Upholding a Grand Vision

There were three men carrying stones. A passerby asked them, “What are you doing?” One of the men answered, “I am carting stones.” The second answered, “I am working on a wall.” And the third answered proudly, “I am building a cathedral.” Though all three seemed to be doing the same task, the third worked with a grand and inspiring vision.

The moral of the story is that we shouldn’t just carry out a designated task mechanically, nor see it only in terms of its narrow, immediate goal. Instead, we should try to be aware of the greater, underlying purpose and work for its realization as our own proud aspiration.

Kosen-rufu is the great and noble undertaking where each of us strives to build happiness in our life while creating a world of lasting peace and harmony, the long-cherished dream of all humankind. The key is to apply ourselves to our work or the challenges before us with earnestness, attention and diligence, always holding in our hearts a shining aspiration as vast as the universe itself. (Ikeda Sensei, Dec. 21, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)