February 4, 2026

Dear Friends,

Today is the fourth of our daily reflections for Interfaith Harmony Week. The Interfaith Peace Project is pleased to offer you these reflections for each day of Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7, 2026. Our reflections for Interfaith Harmony Week are inspired by the work and life of our friend, Randy Thomas, who passed away on December 27, 2025. May he experience the Light and Peace he so generously shared with us. If you would like to view the previous reflections, you can find them on our blog at: interfaithpeaceproject.org.

If you have anything that you would like to share, please contact:

Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.
[email protected]
925-787-9279

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YOU TOO CAN BE A BUDDHA
INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK
February 1-7, 2026
Day 4
by Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.

Adobe Stock 728006393 By Jorge Ferreiro

Sometimes we are afraid to be ourselves. We think we need to conform to some standard to be acceptable. Sometimes people sell their souls to be loved by another. We might even be tempted to crumble under the desire to be acceptable to another. The great gift we have is the unique person we are. Life is the journey during which we unwrap the gift of self for the sake of others. Harvey Milk urged his listeners to let others know who they are. There is a deep connection between the self and the world we live in. A therapist once said, “You have an obligation to other people to be true to yourself, to know and discover who you are for the sake of others.”

DEVELOPMENT

An act of meditation is actually an act of faith – of faith in your spirit, in your own potential. Faith is the basis of meditation, not faith in something outside you – a metaphysical Buddha, an unattainable ideal, or someone else’s words. The faith is in yourself, in your own “Buddha Nature.” You too can be a Buddha, an awakened being that lives and responds in a wise, creative, and compassionate way.

Marine Batchelor
Meditations for Life
Quoted in
Meeting Faith
Faith Adiele, p. 47

REFLECTION

The human heart is created to love – with a self-giving love for the benefit of others. The contemplative experience enhances the ability to love in surprising and transformative ways. Our so-called “better nature” is found in the deep recesses of the heart. The Golden Rule is not contrary to human nature but its best expression. This is not necessarily an emotional love but a love based on the conviction that all people should be respected and cherished.

ACTION

Self-awareness unlocks the powers of the heart to love and respect others. The great masters taught us to be aware of the ebbs and flows of the Natural World. Practice the art of self-awareness in everything you say, do, and think. Transcend your inner critic by asking yourself, “What can I do in this moment to help another person?” No one has ever wasted a moment of their life reaching out to others.