Awakening to the One Wish
Rev. Nichiko Niwano
President of Rissho Kosei-kai

Rising Above Self

In everyday life we often view one another in a confrontational way, measuring ourselves against others: He is taller (or shorter) than I; she is better (or worse) speaker than I. As long as we are bound up in this way of seeing things, we will fret and build up stress. The only way to rid us of that stress is to rise above self and unbind ourselves.

To rise above self should be our most fundamental wish, the wish to "leave the world" or "transcend the world". Transcending the world means going beyond the realm of comparison and relativity and emerging into the realm of absolute. In other words, it means being big hearted rather than self-willed; it means gaining genuine ease and true freedom. Deep down, that is the inner wish of all human beings. Indeed, it is the essence of our life itself. To awaken us to this and deepen our awareness of it is the Way of the Buddha. And what makes this possible is the truth of impermanence.

When we recognize that everything in the world is constantly changing, we cease to be tied to self and to stagnate, and are able to build a relationship of harmony between nature and ourselves. Essentially, life is endowed with the ability for growth and development, the drive to go beyond oneself. When we become aware of this, we are released from a fixed, rigid sense of self and begin moving toward harmony.


The One Wish

We all have our own individual wishes. But even those wishes that we tend to consider self-serving-the wishes to see our children grow up healthy and happy, to have a stable livelihood, to recover from illness in our heart of hearts there are all signs that we also wish for the happiness of others, and thus are close to the wish to transcend the world. When we become aware of this, we will realize that even if we are ill, no one can avoid birth, aging, illness, and death, and thus we are able to face reality calmly. Through illness we can awaken more deeply to the preciousness of life and lead a life filled with gratitude everyday. When housewives devote themselves fully to homemaking and child care, and when those who work outside the home give everything they have to their job, they are rising above self, and they experience inner joy in supporting the happiness of the family and the livelihood of others.

Shakyamuni revealed eternal life and taught us to appreciate the wonder and preciousness of having been given life. The Founder, believing the teachings and receiving the spirit of Shakyamuni, established Rissho Kosei-kai out of his wish that all people should achieve happiness. Let us reflect deeply on the wishes of Shakyamuni and of the Founder that live within all of us and move forward with strength, determined to rise above self.

Copyright ©2003 Rissho Kosei-kai Hawaii, All Rights Reserved