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There was a case in the Tzu Chi hospital in Hualien involving a worker who was hit by an electric shock during work. The worker was sent to the emergency ward, but unfortunately, he did not make it after 30 minutes of rescue efforts. The deceased was a young man in his early 20’s. His life was very short-lived, like what is described in the verse above—“life is like the wind, dew, frost and lightning”.
Look at the dew drops on the tips of grass blades during spring. They are crystal clear and look so beautiful before the sun rises. However, they quickly evaporate and disappear after sunrise. During winter, the land will be blanketed in pure, white snow, but the snow soon melts when spring arrives. And, the winds in summer are swift and variable.
When we think of the vast span of the universe, it would seem to us that a human life is even shorter than a flash of lightning. Thus the verse says, “life is so short and fleeting”. As practicing Buddhists, we must understand that life and death are destined, and that since we have come to this world, there will be a day when we pass away and leave the world.
How long exactly do we get to live in this world? It all depends on the karmic connections we have with this world and our karma in this life. When our karmic connections have come to an end and our karma is depleted, then it is time for us to leave.
When we look at the lifespans of people, we will notice that some live a long life, which lasts several decades or even more than a century, while some have very short lives and may have survived for only a few hours or a few days or months. Take the young man for example; he had only lived for about 21 or 22 years. Hence, the length of one’s life is related to the karmic affinities and karma one has in this world. Some people in this world enjoy a lifetime of comfort; when their blessings have depleted, they will pass on. There are also some who endure endless suffering throughout their lives. They are tormented for long periods of time, and there is no way out for them, until the day their karma has completely depleted. These concepts of life are what Buddhists should seek to understand.
Although there is nothing we can do to control the length of our life, we must play our roles in life well. If we are able to penetrate true principles, our mind will be clear and bright, and we will not feel troubled; then we can return to our true and pure innate nature. We must seek to thoroughly understand the ultimate (enlightened) state where the mind is unattached to the coming and going of life, and does not cling to birth and death. If we can do that, we will feel carefree and at ease.
To attain such a profound state of enlightenment, we must first abide by our duties in life so that our minds would be free of worries and troubles. Only then will we be able to fully understand true principles with a calm and clear mind.
Extracted from “Sheng Si Jie Zi Zai” 《生死皆自在》
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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