Shining Moments [antikvár]

Author's Note A wonderful picture reached me. It was a gift from Fang Zhaoling, a Chinese master painter and calligrapher. The artist lost her husband early in marriage, and she raised their eight children by herself while pursuing her painting. They all became talented individuals. 1 admire Mrs. Fang as a mother and a victor in life and art. Her paintings are warm, gentle and sublime. It was a great honor for me that she employed one of my photographs as a motif in her painting. The painting titled "May in Moscow," which she presented me, is based on a photograph 1 took in the Russian capital. It's a scene of fresh green trees and lawn that is very dear to me. Three Russian boys appear in my photograph, but Mrs. Fang changed them into 28 Chinese men and women, young and old, who look very friendly, joyful and full of life. The big heart of the 84-year-old mother embraces everything and gives it life. A photograph catches a brilliant moment that will start to move vividly in the heart of the person who looks at it. Buddhism compares the mind to a skillful painter. If you would give free rein to imagination and develop your own "pictures of the mind" from this album of photographs, still moments in busy days, it will be my greatest pleasure. In closing, I sincerely thank Mr. Tamotsu Ejima, the designer of Songs of Light, my previous albums, Ms. Hiroko Nakanishi, deputy editor of the magazine Pumpkin, and the editor Mr. Osamu Arita, a graduate of Soka University that 1 founded, and all those concerned for their precious efforts, including the translators. Daisaku Ikeda October 2, 1998 (Anniversary of the first step in my global travels for peace)