Editor's Note - This is an excerpt from the August 2003 issue of the Buddhist Wheel

The Kikyomon or Homages begins, “Hard it is to be born into human life, now we are living in it.”

In Buddhism we learn that all life is precious. Once, on a Japanese TV program, a young Japanese boy asked the panelists, “Why shouldn’t human beings kill another human being?”

The TV panelists could not answer him.

Despite the fact that we kill animals, plants and living things, why shouldn’t we kill human beings? If you were asked this question, what would your answer be? Maybe what you do not want for yourself, you would not want for others. Maybe you would put yourself in some else’s place, and thus decide that human beings shouldn’t be killed.

Throughout the world, human beings must take the lives of plants and animals in order to survive or perish. Realizing that our lives are so dependent, we must appreciate the sacrifices made by these plants and animals, and prevent unnecessary waste. With deep humility, we accept the nourishment in order to live a healthy, meaningful life. Therefore, while carrying the heavy burden of using other lives to sustain us, we should not take lives for granted. We should live life to its fullest for all living beings. From the standpoint of Buddhism, the life of human beings, plants, and animals are viewed as the same.

At times we may kill others unintentionally such as in a traffic accident or careless mishap. We do not want to kill another human being, but sometimes circumstances cause such killing to take place. Truthfully, I don’t like cockroaches, so when one appears in my house, I don’t like it. When I try to catch it in my house, it tries to escape. No one wants to kill or be killed.

We live always believing that our thoughts and ideas are right. Through the Dharma we are made aware that this is wrong. This realization leads us to seek the truth and live in accordance with the truth which helps us value all forms of life and as well as our own life as precious. To meet the Dharma itself is to be nurtured so that a transformation occurs, spontaneously and naturally.

When we think about the true happiness of human beings, we should seek to end conflicts and killings. I believe that Shinran Shonin deeply felt the heart of Amida Buddha’s infinite wisdom and compassion, and he showed us not only that life is precious but that we are living a life that is directed toward the Pure Land. The Larger Sutra says, “Wherever the Buddha comes to stay, there is no state, town, or village which is not blessed by his virtues. The whole country reposes in peace and harmony. The sun and the moon shine with pure brilliance; wind arises and rain falls at the right time. There is no calamity or epidemic, and so the country becomes wealthy, and its people enjoy peace. Soldiers and weapons become useless; and people esteem virtue, practice benevolence and diligently cultivate courteous modesty."

Unless each one of us can realize the preciousness of all lives and find peace within ourselves, there can be no peace in the world we live in now. As Shinran Shonin states in his collection of letters, “May there be peace in the world, and may the Buddha’s teaching spread!”

Saying “Namo Amida Butsu” in appreciation for this precious life we are given, let us walk together toward the Pure Land.

Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu. Namu, Amida Butsu.

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