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15. Violence is Weakness, Prayer
is Power (Part Three) |
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Authoritarianism
As we came face to face with the destructiveness of authoritarianism,
what happened on Sept. 11 may serve as an opportunity
for us to gain deeper insight into the nature of violence
and learn the meaning of freedom from those who made a
true sacrifice. As violence stems from the authoritarian
character of submission and domination, which is in turn
a manifestation of the enfeebled self, any attempt to
suppress violence with further violence may only be described
as foolishness. How many times must humanity repeat the
same mistake of trying to cure violence with more violence?
In this regard, the Daishonin warns us, “If you
try to treat someone’s illness without knowing its
cause, you will only make the person sicker than before”
(WND, 774). This is the time that we must cure this greatest
ailment of human civilization at its root. We must begin
to seriously think about ways to empower people not only
economically and politically, but also spiritually so
that we may control human destructiveness. Each one of
us must deeply reflect upon our own authoritarian tendency
to give up so easily our freedom and power of reason to
external authority.
In one sense, the Soka Spirit movement lies in our efforts
to understand the nature of authoritarianism; it is a
process in which we develop our ability to both self-reflect
and think critically about what is happening in our environment.
As we have learned from the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood,
even the humanistic teachings of the Daishonin’s
Buddhism can become authoritarian depending upon its practitioners’
understanding and action.
This important lesson becomes genuine only when we realize
that the absence of priesthood does not necessarily mean
the end of authoritarianism, and that each of us is responsible
to understand and practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism
as the humanistic teaching it is intended to be.
Likewise, although the vast majority of religions in the
world are founded upon the principles of love and peace,
through the recent atrocities and numerous other tragedies
in history, we have been repeatedly made aware how easily
some irrational zealots can pervert any religion into
authoritarian dogma that enslaves people. More than ever,
it is crucial for us to reaffirm our commitment to the
humanistic tenets of our beliefs and shun the forces of
authoritarianism from within and without.
Prayer
One of the most concrete and powerful ways to oppose violence
and authoritarianism is prayer that sincerely affirms
the power of life—both within our lives and in the
lives of others. The ideas of nonviolence and humanism
can change the way we live only when those ideas are understood
not only intellectually but also felt deeply in our hearts’
core. As Gandhi eloquently said: “Non-violence is
not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is
in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our
very being” (Gandhi on Non-Violence, Thomas Merton,
ed., p. 24). Prayer is our precious tool to discover the
dormant dignity of life as the Daishonin states, “One
who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enters his or her own palace”
(Gosho Zenshu, p. 787).
Prayer is a process in which we transform the abstract
idea of life’s dignity into a concrete reality that
is felt in the depths of our lives and into our personal
conviction that is displayed in how we treat others as
well as ourselves.
Whatever faiths we Americans embrace today, our prayers
must be united in our love for life and peace. If we are
to hate anything, let us hate hatred and violence with
a single heart. From such united prayer of true strength
and patriotism will emerge a new America that is free
of violence. As many people have shown through their courage
in the face of the recent tragedy, violence is weakness,
and prayer is power.
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