What Matters is Our Mind

Yesterday I attended a lecture by a Japanese linguistic professor Sachiko Ide. She was talking about a book by Linda Young on cross talks in Chinese and American. Linda Young is described an American with Chinese mind. I was struck by this description. In fact, what matters is not what culture you were born into and what you consider yourself to be. But it is the quality of your mind - how close it is to Buddha's mind. We tend to think that our group is better than others. Sometimes we cultivate hatred which leads to all sorts of conflicts and problems, just because we think we are better than others. But deep down all human beings are the same. The mind is the only true essence. It can't be labeled Thai, Tibetan, Chinese or others.