20 - page 1 of 8

N E N E S SQuarterly Newsletter of the Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose Dharma Legacy Vol. 5 No. 3 Autumn 2001OEQUALITYBy Rev. Gyomay M. KuboseInsideRemembering Sensei p. 3Komical Karma p. 4Save Oct. 13 Date p. 4Dharma Glimpse p. 5Dharma Talk Video Loan Program p. 5The Buddhist concept of equality isference is equal; equal means differ-niture on which to put things. The topof the table is beautiful and the legsare underneath supporting the top.The legs are usually not visible butare just as important as the top. Eachhas its unique position to fulfill. Thereis no actual superiority or inferiority.All are equal. So it is with all things.We live in a democratic societyare all equal, all the same. However,in the sense of everyone being thesame. It is only in a convenient sensethat all citizens are considered equal.The President has his duties to per-gressmen, city officials, garbage col-important as city officials. If the gar-bage collectors strike and do not col-lect the garbage for months, the citywould be a stinky, dirty place. Gar-bage collectors are important and weshould respect them just as we do themayor or governor. The work is dif-of perspective can be seen in thephrase, “byodo soku sabetsu” whichsays, “equal means different.” Thisview is also present in the Zen say-ing, “shiki soku ze ku” or “all thingsare empty.” Here, empty means ev-pression is used to try and expressparadoxical. The ideas of right andwrong, for example, are exactly op-posite, but right and wrong are equalor the same in the sense that if thereis no wrong there is no right. Just asness, there can be no light. Darknessexists only in relation to brightness.Wisdom cannot exist without igno-rance. Many examples can be men-tioned. There can be no husbandwithout a wife; no teacher without astudent. It is because things are dif-ferent but equal that there is a one-ness of all things.Husband and wife are differentpeople; they have different person-alities and usually have different do-mestic duties. The children are alsodifferent and have their different du-and children together become oneand form a whole. All are differentbut at the same time one and thesame. In a family there are manymembers, but they are one in thename of the family. To realize thisoneness and to live accordingly is theBuddhist way. This teaching is ex-pressed in the Buddhist quotation,be extended to all humans, in all situ-try. And fundamentally, there is al-ways a basic oneness because there(The Center Within, pgs 64 - 65)

Universal Teachings For Everyday Living Page 1

expressed in a sutra which says, “Dif-

ent.” Buddhism teaches that all beings

are equal. However, this equality does

not mean that all beings are the same.

For example, a table is a piece of fur-

there is no table without legs. The legs

and this can be taken to imply that we

there is no democracy in the sense that

all are literally equal. We are not equal

form and so does everyone else - con-

lectors. Garbage collectors are just as

ferent but the quality, the value, is the

same. Difference is equality. This kind

erything. This kind of paradoxical ex-

the reality of things. Truth or reality is

light and darkness exit only in relation-

ship to each other. If there is all dark-

ties and privileges. Yet, wife, husband,

“One is many and many is one.” This

kind of perspective or way of life can

ations - whether people are joined to-

gether in a business, church, or coun-

is universal equality within life itself.