was probably too heavy or the ox too tired. The ox was lowing desperately and slaver was pouring out of its mouth.
“ Pull, pull!” yelled the ox-driver while relentlessly beating the poor animal.
“Pull harder! Pull harder!” he repeated while at the same time pushing the cart. “Useless animal!” The ox-driver’s face was red with indignation! He grasped an iron bar and started beating the animal with the bar. The ox lowed even louder out of sheer pain and trampled the soil with its hoofs although to no avail because the cart did not move an inch. At that point, the ox-driver glanced at me and realized that I was watching.
When returning home, I related the whole event to my mother. She was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. “ That ox-driver is often beating his ox” she said and I added “ Poor ox!” She continued: “ To beat his ox that way, despite the fact that the animal is doing its very best, shows that he is a cruel man”. That was the way my mother judged him.
On the following day, I returned once more to the slope.
The cart was still there with its load. Stones had been placed under its wheels so that it could not roll down. The ox-driver had unyoked its ox and had returned home. I sat down on the roots of a large tree, on the side of the slope and waited for the ox-driver and his ox the return. At last, the ox-driver appeared leading a big horse. The man was gently tapping the horse on its mane while softly speaking to it as if the horse understood what he was saying. He harnessed the horse to the cart, grasped its bit and started shouting “hoi, hoi” at the top of his voice. The horse began to trample with its forward legs, swinging its neck and whining loudly. The driver continued to pull at the horse’s harness and a few moments later the cart was moving up the hill.
That evening, I said to my mother: “ I would like father to listen to this also: “Both the ox and the horse seem to understand what the driver says!”
One evening, as that man was driving a horse-sleigh in the midst of a strong blizzard, he collapsed in the snow. The driver protected himself from the snow and the cold, crutching against the horse’s warm body and thanks to that he saved himself. The horse seemed to be able to understand what the driver was saying.”
That was undoubtedly a wonder.
Practical education for mother and child, a pedagogical fairy tale!
Basis for the selection of the motive!
SGI (SokaGakkai International) Ikeda Daisaku, President.
The doctrine of Professor Ikeda Daisaku
President Ikeda Daisaku has relentlessly founded SokaGakkai temples and organized study groups and meetings in as much countries as possible to explain the meaning of “Human Morals”.
The doctrine of Professor Ikeda Daisuke is calling for all of us to work together to overcome poverty, eliminate discrimination, reject prejudice and treat everyone kindly, as the foundation of their human nature in a way that brings about direct and practical results.
The doctrine of professor Ikeda is receiving international attention, in schools and families, because contemporary education tends to easily forget the family, as well as the neighbor, towards whom we need to improve our gentleness, educate our hearts and become used to tend a helping hand to those who are in trouble and to those who suffer.
We must cultivate the shining heart that the Buddha bestowed upon us and make tranquility and peace a reality to make it possible for people to live quietly and foster mutual respect. Professor Ikeda aims at bringing his doctrine, which is stated in his essay “Man and Education”, to all citizens of the world while overcoming any notion of dogma or religious faction.
Professor Ikeda considers it a mission to console the afflicted, to give love to the suffering, to help those who have lost their way, to promote talking between children with their peers andwith adults on the small occurrences that make everyday life leading the way towards a society that promotes education in all ways possibleways and forms.
Every day’s occurrences should be talked about between mother and child and the morals, the virtues and the shortcomings present in those occurrences should be discussed. This is especially important nowadays because the loss of common virtues calls for a urgent resurrection of the values tha appear in that short fairy tale. It hopes to become the intellectual nourishment needed to reach those purposes.
Data 1 (Japanese)
To Walk according to the Word
SGI President shows the path.
人となりて仏教を信ずれば先ず此の父と母と恩
を報ずべし、父の恩の高き事・須弥山猶ひきし・母の恩の深き事大海還って浅し、相構えて父母の恩を報ずべし
（上野殿の消息 1527 ページ）
Meaning:
If an adult believes in Buddhism, his/her first duty is to revere his/her father and his/her mother and realize his/her indebtedness to them. He/she must hold the reverence to the father as laying on the highest mountain while the reverence to the mother must be as deep as the sea yet as easily reached as if it was in shallow water.
This indebtedness must be kept at bottom of the heart.
同志への指針
わが未来部の太陽の友よ！
大聖人は、１７歳の南條時光に報恩という人間の最も正しい道を示された。親孝行は、特別なことではない。
日に２、3度、親に笑顔を見せることが大切とも教えられている。明るく賢く感謝を表そう！
信心を受け継ぎ、元気に成長することが最高の恩返しとなる。題目を力として大いに学び鍛えゆけ！
皆の健康を勝利を祈っている。
（聖教新聞2016年7月21
Guidance for those who follow the path:
Let’s walk together,under the sun,towards the future. Nichiren indicated the path when he was 17 years old. He taught that respect for our parents is nothing exceptional. To smile to them two or three times a day is quite important. We should show our gratitude, in a kind and intelligent way, every day. To grow up healthily and maturely is the best repayment to express gratitude toward our parents. To chant according to the Word will forge the mind and provide the needed strength.
We pray for the health and success of all.
To Walk according to the Word
たとえばくろがね（鉄）をよくよくきた（鍛）へばきず（疵）のあらわるるがごとし、石はやけばはあい（灰）となる金（こがね）は・やけば真金（しんきん）となる
兄弟抄、1083ページ
Meaning:
(When encountering difficulties) For example, when carefully forging iron whatever defect was hidden inside will appear on the surface. When burning stones they will ultimately turn to ashes but if they contain gold the pure gold will come out.
同志への指針
妙法の信受する声明は（金）である。乗り越えられない難など絶対にない。
宿命転換の仏法である。障魔は、我らの信心を試しているのだ。
仏道修行は、金剛不壊の境涯を聞く鍛錬である。ゆえに、全てが福運に変わる。
逆境と戦う友よ、勇敢に題目を響かせ、生命を（信金）と輝かせゆけ！未来へ希望を贈る勝利劇を！
（聖教新聞2016年5月26日）
Guidance for our friends.
The priest’s chant at Buddhist ceremonies is a golden voice.
There is no difficulty that cannot be overcome by it. Life and its fate will be changed through that practice.
The hurdles appear only to test our faith.
Ascetic exercises aim at overcoming fate and forge our resolve.
It will change all things and bring good luck and felicity.
Those of our friends who face adversity, will, through
listening to the sacred chants,rekindle their courage and
the future will again shine brilliantly before their eyes.
汝須らく一身の安堵を思わば
先ず四表を静謐を禱らん者か
（立正安国論、御書31ページ）
日蓮大聖人は、わが身のを願うなら、「四表」（東西南北の四方）の
周囲がみな、深い苦悩と不幸にあえいでいるのに、“自分だけが幸福”というのは、ありえない。宗教の本来の使命とは、広く国や社会の平和と
（聖教新聞2016年6月10日付）
The Great Nichiren said that if we long for peace, we have to pray to the North, the South, the East and the West. We are surrounded by suffering, by drama and unhappiness and it is unconceivable that only we alone would be happy.
The real mission of religion is to strive for the happiness of all, in all countries and in all societies, that is, to open the door of happiness to everyone.
Hideki Kubota
Short biography.
Born in Hokkaido on August 8, 1940.
Graduated from Waseda University in Western Philosophy,
March 1966.
After working at the Asahi Shimbun, Hideki Kubota is now involved in International Cultural Exchanges and is the representative of the Yakumo Society.
Address: Takasuma 2-1-26-1407 Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
E-mail:
Tel: 0798-49-5886
Fax: 0798-49-5838
“Onizo, the Good-Hearted” by Hideki Kubota
The ox was huffing and puffing, pulling a fully loaded coal cart. Onizo, the ox-driver, was also sweating profusely and sweat was filling his eyes and blurring his vision.
The sun was shining so intensely that it made the white road look even whiter under the blinding light.
The ox was dizzy and was pulling the cart alternatively towards the right and left side of the road.
Onizo, was getting very angry and was whipping mercilessly the poor animal while yelling at it: “Don’t tumble that way! Pull the cart straight.”
The ox lowed: “Moo, moo!”
Then, suddenly, it furiously hastened its pace and pulled the cart, with great noise, towards a wooden shrine that stood on the side of the road.
About ten people were there, joining hands and forming a large circle around an imposing tree.
“Hey, hey, where are you going? This is the wrong way! Return to the road immediately”
Onizo was getting very angry and lashed the ox with all his strength. The ox looked at him and lowed even harder; “ Moo, moo!“ but it refused to move even a single step.
Onizo was getting dizzy and while he continued lashing the ox mercilessly he ultimately collapsed at the foot of the tree.
The ox turned around the base of the tree and feeling refreshed by a cool breeze closed its eyes and seemed to say:
“Well, my dear master, you made a fool of me. If you enter the shrine, god will make you pay dearly for your offense. You may even die as chastisement. If God does not chastise you then, I will do it ,instead.”
Onizo woke from his swoon, stood up and intended to lash the ox again but he was so tired that he had no strength left.
The ox did not move an inch. Onizo took his head in his hands and crouched down and said:
“ Damn you, you have a new fit of rambunctious behavior” Onizo was distressed.
Onizo’s ox was once in a while given to such stubborn behavior and when that happened he kept totally immobile and utterly disregarded both the lashes and the orders of its master. That is why Onizo gave it the name “Gonta” which means: Unruly character. Onizo muttered: “Nothing to do about that, but, even so, it is my ox!” .
He lay down near the roots of the tree and dozed off.
Onizo remembered that 30 years had passed since he had started working as an ox-driver. He had inherited “Gonta” from his father who had the same occupation. One day, during a strong snow blizzard his father collapsed and died on the spot but before that incident he always used to say: “ If I die, you continue to work with Gonta”.
Onizo was very happy about that and he cared a lot for his “Gonta” often wiping its body clean with straw. Since the death of Onizo’s father “Gonta” had become his property. He was about 15 years old when that happened.
“Moo”
That is what Onizo was recalling while feeding Gonta some green leaves he had collected in the bush. It was like if he was speaking with his ox and gently telling it: “ You are no good, you are of no use!”.
The ox’s eyes had been shining brightly but they suddenly became quite dull and although “Gonta” had now recovered from its fit.
Onizo continued :” You are much older than me because you worked with my father. You must be tired of all that work, aren’t you?”
Onizo got up and started wiping the sweat from Gonta’s body. They were still sweating abundantly but continued their way along the trail that was bordering the valley and the dales. A cool breeze was now gently refreshing them and Gonta, gently moving its tail, seemed to enjoy it.
Onizo continued to mutter: “Until when will you be able to work? You have already passed the age of pulling carts. I would like to buy a young ox but I need, first, to spare some money. So I want you to keep working for a while and help me with it.”
Gonta’s tail did not move anymore and its hair had lost all its shine taking the hue of dry straw. That was, of course, a clear sign of aging.
Gonta was listening to Onizo’s muttering and was lowing so hard that it nearly moved the surrounding thickets. At the same time Gonta started pulling the cart faster and faster.
“Ho! Ho! Shouted Onizo. If you keep running that fast you are soon become totally exhausted.”
Onizo tried to slow Gonta’s pace but the ox utterly ignored Onizo’s injunctions and kept pulling as hard as it could.
However, as Onizo had predicted, Gonta was getting utterly exhausted and began to slow down despite having rested a while at the shrine.
Gonta was now moving so slowly that it gave the impression that it wanted to eat some of the grass that bordering the mountain trail. The ox was huffing and puffing and pulling but despite this it was pulling the cart very slowly. Finally, they reached the ridge despite de fact that the trail was difficult and winding sharply.
When they finally reached the top Gonta became again unable to move, as Onizo had predicted.
“ I told you” said Onizo. “You idiot, egg plant, pumpkin you are really useless and I will kill you!”
Onizo was really very angry and with the shovel that he used for unloading the coal, he started hitting Gonta as hard as he could. “You see, you see!”Onizo was out of his wits and was hitting Gonta all over the head, the belly and the rump.
Gonta started lowing so loudly that it could be heard all over the mountain and the poor ox kicked Onizo with its hind hoofs so strongly that it sent Onizo flying. Onizo felt guilty and giving up his rage decided to wait but he realized that he was in real trouble. It was impossible to work under those conditions. Onizo left the ox and the cart as it stood and sat on a rock on the border of the trail thinking about the situation.