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Robert Samuels (UKE March 1998)
Q: I'm always being told that if I practise Buddhism I'll be protected, but I'm beset by problems and nothing seems to go right. Just what is this protection, and what form does it take?
A: The phrasing of this question implies that both 'protection' and 'problems' are things that happen to us -as if we are passive recipients of changing winds of fortune which act upon us. Although life can feel like this, this is not the Buddhist view.
Both 'problems' and 'protection' are functions of our own lives. Our 'problems' are often due to the frustration of some desire, in the realms of relationships, finance or work, for example. The moment that if we are able to see a way through the : problem, it transforms into a challenge -it may even act as a springboard towards a life that embraces more than we could previously have imagined. It could be the spur which motivates us to break through apparent limitations.
Nothing is in itself a problem. It is a problem only if we view it as such. The poet John Milton wrote: 'The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.' If we take 'protection' to mean some shield or barrier cushioning us from the troubles of everyday life, then Buddhism does not provide protection. Rather, in Buddhism protection refers to the benevolent working of the universe which supports our endeavours. So our family or friends providing support at just the right moment, as well as the harmonious working of events and the natural environment, can all act as protection. This protection helps and sustains us, but it does not cushion us from reality. Furthermore, whether family, friends or the natural environment act as protection -or deepen our problems -depends upon our own state of life. In other words, nothing of itself is necessarily a protective force; or a problem. The question above links 'problems' with 'nothing seems to go right'. Having problems does not mean that things are going wrong. This would imply that the normal state of affairs, the 'right' state of affairs, was the absence of problems. This is not so. Problems are a natural part of life for all human beings. In 'Happiness in this World', Nichiren Daishonin writes:
Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens. Then you will experience boundless joy from the Law (Major Writings, Val. 1, p. 161).
In a letter entitled Kanjin no honzon sho, Nichiren Daishonin gives a detailed explanation of the Gohonzon. Kanjin no honzon is usually translated in English as "The True Object of Worship', but its literal meaning is: 'the object of worship for observing one's mind'. In other words, Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon so that we can perceive things clearly. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon we are able to draw on the life-state of Buddhahood within us, so that instead of seeing things in our habitual way, determined by our karma, we begin to see things differently. In 'Reply to Soya Nyudo' Nichiren Daishonin writes: Hungry spirits perceive the Ganges River as fire, human beings perceive it as water, and heavenly beings perceive it as amrita. The water itself is the same, but it appears differently according to the karmic capacity of individuals (Major Writings, Val. 5, p.163).
As our inner life begins to change, we begin to perceive things differently. This is human revolution. We find that this inner change is mirrored by changes in our environment. This is part of what we often call protection, I but the source of the external change is change within us. The change which comes about through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is sometimes expressed as the I washing away of our evil karma. In explaining the functions of the Mystic Law Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'The function of water is to wash away filth' (Major Writings, Vol. 1, p. 24). In his lecture on this sentence from 'Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life', : President Ikeda writes: [this sentence] symbolizes life's innate power- coming from the Mystic Law -to purify itself. Water represents Bodhisattva Jyogyo, jyo meaning to purify. The many evil deeds we committed in past existences destine us to suffer for countless lifetimes in succession. When we take faith in the Gohonzon, however, all that cumulative suffering comes to us all at once, here in the present, but with far less intensity. This is the principle of lessening karmic retribution. When you flush water through an old hose, all the dirt in it is washed out the end. You may have to undergo hardship after hardship during this lifetime, but after the last dregs are purged, you will be able to live in comfort for the rest of your life and accumulate great good fortune ( Selected Lectures on the Gosho, Vol. 1, pp. 182-3).
How we perceive, define, and therefore experience our life is not a fixed thing. Our perception changes depending on our state of life. Nothing is 'protection' or 'problem' per se. Through the effort of sincere practice -it can sometimes feel like great effort -we can turn apparent problems into forces that support and develop our lives. In the twenty-second of his 'Conversations on the Lotus Sutra', President Ikeda observes:
The basic message of the 'Peaceful Practices' chapter is that we can establish a state of life of such composure that we can even regard the obstacles we encounter as causes for a peaceful life. ...Peaceful does not mean a state of life free of toil and suffering. Rather, it means living without being swayed and without worries, no matter what happens. This is a state of true peace and happiness (Monthly SGI Newsletter, no.170, p. 80).
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