Creating peace (part 2)

Creating peace (part 2)

Some people still continue their way of life built on the sense of separation even after they realize that it’s incorrect and that a way of life built on a sense of inseparability is true.

I think there are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly, their understanding is inadequate in some cases.

Secondly, more than a few people do not have sufficient intuition to feel something is wrong, even if their actual way of life differs from what they have realized.

I think this is because their attitude toward a true way of life is not strong enough. If it was stronger, they would find their way of life to be different and change; but they still continue to live in the same way without noticing anything. This is truly disappointing.

Life is indispensable to anyone, and I cordially advise you to reflect on your past conduct and firmly define the direction of your life if you think this may be the case.

Thirdly, people have thought a lot about a true way of life in their own way, have understood more or less that the sense of separation is incorrect and that the sense of inseparability is the truth of existence, and they believe that they are determined to change their way of life built on the sense of separation and switch it to the way of life built on the sense of inseparability; in fact, they still continue their way of life built on the sense of separation.

In other words, in the third case people think they have got off the train for Tokyo (way of life built on the sense of separation) and have changed to the train for Kyoto (way of life built on the sense of inseparability), but actually they’re still on the train for Tokyo powerwalking toward Kyoto.

This is often the case with people who use their heads too much. Let me explain it as usual by taking the story of quitting smoking as an example.

It goes this way: you have realized that smoking has no merit and you think you are determined to give it up. Nevertheless, the determination lasts only a couple of days at the most, and before long, you give way to your desire and start to smoke again.

So many people fit the description above regarding smoking.

How can you tell the difference between the case where you have really changed to the train for Kyoto and the case where you think that you have, but are actually still on the train for Tokyo?

You can tell in the following way.

Although you try to stop smoking, if you still have any halfhearted or regretful feelings, “I should quit. It can’t be helped. I’ll do my best somehow,” it means that you still want to smoke and you don’t want to quit at heart, which means that you haven’t quit in fact.

In other words, you merely half-think in your head that you have changed to the train for Kyoto.

When you decide to stop smoking, if you are dying to quit as soon as possible, are excited and bursting with joy, it means you have genuinely stopped smoking.

Ascertaining the truth about smoking to that extent is the key to quitting.

This criterion for judging is the most important point for making a variety of selections and decisions in your life, as well as for stopping smoking.