The 1951 San Francisco Peace Conference was a defining moment in post-World War II history, marking Japan's return to the community of nations. While the conference was dominated by the geopolitical tensions of the emerging Cold War, it is best remembered in the Buddhist world for a singular, powerful speech that shifted the moral tone of the proceedings.

The Context of the Conference

By 1951, six years after the end of WWII, the Allied powers were divided on how to treat Japan.

• The Hardliners: The Soviet Union and several other nations pushed for a "punitive peace," demanding heavy war reparations and strict limitations on Japanese sovereignty to ensure the country could never rise as a military power again.
• The Objective: The United States and Great Britain sought a "reconciliation peace" to establish Japan as a stable ally in Asia against the spread of communism.

The Moment of Recitation

On September 6, 1951, J.R. Jayewardene, then the Finance Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), took the podium. Representing a small island nation that had also suffered during the war, his voice carried an unexpected moral weight.

Jayewardene shocked the assembly by announcing that Ceylon would waive all claims for war reparations. To justify this act of forgiveness, he turned to the ancient wisdom of the Dhammapada (Verse 5), reciting the Pali words:

“Na hi verena verāni, sammantīdha kudācanaṃ Averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano.”

In English, he translated it as: "Hatred ceases not by hatred, but by love."

The Influence of the Speech

The recitation of this verse had an immediate and profound impact on the conference and the decades that followed:

• Shifting the Tone: The speech was described by the New York Times as the "voice of free Asia." It provided the moral high ground for a "peace of reconciliation" rather than a "peace of vengeance," effectively silencing those calling for harsher penalties.
• Japanese Reintegration: The Japanese delegation, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, was deeply moved. The speech is credited with helping Japan regain its dignity and sovereignty without the crushing debt of reparations that had crippled Germany after World War I.
• A Lasting Bond: This moment laid the foundation for a permanent friendship between Japan and Sri Lanka. To this day, Jayewardene is a revered figure in Japan; there is a monument dedicated to him at the Kotoku-in Temple (the site of the Great Buddha in Kamakura) featuring the same verse from the Dhammapada.
• Symbol of Buddhist Diplomacy: The event is often cited as one of the few instances where religious philosophy successfully and directly dictated the course of modern international law.