BEING A LONER
What if i like being by myself more than being in a group?
Of course, you are free to enjoy your own company if you wish. It's perfectly all right to make friends in your own way, with people whose thoughts and feelings you share.
Sometimes our relations with others can get so difficult that we want to shout, "I wish i could live where there are no other people!" But unless we become hermits, that's impossible. It's important that we work to become individuals who can cultivate good relations with others.
In Japanese, we write the word for "human being" <人间>with the characters meaning "person" and "between", expressing the idea that human beings are complete only in relationship to other people. None of us can live alone. Because of that, experiencing relationship problems of some sort is an inevitable part of human life.
Relationship problems are opportunities to grow and mature. Such problems can be character building if you don't let them defeat you. That's why it's important not to isolate yourself. No one can exist apart from others. Remaining aloof from others cultivates selfishness, which accomplishes nothing.
Having close friends can be rewarding. There's a Mongolian proverb, "A hundred friends are more precious than a hundred pieces on gold." People who have friends are rich. Quite often, the encouragement and stimulation of friends spur us toward self improvement. We are inspired to lead fulfilling lives and create a better world. We also work together with our friends towards that goal.
Having good friends is like being with a powerful auxiliary engine. When we encounter a steep hill or an obstacle, we can encourage one another and find the strength to keep pressing forward vigorously.
THE WAY OF YOUTH (pg 33)
SGI President
Daisaku Ikeda
Sent from my iPhone
