Last week, brothers Nipun, Samir and I, ran into our old friend -- Brother Takashi on the streets. If you don't know about brother Takashi, his story is bound to inspire anyone:
 

I am a survivor of Hiroshima. At the age of eight, I buried my Father, Mother and four other family members. As a war orphan, I searched garbage cans to survive in Japan’s family-centric society. I was a reminder that Japan lost the War, and I grew up in an atmosphere of contempt, shame and guilt, fighting an icy society that shunned me, a fatherless child. A proud Number One Son of a samurai family, I vowed to avenge the death of my Father and I came to America to fulfill that vow.

My path from the ravaged landscape of Hiroshima to the present has been long, difficult, and shaped by conflict. Yet today, I express my love and gratitude for two countries that both nurtured and wounded me. How could this happen? Did a miracle take place?

My life story demonstrates how a heart twisted by hatred and revenge can be transformed to a path of peaceful wisdom and the essential work of healing human hearts. I survived by my father teachings, the codes of the Samurai. He taught me to know and be true to myself, and to live my life for the benefit of others.

This inner-transformation through the practice of forgiveness is much more powerful than any war or atomic weapon in shifting the world toward peace.