Oneness of Self and Its Environment

Concept flow with questions:

Introduction - Very good morning, I Richa would like to

welcome to all the members and friends present today for our
first offline Courage Block Level meeting of Vivante District
after approx. two & half years pandemic. Let’s give a big
round of applause.
So today we are presenting the concept “ Oneness of Self and
Its Environment”. Flow of concept is in Q&A form.

We have Lekha , Sheenam , Jyoti ,Alpana and Richa who will

be sharing their understanding of concept.

Over to you Sheenam - We often blame our suffering on

things outside ourselves – other people or circumstances
beyond our control. If there are problems at work, we often
think of the problem as lying with the company or another
individual. If we are having financial issues, we see it as being
due to a weak economy or to having no jobs. We think we can
solve the problem if we go somewhere else, leave the
relationship we have and find a more congenial one.

But Buddhism teaches the principle of the oneness of life and

its environment. That means as though our subjective self and
our objective surroundings might appear to be two
independent realities, they are in fact two dimensions of a
single reality, each arising in relationship with the other. So
let’s dive down deep to understand it better.
Sheenam - So first I would like to ask Lekha – Please
share What do we mean by Oneness of Self and
Environment?

Lekha - The Buddhist principle of the Oneness of Self and

Environment (esho funi) means that life (sho) and its
environment are inseparable (funi). Funi means “two but not
two”. This means that although we perceive things around us
as separate from us, there is a dimension of our lives that is
one universe. At the most fundamental level of life itself,
there is no separation between us and the environment.

Richa - Thank you Lekha for explaining.

Richa to Sheenam please share with us all that -

What is the significance of oneness of self and
environment?

Sheenam - Our life and our environment go hand in hand. If

we are experiencing a hellish internal life state, this will be
reflected in our surroundings as well as in the ways we
respond to events. Likewise, when we are full of joy, the
environment reflects this reality. If our basic tendency is
towards the life state of compassion, we will enjoy the
protection and support of the world around us. By elevating
our basic life state- which is the purpose of Nichiren Buddhist
practice- we can transform our external reality. As wherever
we are, in whatever circumstances, we can bring forth our
innate Buddhahood, thus transforming our environment into
“the Buddha’s land “a joy-filled place where we can create
value for ourselves and for others. As Nichiren writes,” If the
minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure,
but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two
lands, pure or impure. The difference lies solely in the good or
evil of our minds.”

Alpana - Thank you Sheenam for giving us the

understanding.

Alpana - Jyoti Can you please lets us know - How

can we apply this in concept in our day-to-day life?

Jyoti - Each living being has his or her own unique

environment. We perceive everything through self and alter it
according to our inner state of life. The oneness of self and
environment suggests that individual can influence and reform
their environments through inner change or through the
elevation of their basic life state. The act of chanting Nam-
myoho-renge-kyo to Gohonzon summons our Buddha nature
that spur us to change things around us. The process of
summoning our Buddha nature is characterized by turning our
negatives into positives, undergoing a dynamic transformation
from within. This process is called human revolution. Human
revolution implies breaking from our weakness and egoistic
nature and involves a When people hearts changes and they
arouse great courage, their voice, expression and behavior and
spirit also change and thy can transform every aspect of their
lives. When we manifest wisdom, generosity and integrity, we
naturally make more valuable choices, and we will find that
our surrounding are nurturing and supportive. The more we
believe that our actions do make a difference, the greater
difference we find we make.

Lekha - Thank you Jyoti.

Lekha - Alpana please share the actual proof of the

application of this concept in daily life.

All of us see our environment as something that was

established and existed prior to our arrival into this world. We
were born into it and believe we were born by chance into
whatever life circumstances existed at their birth, we are
taught that these circumstances had nothing to do with us.
That very thinking that outer circumstances have nothing to
do with us starts persisting in our minds. For example, if we
enter a work environment, we see ourselves as entering an
environment that is separate from us. If there are problems at
work, we often think of the problem as lying with the
company or another individual.
If I need to consider an example from my own life, the last
few weeks were terribly bad for me, it’s not that the
circumstances were not good, but my mind’s tendency to take
it in -ive way made my life like a hell. Recently my spouse
moved to another city for work & I started a new phase where
I have to live alone with my son, with more responsibilities to
fulfil, at the same time I started experiencing immense
pressure of meeting the deadlines at my workplace. Things
were taking a toll on me & I kind of fell prey to anxiety
disorder. I started fighting with my spouse over the calls and
was venting out my frustration at my 10-year-old son. I was
criticizing my Team Leads every now & then though
internally I know she is a dynamic lady.
The same human tendency I was following to blame the
people & circumstances for any -ive feeling i am going
through. If I would have kept the peace & respond to the
situation calmly, things would have in much better shape. My
lower life state was creating a ruckus in my family & my
professional life.
Then suddenly one fine day in a block level meeting I was
asked to prepare for this concept, “the oneness of mind &
environment”, which came as a blessing to me. When I study
this concept, I found that it was in complete resonance with
what I was going through. Then I wholeheartedly started
chanting for my eternal happiness & gave myself some time
to ponder, I realized that these are just the situations & my
response to them will change my environment be it hell or
harmonious. This realization is very much important to create
a blissful environment around us be it personal or
professional.
Now I am in a much better life state & determine not to get
succumb to a hard time but rather to face that with a smile that
will turn those difficult situations into opportunities in life
which at some point in time help us to blossom & by become
a better version of ourselves.

Jyoti – Thank you Alpana.

Jyoti – Now I would request Richa to conclude the

concept.

Richa – Making this concept as core principle of our

life gives us courage and hope because as we chant, we
see the potential in our self to overcome our negativity
which in turns elevate our life condition and generates
the power to bring growth & change in ourselves. Our
change enables us to open the way for everyone to
realize happiness for themselves and others & spread a
network of peace and justice dedicated to building a
better society.

Thank you.

Dear Bodhisattva of Courage Block of Vivante District!

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Let's all come together to celebrate the commemorating
July 3rd – Mentor Disciple Day Discussion Meeting

🌸Date - Sunday, 24th July 2022

🌸 Alliance Daimoku- 10:30 am to 10:40 am

🌸 Meeting time - 10:40 am to 11:00 am

🌸 Venue - Mona Lisa’s Place, Gulshan Vivante, Flat No

- 21, 2nd Floor, K Tower, Sector 137, Noida – 201301.
Kindly follow Covid appropriate behaviour at all times.
Wearing the Mask throughout the meeting is
mandatory.

Please attend joyfully and encourage all members and

friends to attend too.
Thank you