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Quarterly Newsletter of the Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose Dharma Legacy Vol. 6 No. 2 Summer 2002OInsidePresident’s Messagep. 2Dharma Glimpsep. 3Amer Buddhist Servicesp. 3Video Loan Programp. 3Ashes Burial Servicep. 4ABS by D Kubosep. 5Look Withinby Rev. Gyomay M. KuboseIn the world news we hear about victims ofwar, starvation, terrorism, and other un-speakable things. Some people might ask,“Why do such terrible things happen?”There are many causes. Perhaps there are athousand causes. We don’t have to look justat the world news. We have plenty of suf-fering and cruelty in our own home towns.And we don’t have to look only at our hometowns – how about in our own lives andour own homes? There are no homes with-and minds. Any hate? Greed? Stupidity?It is easy to see somebody else’s faults.Our eyes are opened toward the outside butthey are closed toward the inside. We seeexternal things but we do not look within.We feel we are victimized and controlled bydo we complain idly? It is because of exter-nal factors. “He did that, and that’s why Ibecame like this.” We are always blamingalways blaming something else. We neverlive our own lives. Many people have notfound their centers, their true selves. Whenwe look within we become aware of our ownimmorality. When we see these qualities inabout ourselves?Buddha’s teaching was to look intoone’s own life instead of looking outwardat the world of others. When one lookswithin, one becomes more humble and morekind. Supposing one thinks deeply andlooks into one’s life and concludes, “Well,I have no unkindness, no ugly thoughts, nobrutality. I am good and I want to do some-thing good for others.” Well, what good canone really do for others? Some people areso altruistic. Others are so selfish. Eitherextreme – altruism or selfishness – iswrong. In both, one has forgotten to livehis own true life. Neither an inferioritycomplex nor a superiority complex helpsus to live freely.We should live like the sun. The sunhas no intentions such as, “Unless I comeout and shine upon the world, people willbe cold and sad – so I should shine for thesake of the people.” The sun just is. Thesun shines and everybody is happy. Hownice! It is the same with flowers. A rosenever imitates any other flower; a rose isalways a rose, a lily is always a lily.Be yourself. Listen to the inner voice.Buddhism teaches us to live an authenticlife which is truth itself. You must live yourlife. This does not mean that you must de-in a relative world and have to do thingswith other people, you still can be the mas-ter of the situation anytime, anywhere.Some people go to their temple with a“Well, I’m just a guest, I’m just visiting,”attitude. That’s all right, but since you arethere the temple is yours. Be useful. Bethe center of the whole temple, the centerof the whole congregation. If someoneneeds help, why not take the initiative andhelp. When you are the center, there is tre-mendous joy and creativeness.Don’t just be a visitor in life. Be awareof what is needed. Don’t be an outsider.Even the first time you go somewhere, beuseful since you are there – instead ofstanding alone or sitting uncomfortably.Do things sincerely and with life. You area living thing, not just a dead log or deadflesh. Your spirit must be dynamicallyalive. You do, not because you have to oryou ought to, but because you can’t helpbut do. Life can be enthusiastic, very beau-tiful, one with all other people.When people get together and do thingstogether, all become one. Just as AmericanIndians sit down and all smoke from thesame peace pipe and become real brothers;so we become one when we eat together anddo things together. In the Japanese tea cer-emony, everybody drinks tea from the samebowl. I think that communion in Christian-ity, to eat Christ’s flesh, to drink Christ’sblood, means to become one with Him.The oneness is true not only amongpeople but also between people and allthings. Take a flower, for example. Theflower is living. If the leaves are drooping,water is needed. It’s thirsty. When you seethis you have a communication with theflower; the flower and you are one.This is true of everything else in theworld. By looking within, you become awareof and one with all things. Buddhism teachesyou how to live from the inside to the out-side. Look within and live your true life.(The Center Within; pgs.22-24)www.brightdawn.org

Universal Teachings For Everyday Living Page 1

out problems. Let’s look into our own hearts

our environment. Why do we get upset? Why

other people, always blaming conditions, and

look deep inside ourselves because we do not

brutality, our own ignorance, unkindness, and

the world we criticize and condemn. But what

tach yourself from others. Although you live