Berkeley, CA, 13 July 1983.

Listen to the teachings that form the basis of this transcript in our nline !eachings area. "lans are in the #orks to pro$uce a %&% of this talk later in '((). *+,e been aske$ to say a fe# #or$s on the topic of an-iety in the nuclear age. !he first thing to obser,e is that the people #ho create$ nuclear energy are no# afrai$ that it #ill $estroy them. *s this realistic or not. /irst #e create a situation0 then #e+re scare$ of it. 1e kno# that nuclear energy e-ists an$ is $estructi,e by nature but that it can also be beneficial an$ enhance human pleasure. 2e,ertheless, #e+re still an-ious an$ afrai$ of the harm it might $o to us an$ the follo#ing generations. 3o#e,er, there+s no nee$ for fear, #orry or an-iety because, first of all, nuclear energy is a reality an$ secon$ly, our opinion of #hat+s going happening is 4ust that5an opinion. *t+s not yet a reality0 it+s simply a presumption. "erhaps you+ll argue that e,en though it+s only a presumption, #e shoul$ still #orry. *f that+s the case, #e shoul$ #orry about e,erything. 1e shoul$ be an-ious to$ay about #hat might happen tomorro#. 6,ery $ay since the #orl$ began, some#here on earth, there has been some kin$ of natural $isaster5 floo$, electrical storm, forest fire, earth7uake, ,olcanic eruption an$ $eath an$ $estruction in general. *t+s natural. 2ature itself is $estructi,e by nature an$ has the capacity to $o ,iolence. 8till, * $on+t think you shoul$ lose sleep o,er it0 there+s no nee$ for fear, #orry or an-iety. *+m not saying that people #ho are against nuclear energy are ba$ guys. *, too, feel it is $angerous. But #e ha,e to e$ucate the #orl$ about its $angers in a peaceful #ay5one that $oesn+t pro$uce emotional reaction an$ hatre$. *+,e seen many people $emonstrating peacefully on !&. 6,en though they felt strongly about the issues, they #ere ,ery easygoing. * thought that #as #on$erful0 they un$erstoo$ the importance of getting their message about nuclear $anger across peacefully. * #as ,ery impresse$. But *+m still concerne$. 9y concern is that if #e allo# oursel,es to be an-ious an$ afrai$, emotionally $isturbe$, #e+ll only pro$uce more confusion #ithin oursel,es. 1hen #e+re confuse$, #e sprea$ confuse$ energy to others an$ the en,ironment. Bringing peace to the #orl$ is no small task. 1e ha,e to take upon oursel,es uni,ersal responsibility. As in$i,i$uals, our first responsibility is to guarantee that #e oursel,es #ill ne,er harm anybo$y else+s life, to generate the in$estructible resol,e that irrespecti,e of the circumstances, :*+m ne,er going touch #eapons or kill other human beings.; 1e must ha,e that kin$ of $etermination. *f you $on+t feel that #ay yourself, ho# can you make a big sho# if telling others to be like that. *t+s not realistic. *n or$er to e$ucate others about ho# harmful an$ cruel nuclear energy can be, #e first ha,e to e$ucate oursel,es. 8o, #e shoul$n+t #orry about the nuclear age because it+s alrea$y here. 1e+re human beings0 #e create$ this situation. 1e lit this fire a long time ago. f

course, the earth has containe$ nuclear energy since it began, but has taken human intelligence to make it as $angerous as it has become. *n Bu$$hism, #e call this karma. nce a situation has manifeste$, the best thing to $o is to accept the fact an$ $eal #ith it. 2o#, there+s no reason for us to hate each other, but an-iety bree$s hatre$. !herefore, #e ha,e to check our moti,ation for $emonstrating for $isarmament an$ against nuclear energy. 1hy are #e $oing this. "erhaps our reasons are selfish5#hat #e+re really an-ious about is our o#n $estruction. *nstea$, #e shoul$ ha,e concern for the #hole of humanity. !hat+s the right moti,ation. !hen there+s no emotion. 6,en though you+re concerne$, occasionally fearful, your fear $oes not come from an un$erlying, e,er<present, emotional $isturbance. 1hat+s the goo$ of #orrying about things t#enty<four hours a $ay, $isturbing your min$ an$ pre,enting yourself from ha,ing a peaceful an$ 4oyful life. *t+s a #aste of time. 2othing+s going to change 4ust because you+re #orrying about it. *f something+s alrea$y broken, it+s broken. 1orrying #on+t fi- it. !his earth has al#ays been $estructi,e by nature, nuclear age or not. !here+s al#ays bloo$ flo#ing someplace or another. Look at #orl$ history. *t+s al#ays been like this. Bu$$hism calls this inter$epen$ent origination, an$ that+s ho# the human min$ #orks. !ake America+s #ar in &ietnam, for e-ample. !hat brought people together in a mo,ement for peace. !hat+s also inter$epen$ent. 8ome people sa# the horrible suffering, confusion, misery an$ $estruction #rought by others, so they #ent the other #ay, thinking, :!hat+s not right,; an$ $espite the $ifficulties, create$ a mo,ement of peace an$ lo,e. But the right #ay to eliminate harm from this earth is to first free your min$ from the emotional $isturbances that cause irrational fear of $estruction, an$ then e$ucate yourself an$ others in ho# to bring peace to the #orl$. !he first thing you must $o is to control your o#n min$ an$ commit yourself= :/rom no# on, no matter #hat happens, *+m ne,er going to use #eapons to kill any human being.; !hat+s #here #orl$ peace starts. 3uman beings can control their min$s an$ actions such that they #ill ne,er kill others0 people can learn to see that harming others $estroys not only the others+ pleasure an$ happiness but their o#n as #ell. !hrough this kin$ of e$ucation, #e can pre,ent nuclear energy from $estroying the #orl$. 1e can+t 4ust campaign for the complete abolition of nuclear energy. Like electricity, nuclear energy is useful if employe$ the right #ay. *f you+re careless #ith electricity, it can kill you too, can+t it. 1ith right kno#le$ge an$ metho$, #e shoul$ campaign to ensure that e,erybo$y on earth $etermines, :* #ill ne,er use nuclear #eapons to kill human beings.; *f that happene$, a nuclear conflagration coul$ ne,er occur. 2ot that it matters, but personally, * $on+t belie,e that nuclear energy is going to $estroy the earth. * $o belie,e, ho#e,er, that human beings are capable of

making a program to ensure that people e,ery#here, irrespecti,e of #hether they li,e in communist or capitalist societies, $etermine not to use nuclear #eapons to kill other human beings. *f #e #ere to un$ertake such an effort to e$ucate people, * think #e coul$ achie,e our aim #ithin ten years. 3ere, *+m not talking from a Bu$$hist point of ,ie#0 *+m not talking from any religion+s point of ,ie#. *+m talking from a humanist point of ,ie#, a realistic point of ,ie#. *f people+s min$s are out of control, they+re going to use nuclear #eapons. But irrespecti,e of #hether people are religious or non<religious, communist or non<communist, belie,ers or non<belie,ers, * belie,e e,ery human being is capable of un$erstan$ing the $ifference bet#een harmful an$ non<harmful actions an$ the benefit of e,erybo$y+s being peaceful an$ happy. 8ince it+s a uni,ersal reality, #e can e$ucate people to see it. 1ith respect to fear an$ #orry, the Bu$$ha+s solution is to analy>e the ob4ect of fear an$ #orry. *f you $o this correctly, you+ll be able to recogni>e that you+re seeing the ob4ect as fun$amentally permanent, #hich has nothing to $o #ith its reality. Look at it an$ ask yourself, :*s this really #orth #orrying about. *s #orry a solution or not.; Analy>e the ob4ect= is it permanent or changeable. As the great saints ha,e sai$, :*f it+s changeable, #hy #orry. *f it+s not, #hat+s the use of #orrying.; 1hen you+re afrai$, analy>e the ob4ect of your fears. "articularly #hen you+re emotionally $isturbe$ an$ an-ious, you+ll fin$ that there+s a concept of concreteness in your min$, #hich causes you to pro4ect a concrete ob4ect e-ternally. 2either concept has anything to $o #ith reality. Bu$$hism asserts that the min$ of fear an$ #orry al#ays either o,erestimates or un$erestimates its ob4ect an$ ne,er sees its reality. *f you can percei,e the fun$amental, uni,ersal reality of your ob4ect of fear an$ #orry, it #ill become like a clou$5it comes0 it goes. 1hen you are o,ercome #ith #orry, you sometimes say, :*t+s al#ays like this.; !hat+s not true. !hings ne,er stay the same0 they al#ays come an$ go5that+s the reality. Also, #hen you+re occupie$ by an-iety an$ fear, you might mean #ell, but you automatically ha,e a ten$ency to generate hatre$. 3atre$ has nothing to $o #ith peace an$ happiness, $oes it. Bu$$hist psychology teaches that fear an$ an-iety ten$ to pro$uce anger, a,ersion an$ hatre$. ?ou say you #ant peace an$ happiness but your ,ery mental state causes hatre$. *t+s contra$ictory. "eople #ho $emonstrate for peace an$ other causes ha,e to #atch out for this, but you ha,e to 4u$ge for yourself ho# far you can go #ithout generating hatre$. 6,erybo$y+s $ifferent. Let+s say #e+re out there campaigning for peace but then the presi$ent says something #ith #hich #e $isagree. 8houl$ #e get angry. 8houl$ #e hate the presi$ent. * $on+t belie,e so0 that #oul$ be a mistake. *f our concern for peace an$ happiness makes us angry, there+s something #rong. !he presi$ent is a human being. 3e, too, #ants peace an$ happiness. At the bottom of his heart, he #ants to be happy0 he $oesn+t #ant to be miserable. !his is the uni,ersal reality.

!herefore, all of us in the peace mo,ement shoul$ make sure that #e $on+t hate any human being. !his is the most important thing. 1hen #e $emonstrate, #e shoul$ be true to our #or$. Being a politician is not easy. 6,en being a #ife or a husban$ is not easy. 9ost situations come #ith responsibility an$ obligation. 1e can look outsi$e an$ blin$ly critici>e people #ho #ork as a$ministrators an$ so forth, but realistically, their position can be ,ery $ifficult. !o be successful, the peace mo,ement shoul$ be selfless. *f #e #ho campaign for peace are coming from a place of selfishness, a basic concern for, :9e, me, me,; #e ha,e little chance of success. *f, instea$, #e ha,e a broa$ ,ie# base$ on concern for all human beings5un$erstan$ing that e,erybo$y #ants happiness an$ nobo$y #ants to be miserable5an$ can e$ucate others to see this, if #e #ork to#ar$s this goal continuously, ultimately #e+ll achie,e it. !here are many me$itations you can $o to eliminate an-iety. But me$itation $oesn+t mean going off to the mountains. ?ou ha,e the key to change your min$ at any time, #here,er you are. ?ou can learn to s#itch your min$ from emotion to peace an$, each time you get $istracte$, gently bring it back to peace again. "ractice this o,er an$ o,er again. ?ou can $o this0 it+s human nature. ?ou ha,e to reali>e #hat you+re capable of. Check your o#n life, from the time you #ere born up to no#5ho# many times ha,e you change$ your min$. 1ho change$ it for you. Bu$$ha $i$n+t change it. Jesus $i$n+t change it. 1ho change$ your min$. Analy>e this for yourself. !hat is the beauty of being human. 1e ha,e the capacity for liberation #ithin us0 #e come #ith that ability. *f #e utili>e our energy an$ intelligence correctly, #e can $isco,er that liberation an$ happiness are alrea$y there, #ithin us. !he fun$amental principle of Bu$$hism is not to kill. As Bu$$hists, this is our main obligation. * think most of you coul$ promise ne,er to kill another human being. !hat makes me ,ery happy. 1e all ha,e same aim0 #e think alike. 6,en though *+m a !ibetan monk, an une$ucate$ mountain man, an$ you+re e$ucate$ people from in$ustriali>e$, capitalist societies, #e ha,e the same un$erstan$ing. 1e $on+t kno# each other, but #e can still #ork together. !hat+s the most beautiful thing about being human. 1e can communicate #ith others. 1e shoul$ try to e$ucate people all o,er the #orl$ to the point #here e,erybo$y says, :/or the rest of my life, * #ill ne,er kill another human being.; *f e,ery human being on earth coul$ agree to that, #hat #oul$ there be to #orry about. 1ho coul$ possibly be paranoi$. *n one #ay, the peace mo,ement is beautiful, an$ if #e act accor$ing to its i$eas, there+ll be no more racism, no more nationalism. 1e+ll be e7ually concerne$ for all people. !here+ll be no more fanatical religious concerns0 #e #on+t e,en care if people are religious or not. ur only concern #ill be peace. All that #ill matter #ill be that people e,ery#here lo,e an$ take care of each other. 1ho cares #ho+s communist or non<communist. 1hat+s in the human

heart is #hat+s important, not #hether people are communist or capitalist. *f #e talk to each other, #e can change the human heart. At present, #e might be locate$ in a non<communist country, but #e shoul$n+t pro4ect that communists #ant kill people #ho aren+t. !hat+s not true. "eople in communist countries are la$ies an$ gentlemen, too. Like us, they #ant to be happy an$ $esire not to be miserable. !herefore, together #e can reach conclusions #ithout in,ol,ing the $ogma of philosophy, the $ogma of religion, the $ogma of nationality, the $ogma of racism0 #e can come together #ithout any kin$ of $ogma. !hat is beautiful. !hat is the beauty of the human being5to bring human unity an$ un$erstan$ing #ithout being blin$e$ by categories. *f you go to @ussia an$ ask people, :%o you #ant to be kille$ by nuclear missiles.; they+re going to say 2oA /or sure, they $on+t #ant that to happen. !herefore, #e ha,e to e$ucate people to un$erstan$ the $ifference bet#een #hat is beneficial for humanity an$ #hat is $estructi,e5for the in$i,i$ual an$ for all. *t+s simply a matter of e$ucation. Lor$ Bu$$ha stresse$ the importance of generating lo,ing kin$ness for all people irrespecti,e of race, nationality, cree$ or anything else0 he taught that all human beings an$ e,en animals #ere the ob4ect of lo,ing kin$ness. !his is the best guarantee against nuclear #ar, because each in$i,i$ual has to maintain control an$ take personal responsibility for the #elfare of the all beings in the uni,erse. !aking uni,ersal responsibility is the guarantee. *f each in$i,i$ual $oesn+t take personal responsibility for the #elfare of all, it #on+t #ork. !o bring happiness an$ peace to earth, #e ha,e to eliminate e,ery situation lea$ing to hatre$ an$ anger. !hat means totally era$icating our o#n hatre$ an$ anger. 1e ha,e to make our o#n li,es peaceful an$ happy. !his is the #ay to #ork for peace t#enty<four hours a $ay. *f our min$s harbor $estructi,e, angry thoughts, any talk of peace is 4ust a 4oke. *t+s merely artificial0 there+s no guarantee. !he only guarantee is to fertili>e our min$s #ith peace an$ lo,ing kin$ness to#ar$s all0 that+s the #ay #e shoul$ $o it. !he 7uestion remains, is it possible to sprea$ these i$eas throughout the #hole #orl$. Can #e get e,erybo$y in the #orl$ to agree to aban$on the use of nuclear arms an$ not to kill any human being. Can you make that $etermination yourself. 1e can sprea$ this philosophy or not. 1hat $o you think. 1e+re not using religion in this0 #e+re not using Bu$$ha, #e+re not using Christ, #e+re not using religion or non<religion5#e+re 4ust concerne$ for the #elfare of all human beings. 1hat $o you think. %o you think it+s possible to make this kin$ of program an$ reach that point reach or not. *+m not talking nationalistically or making any philosophic argument0 *+m 4ust talking about feeling secure, taking care of each other, lo,ing each other, bringing peace an$ happiness to each other. *t+s a ,ery simple thing. !herefore, in our $aily li,es, each of us shoul$ all $e$icate oursel,es to bringing peace an$ happiness to all beings, an$ this $etermination itself is a po#erful #ay of bringing peace an$ success into our li,es. But this $oesn+t mean not to act, either0 to 4ust be passi,e. But #hen you $o act, act #ith #is$om an$ #ithout

selfishness, hatre$ or emotional fear. *n that #ay, you #ill e$ucate yourself an$ others. %on+t #orry. Any talk of nuclear $estruction of the earth is still speculation. *t+s 4ust a mental pro4ection0 it+s not yet reality. !herefore, rela- an$ en4oy the rest of your life as much as possible. Be happy an$ peaceful, an$ $on+t #aste your time #ith pessimistic thoughts, fear or #orry. !hank you so much.