I have passed through many young people, and destroyed their talents and crippled their potentials, because it is where I sleep and enjoy myself, but more often than not, I possess you, to find other young people to have them destroyed.
Such is the world of isolation in the position of authority, in the life of humans.
A recent study by the global health care provider Cigna revealed that most adults over the age of 18 consider themselves to be lonely and that Generation Z (people born from the mid-1990s to early-2000s) is the loneliest of all.
They found that a lack of meaningful human connections resulted in negative health outcomes that were equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Wisdom or knowledge discovered in my research among young people, thought me about the hidden worlds of the Buddhist concept that gives insight into the idea of “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.”
TSASI:
The Ten Worlds are 10 conditions of life that we have the potential to experience from moment to moment.
They are described as the worlds of:
1) hell,
2) hunger,
3) animality,
4) anger,
5) humanity,
6) heaven,
7) learning,
8) realisation,
9) bodhisattvas and
10) Buddhahood.
Understanding the nature of these worlds can help us recognize our life tendencies and begin to transform them.
In addition, the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is a revolutionary concept explaining that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the potential for the other nine within itself. In other words, because the potential for Buddhahood exists within each of these worlds, we can bring forth this highest state of life no matter our circumstances.
For example, I was suffering in the world of hell due to the loss of a loved one, I couldn’t summon profound compassion and empathy and rather fall into the habit of loneliness, smoking and drinking alcohol.
But I tried to call for help regardless of my life state, and I was asked to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to summon Buddhahood and create value.
Sometimes from our own causes and effects we choose our old inner barren friend, who is our tendency, he devour us and bring us to the state of loneliness.
Can you tell us about your experiences dealing with what has recently been described as the loneliness epidemic?.
The world is like a big stage for rehearsing to become as good as possible. I can totally relate to feeling alone while being surrounded by people and falling into the trap of trying to protect myself by not engaging with others.
But I’ve learned through my Buddhist practice that, when I do that, I’m just cutting myself off from the opportunity to develop my humanity. It’s only because of my Buddhist practice and community that I willingly engage with people.
Maybe it is better for me to share my experiences dealing with what first SGI-GHANA general director Mr Asomani has been describing as the loneliness epidemic in our society.
Dansoman was not as big a town as it is today. Through our Foster group dialogue activities, I learned that many people, are seeking a genuine connection with others and a space where they can be themselves.
Well in 2005 in Italy during my SGI-Italy activities, based on popular demand, we held an event on the topic of loneliness.
It turned out to be one of our most well-attended events, which shows how salient or important p this topic is for youth.
One young woman shared how she chose to isolate herself, because it was the safest way for her to ensure that she doesn’t get hurt.
While this outlook perpetuates the cycle of loneliness, many young people don’t have the tools to rise above their circumstances.
Even I myself can relate to feeling alone while being surrounded by people and falling into the trap of trying to protect myself by not engaging with others.
But I’ve learned through my Buddhist practice that, when I do that, I’m just cutting myself off from the opportunity to develop my humanity. It’s only because of my Buddhist practice and community that I willingly engage with people.
Today I work in one of Europe’s busiest airports in the Netherlands that has approximately 200,000 passengers arriving and departing daily.
When I walk around the departure and arrival halls, all I see is most passengers are looking at their phones or listening to music.
Last year, on my trip to Italy, a passenger on board was to take his headphones off and put his laptop off. He responded by saying that he wanted to tune others out.
Even students I attended classes with four years ago are so tuned out of their lives and so tuned in to social media that it negatively impacts their ability to engage with others in a meaningful way.
I think that’s the tendency of this generation to disengage, tune out, avoid and isolate.
I can’t imagine living in a high-stress society without my Buddhist practice. My only option might be to tune out, so as not to feel anything.
Many young people today only know how to communicate through technology. When you people don’t know how to discover your authentic self, it’s easy to define yourself based on what you see in social media, for example.
SGI President Ikeda says that it is only by interacting with others that we can truly learn about ourselves.
When we have less opportunities to interact meaningfully with others, it is very difficult to fully develop skills like empathy or compassion.
I see a lot of adults also struggling with family dynamics. One young man friend of mine was recently kicked out of his house.
He’s been failing class as a result of his challenges at home. It’s common for youth to feel disconnected, even from their own families.
If family relationships are fractured, I’m sure that also affects their ability to form healthy relationships with others.
When I think about my own experiences in secondary school, I think my loneliness was rooted in the belief that no one understood me, but that was because I didn’t understand myself.
My loneliness came from my own lack of belief in my life. My Buddhist practice has been crucial in fundamentally shifting that feeling.
If you don’t want to be in a relationship, then question the purpose of your life.
Instead of thinking of getting rid off you. I ask myself how I can use them to create value for myself and others. This is the profundity of our philosophy of hope.
I feel that loneliness is a manifestation of our society. It’s a wake-up call to us that people’s hearts are dying.
This idea that we have voluntarily chosen our karma to lead people to happiness is empowering. It gives meaning to my suffering. In the depths of my life, I chose to experience loneliness so I can understand the suffering of karma.
That’s what gives my struggles meaning. Instead of feeling like I just have to get rid of my problems, I ask myself how I can use them to create value for myself and others. This is the profundity of our philosophy of hope.
Thank you TSASI for today’s dialogue.
