Do not take away people's time - President Ryuho Okawa's Guideline of the Heart 198 -

May 26, 2021（Last Update: June 13, 2026）

President Ryuho Okawa's work 'Guideline of the Heart' is serialized in the propagation magazine of Happy Science, Monthly 'Happy Science'. Posters are displayed at branches nationwide, and it is widely known as the face of Happy Science every month.

This month's 'Guideline of the Heart' presents a guideline for correcting one's way of life from the perspective of 'Are you taking away others' time?'. I asked Director Masatoshi Hayashi open_in_new of Osaka Seishinkan for hints on how to overcome one's own troubles and grow into a person who can utilize others' time.

Masatoshi Hayashi, Director of Osaka Seishinkan

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1956. Graduated from Kobe University, Faculty of Business Administration, and after working at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., he became a monk in Happy Science in 1995. He has held positions such as Director of Human Resources, General Headquarters Director, Secretary-General of the Happiness Realization Party, and Director of the Seiga.

The Buddha's light that saves people's suffering

As mentioned in this month's 'Guideline of the Heart', people seek help from others during times of trouble. And they tend to think only about themselves all day long.

However, it is important to realize that it is not 'unhappiness because there are troubles', but rather 'the pain comes from trying to take from others in the midst of troubles'.

I too had a period about ten years ago when I felt the limits of my abilities and was deeply troubled. However, since worrying did not solve anything, I switched my mindset to 'let's immerse myself 100 percent in what I can do now'. At that time, I was a lecturer at the Happy Garden (the cemetery of Happy Science), so I visited about 1,000 households over two years, sincerely performing sutra recitations.

What I encountered were people who had lost their loved ones. Parents who lost their child to suicide. A grandmother holding her grandchild left behind in front of her only daughter's portrait. A woman whose husband and daughter died on the same day... There were 1,000 households, each with 1,000 different trials. Everyone was trying to overcome that suffering through faith in the Buddha. The Buddha is saving the 1,000 sufferings. In the days of witnessing that, I realized that my own troubles had disappeared.

In times of trouble, cultivate the heart of 'altruism'

If your heart is filled with worries, it may be harsh, but I want you to consider, 'In that situation, can I do something for others?', 'Can I put more effort into my work?', 'Can I wish for others' happiness?'. Even if it is not possible immediately, those who steer their hearts towards 'altruism' can recover relatively quickly.

Moreover, in the latter half of the 'Guideline of the Heart', a theory of work is discussed, but if one has a tendency to think only from their own perspective, it leads to missing the 'point' in work, resulting in taking away others' time.

In both work and life, the key to 'utilizing the time of oneself and others' is to learn the truth of the Buddha's teachings and live for 'the world and for others'. I believe that is the way to beautify the world.

This content is reprinted from Monthly 'Happy Science' No. 412 with edits.

The very popular 'Guideline of the Heart' is featured in Monthly 'Happy Science', and subscriptions are available, so please take advantage of it!

Learn the wisdom to utilize people's time in 'Work and Love'

'To become a person who can work, I recommend President Okawa's 'Work and Love'. I encountered this book during my time as a human resources officer in a company and was deeply moved, making it my bible. You can learn the essentials of work theory based on the truth of the Buddha's teachings, from work mindset to human relationships.' (Director Hayashi)

Training on 'Guideline of the Heart' is currently being held at national temples! open_in_new

'Helping others' is the source of my energy! [Testimonial]

I believe that both work and life are important with the 'heart of altruism'