The Light and Splendor of Florence

The Renaissance was Europe’s youthful period. It embodied all the splendor and sadness of youth. And the center of this Renaissance was Florence—city of youth. …

I visited Michelangelo Square in May 1994. It was the day after I had arrived in Italy, the country of light, from Germany, the land of Goethe, and had come to visit this green hill of which I held such fond memories. It was my third visit to the spot, the first being in 1981 and the second, in 1992.

In 1981, there had been only a handful of youth members in SGI-Italy, but now, their ranks had multiplied some fiftyfold. Their brilliant smiles, like blossoms of varying colors and shapes, shone with unique individuality. Youthful Italy! I was happy to witness their momentum in creating a second Renaissance, aimed at bringing about a springtime for humankind.

Renaissance means rebirth. It means a blossoming of life’s innate dynamism that insures that “winter will always turn to spring.” Before Italy’s springtime, there was a succession of wars and conflicts, and the economy and government faced one crisis after another. Millions of people died from the plague. Visions of doom and hopelessness prevailed. But amid the darkness, people began to search the ancient texts for a glimmer of light, asking, “For what purpose am I living?” It was their inquiry into how to live that led to a revival of art and literature.

At last, the people became joyfully aware that each human being constituted a miniature cosmos. The universe was itself an untiring creator; human beings, in like manner, were destined to expand their capacity without limit. There was nothing they could not accomplish if they wanted to. It was from this awakening that spring began to visit again and again.