My Friend

"No one is either enemy or friend; only ego is my enemy, and True Self my friend." — an ancient samurai Zen motto

In life, enemies and friends are merely externalization of the original battle between ego and True Self. True Self is the term used by Buddhists to refer to that part of nature which is Buddha-nature. Another term for it is original self i.e. the primordial self before the passions arise, corrupting True Self to the point of attachment.

If more information on this topic is desired, then consult your local Buddhist or Google the terms. I will not define any more terms in this article unless it is pertinent to the discussion.

The reason why ego is the enemy is to emphasize the inner battle. Ego is the result and cause of the arising of passions, which deceive the person by distracting him from the purpose of life, which is to become aware of one's spiritual destiny.

As for True Self being the friend, given that True Self is another name for Buddha-nature, in awakening to one's true nature one is freed of ego's hold over oneself. Thus freed, one is grateful to one's liberator, the Buddha. Thus is True Self one's friend, for it is original self, always embraced by Buddha. This is why it is called Buddha-nature.

I wish I could explain further these concepts, but the use of many words to describe the indescribable only confuses non-Buddhists.