Wherever I go, I always share with others two things.

Number one, we all are the same—human beings. We all have every right to have a successful life, a happy life. Particularly in the West, where society is more affluent, people usually consider a successful life to mean more prosperity, more money, more fame—that is considered a successful life. If that's the case, then those individuals who have all the material facilities—money, friends, fame, power—should be 100 percent happy. But that's not the case.

Of my friends in Europe, here in America, and also in Japan, many are rich, but they are not happy. Sometimes they have feelings of loneliness, suspicion, doubt—always there is something that's missing. So this shows that real happiness, a calm mind, peace of mind, does not entirely depend on external material facilities. On the other hand, some people who do not have these luxury things, but just a minimum, are really happy. Very little worry. Even if something happens, they face these difficulties more easily.

So, therefore, if our hopes and expectations are relying on material facility, that is a mistake.

We must not forget about our inner values. By inner value I mean human affection, human compassion. I usually call these things "human value" because they do not come from religious faith, or a constitution, or education, but by birth. We have these qualities already there. In fact, without a feeling of affection—a closeness feeling—we cannot survive.

For example, just after birth, a child is completely reliant on that person who cares for them—mainly, usually, the child's own mother. The mother also has a tremendous sense of caring, of concern, a closeness feeling—more precious than even her own life sometimes. With more caring, more feeling from the mother, that child will grow up well, healthy. Those children who come from a warm family, full of love and affection—they are much happier, their physical well-being is better, and mentally also they are more fresh. They show an interest in many things, and that way, they learn quickly.

Those children who are in a family that is cold, with no love and affection—and the worse thing is fear, as a result of abuse or something like that—then usually for these children, physically and mentally, proper development is more difficult. Instead, negative emotions—anger, hatred, fear—grow more dominant.

So, really, for a human being, from birth, this warm love and affection is a wonderful quality of being. And also the survival of a child is dependent on someone else's care. And the basis of human nature is as a social animal. Because of that reality, emotionally there is a certain element that bonds them together—mother and child, and the community and individuals.

If we negate these things, a person will eventually suffer very much. And if we negate these values, the family or the community will not be a happy family or society.

Once this genuine love and affection is there, then the spirit of forgiveness also comes. Tolerance also comes. And contentment. And a certain discipline to not harm others—but not out of fear of law, not like that. But [rather] if I harm another person, he or she is just like me, so I should not harm that person. And also, if I harm this person, essentially I have lost one potential friend.

And also justice. And honesty. All of these sometimes I call universal religion, universal value. So please think and try to keep using these inner values.