The Way of the Heart returns.

The Way of the Heart returns.


Ms toastmaster, distinguished guests, my fellow members, and ladies and gentlemen.

I hope you remember the title of my speech I made a month ago. Yes, it was ‘The Way of the Heart.’

A month ago when I was making that speech, I had an impression that the phase “the Way of the Heart” is a little bit so vague and ambiguous for some of you and it might be kind of hard to understand the real meaning and content shown by that expression. 

So tonight using this chance, I would like to try to explain, demonstrate, and clarify the meaning and the contents of the phrase, “the Way of the Heart.”

I hope you are not worried. I am not going to give you any sophisticated and philosophical argument, or any abstract definitions of the phrase.  

I would like to give, rather, share with you some very concrete examples that show “the Way of the Heart” clearly.  That is why I gave to my speech today the title of “the Way of the Heart” returns

Several years ago, a student from the University of California went swimming with his girl friend at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. While the boy enjoyed swimming at a distance from the shore, the girl, she herself was an excellent swimmer, was playing in the shallow water near the shore. 

It was a sunny day. The temperature was so high and a little bit humid, so an ideal day for swimming. They were enjoying swimming and playing in the water for some time.

Just then, the girl heard the boy shout at a distance to her.

“Shark! Get out of the water! Now! A shark is coming!”

The girl searched him and saw the boy being attacked by a huge shark. 

At the moment, instead of making for the shore, she began swimming towards him, hoping she could save him at the sacrifice of herself.

Strangely, the shark swam away at her approach, but I am sorry to say that it was too late. The boy had been severely bitten by the shark and rapidly losing his blood.

Swimming with all her strength, she managed to pull him to the share. She knelt　just beside him, prayed together. The boy opened his eyes and said in a weak voice, “Thank you very much.” Soon he lost consciousness and died from loss of blood.

At the moment of serious danger, the boy had never thought of himself, but of the girl.

At the moment of real danger, the girl had never thought of herself, but of the boy.

Ladies and gentlemen, this IS the Way of the Heart.


Just one hundred years ago, in the year of 1912, a great tragedy occurred. Over one thousand five hundred people lost their lives in a moment. 

The big ocean liner, “the Titanic”, which had been considered ‘unsinkable’, sank beneath the waves of North Atlantic Ocean. 

It was very unfortunate, as the ship had been thought as ‘unsinkable’, there were not enough life boats to save the lives of all the passengers.

So the captain of the ship ordered women and children to leave the sinking ship in the life boats as soon as possible.

At the last moment, Mrs. Straus, the wife of a rich New York merchant refused the order.

Although Mr. Straus, her husband, urged her to get on the life boat to save her life, she said,

“No, we have been together for more than forty years. I won’t leave you. I stay here with you.”

Ladies and gentlemen, this IS the Way of the Heart.


The Way of the Heart seems very heroic, but it is also quite ordinary. 

It is the mother sitting up all night taking care of and watching over her child who has been sick in bed.

The Way of the heart seems very wise, but at the same time, it is quite foolish. It is Jesus Christ praying for his enemy who nailed him to the cross. He prayed at the last moment, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

As you see, I have given you some examples. You can understand very easily that the examples of the Way of the Heart are just around us. We can see so many examples and instances of the Way of the Heart in our daily lives. You see, it is quite obvious.

BUT, and this is the big but in capital letters, it is impossible to explain up, demonstrate up, clarify up the real meaning and contents of the Way of the Heart.

Why?

Because, my dearest friends, it is “LOVE”.

Such is the Way of the Heart.

Thank you.

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