prejudices, deep ignorance and poor mental strength and training; and much energy is needed in the world for present service.  Some have thought of an immortality which is that a man’s sincere influence, his unselfish manifestations, those things which are the essence of a man’s existence, will live on; in other words, that the best of a life is immortal; but not in the way of ghosts.  As to the memory, example and achievement of the dead it is sure that we are aided by them.”

Governor:  “If we sacrifice ourselves for the public good it is the best that we can do in this world.  But are you composed at the sad news concerning the Lusitania?  If you think that event was directed by divine destiny then you can be composed and may not complain.”

Myself:  “Such an accident may only be by divine destiny in the sense that everything in this world, the saddest misery, the greatest misfortunes, are suffered in the development of mankind, so that even this War is unquestionably for the final betterment of the whole world.”

Governor:  “Please say what is God.”

Myself:  “‘If I could tell you what God is, I should be God myself.’  Many of my own countrymen have been taught that God is ’Spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable in His Being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.’  There are those who would say that God may be the total developing or bettering energy, and that we are all part of God.  Some people have a more personal conception of God, the sum of all goodness.  May not his Excellency consider the peasant’s idea of a Governor of a prefecture?  The peasant’s idea of a Governor is greater than that of any particular Governor.  His Excellency’s good works are not done by himself alone, but by all the good energies inherent in the Governorship.  Those energies are unseen but real.  The Japanese army and navy triumphed by the virtue of the Emperor—­by the virtue of ideas.”

Governor:  “The thought of Sensei[170] is quite Oriental.”

Myself:  “All religions are from Asia.”

Governor:  “This world where stars move, flowers blossom and decay, spring and autumn come, and people are born and die is too full of mystery, but I can feel some intelligence working through it though incomprehensible.”

Myself:  “Alas, people will try to explain that incomprehensibleness.”

Governor:  “What you have said is what I have been accepting to this day.  It satisfies my reason, but I feel in my heart something lacking.  I seek for a warmer interpretation of the world, for a more heartfelt relation with cosmos.  Several of my officials themselves lost their dear children recently.  They cannot with heart and brain accept their loss, and they ask my direction.”

Myself:  “In the New Testament one thing is taught, God is Love.  We can be composed if we feel that God is love.  The Gospel of John is the most tender story in the world.”