Kingdom of Dreams
By President Ikeda

What I want to talk about are the dreams of boys and girls that will change the world. As long as you continue to believe in and hold on to your great dreams, you will surprise everyone with your splendid accomplishment.
You all know Disneyland, don’t you? Today I want to base my remarks on the life of Walt Disney, pioneer of animated cartoon films, who built Disneyland, “the Happiest place on Earth”.
As you all know, Disney was a great artist who created many internationally popular cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse. He was also presented with many awards for filmmaking.
Since his boyhood, Disney loved to please other people. He must have thought to himself “People have to live anyway. So why don’t I make their lives happy and enjoyable?” He was good at drawing. Nothing gave him more joy than the sight of other people enjoying his drawings.
Disney’s family wasn’t wealthy. He had to work a variety of side jobs from the time he was a small boy. Moreover when he was eight, his father fell ill. His family became poorer and poorer. Finally the day came when they had to give up their farm. But young Disney was not discouraged. He went to school while supporting his family as a newspaper boy. His father would always strictly say to young Disney, “Newspapers carry important news for each days. So please deliver them carefully”.
The father taught young Disney to take complete responsibility in newspaper delivery even though he was a child.
Young Disney, rubbing his sleepy eyes, tried his best every morning. I myself delivered newspapers when I was in sixth grade. I still remember the struggle I had in the cold, early mornings. Because of my experience, I can share young Disney’s feelings very well.
No matter how difficult his circumstances became, Disney never forgot about drawing, which he loved to do most. He continued to earnestly study and draw pictures. Eventually he came to wish, “Through my pictures, I will give courage to people. I will instill love and joy in the hearts of people. I want to make this my lifelong mission”.
Eventually, Disney’s works, just as he had wished, started to envelop the hearts of people with the light of warmth and send messages of hope and tenderness to the world. The source of Disney’s influence I believe lay in the hardships he experienced in hid boyhood. Those who become first-rate individuals always experience difficult times. By living through many hardships, you can develop yourself, understand the feelings of others and accomplish great tasks. On the other hand, if you avoid hardships and spoil yourselves until you become selfish, you cannot build a foundation for your great success in the future.
Going back to the story of Disney, his dream for the future was not easily shared by other people. In fact he was often opposed. He started out by working for a small advertising company. His job was to draw illustrations for advertisements. He set out on the first step toward hid great dream in the midst of reality. Though his first step was small, it was filled with energy and hope.
Before long, Disney started to make films as well. His name gradually became famous. At the time, he was deceived and betrayed by those whom he trusted. He lost his copyright of an important film, a film that he had diligently worked on through sleepless nights. Many of his employees left him also. Disney found himself in the depths of sorrow. He had neither money nor a job, nor anyone he could rely on. Having lost everything, he thought to himself “this is the end of everything”.
Yet Disney still had a dream that he had been cherishing in his heart since he was a boy. He could not afford to be defeated.
He racked his brain for a solution. What came to lonesome Disney’s mind then was the “friend” who used to come in his room while he was drawing pictures alone.
The friend was a mouse with whom Disney kindly shared his bread.
Disney thought “That’s right, I still have a friend”. He decided to make his little friend into a new main character. This was the dramatic moment of the birth of Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse soon became a popular cartoon character in America. Moreover, people all over the world, adults and children alike, were attracted to this cheerful and energetic Mickey Mouse who graced the movie screens. But such a happy Mickey Mouse was born out of Disney’s tears of pains.
The most difficult time is the most important time. The most difficult time is the best opportunity to open a new road in our lives. Please never forget this. As long as you keep making efforts without allowing yourselves to be defeated, the tree of dreams will continue to grow in your hearts. Your effort is the nutrient for the growth of your dreams.
After Mickey Mouse, Disney sent Donald Duck, Dumbo and Bambi, among other famous characters, into the world. He continuously challenged one impasse after another to expand the sphere of filmmaking.
Pure-hearted Disney was betrayed sometimes. He also experienced the unexpected death of his mother. During the war, which darkened the people’s hearts, few people went to see his movies. But Disney never gave in to hardships, hoping that when the war was over, people would appreciate his movies again.
His dreams kept expanding more and more. He developed a strong desire to create a magical kingdom of dreams unmatched in the world. He thought to himself “I want to make as many people happy as possible”. Out of this desire, Disneyland was born.
To have a dream is a privilege that only human beings can possess. Those who do not have dreams are lonely. Those who are knocked around by realities of daily life without cherishing a dream will eventually be defeated by hardships or sorrow.
People who cherish their dreams can arouse hope and courage to change any hardship into the source of joy.
I hope that when you experience hardships, you will always change it into something better to fuel your dreams. I myself have experienced malicious slander and criticism many times. But I consider these experiences as the honor of life presented to me for fulfilling my mission. Because I think in this manner, I fear nothing and joyfully advance along the path that I have chosen.
Now people from all over the world love Disney’s movies and amusement parks. Disney’s long cherished wish from his boyhood bore great fruit. He built Disneyland for people all over the world to enjoy. Disney completely realized his dream. I hope all of you, like Disney, will live your lives to the fullest, building a kingdom of dreams, joy and peace in your hearts.
The road ahead may not always be pleasant. You may encounter painful and agonizing incidents many times. At such times, you must not give up and allow yourself to be defeated.
Your dream cherished in your heart will lift the weight of despair and worry. If you do not have strength, however, like foam floating in the sea of suffering and sorrow, you cannot open the state of happiness. Only by cherishing magnificent dreams, enduring hardships in reality and overcoming them, can you win in life.
The seed of a future Disney exists in our heart as well as the seeds of future Beethovens, Madame Curies and Einsteins. In your heart the seeds are already planted to become great individuals in any field of society. I am convinced that each of these seeds will sprout and grow into a giant tree. The rest depends upon each step that you take steadily in the midst of reality while expanding the kingdom of dream within your hearts.