"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 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?
