An Ideal Woman - Sushila (A Morality Story)

With the firm conviction that the most urgent task of our modern society is to cultivate the minds of children, the unchangeable foundation of humanity, the author, Haruyo Masuda chose Queen Maya, mother of the Buddha, as a role model, hoping that the importance of cultivating the mind of child may be world-widely acknowledged.

What kind of person is Maya Devi, who gave birth to the Buddha, like? How did she raise the Baby Buddha? In what way can the mind of a grown child be? In Pursuit of the answers to these questions and many more, she has travelled to Nepal& India several times, and wrote this book about Maya Devi based on the information that she had gathered. Above all, author’s greatest desire is to make Maya devi known to the rest of the world.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Haruyo Masuda is chairperson of Masudaya, Inc. And a mother of four daughters. In 1975, she was involved in establishing the Shinjuku Brighter Society Movement in Tokyo and became a member of its promotion committee. In 1995, she participated in observation teams to overseas and inspected educations, social welfares and women’s situations in South Korea and Denmark. In 2004, She was one of the organizers of the Society of Educating Partents and is its present chairperson. She is a member of japan P.E.N. Club and has written many books.

It is my firm conviction that the most urgent task of our modern society is to cultivate the minds of children. What the nations in the world have left behind, while engaging in the development of scientific technology such as space rocket, is to cultivate the mind, the unchangeable foundation of humanity. I suppose that as a result, people who kill their parents or siblings and others very easily have emerged in our time. Every day, we hear and read the incidents of abuses against parents or children in the news and the papers. I insist that such things must not happen, and believe that in this context, it is very important to clearly know what causes them, and then to promote child-rearing for cultivating personalities in children.

What I have learned through raising my four children is that the unbalanced growth of their body and mind would entail various problems, particularly in their youth. An enriched sensibility and a healthy body can't be nurtured without the favorable growth of the mind and the body of child. A child who has been reared with such care would not become violent so easily, and be able to friendly communicate with other people. For the sake of future child-rearing, I chose Queen Maya, mother of the Buddha, as a role model, hoping that the importance of cultivating the mind of child may be world-widely acknowledged. What kind of person is Maya Devi, who gave birth to the Buddha, like? What was her daily life schedule and particularly mental state after conceiving the pregnancy? How the mind and personality of a person are positively shaped by the love and proper care given in infancy and childhood? In pursuit of the answers to those questions, I travelled to Nepal and India several times, and wrote this book about Maya Devi based on the information that I had gathered about her.

It is my great desire that, as the mother of Jesus, Mary, the name of Maya Devi may also be known to the people of the whole world.