 Joyfully Accept All Encounters
Nichiko Niwano, President of Rissho Kosei-kai
Accept What Occurs
In Japan, April traditionally is the month in which many
people enter a new school or work environment because this
month marks the start of the nation’s academic year as well as its
fiscal year.
Sometimes, however, even when things start off in a positive
way as we had hoped, after a while some people may find that
they do not fit in so well in their new environment, especially
where relations with other people are concerned. When this
happens, many of us feel ready to give up, thinking that there is
not much we can do about our situation, and finally decide to
just endure and put up with conditions. According to one
survey, on average nearly forty percent of Japanese university
graduates who find work after finishing their education quit
their jobs within three years. They give various reasons for
doing so, but it is not difficult to imagine that experiencing a
stressful workplace environment is a major factor.
From the point of view of Buddhism’s doctrine of dependent
origination we can see that in some way we ourselves are
responsible for whatever happens to us. In other words, we
accept what takes place before our eyes, learn from it, and
increase and improve our spiritual capacity. For example, how
our relationship with someone who speaks harshly to us develops
depends on whether we have a negative outlook and wish
the person would just go away, whether we take a positive
outlook and decide that even such unkind words can give us the
opportunity to improve our imperfect selves, or even feel a sense
of gratitude for the precious chance to further improve our
spiritual capacity.
View Things Objectively
This doesn’t mean that saying we ourselves are responsible
for what happens to us means that we should reproach ourselves
or blame ourselves. Rather, we should keep in mind to look at
things from a neutral point of view, modifying our narrow and
self-centered attitude that seeks to attribute to others the causes
of difficult situations that we face.
Things are not by their nature imbued with good or evil; they
merely exist. It is our viewpoint that colors them, judges them
as something to like or dislike, as advantageous or disadvantageous.
Because we pass judgments on the things we see, the
result can be many kinds of suffering.
Seeing things from a neutral, objective point of view, a
world that is entirely new from the one we previously knew will
open up to us. Founder Niwano taught us, “If I change, the
other person also will change.” I understand his words to mean,
“Change your perspective and you change yourself. Change
yourself, and the world changes, too.”
Follow Through on Decisions
Greetings are one fundamental element of pleasant human
relationships. Some people, however, do not respond when we
say, “Good morning.” Once or twice may be accepted, but
when they continue not to respond, we may have reason to
believe that they are avoiding us. If worse comes to worst, we
may simply be forced to stop extending a greeting since no
response is forthcoming.
If we concentrate only on what has already taken place, then
we ourselves may be closing off future possibilities. What>
matters most is that we lead our lives by caring for the people
and things that are right in front of us. Because when we live by
making the most of the present, the future will open up and we>
will be able to go on greeting people in the usual way, no matter
who they are. As long as we do not view others negatively and
have the will to accomplish what we have decided on doing, our
relationships with those around us certainly will improve.
By changing our point of view we will change ourselves,
and can enjoy building upon our encounters—and thereby
experience one of the great mysteries of life.
April 2009
From “Kosei” Translated by Kosei Publishing
Read past Guidance messages from President Niwano.
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