And What If We're Betrayed?

I would like to share a personal experience that was published in Spanish World Tribune. This is the English version. And What If We're Betrayed? By Alina Marrero English Translation by Andy Sanchez The Lotus Sutra teaches that everyone possesses the supreme, lofty state of Buddhahood, source of infinite hope and courage. In other words, courage and hope do not exist someplace far away, beyond our reach, neither do we obtain them from without. Anyone who sets his/her life in rhythm with the universe, no matter where they live and go about, can tap into a fearless life state, vast as the universe, and then cause this life state to shine with great radiance. Daisaku Ikeda, (Guidance offered at the 22nd Headquarter Leaders Meeting held in Tokyo General Headquarters) No doubt about it. She wanted me to get angry. "A friend whom you trusted betrayed you and me," the person told me. For her own personal reasons, the woman speaking to me was full of anger, and wanted my solidarity. "She's a hypocrite!", she said. In less than a second, I recalled recently read articles by President Ikeda, such as The Cure for War. I also remembered advice received from friends in faith throughout 20 years of practice, as well as my first encounter with Josei Toda. From the onset, Mr. Toda became my model for forgiveness, courage, personal security, unshakeable faith, and solidarity with humanity. It's a model I've constructed with the building blocks of President Ikeda's guidance, where Mr. Toda is continually mentioned. Yet, it is not only Josei Toda that our mentor (from whom I've learned to learn) mentions in his writings. Charles Chaplin and Victor Hugo, among others, are two human beings that President Ikeda also talks about, and from whom I've also learned to learn. From Victor Hugo, specifically his novel Les Miserables, I learned that a determining factor for human rehabilitation is to never lose trust in the innate goodness of others, no matter what they do. All these things and more, such as the guidance about the three types of friendship, as well as the Law of Cause and Effect -that expounds that everything that occurs to us is information about our karma - intermingled in my mind. Yet, something stood out with unmistakable prominence. It was the feeling that I had suddenly acquired an essential skill, a specific wisdom that is not consciously achieved, but arises naturally. I reflected upon this: prayers are answered, of course. But if we pray to learn forgiveness, the occasion to forgive must arise so that we may learn. If we wish to learn bravery, we must understand that, before taking action, we will not learn what bravery is. When our goals are big and profound, equally big, profound, and difficult! will be the obstacles we confront. Being betrayed by a friend is a hurt more painful than being betrayed in love. There I was talking to someone, simultaneously realizing I also harbored the same immense pain in my lifet. Yet, in a flash, all my years of faith, practice, and study arrived to the rescue. This is what actually occurred: I was struck most by the suffering resulting from the terror felt by the person before me, as she considered possible consequences from the event she narrated. Her immense fear and anguish moved her to seek solidarity against her betrayer, from someone (me) who had also been betrayed. Thus united, we would win the battle. We would trust the betrayer no more, not ever. In fact, we would warn everyone against her. We'd save humanity from her. But, dialogue with her about this issue? Never!! Waste of time. She wasn't going to change. And since she wasn't going to change, she had to be gotten rid of. This type of reaction, prevalent in so many people, is to be expected. But in the en, it proves to absolutely ineffective. Throughout the ages, great men and women have united with a single voice: hate is not answered with hate. Bertolt Brecht, in his poem, To Our Successors says: "Hate, even against degradation, twists our facial features. Anger, even against injustice, grates the voice." Treason can prove to be an excellent excuse for hating, and hate, one of the best excuses for disunity. On the other hand, justice is unifying. When justice triumphs, it triumphs for all, even for those who've erred. But, in this case, who erred? I decided to talk to the person before me about no other treason except that committed by me, and to simply deal with her as the human being she was. She was afraid of confronting her betrayer, supposedly to prevent creating a chain reaction. "If I tell this woman how I feel," she said, "she's going to create trouble. She'll tell everyone her own version of the story, and they're going to believe her. Then so and so are going to get on my case, scolding and screaming at me. I'm sick of it!" "Who are you talking about?" was all I could think of saying, "and why do you allow them to treat you like that? President Ikeda encourages us to say what must be said," I reminded her, "and to dare to take steps toward being who we really are, no matter our being misunderstood, and let me tell you, nowhere in his guidance have I seen your name mentioned as an exception. In none of the Goshos written by Nichiren have I read that Buddhism works for everyone, except you, or that wars everywhere will end if you allow people to treat you like that." Right then and there, I reminded her of several of President Ikeda's acts of courage, as well as how he trusted us, considering neither our imperfect nature, nor that we actually make mistakes. End of conversation. I knew I had to take action. I sat in front of my Gohonzon, and determined not to lose faith in the innate goodness in everyone. I called the person whom I felt had betrayed me, finally dialogued about my feelings, and went back to chanting. Several days later the person I felt betrayed me and I talked again. She had chanted ten hours reflecting on herself. "My worse disloyalty is against myself," she revealed, "and when you spoke to me a few days ago, I felt ashamed. I determined to be loyal to myself, and to win. I spoke with the person who talked to you about what I did, and she told me what she thought of me. I, in turn, told her my opinion of her and, in the end, we finished our conversation without ending up as enemies, talking about President Ikeda's guidance, and how we saw each other in the movement for kosen-rufu." While she talked, I felt moved. Something wonderful had occurred with the three of us. She had done something very brave, and so had the other person. And so had I. Impossible not to share victory between the three. I profoundly reflected on my own disloyalty towards myself, towards others, as well as on my fears, since these two women, functioning as mirrors, helped me see that. The next day, the three of us received work related benefit, and arrived at the same conclusion: What could have become a gossipy muddle, a cause for disunity, we turned it into a vehicle for growth. What an honor to be working with these two wonderful women for Kosen-rufu in this lifetime! It occurred that, precisely when I had to make a crucial decision, I reacted responding to a burning desire to make a difference, and the environment, inseparable from us as it is, responded. We can all make a difference in these times of war. President Ikeda has said that one human revolution in a single person can change the destiny of a nation, indeed, the history of humanity. This occurs when, in our daily lives we set Buddhism in action, with absolute confidence in this great truth. This is something me Carryn need to learn about.....

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