World peace may seem like an impossible dream because the history of mankind appears to be one long sequence of war and violence. Because of this, many people regard war as inevitable and therefore accept it as something the individual can do nothing to prevent.

Buddhism however teaches that human beings must assume full responsibility for their own happiness and, furthermore, must work towards the overcoming of suffering and the establishment of peace for the whole of mankind.

Peace can only start from within. Sound religious practice is a proven way of establishing true inner peace. It should be understood that "peace" is not the same thing as "tranquillity". Tranquillity is a very limited form of peace and, whilst it can be enjoyed for a while, it is by definition a very passive state which can do little to solve the problems of the world.

There will always be problems and there will always be conflict. This is inevitable because human beings are all different and all have their own different ideas and needs. True peace is achieved when we realise that conflict can be resolved without becoming angry or resorting to violence. Buddhism teaches us to have absolute respect for life itself and that means having absolute respect for others, even when their views are opposite to ours.

Inner peace has a wonderful way of communicating itself to others. We can prove this easily in our daily life for example by deciding to react calmly when we are expected to react angrily. The effect of this is amazing.

So world peace is not an impossible dream and we can all do something towards achieving it. We can start now by creating a deep pool of unshakeable peace within ourselves. The most effective way of doing this is to practice our religion exactly as the Buddha taught, that is to say to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Helping others to achieve this same condition will generate an ever-expanding "atmosphere" of peace which will eventually envelop the whole of humanity. This is the great goal of Kosen Rufu.