When you set out to situate the existence of the person you call “I” in the here and now, you come to the realization that you are not living on your own.
Buddhism teaches something called “nonself,” meaning there is not a single thing in this world that exists in isolation. All things coexist interdependently through imperceptible ties.
We are all alive because of our interconnectedness with a myriad of other people. So, if we do something to bring sadness to the person next to us, that will also make the person next to them sad. Conversely, if you can bring happiness to even a single person, a circle of happiness expands around them, and as it grows, you will invariably have exerted a positive influence on a great many people.
It’s not only these “horizontal connections” with other people and things that are important; “vertical connections” are also crucial to our existence. The fact that you are here is thanks to the fact that your parents were here and their parents before them; your existence is owing to the existence of your ancestors over generations. When you think about this, it naturally makes you cherish your parents and appreciate your ancestors, and this imbues your morning and evening sutra recitations with heartfelt sincerity.
Additionally, as a practicing Buddhist, you must not forget the vertical connections that extend from your children in the faith, your Dharma children, to their Dharma children, who are your Dharma grandchildren, and continue down to your Dharma great-grandchildren. If your Dharma children nurture good Dharma grandchildren, and if they, in turn, also raise good Dharma great‑grandchildren, then the Dharma will continue to live on, passed down through the generations.
“The Life Span of the Eternal Tathagata” chapter of the Lotus Sutra teaches that the lifetime of the Buddha is infinite. Without question, the basic principle of this chapter is that the life span of the Eternal Original Buddha is endless, but we can think of this as also meaning that the Dharma, which teaches us the truth of the universe and of human life, is everlasting and immutable as well.
In the same chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha says, “For I always abide here, teaching the Dharma.” The life of the Buddha is surely always alive within the people who practice the Buddha Way and teach the Buddha Dharma.
“Each person guiding another” is also about creating both the horizontal and vertical connections of the Buddha Dharma. If you can feel yourself at the center of these precious connections, there is no more noble way of being human. It’s fair to say that this is the ultimate significance of knowing “I am here!”
Bodai no me o okosashimu [Germinating the Seeds of Awakening] (Kosei Publishing, 2018), pp. 37–39
Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, was born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1906. A longtime advocate of cooperation and dialogue between the world’s religious faiths, Rev. Niwano promoted interreligious understanding as honorary chairman of Shinshuren (Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan), honorary president of Religions for Peace, and in various other capacities. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, and spirituality, such as Buddhism for Today, Lifetime Beginner, Buddhism for Everyday Life, and more. Rev. Niwano passed away in 1999 at the age of 92.
