A monk asked Dongshan, “When the cold and heat hells come together, how should one avoid them?” Dongshan said, “Why not go to a place where there is neither cold nor heat?” The monk said, “What kind of place is it where there is neither cold nor heat?” Dongshan said, “When it is cold, the cold kills you; when it is hot, the heat kills you.’" (The blue cliff record Case 43: Dongshan's Cold and Heat)

"One who binds start in his life with its end and makes a step forward is a man who lives in heaven while staying in this world." This is a comment that an Occidental made to describe Jesus' life. After World War II, an Oriental, who witnessed the ruins and started Eko-undo, the Penitential (Turning the light inward) movement in Japan, added; “Jesus was not crucified only once in his 34 year lifespan. His entire 34 years of life itself was the Crucifixion and all that happened in his life was to fulfill the word of God.”

Jesus led the crowds and entered the temple in Jerusalem riding a donkey with a colt, according to the description of the triumphal entry of the king in the Old Testament. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which were both written in chronological order, recorded this scene as the climax and the last event of his life. However the Gospel of John narrated this scene at the start of his evangelism. The writer of the Gospel of John might have intended to illustrate Jesus's whole life as the fulfillment of the Word and to testify "In the beginning was the Word".

The Greek word ‘Basileia’, the word root of the phrase "the kingdom of God", is said to mean the realization of God's reign. Jesus showed us how to live in heaven while living in this world. According to his teaching, if everybody practices "the word of God", in other words "the divine mandate from Heaven" in terms of Confucianism, God's reign will be realized in this world. The words “anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” show us the ultimate meaning of Christian practice. It seems to be extremely merciless that one must carry his cross, as a symbol of sins that mankind has committed since the days of Adam and Eve, throughout his life, and die on it. However once one has decided to fulfill ‘the word of God’ through his offspring even if it consumes one thousand or ten thousand years, he already lives in heaven even though his body still remains in this world. The majority of his twelve apostles were actually martyred keeping Jesus’ word.

The safeguards agreement which India has recently entered into with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the IAEA inspection system, both of which aim to maintain the existing nuclear-power states' monopoly of nuclear possession, have been mutilated and function no longer.

The ending of the nuclear power states’ monopoly, led by the USA, could be viewed as being inevitable, both ethically and pragmatically. However the risks of an escalating nuclear arms race between countries such as Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, have become very real and could even lead to a regional nuclear war. Moreover the USA's financial crisis is set to spread around the world. Surely the cold hell and hot hells are coming together. How should we avoid them?

However, if we think logically, it is obvious that only one answer is possible. It is not only Pakistan, in fact no one agrees that India can be exempted from entering the Nuclear non-Proliferation treaty and the IAEA inspection just because India is a democratic country. The only solution, which could please all nations, is by simultaneously imposing a total ban on all nuclear weapons and allowing the total liberalization of civil nuclear technologies. It would mean a total ban on developing, producing and possessing nuclear weapons, but would liberalize developing, producing, having and trading civil nuclear equipment and its fuel.

Although the Tokugawa Shogunate had already lost its prestige, when the allied forces of Satsuma-han, Choshu-han, Tosa-han and Hizen-han marched on Edo-castle, Tokugawa still held the biggest military force and could fight against them. However the Tokugawa government chose unilateral disarmament and surrendered Edo-castle bloodlessly. If they had fought and had the allied forces even won in their war, the Hans (domains governed by Japanese feudal lords in the Tokugawa Shogunate period) would still have retained their own military forces and Japan would not have become one unified country. However because the biggest warlord Tokugawa disarmed through his own free will, Satsuma-han, Choshu-han and the other hundreds of Hans had no longer any cause to retain their own militias. Therefore the new Meiji government subsequently established a modern unified state with the only military force in the country. So it could be said that the Tokugawa government's decision helped to establish the foundation of Meiji-government.

Likewise, if the United States of America, the leader of free world, initiates and proposes a transfer of nuclear weapons to the United Nations, Russia, Britain, France, China and India etc. might follow its lead and the nuclear arms race would be ended. Many of these Nuclear Countries, which cite elimination of nuclear weapons as being their aim, would not object to the proposal. Moreover countries would be able to divert the huge amounts of money necessary to maintain a nuclear arsenal to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and would be allowed to freely transfer their advanced nuclear technology.

It may require one thousand or ten thousand years to eliminate wars and terrorism in this world. However it should be the responsibility of all mankind, not only politicians, but also Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and other religionists or common people, to strive for this goal and to carry their crosses step by step starting from today.

I received the following comment, when I sent this draft to an acquaintance who publishes Christian mail-magazines.

One who bore sins, which mankind had committed since the era of Adam and Eve, and died was Jesus. There is no other way for redemption of sins of mankind in this world except through Jesus’ atonement. Therefore Jesus did not demand his disciples to sacrifice themselves. And no one needs to die for it.

Paul says “Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?” (Romans 6:3) Paul also says, “Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” in Romans 6:13. (2008/10/01 Eko-an Hensho-koji)

According to the dialectic of the Gospel of John,

【thesis】　"A man can possess eternal life through accepting testimony of the Son of man and being baptized by him." (John 5:24)

【anti-thesis】　But "The one who comes from the earth cannot accept the testimony by one from heaven."(John 3:32)

How then can a man possess eternal life?

【synthesis】　"If you want to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, you can just go back to the word which was with God in the beginning (John 1:1) and certify that God is truthful. (John 3:33)"

When he said, "You are Huichao," Zen Master Fayan thrusted vivid Self in Huichao in front of his eyes. (The Origin of Christianity P.171)

The happiest man is one who can link the end of his life with its beginning.

An intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia.