Peace from the Viewpoint of Religion

by Nikkyo Niwano

The conditions in the world today seem to be as chaotic as ever. Scientific advances have made the present what might be called the space age. Certainly things have changed in ways that would have been inconceivable before Japanﾕs rapid economic growth during the 1960s. Life for many of us is becoming easier and richer as time goes by. Why then does it seem as if our hearts are increasingly poverty-stricken? Crimes like murder and theft continue to plague society. The violence of war, with the suffering and death it brings to countless people, continues unabated somewhere in the world. This is because human beings cannot rid themselves of their greed and selfish desires, and cannot put themselves in a position of oneness with others. Together with all beings, we are part of the great life force of the universe. However much we each seem to be separate, at root we are all one. Unless we awaken to this truth, however, discord and violence will continue. Only when all people truly understand this, when they achieve the mental attitude of oneness with all others, will the Pure Land of the Buddha be realized in this world.

I believe that human beings are fundamentally good, for all are endowed with the buddha-nature. The task of religion arises because people are distorted by the "evil" karma of the past. The great mission of religion today, therefore, is to reveal each personﾕs buddha-nature and to allow all of them to recognize the truth and by doing so cause all people everywhere to reach a realization of their oneness with all others. In todayﾕs world, the need for religion is vital in many fields--in politics, education, and industry to name only a few. Religious organizations and groups, however, tend to regard only themselves as good, and do not acknowledge the good in others. Thus, no matter how much they talk about peace, it remains impossible to achieve. There is only one fundamental principle of religion, and it should not be possessively considered as belonging to only one religious group but should be openly discussed, studied, and followed by all together. People of different religions should rouse themselves to act for world peace by the tiny first step of acknowledging the oneness of themselves with others and loving others as they love themselves. If each religion cooperates to achieve this great goal and plants the seeds of the true religious mind in people of a wide variety of viewpoints, it seems certain that the societies in which we live will become more peaceful.

Concepts like class struggle and reformation of the social system set up enemies before us or create the image of them in our minds. Any ideology that teaches us we should fight against them cannot bring salvation to the world. Even though such ideas can have temporary strength and control people through force, any social structure based on such an ideology is doomed to perish from a different power, since it was established through their own power. Human history demonstrates a constant repetition of this pattern. It is certainly not wise for us to keep doing the same thing.

Now is the time to bring true human wisdom into full play. But what is the nature of this wisdom? It is none other than the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism of the oneness of self with others, based on the profound truth that "all are one." Mahayana tells us that all will be liberated together, and all will build an ideal society together.

We now know that the universe stretches for some 14 billion light years, which means that it extends from about the distance that light travels in 14 billion years. We know that light travels 186,000 miles (300,000 km) per second, which is equal to seven and a half times around the earth. In this vast expanse of space, the earth is no more than a single grain of sand.

Those living on the surface of this tiny grain, however, often form small groups with people, such as those who share the common interests or those with whom they are bound by ties of blood or land. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why confrontations and conflicts never cease. It was in light of this that the Buddha taught that "all beings exist interconnected one with the other," that "the self and the other are fundamentally the same," and that "all human beings must respect each other as children of the Buddha," for without such an understanding, it would be impossible for people to get along with one another. And they certainly would not be able to find happiness.

If we were to stand atop the summit of Mount Fuji, we could see the great expanse of nature spread out below us, with the land and mountains and seas stretching into infinity in their beauty. If we achieve true serenity in our hearts, we will be able to regard others in the same calm and tolerant way. Because we know that our lives are being sustained by the Buddha, in the same way that the lives of all those around us are likewise in the hands of the Buddha, we are filled with the natural conviction that all of us are brothers and sisters. Since that is so, we feel the pain of others as keenly as we feel our own, and the sadness of others pierces our hearts as if our own experience were the cause. We also feel compelled to do something for others. That is the meaning of true compassion, or love for others. When people everywhere are able to share this compassion and love, then our world will be a truly beautiful place in which to live.

It is within our own families that we must begin to work to create such a beautiful world. Because religion can change the hearts of people, I believe it is the most direct way to peace. Wars and other conflicts arise out of selfishness and discrimination against others, out of hatred and envy. I can state positively that unless we suppress or strive to diminish such shameful attitudes, wars will always be with us. Religion can give us the strength to do this. True religious faith teaches us perseverance, tolerance, and friendship among peoples, makes our hearts gentler, and increases the spirit of harmony. These attributes are shared by all great religions.

There can be no question about what our task for the future should be. It is essential that we constantly try to eliminate in all our deeds and actions any feelings of discrimination against others in ourselves as well as in others. We can do this as we lead our individual daily lives, striving to act instead in a spirit of compassion by recognizing the oneness of ourselves with others. We should be active in our society, working together to achieve happiness for all people.

People of religion must endeavor to eliminate the chronic human disease of discrimination within themselves, and contribute to the banishment of such feelings in society as a whole. With the deepening of the realization that the world is one, that all human beings are companions in life, the permanent peace that has so long been sought by people everywhere can at last be realized.

Of utmost importance in this is control of oneﾕs personal ego and educating ourselves in the means to peace. It is crucial for us to constantly study the various factors that obstruct peace, and to engage in peace activities together with others. Some may say that our true happiness depends on our arriving at the ultimate destination of world peace. I am certain, however, that if we begin by taking one small step at a time, we will be able to see a brighter and happier world before us depending on the portion equal to our endeavor. Peace work is not limited to activities that are called actions for peace. People who are awakened to the truth that they are sustained in their lives by all and realize the truth here and now will, I hope, foster the sprit of world peace through their self-realization and efforts at working for peace.

This article was originally published in the July-September 2007 issue of Dharma World.