According to one study, people learn about themselves by reading stories, imagining the world within those stories, and empathizing with the characters. At the same time, reading seems to cultivate the empathy and sensitivity needed to understand other people’s positions and feelings, and to foster the sensitivity that inspires us to be considerate of others.

President Nichiko Niwano, the first son of founder Nikkyo Niwano, was born in 1938, the year of Rissho Kosei-kai's founding. He succeeded...