surfing the Internet, and responding to social networks (SNS) to find out that it is already midnight. This is all too common.The time and energy that people spend on cable TV, netsurfing and social networks have increased year by year to become enormous. It is true that these are new lifestyle choices that have resulted from the progress of civilization. However, at the same time, they seem to push the center of gravity of our lives more and more outwards.

Both in our private lives and at work, we are unknowingly consumed by external pressures and distractions that busily demand us to respond to them.

Seek the True Heart: The Way of Life in Which We Internally Maintain the Center of Gravity

The problem that arises from such a life is that, without awareness, we tend to neglect our inner selves. It means that we take less time to look into our own heart or listen to our inner voice.

TWhen we live life responding constantly to the demands of the external world it may seem fulfilling and substantial at first sight. Depending on whether we can respond to those demands well or not, we become elated or depressed and our heart oscillates between pleasure and pain.

However, no matter how busy we are, if our lives are not connected to our inner heart, it cannot be called real fulfillment.

This is because every one of us harbors an aspiration and a purpose to fulfill in our lives. True fulfillment is brought about when we lead our lives to accomplish such aspirations and purposes that are hidden deep in our hearts. We need an inner dialogue with our heart in order to confirm whether or not we are truly living that way.

What does it mean to have such an inner dialogue with our heart?

I believe it means to seek our true heart. The true heart represents the thoughts that are connected to the true will deep within us: the feeling that arises from our soul’s aspiration.

I have explained the true heart from the perspective of how it differs from socially correct stances and candid feelings.

Socially correct stances derive from common sense or moral sense and are expressed as “I must do this in this situation.” Candid feelings refer to discontent or unresolved feelings that lie behind the socially correct stance. It could often be an open expression of one’s negative thoughts such as “(Despite what I express overtly) this is what I actually want to do.” The true heart is completely different from such socially correct stances or candid feelings; it represents thoughts that are connected directly to the will and soul’s aspiration.

When we are able to live by our true heart, we will be

able to manifest the path to access our true purpose. In the real world, we have various external influences that cover up our true heart. For example, if we feel rivalry toward someone, we cannot help but be manipulated by that sense of rivalry. We cannot let go of our fixations and we protect our own pride. This is when we have lost sight of our true heart.

The True Heart Reinforces the Center

“Is this my true heart?” “What is my true heart?” If we continue the path to seek our true heart, we can reinforce our center. No matter what path we take, it will provide the most important power to us.

Preliminary translation as of June 4, 2015

GLA member-volunteers translated Takahashi Sensei’s words.
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