HARMONY - July 2013

Mon, 15th Jul 2013  
Category: Harmony, News (All), Publication

harmony July 2013
This month’s theme “Are you a Buddha at heart” encourages us to examine our understanding and application of our understanding and application of our Buddhist practice in all aspects of our daily life. It is not easy to truly understand this most important concept and apply it from the depths of lives.

“In essence, everyone is a Buddha. That is our ‘reality’. It is the light of wisdom that causes the world of Buddhahood in our lives to shine. Our Buddhahood starts shining when we develop the wisdom to realize we are Buddhas. This is the fusion of reality and wisdom.” (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol V, p.18)

We must ask ourselves:

Do we apply the tenets of this Buddhism to our lives at all times?

Do we really live according to our Buddhist beliefs?

Do our actions match our philosophy?

Do we recognize the inherent Buddhahood in everyone we encourter?

Do we accept everyone as they are, treasuring diversity?

Do we understand our individual mission in life?

How do we behave when we face difficulties?

Are we willing to assume the appropriate karma?

How do we deal with people who are different from us, when we disagree with their views or when we don’t like them?

All of this is easier said than done. Proof of the strength of our Buddhist practice comes not when it is convenient but when things don’t go as planned.

The challenge is to fully understand and consistently embrace the fact that we all possess the Buddha nature and have unlimited potential; to overcome our fundamental darkness, the antagonist of our life.

The beauty of Nichiren Buddhism is the ease with which is can be applied. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we manifest our highest life-state, Buddhahood, allowing us to become happy.

It does not take deep theoretical understanding to begin experiencing the benefits of practicing this Buddhism. It just takes action. The action begins by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to elevate our practice and to grasp the challenges we may face.

To tap into the full benefits of our chanting, we must realize that we are all Buddhas and understand that everything in life is interconnected. The actions of each individual profoundly influence the environment, for better or for worse. If we fail to truly embrace that important reality, we are not practicing Buddhism correctly.

Always remember, our lives are full of unlimited potential and through our practice we can activate our Buddha nature. By doing so, we can overcome our fundamental darkness and win ANY situation. Every human beings has this ability; they just need to realize it, from the bottom of their heart.

“Flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see the Buddha exists in our own hearts” Nichiren (WND1, p.1137).