October-December 2015, Volume 42(PDF)
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REFLECTIONS Regulating Our Breathing by Nichiko Niwano Although we tend to take breathing repeating this process of breathing we Nichiko Niwano is president of for granted, inhaling and exhaling are can calm down our mind and improve Rissho Kosei-kai and an honorary essential for human life. Most peo- mental function. Slow, deep exhaling president of Religions for Peace. ple are unable to remain alive if they stimulates the parasympathetic nerves He also serves as an advisor to stop breathing for even a few minutes. that urge one to rest and by bringing Shinshuren (Federation of New As a matter of fact, nearly all human balance to the sympathetic nerves causes Religious Organizations of Japan). beings take their first breath by letting the emotions to settle down. This is out a loud squawk as soon as they are because by inhaling slowly, one is able consciousness on breathing or make a born, and take a last small breath just to take in a sufficient amount of oxy- habit of breathing deeply. In fact, how- as they are dying and depart this world. gen. The exhaled breath is particularly ever, it is important that in our daily lives In other words, breathing is the essence significant because it is not unrelated we learn to breathe slowly and deeply. of being alive. to the fact that life begins with the first To this end, why not take just three Among the teachings of Shakyamuni cry one makes as a newborn baby. to five minutes to have such time, for is a sutra called the Discourse on Buddhism involves the teaching of example, in the morning and in the Mindfulness of Breathing. This sutra realization. Every person should become evening. teaches us how to cultivate a careful aware of the working of the truth and While we are sitting in seiza, the awareness of breathing by thinking, “I the importance of self-control. In this Japanese way of sitting formally, before am now inhaling slowly, I am exhaling sense, focusing one’s consciousness the Buddhist altar, we keep our bent slowly,” with each breath in and out. on breathing—with which human life knees spread about the width of two The sutra continues: The practice starts—is a convenient method of con- fists and settle our posture by swaying of cultivating mindfulness of breath- trolling the body and the mind. the body to the left and to the right. In ing in and out is fruitful and of great zazen, one sits cross-legged in the “full benefit, and will quell greed and dis- Becoming Aware lotus” position and sways the body to tress. This allows us to attain a tran- of Gratitude the left and the right, but there is also a quil, stable state of mind in which we method of practicing it in the Japanese are not disturbed by passions or dis- The Chinese philosopher Zuangzi (d. ca. formal sitting position. tracting thoughts. 286 BCE) left us the following thought Then slowly exhale from the mouth, In concrete terms, as I suggested about breathing: and when you have completely exhaled, above, while realizing that one is breath- “The true man’s breathing comes let air flow in naturally through your ing out, one should slowly exhale, and from his heels, while the ordinary man’s nose. Then, as I mentioned at the begin- while realizing that one is breathing in, breathing comes from his throat.” This ning, by concentrating on each breath, one should inhale the same way. Then means that breathing deeply calms peo- both body and mind will relax. one should breathe with one’s thoughts ple, endowing them with supreme vir- At the same time, as we become focused on feeling joy while breath- tue. Certainly, when one’s emotions are aware of the mystery of life—that while ing, quieting the mind while breath- rising and falling or when one is agitated we breathe our hearts continue to beat ing, and contemplating impermanence because of anger or excitement, one’s without stopping for even a moment— while breathing. breathing becomes shallow and fast. the development of feelings of grati- By directing our consciousness In this sense, breathing deeply is tude for being caused to live arises. This toward our breathing, we will know important for regulating the mind. realization protects us from desire and that our breathing has become slower Indeed, we may sigh from too much conceit, and brings us the great gift and and deeper of its own accord. And while stress, but we do not usually focus our benefit that is true self-control. ≥ Dharma World October–December 2015 1 OCT.–DEC. 2015 VOL. 42 FEATURES: The Modern Signifi cance of Meditative Practices in Religions 1 Regulating Our Breathing by Nichiko Niwano Dharma World presents Buddhism as a practical living religion and promotes interreligious dialogue 3 Meditation in the Contemporary for world peace. It espouses views World that emphasize the dignity of life, by Dominick Scarangello seeks to rediscover our inner nature 4 Buddhist Meditation, Christian and bring our lives more in accord Contemplation, and Th eir with it, and investigates causes of Various Uses human suff ering. It tries to show by Peter Feldmeier how religious principles help solve problems in daily life and how the 8 Meditation without Borders: least application of such principles Christians Who Engage in has wholesome eff ects on the world Meditation Practices from around us. It seeks to demonstrate Other Religious Traditions truths that are fundamental to all by Leo D. Lefebure religions, truths on which all people 12 Th e Development and can act. Signifi cance of Meditation in Publisher: Hirofumi Mizuno Buddhism Director: Kazumasa Murase by Kenryo Minowa Senior Editor: Kazumasa Osaka 20 Buddhist Meditation and Christian Contemplation: Editor: Katsuyuki Kikuchi Wisdom Bringing Forth Selfl ess Love Editorial Advisors: by Ruben L. F. Habito Miriam Levering, Gene Reeves, Yoshiaki Sanada, Dominick Scarangello, 24 Reforming World Order through Human Reformation: Michio T. Shinozaki A Perspective through Religion Copy Editors: by Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman William Feuillan, Gary Hoiby, DeAnna Satre, Catherine Szolga 28 Th e Practical Ethics of Won-Buddhism and Liberal Religious Culture Editorial Staff : as a Path to World Peace Ryuichi Kaneko, Satoe Izawa by Park Kwangsoo Subscription Staff : Kazuyo Okazaki 32 Buddhism and Social Engagement (2) Layout and Design: Abinitio Design Building Peace Cover: by Ranjana Mukhopadhyaya Photos: Shutterstock.com Photoshop work by Abinitio Design 37 Th e Ome Retreat Center and the Youth Department by Nikkyo Niwano THE THREEFOLD LOTUS SUTRA: A MODERN COMMENTARY 43 Th e Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law Chapter 25: Th e All-Sidedness of the Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World (1) Dharma World is published quarterly by Kosei Publishing Company, 2-7-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8535. E-mail: [email protected]. Copyright © 2015 by Kosei Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Printed in Japan by Komiyama Printing Company. Change of Address: Please provide both old and new addresses. Six weeks’ advance notice is requested. Requests for permission to reprint all or part of any article in this issue must be made in writing to the editor of Dharma World. FEATURES Meditation in the Contemporary World by Dominick Scarangello Time magazine’s February 3, 2014, cover It is not possible to explore all the Dominick Scarangello, PhD, story on the popularity of mindful- pertinent issues related to meditation specializes in early-modern and ness meditation in the United States in contemporary societies, nor can we modern Japanese religions. He has was taken by many as proof that med- fully appreciate the diversity of medi- taught at the University of Virginia itative contemplation, once associated tative traditions in just a single issue. and was the Postdoctoral Scholar in primarily with the counterculture, had However, a brief look at Rissho Kosei- Japanese Buddhism at the Center become mainstream. It is no exagger- kai may provide a unique perspective on for Japanese Studies, University ation to say that centers for the prac- meditation. In Rissho Kosei-kai, reciting of California, Berkeley (2013–14). tice of various forms of meditation, the text of the Lotus Sutra is a primary Currently, he is an international including yoga, Zen, and calming and method of meditative concentration. advisor to Rissho Kosei-kai. insight meditation (samatha and vipas- The practice of right mindfulness is also sanā), can be found in the downtowns understood as sange (Ch., chanhui; Skt., all that is bad / And practicing all that is of almost any city in Europe or the kṣama), usually translated as “repen- good, / Naturally purifies one’s mind. / Americas. People of all stations and tance.” In the context of everyday life, This is the teaching of all Buddhas.” The social classes throughout the world practicing sange is perhaps better con- Chinese monk Zhiyi (538–97) opened are embracing meditation practices ceived of as self-reflection—a constant the Shorter Cessation and Contemplation, of some sort. The medical community mindfulness of one’s actions from the one of his famous treatises on medi- is increasingly prescribing meditative standpoint of Buddhist morality, and tation, with this pithy verse, and the techniques for stress reduction and respect for others rooted in the princi- Japanese Zen monk Dōgen (1200–1253) pain management. Cognitive scientists ple of universal buddha-nature. Rissho also took up this precept in a chapter of explore the physiology of concentration Kosei-kai president Nichiko Niwano his magnum opus, The Treasury of the techniques and philosophers of mind writes in Cultivating the Buddhist Heart True Dharma Eye. Taking the interpre- and plumb ancient texts of Buddhist (Kosei Publishing, 2008), “Self-reflection tations of both of these eminent monks and Hindu epistemology.