Zenchi Uno, who is active in conveying the philosophy of Zen, which is attracting attention from all over the world, in easy-to-understand words, has been involved in many activities related to mental health and delivers messages that lighten the hearts of people who are struggling with life.
What kind of advice can a monk from a 2,500-year-old history of Buddhism and Zen offer for the various problems people are experiencing today?
I can’t stop checking SNS and observing what other people are saying and doing.
They are making expensive purchases, hanging out with many friends, getting married, having babies, or getting promotions. Seeing these people with things I don’t have makes me emotional, thinking, ‘What about me? Why is it only them?’ How can I find more inner peace?
You can’t control your mind with your mind.
First, try ‘disconnecting from SNS.
Firstly, from a very practical standpoint, Zen emphasizes the importance of “distancing yourself from the source of negative emotions.” Feelings like sadness, anger, and jealousy naturally emerge and cannot be easily suppressed. Trying to control these emotions while remaining immersed in the environment where they arise is simply impossible.
For example, when you encounter an irritating or upsetting situation at school or work, I recommend stepping away from the situation, perhaps by going to the restroom to calm down and gather your thoughts. Once you are calm, you can reflect and appreciate things like, “I didn’t inadvertently escalate the situation or say something unnecessary,” and “I avoided behaving poorly.”
The key point is that you can’t control your mind with your mind. You can’t “try not to care about what bothers you” while you’re fully immersed in SNS. So, it’s important to step away from it. Since we are always connected through our smartphones, it’s helpful to set personal rules, like “only check it for an hour during the day” or “avoid SNS at night.”
Also, as a side note, sometimes people write slanderous or hurtful things on SNS. There is a famous story about the Buddha where he says, “I will not accept insults.”
When the Buddha was teaching with his disciples, a person from another sect said, “If I use bad language, the Buddha will respond with dirty words. If people see him acting like that, his popularity will quickly fade.”
Buddha quietly listened to the man’s words. After the man finished his insults, Buddha asked him, “If someone brings a gift and the other person doesn’t accept it, who does the gift belong to?”
The man replied, “That’s obvious. If the other person didn’t accept it, then it belongs to the person who brought it.” The Buddha said, “Then I, too, will not accept the words I received today, so you take them back with you.” You don’t have to accept terrible or dirty words as your own. If you don’t, they will return to the person who said them.
Don’t let additional negative thoughts follow the initial negative emotions.
For example, if a friend posts about buying a luxury car, you can’t stop the feelings of “I like it, I’m envious.” However, you are the one suffering from envy by adding unnecessary thoughts like, “They’re so boastful, it’s disgusting,” “Their spending is vulgar,” or “Why don’t I have money? It’s miserable.”
If we let the feeling of “I envy you” pass through us as it is, it won’t hurt us much. The Buddha described this technique as “not receiving the second or third arrow.”
We human beings have “four pains and eight sufferings” (shikuhakku: a term that expresses the four sufferings of life, aging, illness, and death, plus the four pains of separation from loved ones (aibetsuriku), grudge and hate (onzoueku), seeking and not finding happiness (gufutokku), and the five aggregates of suffering (gounjouku). These are the “unsolvable problems” that are unavoidable in human life. To be born, to grow old, to get sick, and to die are not things we can choose, control, or change. The word “suffering” here refers to “things that cannot be controlled.”
Whenever you try to “do something about” these issues, you will suffer. No matter how hard we try or struggle, there is nothing we can do about them. So, what should we do? The Buddha said that if we can accept that we will grow old and that we will all die in the end, “We only need to deal with one arrow.”
If you compare yourself with others and think, “Why should I get sick when I am a better person?” or “I want to live one day longer than that person,” you are adding more suffering. This additional suffering, the second and third arrows, is caused by your own “desires.”
Practicing zazen or training is a lesson to become a “wonderful version of yourself.”
Most people would probably say, “Even so, I can’t control those extra feelings.” It’s hard for me too to always stay clear-minded. That’s why I practice zazen and training every day. Zazen is great for learning to “observe and let go of rising emotions.”
Many of you might think, “Practicing Buddhism is too hard and doesn’t relate to my life.” But for us monks, the reason we practice and our ultimate goal is to become someone people admire and think, “That person is wonderful.” It’s very simple. Practicing means paying attention to everyday things, like eating or brushing your teeth. For me, the greatest role model in history is the Buddha. That’s why I read the sutras that summarize what the Buddha said and practice zazen, just as the Buddha did.
もしＳＮＳを見て、他人の言動を見て何かネガティブな感情が生まれたとき、「これは絶好の修行の場だな」と思えたらいいですね。妬んだり、怒ったり、落ち込んだりする自分なのか、それとも人の楽しみや喜びを「よかったね」と思える自分なのか。もちろんそんなに簡単に、素敵な人にはなれませんよ。でも「自分はどちらの人間になっていきたいか」を丁寧に考えてみる。頭で考えるだけでダメだったら、いったんその場から離れ、掃除や坐禅をしてみたりする。そんな風に切り替えられたらいいですよね。
Have a try !
When negative emotions arise, it’s important to maintain some distance. For information on Zazen, please refer to the Soto Zen website.
（https://www.sotozen-net.or.jp/sotozazen）
