In this day and age, how can we foster societies that are easy to live in, where everyone is kind to one another, and where the spirit of living together and the spirit of reciprocity—the great foundation of human life—develop effortlessly in every quarter? The Buddhist teaching of “the mutual inclusion of the ten realms” means that every mind mutually possesses every other mind in the ten realms of living beings, and therefore, we all inherently possess the mind of a buddha

Dabba was a monk who voluntarily undertook to perform the various services required of other members of the Sangha. He cleaned their rooms, prepared their bedding, and served their meals. He was often the victim of misunderstanding, resentment, and even false accusations by the other monks. Dabba is said to have recited the words quoted above after one such misunderstanding was resolved.

One persistent theme throughout my life is faith. It’s something that’s always brought up in some way eventually. A question I remember being asked by a longtime member here in RK San Francisco was profound: Is faith inherent in us, or is it learned? It was a question that quickly flashed into my mind, tons of childhood experiences.

When we think very deeply, we particularly see that our encounters with others arise from a mysterious convergence of a variety of ongoing causes and conditions. In a standard dictionary, the Japanese word en, “connection” or “karmic connection,” is defined as “a mysterious force, transcending human agency, that binds people together,” so we can only conclude that whoever we have encountered, we were supposed to encounter them.

When we think very deeply, we particularly see that our encounters with others arise from a mysterious convergence of a variety of ongoing causes and conditions. In a standard dictionary, the Japanese word en, “connection” or “karmic connection,” is defined as “a mysterious force, transcending human agency, that binds people together,” so we can only conclude that whoever we have encountered, we were supposed to encounter them.