1. I am a Zen Buddhist monk from Japan. I am grateful for the invitation to the �International Religious Leaders� Prayer for Peace� meeting and the possibility to announce here in Naples of Italy this peace message.

2. The people of our times regardless of their nation, the rich and the poor, children and adults, men and women, and all those who live now think as they live their lives. Of course, many personal feelings are in their thoughts depend on the country, race, environment, climate and so on.

3. In short, it is about thoughts and feelings, - but are reason and emotion enough to deal with everything?

4. I�ve noticed that in the depth of our souls there is spirituality, which is forgotten in our daily life. This need to be let out.

5. For human beings this must be most important. What Shakyamuni reached in his ascetic practice was this spirituality. This spirituality is called in sutras �Anokutara samyaku sambodai.� In Japanese it is �mujo seito seikaku.� It means an awakening of the highest, purest, most equal state of being human.

6. In short, this means achieving the universal truth common to all mankind. It is what Zen Master Rinzai called �true insight� if we see the enlightened person, a human being who has awakened to the highest degree, as the spring of spirituality.

7. This�true insight�is of course�true enlightenment,��prajna�or�ultimate wisdom.�

8. Buddha means to drive out Mara � the evil heart and complete the way. To complete the way means to live as a human being in the truest sense.

9. All men have a day of birth and all those who were born have a day when they pass away. Shakyamuni has also a day of�having completed the way.�This completion of the way is very significant.

10. People today need to know what it is to�complete the way.�Even if they cannot achieve it, they should find within themselves the commitment to pursue this path with effort. This commitment by no means applies to Buddhists alone.

11. It is demanded of all mankind to forge their way toward true insight. Especially now it is more important than ever. If you understand this, what you need to do is find the right way to live your life.

12. It is important that we do not do what we must not as humans; that we do not treat others the way we do not want to be treated; that we should leave our selfish ego.

13. Without fighting this ego Buddhism cannot exist, neither can Zen practice. Furthermore the path to spirituality becomes unreachable.

14. For a long time I�ve walked the way of Zen and has spiritual exchange with different religious people in Europe. Recently I was troubled how it would be possible to have even more friendly exchanges.

15. In short, I realized that though nationality, country, sex or religion may differ, people living on this planet should not confront or fight one another.

16. That is why I presented ASUOMOU (think of tomorrow) -

5 words by which to live today to its fullest:

A Arigato: I am grateful (spirit of thankfulness)

Su Sumimasen: I apologize (spirit of humbleness)

O Okagesama: I am content with what I have (spirit of contentedness)

Mo Mottainai: I won�t waste (spirit of noble poverty)

U Ureshiina: I am so glad (spirit of joy)

17. If we take the first letters from each of these five words in Japanese, it will spell a-su-o-mo-u, which means�think of tomorrow.�Asu in Japanese means �tomorrow,�hence the future. For the peace of the future world, for the protection of the environment, religion and culture people today in the first place must start improving their concrete everyday life.

18. War, terrorism and other violence happens all the time. And it is the human being who makes them happen.

19. How can peace be sought for in the world without first improving the human spirit?

20. War and terrorism are acts of men. Both those who start war and those who war is fought against are human. And it is also human beings who lead them to peace.

21. The humans may be made in such a way that they live arguing with one another. But all the arguments should be settled by means of dialogue through the human heart, whose greatness surpasses of the conflicts between different thoughts, cultures and religions.

22. This year is the 62nd anniversary of the United Nations establishment. The whole world has great expectations that the conflicts between different countries will be settled through the power of the UN.

23. Under the right guidance of the UN, it is important to protect the world�s environment that shelters all living beings. We have to act in a way that all living beings can live in harmony according to natural wisdom.

24. A peaceful heart starts in our immediate daily life. If there is no silent prayer for peace in our hearts how can we hope for the society to be peaceful?

25. We are born as human beings in this world. But what potential does this being have, the human being?

26. We are able to inquire into the essential principle of the Universe as well as to find out about our own self, about our deep heart.

27. It should be a test of our potential as a human being to endeavor to examine first of all ourselves rather than criticizing others.

28. To kill living beings in vain is not an act which shows the potential of men. If we see how precious our own life is, we certainly will give thanks for Nature�s blessings and compassionately respect all life.

29. Then, we must not forget that present we live in right now, connects the past with the future. Drawing from the past, we should live today to its fullest and create a bright tomorrow.

30. It goes without saying that we must not gain this fulfillment by fighting others. Let it be our sincere wish that a peaceful spirit may spread on the earth, a harmony which means respect for all race, nationality, sex and religion.

31. As a member of human society, and also as a representative of one of the Japanese religions I feel responsibility, and would like to pray together with all of you for banishing the violence from our world. The prayer is the most

precious gesture of humans. I think the prayer for peace is the greatest prayer of humanity, and I swear to put this prayer to practice.

32. At the end I would like to express my sincere thanks to the organizers and related persons. Ladies and gentlemen, I am very grateful for your kind attention.