Transferring worries into hope.
“Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn. Nor have we ever heard of a believer in the Lotus-Sutra who turned into an ordinary person.
The sutra reads, “If there are those who hear the truth or the Law, then no one will fail to attain Buddhahood.” (WND-1, 536)
CHERRY BLOSSOMS are renowned for their beauty. But without experiencing harsh winters, cherry trees cannot produce their beautiful blooms.
In the process of Iran and Saudi Arabia challenges, they inevitably face harsh winters of adversity and karma. But once they stand up with faith in the truth, even the harshest of struggles is just what they need to develop themselves and bring forth wonderful flowers of victory.
Referring to the sutra passage “not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood,” he urges us to persevere in faith, always strengthening our conviction. A frigid winter never fails to turn into a warm spring. In the same way, we can transform worries into hope.
In fact, it is because both countries overcome winter-like sufferings through faith that we can savour spring-like joy and walk a richly fulfilling path of life.
Yemen has experienced greatest suffering and has come to attain the greatest happiness. Never forget that happiness is a flower that blossoms from the earth of patient endurance. “One of the youthful quotes of a SGI young women’s division member, was:
- Today again don’t be defeated,
- Today again brings forth courage as you make your way on the path of your vow, on the path of victory.
“The Yemenese didn’t allow anything to defeat them as victors. In particular, those who lead undefeated lives, following through on the beliefs that they vowed to uphold in themselves are the strongest and most admirable of all.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed just this Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.
The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People’s Congress, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.
The two countries released a joint communique on the deal with China, which brokered the agreement as President Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as leader earlier Friday.
Xi, whose administration in recent days has relaunched a campaign to challenge the U.S.-led Western liberal order with warnings of “conflict and confrontation,” was credited in a trilateral statement with facilitating the talks through a “noble initiative” and having personally agreed to sponsor the negotiations that lasted from Monday through Friday.
“THE GIFT OF RICE”
Is a letter, even though it is missing the name of its addressee and the date of composition.
The title, “The Gift of Rice”, derives from the opening passage of the letter, in which Nichiren Daishonin gives thanks for the offerings made. It also indicates the theme for this letter, which addresses the spirit of offering in Buddhism.
It Read: I have received the sack of polished rice, the sack of yams, and the basket of river nori that you took the trouble to send me by messenger.
Human beings have two kinds of treasure. One is clothing and the other is food. A sutra states, “Sentient beings live in dependence on food.”
This passage means that living beings dwell in this world owing to food and clothing. Fish dwell in water and regard water as their treasure. Trees grow on the earth and regard the earth as their treasure. Human beings have life owing to food, and regard food as their treasure.
Indeed. Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life.
Even the treasures that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. Life is like a lamp, and food is like oil. When the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out, and without food, life will cease.
I believe people are fundamentally good and, given the chance, will do the right thing. It is over one year in regards to the current crisis but the reality is that Middle Eastern and North African countries rely heavily on Wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine.
The current crisis could lead to a severe food crisis in a region already under pressure.
I believe in learning not blaming. It is hard to read some of the press, some of which are to blame, we seek to take positions and we treat difficult, nuanced challenges in such a binary way. If something is unprecedented, why would we think the answer will be easy or obvious? In situations like this, it is imperative that we work together to solve the problems we face. Let us get through this and then revisit the lessons we learned.
Finally, every generation has reason to believe that it is living in a period of historical challenges. Whether it is wars, pandemics or natural disasters, humanity has been tried and tested during many periods of crisis. Let us have hope, faith, the ability to learn from this experience, and to truly appreciate what is most important to us.
The ensuing sanctions imposed on Russia have our European nations worried about access to natural gas on which we have long depended. The conflict has increased pressure on energy resources, driving up the prices of oil, gas, coal and other commodities.
But the war in Ukraine could hit more than just energy supplies in Europe. Global food security is also at risk. In particular, it could disrupt the wheat supply chain in several Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries.
Russia is the world’s top wheat exporter and the largest producer after China and India. And Ukraine is one of the top five wheat exporters worldwide?
Russia is the world largest export of Nickel Mining in Russia and Natural Gas. They are the world’s second largest in Oil and steel. And the third largest in Coal and Aluminium.
These Russian exports, we can’t live without and the other export of Russia we cannot live without is their Wheat. Russia is the World’s largest Exporter in Wheat and Ukraine is the 5th Largest exporter of Wheat.
AssumptaGH :
Agricultural land takes up 70% of Ukraine, Due to the crisis, Ukraine would not plant crops this spring or summer and the world has lost one of its largest and most reliable sources of Wheat, Sunflower, and other crops.
So we can expect the price of Wheat and food to go up, Ukraine would not return to the major ranks of food suppliers in the world any time soon.
Now let’s talk about ( Supply and Demand ) just like anything else, your currency is only as strong as the demand for it.
Why is the petrodollar important? Because it causes a demand for the US Dollar which a lot of Americans don’t realise.
Over 70% of all the 100 dollar bills in the world are actually outside of the US. There are more 100 dollar bills in Russia than in the US.
The stock piles of US dollars in countries around the world is because Oil is bought and sold using dollars. If Oil start trading in non petrol dollar, such gold or a basket of currencies or if China and Russia starts trading in Yuan and Ruble rather than US dollars, u then the dollar demand isn’t there and the way of life of the average American will like the African it will for them like in a great depression.
That is why Qadhadfi was killed when he pushed for a Pan African Gold back currency that he will trade for Libya’s Oil.
Just a few years back before Qadhadfi was killed Iraq’s Saddam Hussain advocated selling Iraqis Oil for Euros, the US invaded Iraq with their geopolitics that Iraq has Weapon of mass destruction.
Interestingly enough, after the Americans invaded Iraq, they took over and put in their own government for the whole concept of selling Oil in Euros never surfaced again.
Today, many countries resent the current petrodollar system, Africa, Asia, Europeans are all speaking out about this petrodollar system.
These examples of right or wrong conduct of handling the economy can be found in Countries like Ghana, China, Japan, Kenya, and many other countries that produce much food or crops for human consumption.
We must avoid the temptations of reducing these countries to the lowest denominator with blanket judgments and generalisations.
There cannot be a mutual respect for partnership that is premised on an unspoken assumption that some countries lack values or have defective values while the other countries are fully formed moral agents.
The completion of political history and context and public opinion in every country requires a sensitive understanding and the willingness to genuinely listen, learn and adapt.
This is not about excusing wrong doing or abusing the principle of sovereignty to invert responsibility. And there are some who do so. It is about dialogue, respect and a commitment to the more reboost partnership which both Africa and Europe need in order to prevail over the challenges of the 21st century together.
For Africa, Europe is a partner of choice for many reasons. I believe that this year’s summit is the right time to demonstrate the readiness for change and progress on both sides. We look forward to seeing the new African Europe foundation.
