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本の感想第3回「後世への最大遺物」~The Greatest Legacy written by Kanzo Uchimura~

 前々回は洋書、前回は現代書の感想を書いたので、今回は趣向を変えて少し古めの名著の感想を書きました。


今回の感想は、内村鑑三氏の「後世への最大遺物」。


 名著と知りながら、古い本なので少し読みにくいかも・・と思っている方、この感想だけでもよろしければ読んでみてください。
 全体像をつかむ→自分事として「何を後世に残すか」を考える、というステップを踏むことができます。
【本の感想の共同noteはこちら】
↓↓↓
https://note.com/honde_yutaka


また、共同noteは日本語で書きましたが、個人のこのnoteでは同じ内容を英語版で書き残しました。ある程度自分で英訳しつつ、最終的にはGoogleにサポートしてもらいました笑
 英語の勉強をしたい方は、こちらを読んでみてください。

This is Ai's book reviews.
I take turns writing book reviews with my friends.
From this time, I wrote the book review in English also.

I want these people to read
・ Those who have been worried about the meaning of their lives.
・ Those who are thinking about what to do and what to leave in the rest of their lives.
・ Those who are currently struggling or are approaching a big decision, and it is difficult to see the future.

1. What are the great legacies?

”What is the meaning of my life, and why am I born in this era of Japan?”
Have you ever thought so?
I myself sometimes think after puberty. It was just a year ago that I thought about the meaning of life most recently. It was this book that I picked up at that time.
Kanzo Uchimura has mentioned some things with full of humor that should be kept for future generations. He was a Christian evangelist, but he expressed humanistic greed. That makes his words more persuasive.

The great legacies that Kanzo Uchimura considered;
① First, leave a lot of money!  ”You, save the money! ”
* However, when you die,leave money in society. Not to leave it only for your child.
② If it is impossible, leave your business.
Even if you don't have much money, you can leave your business with someone's money (with investment) and enrich people's lives. But he didn't think anyone can do it.
③ If all of them are impossible, leave your thought (education) and literature.
Even if you can't do your business, you can leave your thoughts in literature. Above all, people can write literature by yourself.

”These are the great legacies, but not the greatest legacy”, Kanzo Uchimura said.
So what is the greatest legacy?

2. "The greatest legacy" that anyone can leave.

“Money, business, philosophy and literature cannot be left to anyone after all. This is a reason why these are not the greatest legacy." Kanzo Uchimura said.
Then, what is " the greatest legacy" that anyone can leave?

It is "the way of life".

An analogy is Thomas Carlisle, a writer.
He wrote the manuscript over decades. One day his friend wanted to borrow this manuscript overnight, and he lent it. Accidentally his friend burned the manuscript. What do you do if the manuscript you wrote over your life turns into ashes overnight?
What Thomas Carlyle do was that he rewrote it again.
Even if He had bad luck, He stood up again and rewrote it again. This gives people courage, doesn't it?
We may have any difficulties at any time. Nevertheless, don't be desperate and try to rise again. Looking at his way of life makes me think so.

3. Every day of your life can be "the greatest legacy".

We tend to look at glittering things. 

Sometimes people think "If I had the money, I could have done great business." Another may think "If I were born in a city, I could get a chance earlier." or "If I were born in the present age, we could have played more equally in society…"

Next generations may be encouraged by "the way of life", for example tried to overcome various difficulties, helped the weak, and made people warm heart.
This is, after all, every single day's behavior and actitivities.

Actually, after reading this book a year ago, I only thought “what to leave”in vague.
But one year later, when I read it again, I felt like "Wow! Something has come down !!"

"Trust in the world of hope"

I was nailed to this one sentence.
My " way of life " is to leave the future full of hope and I will show it to the next generations in words and actions every day.
When I read it once, I understood it with my head.But at the second time I finally realized it in my heart.

Let’s think what way of life you leave for next generations!

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