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Osaka Lecture — Peace and Calm in a Modern Society
The energy of mindfulness nourishes us, heals our wounds, and transforms suffering. It is the capacity to be aware of what is going on in the present moment, whether drinking water or contemplating the moon. Without mindfulness, life passes like a dream, and we miss our appointments with life and the people we love. To visit the Pure Land or see the beauty of the Buddha Land, one must bring mindfulness to see the trees, flowers, and Bodhisattvas. In daily life, we often live in forgetfulness, lost in the past, future, or our worries. Mindfulness brings us back to the here and now, allowing us to offer our true presence as the most precious gift to our beloved.
To cultivate this energy and restore communication and happiness, there are three mantras to practice. The first mantra is: Darling, I am there for you. By practicing mindful breathing, you free yourself from preoccupations to become fully available. The second mantra is: Darling, I know you are there and I am very happy. This recognizes the presence of the other—whether a person, the full moon, or a flower—which brings happiness to both the recognizer and the recognized. Mindfulness also acts as a gatekeeper for consumption, helping us decide what to eat, watch, or discuss, preventing the intake of toxins found in food, television, books, magazines, and conversations that create internal war and despair.
Suffering often arises from an inability to listen and communicate, leading to irritation and anger. We must practice compassionate listening, akin to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, listening without judgment solely to relieve the other’s pain. Love requires understanding; without it, love becomes a prison. We often harbor wrong perceptions, illustrated by the tragedy of a husband who mistook his wife’s shadow for a secret lover because he let pride prevent him from asking for the truth. To avoid such suffering, we must check our perceptions and use the third mantra: Darling, I suffer so much. Please help. In true love, there is no place for pride. By going home to ourselves and harmonizing our internal elements, we cease the war within and can truly accept and love others.
