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We are clearly living in a period
of profound historical transition. As many point out, more
positive forms of human interaction and dialogue must be
developed if we are to bring out the creative possibilities
of this era. What can Buddhism contribute to building a new
culture of dialogue?
The word dialogue comes from the Greek dia--through--logos,
a word that includes the meanings of language, principle,
rationality, law, etc. Dialogue in Buddhism is not merely a
vehicle or means for communicating its message. Rather, the
practice of dialogue expresses a central tenet of
Buddhism--faith in human beings, in their limitless dignity
and potential as possessors and embodiments of universal
truth. In the Buddhist tradition, dialogue--open and
respect-based human interaction--has played a central part
in the quest to discover and identify common or universal
values that would allow human beings to live in the best,
most humane and empowering ways.
Today the idea of "universal values" is often viewed with
suspicion, if not open hostility, as code and cover for one
culture imposing itself on another. But a belief in the
existence of common human values need not contradict belief
in a particular cultural and religious perspective.
If we examine the lives of all of humanity's great religious
and philosophical teachers, we find that they have all been
masters of the art of dialogue. At the same time, they are
without exception people of firm, seemingly unshakable
faith. This suggests that strongly-held convictions are not
necessarily an impediment to dialogue; rather, they may be
the critical condition for its success.
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[©Seikyo Shimbun] |
The sutras, which record the teachings of the Buddha, reveal
Shakyamuni as a teacher who spent his adult life traveling
from one place to another, interacting with people, striving
to offer the means of living with confidence and hope in the
face of life's inevitable sufferings. The people he
encountered were diverse in terms of their level of
education, their social and economic backgrounds, and their
capacity to grasp the full implications of his teachings.
Thus, he engaged in a fluid and organically unfolding style
of dialogue through which he sought to awaken people to the
dharma--the enduring and universal truth within. And
he sought to share with others his profound confidence in
their ability to embody and act on that truth in order to
realize lives of genuine happiness.
Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist reformer whose
teachings inspire the SGI, was himself a master of dialogue.
Many of his important works, including those in which he
remonstrated with the government, are written in dialogue
form. Perhaps his most important treatise, On
Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land
(Rissho ankoku ron), unfolds as a dialogue between two
individuals, the host and the guest, whose views are quite
at odds, but who find a common ground in their shared
concern for the plight of a society wracked by warfare and
natural disaster. The host tells the guest, "I have been
brooding alone upon this matter, indignant in my heart, but
now that you have come, we can lament together. Let us
discuss the question at length." The dialogue develops as
the two exchange views on the causes and possible responses
to the dire situation confronting society; it concludes with
the two vowing to work together toward a common goal.
Dialogue has been central to the SGI since its inception.
From the earliest years in the 1930s in Japan, small group
discussions have been the key venue for study and practice.
One-on-one dialogue and encouragement rooted in a sense of
mutual respect and human equality have also played a central
role.
As SGI President Ikeda has stated: "The conquest of our own
prejudicial thinking, our own attachment to difference, is
the guiding principle of open dialogue, the essential
condition for the establishment of peace and universal
respect for human rights."
Humanism is a key concept within the SGI, which often
describes its philosophical basis as "Buddhist humanism."
Dialogue is a process through which we uncover and reveal
our human grandeur. Dialogue withers when our hearts are
closed to the infinite possibilities of the other and we
assume we already know all we need to know about them.
Dialogue flourishes when it is conducted in an open-minded
spirit of discovery based on compassion, on the desire to
build on what we have in common and transform our
differences into rich sources of value.
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