Shiki Shin Funi
The Oneness of Body and Mind
Basics of Buddhism, by Pat Allwright

"Life at each moment encompasses both body and spirit"
'What is matter? Never mind, What is mind? Never matter!'

For centuries, philosophers, theologians and scientists have argued about the nature of basic components of life. Is life essentially composed entirely of matter, with mind and consciousness a by-product of the human brain? Or is it essentially spiritual, with the body 'merely as a vessel'? Or are mind and matter independent entities, which are in some way connected?

Generally speaking, there are two main schools of thought: Those who see life in purely physical terms, and those who believe it is spiritual. This polarisation of viewpoints is demonstrated in the treatment of ill health. There is much evidence indicating the importance of a patient's positive attitude to recovery. Even so, the emphasis in medical science still lies heavily on physical treatments such as surgery and drugs. Conversely, faith healers often use treatments which are wholly spiritual. It is widely accepted nowadays that the state of one's mind influences one's body, and equally that one's physical condition affects the state of one's mind. However, the practical implications of this inseparability remain largely in the realm of theory. On the whole, the separation between mind and body persists in science, medicine, religion and politics.

From the viewpoint of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, body and mind are equal and interdependent. This principle is known as the oneness of bodyand mind (shiki shin funi). Body, or the mental aspect (shiki), includes everything which can be outwardly discerned such as color, form and texture. Mind, or spirit (shin), refers to those aspects of life which are inner or invisible, such as emotions, will and personality.

Their oneness is indicated by the word funi which means 'two but not two' and 'not two but two'. This is not intended to be a riddle, but to clarify that although we can observe body and mind separately, in essence they are one. Neither is caused by the other. Furthermore, one cannot exist without the other. Both arise from the same fundamental entity: life itself.

A person can know another's mind by listening to his voice. This is because the physical aspect reveals the spiritual aspect. The physical and the spiritual, which are one in essence, manifest themselves as two distinct aspects. (1)

All functions of life are revealed both physically and spiritually. Sleep refreshes the body, yet also has a vital psychological role. Reading a book, which inspires or entertains our minds, also involve the use of our bodies. Work, whether manual or deskbound, involves both thought and physical exertion.

The unseen, spiritual workings of life are, of course, more difficult to analyse than visible actions. They can only be observed through their physical manifestations. Perhaps this is why the emphasis in the physical sciences has always been on matter. Yet when matter is reduced to its smallest particles, the difference between 'something' and 'nothing' becomes increasingly difficult to discern. Interestingly, recent scientific theories suggest that consciousness is inherent in life; all life, including objects such as stones. This idea comes closest to the Buddhist perception that all life, including insentient life, has both physical and spiritual aspects.

In society as a whole, we can see the shortcomings of placing emphasis on either the material or the spiritual. European societies have, in the past, placed spiritual values highly. Unfortunately, more often than not, this led to hypocrisy. For example, many people in power maintained their own physical comforts while placating those in poverty with the promise of rewards after death. However, certain minimum requirements are necessary to people's well- being. One cannot be said to be leading a fulfilled life if starving and cold. These dual standards, and the divorcing of the spiritual from the physical, tended to breed an attitude of resignation. In the second half of the twentieth century, the opportunity to achieve a good standard of living became available to many more people. Understandably, along with this, there arose a degree of scepticism as to the importance of spirituality and the value of religion in general.

Likewise, societies based on materialism, such as our own in the present day, demonstrate that it is virtually impossible to establish a truly prosperous society if no regard is paid to the spiritual self. It would seem that it is not possible for people to demonstrate integrity and overcome corruption if they have no spiritual values. People need values, such as honesty, even in the pursuit of materialism.

A constructive and fulfilling society must be based on the equal importance of both material and spiritual values. Since they are inseparable, there can be no mental well-being without physical well-being and vice-versa.

This is amply illustrated by the modern syndrome of stress. Stress can be caused by noise, hunger, death or financial anxiety, to name but a few environmental and psychological triggers. Equally, the effects of stress are both physical and mental, resulting in irritation, tension, depression, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and so on. Stress can be alleviated in many ways, such as positive thinking, exercise, even swimming with dolphins. It is becoming not just desirable, but vital, that in all fields of endeavour equal importance is given to the body and the mind.

In contrast to many other religions, the practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is not directed solely towards spiritual enlightenment. It influences our lives at a fundamental level. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo affects us mentally in various ways, giving rise to optimism, determination and joy. At the same time, it effects every cell in our bodies. For this reason, posture and concentration are important when chanting, as well as a steady rhythm. Many people have found that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has helped them to overcome illness because it affects both body and mind.

Furthermore, our aim in practising Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is to improve all aspects of our lives. As well as developing ourselves spiritually, it also is important to fulfil ourselves at work and establish harmonious relationships. We therefore direct our chanting towards improvements in our material circumstances as well as towards our spiritual well-being.

Buddhism defines two kinds of benefit: conspiuous and inconspicuous. Conspicuous benefit corresponds to the body or material circumstances, while inconspicuous benefit corresponds to improvement in our character, such as increased wisdom and energy. At their root, these two kinds of benefit cannot be seperated either. For example, increased wisdom leads us to take care of our health and discover what type of job suits us best; more energy is in itself ...healthy and enables us to be more active in society. Respect and compassion are also activated by our practice, naturally creating tolerance and harmony in our relationship eith others. In discussing this subject Daisaku Ikeda says:

"From ancient times, philosphers and theologians have formulated various concepts of the relationship between the mind and the body. The doctrines born of these concepts are numerous and different in kind, but all of them fall into one of two general categories: materialistic or spiritualistic. Followers of both ways have done much for the sake of cultural developments, and I b"elieve that their achievements deserve proper evaluation. For example, by expounding morality and love, spiritualists have contributed greatly to keeping human society truly humane. For their part, the materialists have laid the foundations for the formation and development of modem science. Still l am unable to embrace either approach without reservation. Although the materialists recognise man's spiritual functions, by considering the physical body the original source of being, they tend to view life itself as material in nature. Furthermore, while agreeing with the spiritualists that reason, intellect, desires and other mental functions are the bases of a truly humane way of life, I cannot subscribe to the philosophy that the physical aspects of human life and the physically related human desires are to be despised. Both the materialists and the spiritualists seem to pursue only one aspect of the issue and fail to grasp the relationship between spirit and body. " (2)

1 The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 4, p. 32.
2 Arnold Toynbee and Daisaku Ikeda, Choose Life: A Dialogue, pgs. 24-5

This page was last modified on Sunday, August 20, 2006.