Today, at the NPO KOMA Tohoku Center, we held the final Applied Course of the year given by Master Idaki Shin. From the time the center was opened, Master Idaki Shin described the experience as “gathering around a hearth.” Just as he said, the lectures held there feel like gatherings where family members sit around Master Idaki Shin and listen deeply to his talks on the most important matters of life and on what it means to be human. The atmosphere overflows with warmth, and every word spoken seeps into our lives. And there is a sense of embodying what I learn. Today, he spoke about the messages from yesterday’s concert, and I am truly grateful to have understood it much more deeply. For me, the messages had been difficult, and I had struggled to grasp them with my mind, but my life had already experienced them. Master Idaki Shin always expresses what the concert message conveys, allowing us to experience with our lives the messages that take form in words. Because my life had already experienced it during yesterday’s concert, I could understand the meaning of the words much more clearly today. As I listened, my understanding deepened even further, and new strength to live welled up within me. To understand is to gain strength. Filled with energy to move forward once more, we left the beautiful land of Morioka and headed for Sendai. Along the way, the moon shone brightly, and the deep blue sky stretched endlessly. I felt that the life of nature was blessing the concert coming tomorrow, and I overflowed with joy to be able to live as one being in my life. After the concert, the sense of feeling that I had lived as one being in life—directly with my life—returned to me. I came to see that the mind which sees both oneself and others as objects places a covering over life itself, dulling one’s sensitivity. This morning, that covering was lifted, and I could even hear the sounds of deepening autumn. I felt the tenderness of uniqueness in nature and tears came to my eyes. To live as one being in life is what it means to be human. When we regain our humanity, the problems of others and of society become our own, and we can begin to think and act toward their resolutions. The experience of a concert is irreplaceable—it is a supreme opportunity to become truly human. I hope from my heart to share the concert in Sendai tomorrow with many people, and with a heartfelt wish for the energy to spread throughout the world, I will be there with my whole being. Thank you.