In the spirit of this teaching, I told my three-year-old grandson that he was a Buddha. He replied, "No, you are a Buddha."
I agreed. "We are both Buddha."
My grandson seemed never to forget this conversation. On each subsequent visit, he would tell me that I was a Buddha and I would reaffirm our agreement. "We are both Buddha."
At the age of five, my grandson apparently had an insight: "I know why you are a Buddha."
"Why?"
"Because you are happy."
It seemed a reasonable assumption that when we are aware of our Buddha nature we are happy.
Several weeks later, however, my grandson spontaneously announced, "I cannot be a Buddha because sometimes I am mad and sometimes I am sad."
How interesting that my grandson should be aware of his emotions at such a young age! But a mad Buddha is still a Buddha. Mad or sad or glad--a Buddha is a Buddha.
Our emotions are like the waves of the sea. Zen Master Suzuki said that "to speak of waves apart from water or water apart from waves is a delusion." Waves and water are one.
With this understanding, we can practice accepting our emotions as we accept the waves of the sea. We will not be attached to one particular emotion and we will have no difficulty expressing our emotions as they arise.
When we realize that our emotions are an expression of our true nature, then a sad Buddha can be a happy Buddha.
