When I was participating in the web cast celebration of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of my Buddhist Congregation yesterday, I realized that this year is also the 30th anniversary of my own Buddhist life. On May 4th, 1978, I walked into the Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of Sapporo to learn the Dharma.
One of the greatest learning I have ever got is the awareness of my connection with external conditions. We are likely to be influenced by the things happening around us. When people are nice to me, I am happy. When things don’t go well, I am frustrated. When the traffic is smooth, I feel good. When a service is delayed at a restaurant, I am irritated. However, I am also aware that even though the external conditions may not be something I want, I can free myself from negative influences by tuning my state of mind into the Buddha’s state of mind, i.e. appreciation of that circumstance and appreciation of that moment.
Will it take time to attain that special state of mind? I think it is a life-long practice. But making a smile has a power to connect us to the Buddha’s mind right away. When we smile, a feeling of happiness arises from within ourselves irrespective of the conditions we are in.
External conditions fail to control us, and instead we can engage ourselves in a constructive process.
Smile has a power. And this is what I was able to gain from my practice with Rissho Kosei-kai.
Thank you, Buddha, and thank you, Founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, for its foundation.
Mizutani
One of the greatest learning I have ever got is the awareness of my connection with external conditions. We are likely to be influenced by the things happening around us. When people are nice to me, I am happy. When things don’t go well, I am frustrated. When the traffic is smooth, I feel good. When a service is delayed at a restaurant, I am irritated. However, I am also aware that even though the external conditions may not be something I want, I can free myself from negative influences by tuning my state of mind into the Buddha’s state of mind, i.e. appreciation of that circumstance and appreciation of that moment.
Will it take time to attain that special state of mind? I think it is a life-long practice. But making a smile has a power to connect us to the Buddha’s mind right away. When we smile, a feeling of happiness arises from within ourselves irrespective of the conditions we are in.
External conditions fail to control us, and instead we can engage ourselves in a constructive process.
Smile has a power. And this is what I was able to gain from my practice with Rissho Kosei-kai.
Thank you, Buddha, and thank you, Founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, for its foundation.
Mizutani
