Centuries before psychologist Carl Jung posited the idea of the collective unconscious, and biologist Rupert Sheldrake began talking and writing about morphic resonance, Nichiren Buddhism taught the Nine Consciousnesses.

The ninth consciousness is Buddha nature, activated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The eighth consciousness corresponds to what we think of as the subconscious mind. And as Carl Jung intuited, it is not confined within the individual:

…the eighth consciousness transcends the boundaries of the individual and interacts with the karmic energy of others. On the inner dimension of life, this latent karmic energy merges with the latent energy of one’s family, one’s ethnic group and humankind, and also with that of animals and plants. (Daisaku Ikeda, The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol 4, pp262-263)

We truly are all in this together! And each one of us who makes the effort to shine brightly has a positive effect on her or his environment. Including the animals and the plants! 🙂

         Together
we are spirit incarnate
here on Earth
through our own choice

living in circumstances
we created by choice

here to awaken
together

here to dispel the darkness
and illusion of despair

and live in de light
together

My thanks to Belinda Fewings on Unsplash for the photo