Monday, June 10, 2013

The Body and the Shadow (Part 3)

"Of the ten worlds described by Nichiren Daishonin, the six lower worlds - Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Rapture and Tranquillity - are the most likely to have a negative effect on our environment. if we go out of the house in Anger, say, we will find ourselves bringing Anger out of others - the bus driver, the shop assistant or colleagues at work; if we are depressed, in Hell, we will find darkenss and depression around us, and drag others down into our misery.

If we look at the state of the world around us, it is not hard to conclude that humankind in general is in the grip of these lower worlds. In contrast, buddhahood is the highest state of life and has the absolute power to create positive change in our lives.

Unlike the lower worlds, it requires effort to bring out our buddhahood - namely practice to the Gohonzon. but the reward of doing so is that we gradually eradicate the "impurity" of our minds, make causes based on the most positive qualities of our lives - and therefore see positive results reflected back from our environment.

So there is no need for us to feel helpless when we look at what is happening in our own lives and in the world around us. what we need to do each day is to challenge our own negativity through chanting to bring out buddhahood, and take action in our environment based on the positivity we generate. then we can be sure that we are actively improving our own lives, and contributing to making the world, and ultimately the universe, a healthier and happier place."

End of article from UKE Jan 1995 by Louise Ellis

No comments: