No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or

Hearken well, for the words of Daisaku Ikeda resound with the gravity of timeless truth: “No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation.” This saying is not merely a passing observation, but a revelation of the eternal law that binds humanity together. As the sun does not shine for itself alone, nor the rivers flow only for their own course, so too must every soul, every nation, and every land remember that its strength arises from its bonds with others. To forget this truth is to wither like a tree severed from its roots.

From the earliest dawn of mankind, we see that isolation breeds weakness, while connection brings life. The wandering tribes of old survived not through solitary hunters but through the gathering of many hands—one to watch the fire, one to draw the bow, one to weave the shelter. Without such shared labor, humankind would have perished in the wilderness. Thus, Ikeda’s words echo the memory of ages past: no man, no people, no kingdom can endure apart from the living fabric of others.

Consider the tale of ancient Athens, that city of marble and wisdom. In its golden age, it thrived not because it shut its gates to the world, but because it opened them. It exchanged ideas with distant lands, learned from Egypt, Persia, and India, and in return shared its philosophy and democracy. Yet when Athens grew arrogant and sought to dominate rather than to cooperate, when it tried to sever itself from the balance of other states, war and ruin followed. The lesson is clear: societies flourish through connection, but isolation—or prideful self-reliance—leads to downfall.

The same truth is seen in more recent times. When Japan, after centuries of closing its borders, finally opened its gates in the 19th century, it stepped into an era of transformation. Though the shock was great, and the upheaval painful, the fruits of exchange—science, art, and trade—brought forth new vigor. Had the nation chosen to remain in the shadows of isolation, it would have withered before the storms of history. Thus, the words of Ikeda, himself a son of that land, rise not from empty philosophy but from the deep soil of lived history: no country exists alone.

Yet this teaching is not only for nations, but for each heart that beats. A man who walls himself off, who says, “I need no one,” walks the slow path toward despair. For joy is multiplied when shared, and sorrow halved when carried by another’s hand. Even the mighty oak cannot stand without the unseen threads of roots entangled with its neighbors, feeding and strengthening one another beneath the soil. So too do we, unseen, depend upon the kindness, skill, and love of others—be they near or far.

The wisdom of Ikeda calls us, therefore, to embrace interdependence not as weakness, but as the highest strength. To weave our lives into the greater tapestry of humanity is to discover resilience beyond our imagining. A nation that builds bridges rather than walls secures its future. A person who opens their hand rather than closing it into a fist gains a treasure beyond gold: the fellowship of others. To live otherwise is to stand alone against the storm, and no soul, however strong, can endure that fate forever.

What lesson, then, shall we take? It is this: cherish the bonds of community, cultivate cooperation, and extend your spirit outward to others. In daily life, greet your neighbor, offer aid to those who struggle, share knowledge rather than hoard it, and seek dialogue where there is division. In the sphere of nations, demand peace, nurture exchange, and resist the poison of narrow pride. In these ways, the wisdom of Ikeda will cease to be words and will become a living flame, guiding our steps through the shadows of the world.

Thus let it be remembered: the law of life is connection. To walk together is to endure, to share is to prosper, to open one’s heart is to become vast as the heavens themselves. May each who hears these words carry them forward, as a lantern in the dark, so that none shall walk alone, and no land shall stand forsaken in isolation. For in unity lies the very essence of survival—and in fellowship, the promise of eternal strength.