I’m a Buddha, You’re a Buddha, Too
“Buddhism teaches that all people are inherently Buddhas. I believe that this Buddhist view of humanity embodies a fundamental principle for world peace. You are a Buddha and I am a Buddha. That’s why we must not fight each other. That’s why we must respect each other.” – Daisaku Ikeda
The universality of the Buddha life condition is perhaps the most important lesson of Buddhism. And yet it is also the most elusive. When I first encountered Nichiren Buddhism in 1969, I was a living testament to self-criticism, much of it directed inwardly as shame and outwardly as anger toward adults and the political establishment. My inability to believe in myself, while not surprising considering my childhood, was nevertheless emotionally crippling.
I found Ikeda’s guidance, such as the one written above, to be consistently encouraging. It gave me hope and inspired me to begin what turned into a lifetime journey of self-improvement. Clearly, this was also the solution to the seemingly never-ending conflict that has existed forever between human beings.
I continue to try to avoid diminishing myself. After all, to belittle myself is to disparage the Buddha nature within my life. Whenever I placed someone else on a pedestal, as I was encouraged to do by so many organizations and the media, I inherently saw myself as being something less than that person. It’s one of the aspects of our Buddhist community that I find refreshing; regardless of our ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status, we are all equal and deserving of respect.
There are many other aspects of this concept that we are all Buddhas. From an historical context, it is revolutionary. Just imagine if someday: * People of every denomination spoke with mutual respect for each other’s faith and differing religious beliefs. * Political leaders from all parties and sides of an issue engaged in respectful dialogue, only responding after careful consideration of each other’s point of view. * Families celebrated or at least appreciated their differences and found common ground. * Neighbors reacted to misunderstandings with compassion instead of animosity.
The list is endless. And reminds me that Buddhism is a teaching of the boundless potential within every human being. So, whenever I start to lose hope either in my ability to overcome my own problems or the world being able to learn to peacefully coexist, I return to this prime point. Because, otherwise, what’s the point?
It's Never Too Late
We recently had some new friends who were visiting the island over for dinner. I played harmonica with the husband, a wonderful guitar player. One of the songs he sang was a Steppenwolf tune, "It's Never Too Late." That got me thinking about some of the recent changes I have undergone.
Conventional logic would have me believe that at 70+ years old, I can be comfortably set in my ways. But I've learned that from a Buddhism perspective, emotional laziness just isn't an option if I want to stay happy.
About three years ago, I read this guidance somewhere: "The fact is, when we support others, we ourselves are actually being supported; when we help others, we ourselves are actually being helped. This is the worldview of "dependent origination" taught in Buddhism."
The following day I flew to Rhode Island to be with my daughter and grandkids while my son-in-law was out of town. In the past, there was always a part of me that felt overly protective of my emotional space -- to make sure there was sufficient time for me to decompress. This caused my family to expend energy accommodating me. So, I determined that 100% of this trip would be about helping my daughter.
My grandparents weren't present in my life. So, I have always tried to be a supportive, kind presence for my grandkids. Now it was time to take my determination to the next level. What a difference a subtle change in attitude and prayer can make!
For the entire trip, I was super patient Dad and Bubba (my grandpa nickname). And the most interesting aspect of this experience was that because I was so enmeshed in helping my daughter, she made sure I had some downtime. I also grew even closer to my grandkids. After the trip, she told my wife she wished I lived with them!
For some people, being able to concentrate on helping others comes easy. But because of my struggle with depression and anxiety, I have always had to make a concerted effort to move in this direction. For many years, I believed this would never change. Being able to now function in this way with much less effort is one of the greatest benefits of my Buddhist practice.