Oneness of Self and Environment

Narrator - Hello everyone!

Today we are going to present in front of you few acts through which you will learn
the concept of Oneness of Self & Environment.

Nichiren Daishonin writes “Environment is like the shadow, and life like the body.
Without the body, no shadow can exist, and without life, no environment.

As we study in in this Philosophy, a person whose inner life is in a state of hell may
perceive the outside environment also as hellish or bad, but a person who is in a
high life condition might manage to feel compassion and a sense of camaraderie
with people around.

But how..? Let’s try and ponder upon this question through the following
performances.

ACT 1

Narrator – Shikha is a young and independent girl working in a metro city and is
staying away from her family. She is very passionate about her work and is very
confident of what she does. But, she thinks life hasn’t been very good to her, in
many ways… Let us see what makes her think that.

Characters:

Shikha – (In a low life condition and her Parents are not able to understand her situation)
Parents – (Depressed state of mind. Think that daughter has forgotten all the values that they
have taught her)

Mom – Beta kahan ho tum..? Kabse call kar rahe hain hum tumhe.. Tumhara phone
not reachable ja raha tha. Hum ghabra gaye ki sab kuch theek to hai na.

Shikha (irritatingly) – Mom!! Kyun aap baar baar itna pareshan ho jate ho..? Aapko
pata hai na main kitni busy hun.. Abhi mere paas bahot kaam hai… Aap please
baad me call karna..
Mom - Arrey thodi der to baat karlo humse.. Aisa bhi kya busy rehne lagi ho tum ki
maa baap ke liye time nahi hai tumhare paas.

Shikha – Mom, aap nahi samjhoge main kitni occupied hun… Do presentations
submit karni hai aaj raat.. And kal office me meeting bhi hai.. uski tayiyari bhi
karni hai… And abhi tak maine khana bhi nahi khaya… Aap please phone rakho and
mujhe 3-4 ghante tak call mat karna…

(Shikha disconnects the call) (Mom sad and unhappy)

(After a few hours)

Dad - Hello! Beta free ho gaye aap..?

Shikha – Papa maine bola tha na ki mujhe 3-4 ghante tak call mat karna… Main
bahot busy hun.. ek ek phone call se mera time waste hota hai…

Dad – Arrey… aisa kya ho gaya bete… We are your parents. Kya hum bhi tumhe call
nahi kar sakte. 2-3 din se vaise hi tumse baat nahi hop aa rahi hai.. Hume tumhari
itni yaad aa rahi thi. Hume to ye bhi nahi pata tum kaisi ho, kya kar rahi ho… Kuch
share to kiya karo humse. Hum bhi to yahan akele hain and we miss you so much…

Shikha – Papa… Mere paas in sab baton ka waqt nahi hai… Aap log kyun nahi
samajhte ho..

Dad – Dekho beta.. Aise nahi chalega.. Tum kaam me itna busy ho gayi ho ki
tumhare liye relations ki koi value hi nahi hai.. Poora din aur phir der raat tak tum
kaam ki vajah se bahar rehti ho… Hum call karte hain to humse baat karne se mana
kar deti ho… Kisi bhi relative ka phone receive nahi karti ho.. Sab poochhte rehte
hain tumhare bare me.. What is this…? Kya yahi values sikhayi thi humne tum
bachchon ko..

Shikha - Dad aap meri problems kyun nahi samajh rahe ho…

Dad – Let it be.. I don’t want to talk to you… Maine tumse ye kabhi expect nahi
kiya tha…
(Dad disconnects the call angrily)

Shikha (Starts crying badly and speaks to herself) – Main kya karun.. Kaise samjhaun
mom dad ko.. Main buri beti nahi hun.. Main bhi unhe bahot miss karti hun aur
unse bahot pyaar bhi karti hun.. Main unki sikhayi hui values nahi bhooli… Par main
kya karun…?? They don’t understand my problem at all.. What should I do..? I am
not doing it intentionally… No one understands me..

(Starts crying badly)

Narrator – You saw what happened to Shikha. She was very depressed with her
situation. She felt as if there’s nobody who can understand her, not even her
parents. She couldn’t understand what to do and kept crying most of the time. Is
there anybody in the audience who can tell us what could have been a possible
solution to Shikha’s problem…?

(Narrator takes one or two answers from the audience)

(After the answers)
Narrator – Let us tell you what happened next. After a few days Shikha met her
school friend at a café. She saw Shikha depressed and asked her about her
situation. Shikha narrated the entire story to her friend. After analysing shikha’s
situation, her friend introduced her to Budhdhism and explained her about the
power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. She also invited her for the next Zadankai. After
that Shikha started attending all the BSG meetings. She did her morning and
evening prayers and studied Sensei’s guidance to first understand it & then apply it
in her own life. She also did many home visits and took guidance. She continued
her practice sincerely for a few months. Let us see what happened next.

Shikha (calling her Mom) – Mumma… Aap kaise ho..?

Mom – Main theek hun beta, tum kaisi ho…?

Shikha – Mom I am sorry for my behaviour that day. I promise main aaj ke baad
kabhi aisa behave nahi karungi. I will try to become a good daughter.

Mom – No problem beta... We understand your problems.

Shikha – Mom, I wanted to tell you ki aaj meri final presentation hai aur uske baad
hum poori team ke sath dinner pe jayenge. Vapas aate waqt dair ho jayegi. Par
aap ghabrana mat. Main aapko dinner pe jane se pehle call karungi and dinner ke
baad ghar pahunchne par bhi baat karungi.. Aap papa ko bhi bata dena

Mom – Ok Beta… No problem. Aap apni presentation pe concentrate karo. All the
best!

Shikha – Thank you Maa.

(After a few hours)

Shikha (calling her dad) – Hi papa! Meri presentation bahot achchi rahi. Ab hum log
apni team ke sath dinner pe ja rahe hain. Raat ko late free honge. Aap pareshan
mat hona. I will keep you updated.

Dad – No problem beta. Aap araam se apne team dinner pe jao. We understand
your job responsibilities. Apna khyal rakhna and keep doing the good work.

Narrator – So a simple act of introspection by Shikha and then making an attempt

to change her own self resulted in her parents understanding her work
engagements.

In Nicherin Buddhism we often use the term “Life Condition” to describe our inner
mental or emotional state . Life Condition however refers to the whole picture of our
internal and external circumstances. Not only it means outlook, frame of mind , heart and
spirit but it also includes one’s surroundings, the harmony of one’s family setting, work
environment , role in the community , prosperity, etc. All of these things characterise our
life and it’s environment.

ACT 2

Narrator: When people’s inner life is misguided or unbalanced, the environment - human
society, the ecosystem, oceans , atmosphere and geography - is negatively influenced . It is
very important to understand that it’t not a static relationship. The connection between us
and our surroundings is dynamic , alive. We are constantly exerting an influence on our
surroundings while our surroundings are constantly influencing us.

In simple words if your inner self is not happy you will never be able to derive joy out of
your environment, because everything seems dull.

Let us observe the second act now.

Ravi – Rahul, have you noticed aajkal humari lane kafi gandi hoti ja rahi hai..

Rahul - Yeah! Exactly! Har koi apne ghar ka kooda bahar sadak pe phaink deta hai..

Ravi – Don’t you think ki hume apni lane me dustbins lagvane chahiye..

Rahul – Bilkul! Did you see vo next vali lane me sab society members ne contribute
kar ke jahag jagah dustbins lagwa bhi liye hain.. Ek humari hi society ke members
hain jo kabhi kisi cheez ka initiative nahi lete.

Ravi - Actually you are right.. But koi kare bhi to kya kare.. Sab apne apne kaam
me busy hain.. Nobody is bothered about the cleanliness of the society.. Main khud
soch raha tha karne ko but akela main kar bhi kya paunga… I know nobody is going
to support me… isliye in sab pachdon me padne ka koi fayda nahi.. Jab Municipal
corporation vale aayenge to society ki situation dekh kar apne aap hi kuch
karenge.

Rahul – arrey vo bhi kya karenge…!! All these corporation people are corrupt. They
are not going to do anything. Is society ka ab kuch nahi ho sakta.. Iska to bhagwan
hi maalik hai…

(After a few days)

Ravi _ yaar is society me rehna mushkil ho raha hai.. Itni gandagi ho gayi hai yahan
pe.. kooda sadak pe pada pada sadta rehta hai… I can’t even breathe here.. Mujhe
to aisa lagne laga hai ki main kisi landfill me rehta hun..

Rahul – Ravi, do you know humari neighbour Sushma ki daughter ko malaria ho

gaya hai..?

Ravi – What..? She is just 2 years old.. !!! Oh Man!

Rahul – Yes! I just took her to the hospital. Sushma was very tensed. I hope uski
daughter jaldi theek ho jaye…

Ravi – Rahul!! Do din se mujhe bhi nauseatic feel ho raha hai… It is becoming
difficult for me to live in this society.. Mujhe darr hai ki mujhe bhi koi bimari na
ho jaye.. What should we do…? Kuch samajh nahi aa raha.. This is frustrating!

Narrator – Well, sahi baat hai ek akela insaan kar bhi kya sakta hai…. Right?? Do
you agree with me..?

(Narrator takes one or two answers from the audience)

Narrator – To aap jaante hain phir kya hua.

Girish – Hi Rahul! Kya baat hai tum 2-3 din se bahot tensed dikhayi de rahe ho..

Rahul – Yaar vahi society ki cleanliness vali problem. I don’t know what to do
about it.
Girish – Why don’t you yourself take an initiative for this? Remember Sensei’s
guidance that we are taught in our Buddhism practice. Why don’t you follow
that...? I remember you told me that you have not been chanting since a month
now. I suggest, start going to the meetings again. Do your daily Daimoku and
Gongyo and continue your study. I am sure you’ll be able to find answers to your
problems.

Narrator – After having a conversation with Girish, Rahul started going to his BSG
meetings again. He did his daily Daimoku and applied Sensei’s guidance. Within a
few months Rahul realised the importance of taking initiatives and learnt that how
a small change in one’s own life will bring about a change in his or her own life. He
along with his friend Ravi went from house to house and collected money for
installing dustbins in his locality. Within a few days all the dustbins were installed
and the lane was cleaned. That’s how Rahul and Ravi attained wisdom and made a
difference to the society by their actions.