Buddhist Unity (Itai Doshin)<br />"The type of unity aspired to is not a mechanical uniformity, imposed or coerced from without. Rather, it is unity that has at its heart respect for the diverse and unique qualities of each individual. Such unity arises, to quote SGI President Ikeda, when people 'treasure each other as unique and irreplaceable individuals, and try to bring out the best in each other.'"<br />body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable."<br />The expression Nichiren uses, "many in body but one in mind," consists of four Chinese characters that could also be rendered, "different in body, same in spirit." What is crucial here is that the type of unity aspired to is not a mechanical uniformity, imposed or coerced from without. Rather, it is unity that has at its heart respect for the diverse and unique qualities of each individual ("many in body"). Such unity arises, to quote SGI President Ikeda, when people "treasure each other as unique and irreplaceable individuals, and try to bring out the best in each other." n contrast, he adds, " 'many in body and many in mind' is a situation of utter disunity, while 'one in body and one in mind' is one controlled by group thinking in which individuality is ignored and totalitarianism ultimately results. Neither situation allows people to manifest their unique abilities."<br /><br />The phrase "one in mind" does not mean to adopt a standardized, uniform set of values or way of thinking. Rather, it points to a shared, yet deeply personal, commitment to an overarching goal or ideal. It offers a model for solidarity among people working for positive change in the world. Each person has a unique mission that only they can fulfill, their own special contribution to make. A spirit of respectful and spontaneous collaboration toward a common ideal creates the environment in which each person's unique qualities and talents can be fully realized.