Buddhism Is About Winning
Our Prayer for Peace
“If you care anything about your personal security, you should first of all pray for order and tranquility throughout the four quarters of the land, should you not?“
Buddhism is a philosophy that affirms the preciousness of life. Nichiren Daishonin writes, “Life is the most precious of all treasures,” (On Prolonging One’s Life Span, WND-1, p.955). However, when we reject the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and believe in teachings that place the source of happiness outside ourselves, we invite unhappiness and misfortune into our lives. We cannot establish peace and happiness for ourselves in isolation. For each of us to enjoy a safe and secure life, it is crucial that both the natural environment and the society in which we live are flourishing in peace and stability.
Therefore, if we truly seek personal security, we must first transcend our lesser selves ruled by egoism and work to establish the peace and security of the society in which we live.
Excerpted from “Our Prayer for Peace” Living Buddhism May 2022 p. 41
