Real optimism should not be confused with a care-free outlook on life, one in which we forfeit responsibility for our lives. The person undefeated by misfortune, poverty, insult and vilification, the person who can bounce back from every adversity and say, ‘What? That was nothing!’ The person who marches on toward hope through sheer force of will –that person is a true optimist.
Daisaku Ikeda
Who feels optimistic around you today? Are you optimistic? Why?
I recently realized for that optimism is something we conquer through strong willpower, as a determination, as a conviction, and not by living in the clouds, vaguely hoping for a better future.
This experience I wish to share with you is probably the most important milestone in my adult life, and I confess that, undoubtedly, my life can be divided into the life before 2021 and the life after it.
I will refer to the importance of where we focus our attention, as our focus determines our reality. Moreover, I will refer to the importance of fighting vigorously against the devilish nature of life, both inside us and also around us, as this is the surest way to bring true peace and security in our world, and open the doors for the establishment of human value and dignity at the center of society.
When the global response to the so-called Pandemic started in 2020, I started not feeling well with the increasing pressure for conformity to a universal form. Of course I was not the only one, it was a general feeling but not, however, for the same reasons. Most people around me were afraid of dying from the virus, while I was enraged by what will come of this organized hammering of people with daily messages of fear.
Then came the lockdowns and other measures you are all familiar with, crowned by the systematic pressure for vaccination, in the midst of powerful resistance by part of the scientific community, which brought upon us discrimination and division, as large part of the population was not vaccinated. There was enmity everywhere; the pandemic was at the center of discussion. We saw unprecedented censorship on a global scale, in mass media, in popular social networks, in universities, everywhere. Scientists with international reputations, exemplary credentials and decades of experience lost their jobs and titles because they did not agree with the official narrative.
Authoritarian opinions were imposed with lightning-speed coordination and precision. Never have I lived in my time such conflict, such oppression; so many things that show the negative functions of life taking hold. Truth be told, this has only happened in totalitarian regimes. At any rate, authority showed its ugly face.
Personally I was quite protected from the onslaught of strict measures, as my work as a food package courier kept me outside all day, in the empty streets of Athens, and I wore a mask for less than 10 minutes a day. But this did not put me at ease. When you truly care for other people’s happiness, and you see others around you suffer, you feel the same suffering.
As I said in the beginning, however, it was fear that worried me the most. Fear catalyzes. Fear brings panic and confusion, and it doesn’t let you think clearly. When fear takes over, the balance inside our brain changes. Our prefrontal cortex, responsible for critical thinking mostly, goes inert and another center takes hold, that of basic instincts and emotion. This has catastrophic consequences, as it pushes us to a state that, from an evolutionary point of view, takes us back to an animal state. It is practically proven that fear makes one susceptible to manipulation by authority.
This situation would not let me sleep at night. I couldn’t stop thinking about it during the day. ‘This is wrong; this is bad’ I thought. I was wondering what I can do to help myself, my family, those around me.
I started studying very hard, at last in my life, out of love for truth and justice, to discover what is behind the relentless rant against humanity, today’s world. There was a long period during 2021 that I would sleep with my children at 9 pm and get up at 2pm, and study intensely until morning. I was deeply determined to investigate from many sides.
I stayed away from audiovisual means so as not to be emotionally influenced, and remained dedicated to seeking through science, in the traditional way. That is, questioning everything until I get solid proof. I gained access to information that I never believed was available. I faced strong resistance, at first from my immediate surroundings, but gradually I went deeper, or anyway as deep as a normal citizen can go, with the help of a network of like-minded people from the whole world, the USA, Canada, India, Italy, South Africa, everywhere. And then…
I felt such deep disappointment, as I had never felt my whole life. Where to begin and where to stop… The breadth of corruption and greed. The unspeakable attachment to authority. The sale of every moral value, including human life. The lies. The hypocrisy. The division and the discrimination. All those things that comprise the devilish functions of life, stemming from the three poisons of anger, greed and ignorance. They all lay there bare naked in front of my eyes. I will never be the same person. That is for sure.
Fight against evil
This plunge into the negative aspect of reality shook me well. Because of my training in medicine and also due to my practice and study of Buddhism, I did not completely fall off the clouds, as to a certain degree I had identified a pattern. But maybe that was just what I needed to awaken in me what we call an unshakeable and fervent wish for everyone’s happiness.
This, of course, sounds wonderful. But I would like to note something fundamental. The awakening of the fighting spirit against a negative force, or in general the fundamental resistance against the negative functions of life, is not automatic. It requires faith in a philosophy with standards that actively promote such a struggle, rooted in the belief in the inherent value and dignity of life.
In other words, just because you see evil does not mean that your immediate natural response will be to fight back and help others around you do the same. Besides, if you look around you, you can readily realize this by looking at how most people deal with (as an example) discrimination, injustice and lies. In order to have this wise and healthy response, and in order to create value from confronting evil, you need to have strong conviction in the strength inherent, both in you and in others, to overcome every obstacle and attain lasting and indestructible happiness.
Life is about victory or defeat. There is no middle ground! In the fight against evil, there is no compromise. The ancient philosopher Heraclitus has famously said “Everything flows”. Life does not stop. All energy flows from one direction to another. Every second you let evil do its work, you are retreating. My mentor has always taught me that in order to be happy, one must always be vigilant, recognize evil for what it is, and never give up on the fight to battle against it.
Evil takes many forms. And you need to be vigilant to see through its workings. In my opinion, if you are always focused on protecting the precious life and well-being of yourself and others, if you are adamantly determined to bring happiness to yourself and others, and if you are willing to give your all to achieve these goals, you are certain to recognize evil when it emerges, and consequently erect your defenses and fight like a lion to overcome it.
From another point of view, when you are one with the cosmic life force, and your energy flows in resonance with all that is good and just, and you naturally perceive the true aspect of all phenomena, you cannot fail to develop a fighting spirit against the negative functions of life as they emerge. It’s very natural. However, when you are not synchronized with this power within, it is very likely that you can play a very different role, and be passive, or indifferent, or cower away when faced with great adversity.
I will write more on this subject, with more detail, on another occasion, as I believe it to be an issue deserving utmost attention, in this age of conflict and degradation, in which it is my fervent wish that everyone around me be lions of truth and justice, dedicated to the service of good.
I would just like to offer a couple teachings I received from my mentor, on this issue. Once while I was looking for guidance about my decision to speak out or to remain silent because everyone around me seemed against my view of truth, I read these words:
Gandhi taught people to live with lionlike courage, impressing upon them that they could not afford to leave things up to others, that they had to stand up for themselves and fight for justice. Ultimately, the only way forward is by developing self-reliance, forging a stand-alone spirit. That is the only path to victory.
And, on another occasion, while contemplating the evil face of authority, especially concerning ‘experts’, ‘the science’, and the propaganda:
Great individuals fight abuses of authority. The truly strong do not lord it over the weak. People of genuine strength and courage battle against the powerful, the arrogant, the authoritarian, the evil and corrupt –all who look down on the people with contempt.
My experience in an online forum where I used to post comments was a typical example. In my efforts to share information from the “other side of the river”, I met with violent reactions. This division in society unfolded before me, and with a face of hate. Some people kept a spectator perspective, while others acted as if paid to discredit me in order to silence my views. I was very sad. I have never met with such hateful reactions before. But I was determined to never give up!
I continued to study and post links of scientific articles that went against the narrative. But through my prayer and my Buddhist study, I moved closer to the true spirit of dialogue. I managed to avoid emotional responses, focus on the common ground and, despite the fact that debating on a forum in real time is hard while working, caring for three young children and a pregnant woman, I achieved the impossible. People in the forum, some of them very fanatic in their views, started to recognize the sincerity of my cause to pursue truth and justice. I really was aiming at actual proof though. And on a very important day, some of these people went so far as to extend true gratitude to me, even admitting that my presence in this forum made them happier.
That was also the birth day of my desire to write more and carry out a struggle to impart hope to those around me, my brothers and sisters, my fellow human beings.
That was also the time when I happened to watch an inspiring discussion between a doctor and an author, and I realized that several people fighting for freedom and equality, despite their strength to go against the tide, are truly suffering. And I felt a deep desire to share with everyone those things that I have found to make me healthy in body and mind.
Focus = Reality
In one of my dialogues I learned about an episode in a book by Jorge Bucay, about the “truth shop”. I want to briefly share it as I remember it, hoping to keep it accurate. A traveler goes by a little shop that says on the front ‘Shop of Truth’. He instantly goes in to ask to buy the truth. “Of course” says the lady in the front “would you like a little truth, big truths, or the whole truth?”. The traveler asks to definitely have the whole truth, and the lady says he should go in the back to speak with the owner. When he tells the owner what he wants, the former says “it comes with a high price, are you most certain?”. And when the traveler asks what this price is, the owner says “you will lose your peace”.
I believe this to be spot-on. If you are truly seeking the truth, when you find it you are never again the same. And why is that? Because the ignorance deep inside our life leads us to an existence without substance. We live in a world of fantasy, a reality adulterated with empty hopes, whimsical goals and ignorance of the true nature of life. Ignorance of the true nature of man, with all its virtues and all its shortcomings.
Of course you lose your peace, when you exit the oblivion of the fake life that others have created for you. Your previous point of view tumbles and gives its place to one more clear and true. Like the 13th century Buddhist reformer Nichiren has written
“This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality.”[1]
And this point is the most important of all. It brings me to the turning point. Through my study, my persistent prayer and my efforts to impart hope to others, I overcame my devilish nature and manifested my enlightened side, overcoming all obstacles.
I was discussing with my mother on a Sunday. I explained to her where I stood, disappointed in the world around me, with eyes wide open watching the assaults against the value and dignity of life. I told her how my heart was heavy with grief. And she just told me something I had heard and studied so many times, but I had not learned. ‘Don’t focus on the negative’.
In my Buddhist practice I use a mandala, which depicts (with Chinese and Sanskrit characters) all the functions of life and, in the center, Nichiren has inscribed with bigger and bolder letters the phrase Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. One of the reasons is that through the vocal repetition of this mantra, all those functions are activated towards happiness. SO, when we focus on the enlightened aspect, when we ‘polish our mirror’, we perceive the true nature of things, and the core of our being is bathed in the wonderful light of hope, strength and freedom, while it radiates courage, compassion and wisdom in our daily life.
This experience of mine established one of the most important truths in my daily life. Our focus determines our reality.
In his 2022 Peace Proposal to the United Nations, my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, wrote in the first pages:
Confused and at a loss as previously unimaginable conditions continue to arise, it is only natural that people tend to focus on the negative. […]
While the nature of the threat differed, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944), the Soka Gakkai’s founding president, offered the following thoughts in November 1942—the depths of the crisis of World War II—as a key to dispelling the impenetrable miasma and turmoil of that time.
We must avoid, at one extreme, the kind of “close focus” that leaves us so taken up with immediate realities that we ignore all else; and at the other, the kind of “distant focus” that is characterized by empty slogans unaccompanied by action to transform reality. Instead, he called for society to adopt a “balanced, clear-sighted focus” by which people take action from within their present circumstances with a firm sense of purpose regarding who and what they are working for. Makiguchi argued that this kind of balanced, clear- sighted focus is also necessary in daily life, but this is not something that requires special knowledge and understanding, or unique capabilities, to achieve.
What you focus on determines everything. There are several differing influences around us that are vying to take us here and there. However, what determines the reality you chose to live in, is where you choose to focus.
This deep realization changed my life.
From this point on, focusing on my awakened nature, I started to study more about Buddhism and its positive philosophy, as well as my mentor’s guidance, before anything else. On the same note, I start my day before dawn with my daily practice, in order to be full of positivity, vitality, wisdom, courage, compassion and indomitable fighting spirit, to be ready for anything.
I overcame disappointment and I feel deep joy. That joy that you feel when you passionately strive for yours and others’ happiness. A joy that cannot be undone by adversity. It is always there.
Furthermore, I became a little wiser, and also a lot more disciplined. I have found a very healthy rhythm, I sleep properly, eat properly and I am in great health. In fact, my health is much better than thirty years ago!
Finally, I decided to use everything I have “gathered” up to now in my life to impart hope to those around me. I determined to go beyond my small self and my small circle, and widen my horizon. My mentor says:
If a person is hungry, we should give them bread. When there is no bread, we can at least give words that nourish. To a person who looks ill or is physically frail, we can turn the conversation to some subject that will lift their spirits and fill them with the hope and determination to get better. Let us give something to every person we meet; joy, courage, hope, assurance, philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always give something.
So I started this publication on Substack titled ‘A Good Friend’. Why ‘good friend’? Because I wish to be a good friend for my fellow human beings. Because when one of the wisest disciples asked Shakyamuni (Buddha) “master, is it correct that a good friend is half the way to enlightenment?”, he then replied “no, a good friend is not half the way to enlightenment. A good friend is all the way to enlightenment”. Meaning to say, somebody who is a positive influence in our life can encourage and support us all the way in our efforts to becoming happy.
Using my experience [actual proof], together with my study in philosophy and Buddhism, my knowledge as an alternative medicine therapist, and my research in the areas of medicine and nutrition [verified scientific proof], but also reason [theoretical proof], I wish to convey truths I have discovered.
My subjects are mainly health and wellness [vitality], knowledge and philosophy [wisdom], and the art of living, focused on how to highlight the positive aspects [value creation].
And why did I choose those subjects? Because when I was seeking for the right issues to write and speak about, I realized that I was receiving lots of high quality information, but something was missing most of the time. And then I came across a great piece of encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda, and I knew I had the answer:
Life is a process of ongoing challenge. Those who lead lives of boundless challenge realize boundless growth. In a time of tumultuous change, what people need most are the vitality to challenge their circumstances, the wisdom to open the treasure house of knowledge, and to strive ceaselessly to create value.
I write and study and do research, to the best of my ability, knowing that the challenge is enormous. I am a father of four little children, and our family income is small. I have to work full time all week, at least for 40 to 50 hours, while at the same time I have many responsibilities in child care and the home, and of course in my volunteer work in my local Buddhist community.
So, in order to be able to do it, I sleep with the kids and wake up around 4 am. This way I can put in 15 to 20 hours weekly to produce two main articles per month. In fact, the challenge is even greater, as I write in both Greek and English [so I got translation to do as well], and on top of that, I have decided to record myself reading these publications, because there are many people that, either due to preference or lack of time, choose podcasts.
I am sincerely hoping that in the future I can have enough subscribers appreciate my work and my effort and become paid subscribers, and in this way allow me to devote more time to this cause. My goal is to become a full-time writer.
In conclusion, I would like to return where I started, to optimism. After this experience I shared with you today, I live my life with real optimism, through strong will, through a balanced and clear view given stemming from my focus on the courage, compassion and life force that are inherent in every living being. I live life with true optimism, because I do not allow the negative forces inside me to shroud the light.
Everyone can do it. You don’t need special abilities. All you have to do is make up your mind. And then work tirelessly to achieve it.
I pray that this experience will help empower and encourage you, and spur you to action.
I thank you for giving your time and attention.
I sincerely thank you.
I wholeheartedly respect you.
Martinos
[1] On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime – Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 4