The following is Ikeda Sensei’s guidance on recognizing the value and mission of every child. It can be found in Happy Parents, Happy Kids, pp. 2–3.
Children are precious treasures of the future. All children have the right to become happy. No child is without a mission. Parents are exerting themselves every day to raise their children, and their work is truly praiseworthy. I offer them my utmost support. The twenty-first century must be an era in which all parents and children can walk the great path to happiness.
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Children are messengers from the future. We have no choice but to entrust our world to them. I trust children. I believe in their ability to grow and develop. Every child possesses a unique and important mission. For this reason, I treat children with respect, and I give my all in doing so. If we are insincere with children or try to manipulate them, we will regret it later. So whenever I meet with children, I try to create happy memories for them.
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All children are treasures, full of precious potential. Every child embodies hope. Life itself brims with hope. Should children’s hopes be stifled or broken, wouldn’t that be the fault of adults? It pains my heart to see this happening in today’s society. I do not want to see children’s eyes clouded with fear or tears of sadness. Society must be transformed. Children are mirrors that reflect adult society, and when adults are ailing and their vision clouded, children will also suffer. Let us wipe away the tears of sorrow from the face of each child! We must protect children and give them courage, strength, and vitality. Children are the hope of humanity, and it is parents who nurture them. How noble and great a mission and responsibility parents have!
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I wish to make the twenty- first century resound with the laughter of mothers and children. I wish to build a society where children, as the hope of humanity, may grow to be healthy and upright. I wish to protect and encourage all mothers and children, and I will do everything I can for their sake. To protect mothers and children is to protect life itself; it is to nurture peace and protect the future. This is the basis of all, and to this end, I am now exerting my utmost.
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