Dont judge the Book by its cover,,,

i have had a wonderful experienced and realization this past few days. My friend who is a young men SGI member is rarely can be seen in Gakkai meetings. I am quite acquainted with him when i was senior High school and was very active in SGI community. At that time, his mom was newly introduced to this Buddhist practise in the midst of bankruptcy and eventually their business went really down. But before i have known and he shared to me their bitter experienced, i have no idea what had happened to him and his family until i have known him well and we hang out most of the time lately this year.

During the past few years, i have seen the glimpse of his life who is very frustated with his past relationships, his daily life and negative behaviors towards others even though this good looking and sweet guy is some kind a bad black sheep in the family. At first, I have this bad impressions of this friend of mine who is a spoiled brat, tactless, insensitive, a heavy drunker/smoker who enjoys night life and fun and easy-going guy. I saw him as person who dont really care about others as long as he enjoy himself with bullying and he have hurted a lot of people with his past relationships because of his destructive behaviors.

Everytime i have seen him(once in bluemoon) at our Kaikan during Kufu-gongyo i find him a funny guy who always laugh evertime we hang together with other SGI friends but outside with his other barkadas/cliques he was totally a freak, a bastard, spoiled brat. That was my impressions and i dont like to hang with his other friends who were also like him. I tried to encourage him many times when we meet at the road to attend at Kaikan but he just blow it up on the other side of his ear. Sometime, he finds me irritating when i give him some peice of advise. I never stop to make friendly with him and show nice attitude towards him...i treat him and go with fun sometimes but in a different manners that has value.

Until, i used to see him most of the time and we hang around at the city lately this year..we develop some good camaraderie and he was quite open about his personal and family life. Five days ago, it was the turning point of his life that made him changed with self-determination to change his life for the better and strenghtened his Buddhist practise. That night, i have understood his worries, his deep frustrations and depressions in life and towards his family. I didn't know i had touched his innermost being when i strongly encouraged him and awaken his to his faith because he just ignore my words and advise. I also told him to do 10-11pm daimoku toso together(me at my room and him at his home) to support with him. We did that together.

The following day, i met him again and thanking me bacause he at last realized to himself about his wrongdoings and awakened to his own faith. He was also grateful to me because i never leave him behind during the most critical times of his life, i was always there for him and that time he said to me that i was a true freind. His other friends he used to hang at night life never done good things to him but only beers and superficial enjoyment. It did touched my lives. I told him sorry for the bad feelings i felt towards him because i viewed and judged him like a stupid bastard. We almost cried. Despite of his destructive behaviors he have done and showed to the people around him, deep inside he is nice, gentle and have caring heart. I am quite surprised this past few days because he behaves differently. I am happy to see him like this. He is quite different today and shows admirable traits. He determined to strengthen his Buddhist practice and I am happy about my friend with some changes of his life. I keep chanting for his happiness and self-improvement of his life. I do hope he will be more happier and have peace of mind and it shows to him. One thing, I realized and have learned from him is that never judged the people by its own appearance no matter how bad he is. Deep inside of each person has a Buddha nature who needs our help from their sufferings and help them to awaken to their own Buddha nature..

Thanks for reading…