Understanding Your Own Life

Why is faith necessary? In order to answer this question, we must first answer some other basic questions, such as “What is a human being?” and “What is life?” To live a humanistic life, we must first try to understand the words “human” and “life”.

Science and medicine have progressed and developed to the point of gaining a thorough understanding of the composition and functions of the human body. This does not mean, however, that science is yet capable of clearly defining the nature of the human being or life itself. Dr. Alexis Carrel (1873 – 1944), a Nobel Prize winner in the field of physiology, once stated, “We humans do not understand human beings. Our internal world is unfathomably vast, a veritable uncharted continent onto which we have yet to set foot.” A well known Japanese doctor has also mentioned: “Though it is thought that medicine has reached an advanced stage of development, it still understands nothing about the mysterious workings of life and the human mind. While plastic surgeons can fix facial scars and even change the shape of one’s face, doctors are still unable to cause even a single hair to grow.”

Nichiren Daishonin states in the Gosho, “Mumyo means benightedness, indicating that one’s mind is not clearly awakened” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 564). Buddhism defines ignorance of one’s own life as “benightedness”, the fundamental darkness inherent in human life, which is the basic cause of delusion and unhappiness. We can be happiest when we truly understand our own lives and are able to freely tap our highest potential.

Buddhism elucidates the fundamental law or principle underlying all of life’s basic functions. Faith is the practical means by which we make this law our foundation, thereby strengthening and purifying our lives and freely displaying the wonderful power we possess within us. At the same time, we can fully express our individuality. Therefore, to have faith in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is nothing extraordinary. It is simply an expression of our desire to seek the fundamental law that enables us to be truly human, to fully sense the wonder of our own lives and feel the great joy of living.