Some view Buddhism as merely a self-help process, practicing mindfulness as if that was all there is. If we view our Buddhist practice in such a way then we are still residing in the realm of doing, even if the doing is more beneficial than other doings.

As a self-help model alone we would be merely replacing one method of doing with another method. Buddhism offers more, much more. Buddhism creates the conditions within our lives for a transcendent experience of our relationship not only to and with ourselves but also being transcendent with all else.

Finding our true identity is key, and we can’t do this if we ignore the being part of human. Daily we work hard and worry, yet the gem we truly seek is something we already posses.

We should not forget that as a householder, businessman, computer programmer, maintenance technician, clerk, no matter what, we are indeed playing a role. We have chosen to manifest ourselves in this life as common ordinary people who are in fact Buddhas. At the core of our life is the truth that, no matter what, we are Buddhas who have assumed a role in order to lead others to enlightenment.

Our goal is to become enlightened as we are in this life. What is necessary is to find out what within our own life needs to fundamentally change in order to manifest enlightenment. The answer to that search is found only within us and not in the life of another. It is the changes we make in ourselves that will bring forth enlightenment.

It is interesting that the Buddha didn’t say that everyone will be just like he was, or that our lives would be identical. They won’t; it isn’t possible. But we can actually attain an enlightenment that is equal to the Buddha’s, even as it manifests differently in our own unique circumstances.

Every time we make a comparison between our life and the life of someone else we are actually to some degree living someone else’s life. We are creeping out of our life into theirs. Straying into someone else’s life and out of ours may seem innocuous, relatively harmless, yet it can be very damaging to our own life and potentially deadly to our relationship with others as well. Even if we don’t see the effect as dramatically as we would with an auto accident, the damage is done nonetheless. Judging our lives by the standards of another or vice versa does us no good, because there isn’t an exact equality of capabilities, living conditions, past causes, social context, family background…and on and on the list could go.

In Buddhism it is easy to be distracted by many things. Life can throw at us so many obstacles that sometimes it is like driving through a heavy rain on a highway and the windshield wipers are going so fast we can’t see much of the road ahead and so we slow down or pull over. It isn’t easy though in our daily lives to actually slow down. Life seems to march inexorably forward with or without us. At times like these we may feel as if we are passengers on a bus being driven madly forward to a destination not of our choosing. There are things we can do though once we become aware of this condition. It is possible to limit the number of interrupting distractions. The first thing that helps is to firmly establish the routine of placing our practice first and foremost in our daily lives. When we can begin our day with even the smallest amount of mindful Buddhist practice we set the stage for how we manage our entire lives.

Sometimes our practice is easy; sometimes it is much harder. Either way, our focus should remain on our objective. It seems this is pretty universal advice. Whether it be exercise, which I am sure you know requires constant effort to stay in shape, or now with this research self-control, or Buddhism, the long continued effort is what really yields the greatest results.

When we really take the time to engage our whole life into our practice, a quality practice, we truly benefit more than if we approach our practice from a point of accumulating quantity. This also has a spillover effect into all areas of our life. Give it a try; go slowly and deliberately.

If we knew that the path of our lives was secure, that there was certainty of enlightenment how free would we feel? Would our burdens be easier if we did not have to worry about happiness? Contained within the Lotus Sutra is the heart and soul of all the messages of all the Buddhas. It isn’t easy to believe this; we may struggle with accepting the truth of the message of the Buddha. Yet I wonder how is it easier to accept messages that deny us our ability to be happy. Which message do you allow to penetrate the core of your life?

It is not easy, this is true. We don’t realize how much effort we have put into becoming what we are now, or we may not realize how little effort we have put into being who we are. So when we undertake a practice that works on fixing our mistaken views, or tackles our habits, we think it extremely difficult. We boarded a plane to take us to a destination, enlightenment. The Buddha is our pilot, our fellow Sangha members are also passengers along with us. Together we can reach our goal. Let us together enjoy the good things and recognize the struggles, always making efforts to become enlightened and enable others to do the same.