The Importance of Half-closed Eyes
Rev. Nichiko Niwano
President of Rissho Kosei-kai

Being Aware of Conceit

When we visit a temple and pray before the Buddha, we discover that most of the images of the Buddha have their eyes half opened, or half shut.

This is known as "half-closed eyes," and with those symbolic images the Buddha is teaching us the importance of seeing the outside world with half of our eyes and our own inner world with the other half.

In other words, seeing our own inner world with our eyes half-closed is to become aware of the conceit that can be called the original source of our mental sufferings, while seeing the world outside this way is to recognize our large debt of gratitude by awakening to the fact that we are caused to live surrounded by unlimited blessings.

Our eyes are rather good at seeing the outside world. However, when our attention goes only to the outside world we neglect viewing our inner world and we gradually become puffed up with a self-centered way of thinking that destroys the harmony of our surroundings. As a result, a rife can develop in our human relations and we will feel discontented.

Feelings Get Through

Article Ten of Prince Shotoku's Seventeen-Article Constitution states, "Although others give way to anger, let us on the contrary dread our own faults."

This means that when someone is angry with us, we must review our conduct and tell ourselves to face up to our own shortcomings. This teaches us that instead of returning anger with anger, our thinking over our own mistakes and recognizing that we may have been wrong will cause the other person's anger to disappear.

In this way, by humbly acknowledging our faults and reflecting upon them, we not only harmonize with our surroundings, we become aware that we are caused to live by the one great life-force, the Dharma of impermanence, that permeates all living things--ourselves as well as others. We could say that this is a realm without conflict that transcends ourselves and others, and that it is the state in which we and others are as one.

It is reported that recently many young people have withdrawn from society, refusing to have anything to do with the world around them and falling into a lonely type of existence. The hearts of more than a few families have been pained by experiencing this. While there must be many causes for becoming socially withdrawn, surely the young people who have closed their hearts cannot themselves be satisfied with such a state of affairs.

For example, when we see someone who is filled with joyful gratitude, how can we help but wish to be like that person? If young people who have withdrawn from society could have contact with such joyful people, those feelings of gratitude would be communicated to them and the wish to open the doors of their heart would naturally well up inside them.

"Learn wisdom from the follies of others," as we are told. This world is a vast realm of causes and conditions and the phenomena occurring therein are all part of the Buddha's teaching of the Dharma, so let us grow spiritually day by day, maintaining our humility to be able to learn from everything that surrounds us.

Kaicho Howa

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