(Photo source: BiniP, Pixabay)
“Life starts and ends with a breath” and impermanence occurs swiftly. We must seize the time we have and be diligent in our spiritual cultivation.
The Buddha said, “Everything is impermanent and does not have an inherent existence.” Nature has cycles; people and things in this world are always changing—nothing lasts forever. If we wish to explore and learn about the mysteries and truths of life in the midst of impermanence and change, we must make full use of our time.
Learn from living examples around us
We should have a thorough understanding of ourselves and others. We must also regularly reflect on ourselves and be mindful of whether we have been slacking. When we see people practising diligently, we should emulate them. But when we see those who speak and behave badly or inappropriately, we should reflect on our own speech and behaviour. If we make the same mistakes, we should correct them immediately. By rectifying our wrongs, we will develop courage and strength. With a strong and courageous heart, we will strive forth diligently and eventually reach the stage of a sage.
As we go about our daily life, we need to be alert and observant every moment. When we observe others mindfully, we may see them slacking in their practice—this is a reminder for us to work hard. Likewise, all the wrongdoings and negative or harmful words of others serve as the best education for us.
Both good and bad examples are our teachers. We must quickly learn from the good examples, and when we hear negative words or see others behaving badly or inappropriately, we must reflect on our own speech and behaviour. Wouldn’t it be contradictory if we neglect the lessons that we can learn in real life and merely study the text in the sutras instead? What a waste and a pity it would be if we do not know how to learn and cultivate through the real life lessons that we gain from our daily life!
The Buddha expounded the Three Dharma Seals–“All phenomena are impermanent, all dharmas do not have an inherent existence, and the ultimate peace is found in Nirvana”. We should allow this teaching to inspire wisdom in us. Since everything is impermanent and without an inherent existence, what is there to bicker about in life?
We should always be respectful towards the sages and be tolerant towards those who misbehave or those with weaker intellectual abilities. With a respectful and tolerant heart, we will not develop a petty and quarrelsome nature.
Life is impermanent
A man in his 30’s rushed back to Hualien (eastern Taiwan) from Tainan (southern Taiwan) with his wife to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law who had passed away suddenly. When the man noticed that flowers were missing at the altar in the mourning hall, he went out on his motorbike to buy some. While making a turn on his way back, he was knocked down by a military vehicle, and eventually succumbed to his injuries. Who would have expected that a healthy young man would encounter such a tragedy? If someone were to accuse him of not abiding the traffic rules which cost him his life, how was he going to defend himself? Isn’t this impermanence? Hence, it is really pointless to keep arguing with others or to be too calculative in life!
If we spend our time getting upset with people’s poor attitude and demeanor, and argue with them, such scenes will only keep replaying, and our time for spiritual cultivation will be wasted. Think about it: Doesn’t that make us unwise and foolish?
Mother Teresa
Once, a Christian friend gave me a video tape which documented the charitable work of Mother Teresa. The world is indeed full of suffering people; the sight of the destitute living in landfills is truly painful. Yet, there are so many nuns who are willing to give up their comfortable life and devote themselves to helping the poor and sick. They bring those who have fainted along the roadside due to hunger or illness back to their nursing home, where they nurse them without being put off by their dirty and unkempt appearance.
These nuns are also a group of “monastics”, who have given up their comfortable life to serve the destitute in the slums in India. They make their way to the most impoverished places to bring the sick and abandoned back to their nursing home and look after them, cleaning them up and feeding them daily without any fear of getting a contagious disease.
Giving up a comfortable life to serve others
The nuns are willing to look after people who are unkempt, dirty and severely sick. Hence, shouldn’t people who are living in a peaceful and wealthy environment with a healthy body like us, show mutual care and respect for each other?
If a family is filled with love, it will certainly be a happy one; if the members of an organisation are able to unleash the power of love, they will definitely enjoy harmonious relationships. To achieve such harmony, we must understand the truth of impermanence and non-inherent existence, because it is only when we truly comprehend this truth, that we will devote ourselves to what is “eternal”. If we take issue with things that are trivial and fleeting, we will lose the merits that are meant to last forever.
If you want to be loved and respected, the only way is to love and respect others first. The footage of the Catholic nuns bathing the sick and destitute reminds me of our volunteers, because that is what they do, too! Most of our volunteers are commissioners, and many of them come from wealthy families. They walked out of the comforts of their home and stepped into hospital wards filled with sickly patients to clean and care for them, while comforting them at the same time.
Only Great Love lasts forever
We must experience and understand impermanence, and dedicate ourselves to what is everlasting. Bear in mind that “all phenomena are impermanent, all dharmas are without an inherent existence, and eternal peace is found in Nirvana.” Then, we would not bicker over things in life. If we argue and fight with one another, who truly wins in the end? Nobody truly wins in a dispute. Hence, we must awaken to the true nature within us and realise that it is one of eternal love. When we deviate from eternal love, everything else is impermanent and there is no real, permanent “self”.
Extracted from “Sheng Huo De Zhi Hui”《生活的智慧》
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
Share 
