My Human Revolution

Over the past few days I have been praying for someone to get a job. Buddhist prayer isn’t about asking or making a request. Buddhist prayer is about getting in sync with the rhythm of the universe and making something happen. Here’s a quote from Nichiren Diashonin who taught us how to pray writing, “I am praying that, no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground.” I pray every morning and every night but how often do I pray with such fervent determination? Over the past few days I have prayed until I was absolutely sure that she would get the job beyond a shadow of a doubt. Needless to say–she got the job! Now if only I could pray like that all the time!

Violence is all over the headlines, home and abroad.  While it makes me sad, I struggle to understand the psychology behind it.  In Buddhism there is an idea of dependent origination which offers basically that we can not exist by ourselves. We are all dependent on each other.  Given that we have an intimate relationship with everyone and everything, it behooves us to live a life respecting all people and phenomena without which we would cease to exist.  I was struck by a quote tonight: “Shakyamuni was once asked the following question: ‘We are told that life is precious. And yet all people live by killing and eating other living beings. Which living beings may we kill and which living beings must we not kill?’ To this simple expression of doubt, Shakyamuni replied, ‘It is enough to kill the will to kill.’”  It is my hope that while killing my will to kill I inspire others to do the same.  Slowly and steadily a wave of respecful peace will cover the globe, awakening a sense of how important we all are to eachother.

In Buddhism there is a concept that the people around us reflect our state of life.  At a simple level it works out that when you smile at someone you are likely to receive a smile in return.  On a deeper level a person who is only after power will interpret the actions of others around him or her as a ploy even if they are innocent.  Likewise a person who thinks the best of people will regard everyone around him or her as having good intentions.  Why should I be surprised my work is being criticized if I am constantly critical of myself?  How can it be so hard to be patient when my 7 year old is having a melt down?  If everyone from the guy in front of me in the grocery store to the members of my family are a reflection of me then I have some tweaking of myself to do.  I would like to share a funny joke with the checkout lady or hear laughter more often at home.  The way that I transform myself is through the chanting meditation Nam Myho Renge Kyo.  This is another kind of Buddhist reflection.  I will continue to chant, revolutionizing myself and notice my reflection in the people around me smile and shine with joy.

“Buddhism holds that everything is in a constant state of flux.  Thus the question is whether we are to accept change passively and be swept away by it or whether we are to take the lead and create positive changes on our own initiative.”  Daisaku Ikeda 1990. 

I often find myself swept away in life’s events.  Whether it’s the daily stuff like trying to get the kids out the door in the morning with missing shoes and half brushed hair, or finding myself with a huge pile of laundry and a broken washing machine.  One thing is for sure: we don’t know exactly what will manifest in our life from one moment to the next.  As a Buddhist I try and self reflect and make appropriate personal changes which assist me in those critical moments when I need to stay calm in the face of my daughter’s smirky behavior or when a work deal goes to awry.  In Buddhism we call this human revolution and the more we do it the better prepared we are for life’s surprises. 

Any kind of personal change is admirable.  In fact, it is one of the hardest things to accomplish.  If you’ve ever tried to lose weight or quit smoking you know how resistant even our bodies are to change.  We have to become the masters of our own minds and do what might feel uncomfortable at first.  As I do my human revolution and make those changes which will allow me to propel my life forward rather than simply reacting to whatever the day brings, I will blog.