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I often hear people say, "I have ‘seen through’ life and given up on it!" When encountering difficulties, one should gain a genuine insight into life but not give up on life. Quitting is a pessimistic attitude which might lead one to take extreme actions. As a result, one might behave wilfully and do things without thinking about the consequences. On the contrary, people who have “seen through” life can truly understand life and fully accept both favourable and adverse circumstances. The heart is like a transparent and pure crystal which reflects the external realm. One with a clear mind can analyse all situations and overcome many difficulties.
Modern people lack strong will. It is very worrying that many people go to extremes or commit suicide. People are inclined to go to extremes because they are overwhelmed by greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. Their actions hurt others as well as themselves.
There was a Tzu Chi volunteer who used to be a hooligan. He used to fight bravely and flaunt his power, thinking that he was a hero. Many people fled quickly when they saw him. Despite thinking highly of himself, he felt very lonely. And the feeling of loneliness was incredibly profound when he went in and out of prison. Finally, he became enlightened and aware that he was quite pitiful then. He did not know how to love people, and everyone hated him. Is there pride and glamour in such a life? No, in fact, his mind was obstructed by ignorance.
People committing suicide are born mentally weak. They do not understand that the world we stay in is the Saha world and that humans must have courage and perseverance to overcome difficulties. When encountering setbacks, they do not pull themselves together and think death can end all troubles for good. But actually, life is endless because the reincarnation of the soul has no beginning and no end. One will not be liberated from reincarnation by choosing to escape in this life.
Those who can face reality can gladly accept the unsatisfactory incidents in life. "If you are contented, you will be happy. If you know how to be grateful, you will have no enemies." People who can accept adverse circumstances at ease even when being bullied are people with admirable cultivation.
Why are some people so optimistic and willing to resolve bad affinity sincerely? Whereas some people take things so hard and cannot let go of petty issues and tend to take undesired pathways? These are all different mental consciousness brought from past lives. Therefore, if one continues to accumulate afflictions in this life and wants to end his life, a similar mindset will still follow him in the future. Look at people who are mentally disturbed and have difficulty expressing their pain and suffering, these people often habitually panic and detest others too. How agonising must that be?
You must know that the karmic implication of suicide is heavier than the karmic implication of murder because suicide destroys the life given to us by our parents. And in addition to killing, people who killed themselves also bear the guilt of being unfilial. Such an act not only mentally tortures one’s parents but also causes distress to people around the deceased and creates chaos in society. These are sins that never cross the minds of those who commit suicide. If one has the courage to commit suicide, why not brave up and face life’s difficulties steadily? As long as one tries hard enough, one can resolve the problems in life one by one.
There is a good old saying that “every cloud has a silver lining”. When one feels like there is no way out amid hardships, one may suddenly find solutions by changing one’s perspective. After overcoming the difficulties, there will be a wider path ahead in life.
Translated by Ong Chia Mian
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