Video 3

Hi there again – welcome back to the 3rd installment of Nichiren Buddhist Mindfulness and it’s scientific correlates – so far we have been talking about how time and energy is viewed in the Buddhist and scientific context and how holding on to perceptional flaws will cause attachment and therefore suffering. We have also talked about how we embrace roles and then become the actor

And yet – even though we have been stating much earlier that everything is constantly changing – but --paradoxically – in order to gain happiness - Buddhist philosophy tells us – all of a sudden - that we need to hold onto something that is unchangeable – that is permanent - and moreover – something we should reflect upon- in order to get our bearings right – like a compass - and this something is defined as an awareness of a law by which our life and that of all that- which surrounds us operates – from the infinite past to the infinite future – in the seen or the unseen realm - this law is --and has --always been – and will always be – it is defined as the essence of the universe itself and we – and all else is - made of it. Just as gravity is kind of present everywhere we go in the world of matter – so is the universal law of MyhoRengeKyo ever present throughout existence.

What makes one a Buddha – is the actual awareness of this law – whereas a person that is unaware of this – is called a common mortal according to Buddhism.

So Buddhist mindfulness can therefore be summoned up as being the awareness that one is an infinite being – an inseparable part of the whole – who’s actions have a clear cause and effect relationship to all that which surrounds us- and in the same way all that which surrounds us stands in a clear cause and effect relationship with us and together we are creating a new moment forever more.

But we are forever actually only in the moment -

We are just as much a creator of our actions and consequences as we are in turn created by our actions and consequences. So here we have a two way interaction – I influence the environment and the environment influences me back.

All this then is the law – it will always be like this – wherever there is an environment – there is the potential for life to emerge. After all – when we come to think of it… our bodies are made up of 70% water or so and 30 % minerals that can be found in the ground beneath our feet.

Hence – the dust beneath our feet provides the building block for our existence – in combination with the water that we find abundantly distributed on our planet and throughout the galaxy.

For life to express itself – there needs to be distinction according to Buddhism. We have often heard about the ying and the yang. Well … this is simple to understand. Hot needs cold to be definable from cold – yet both definitions are part of the same spectrum. Similarly – high needs low, big needs small, rich needs poor, good needs evil and so on. In order for our identity to develop – we need to have the ability to distinguish between two points in space – if I determine this is too cold – and that’s too hot…then I am the guy that can be uniquely defined as liking it a certain temperature between the extremes. We need to have reference points to get our bearings – a sense of ourselves.

Plus needs minus – and with reference to a battery that means that the distinction between these poles creates a circle whereby the negative pole wants to be as far apart as possible from the positive and vice versa and in the process they chasing each other – hence creating what we would define as energy .

Now, the same happens in our physical bodies – every single cell is positive/negatively charged – neutrons electrons – it’s all there – and our mind too seems to be functioning like that.

Similarly - what we call cognitive dissonance in psychology –defined as the feeling of discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs simplistically speaking spells out that our minds too hold two very different points of view about something that we see before us.

Should we do this or should we do that? Is this right or is this wrong? Should we wear our black pants or should we wear our blue pants ?there is always someone in us who seems to be of a slightly different opinion when it comes to decision making.

It is like parliament house – labor party on the left – liberal party on the right. Both want what is best for the country – but… they have their own way of going about it and they somehow clash …they argue … but…. Because there is an opposition there are undeniably more perspectives and thus better judgment becomes possible and therefore we can make better – more informed decisions. So… one could say that this opposing view – provides a platform of choices – from which our creativity or free will gives us options to decide where we want to be- and thus we create a sense of identity- a sense of self that is truly unique as we are the only one who occupies this position in time and space.

If on the other hand it were a dictatorship we would be pre-determined beings with little choice – robotic - but because we have internal conflict about whether we should do this or that based on the options that are presented because of dissonance we are true creators. In Buddhist Mindfulness this means that we not just have an internal labor or liberal party arguing with each other to bring out options and possibilities --- but…we also have the speaker of the house – the observer within -- who resides over that parliament house and who observes the struggle between the parties.

In Buddhist Mindfulness this is the seat of the Buddha – the true and infinite observer. It is the observer who will eventually have to make a decision on the action that needs to be taken.

In Nichiren Buddhism this observer could be defined as our true nature – as defined by the law expressed as Myohorengekyo – and if we are reflecting on what is presented to our internal parliament house – if we are reflecting what is presented to us through our senses, and the many thoughts and feelings we are experiencing as a consequence of this- if we are aware of the law that is universal and which clearly tells us that we are the cause and the effect of our thoughts, deeds and actions, eternally connected to all there is – inseparable from the environment – the creators of our next moment and infinite in energy which never ends – if we are reminded of our true nature we will come to realize what needs to be done.

If we do just that – through the act of upholding he law that way - Nichiren says that we will naturally do what is right and thus create good fortune that will become clearly evident in our daily life and the infinite future. How should we remind ourselves of our true nature? Well... no other than through the act of regularly chanting NMHRGK so we won’t forget what we are made off.

This over time will create an identity which is indestructible and stable as it is based on the principles of observable truth – an objective truth rather than delusional ideas about who we think we might be – or how we think the world might operate.

According to Nichiren – all we ever have to do is to remind ourselves of our Buddha nature and chant NMHRGK to stay connected to that truth.

In the next section we will talk more about the process of chanting, it’s importance and the resulting benefits.

Till then … have a great day.