Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Transcend Life and Death with Wisdom (以智慧超越生死)
Life is indeed full of suffering. Time passes day by day, but our afflictions grow and our sufferings increase. This is a world of enduring and suffering. With each passing day, afflictions accumulate, and suffering increases. Isn’t that what we must endure? The Saha World is a world of enduring & suffering.
Previously, I spoke of the Three Sufferings. The first is Suffering of Suffering. It is indeed painful. As I said earlier, this world is inherently full of suffering, which we must endure. There is also the suffering of natural and man-made disasters. Indeed, life is full of suffering. Some people live in delusion, as if in a dream. They think that they are blessed and that good fortune and happiness will last. They have all the good fortune in the world. They do not know that within that good fortune danger lurks. Life is inherently impermanent.
Much suffering innately exists in the world. Under adverse conditions, our minds and bodies continuously create more causes of suffering, adding suffering to existing suffering.
This is called the Suffering of Suffering. Next is the Suffering of Decay. Decay means destruction. What in this world can always remain new? What will not deteriorate with age? Ever since the world came into being, everything has been changing, deteriorating in very slight, minute ways. It is so subtle that we are not aware of the decay taking place.
The world goes through formation, existence, decay and non-existence. People go through birth, aging, illness, death. Thoughts undergo arising, abiding, change and cessation. When favorable conditions deteriorate, disappear of change, the suffering we feel in body and mind is called the Suffering of Decay.
Take the Earth for example. Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Earth was healthy and fresh. There were mountains and rivers everywhere. The animals lived and roamed freely on this land. But as the days passed, everything went through a constant process of change. The human population also grew. Struggles arose between plants, animals & people. Over time, the strong abused and ate the weak. This began a downward spiral that continues to this day. Over time, it has become a vicious cycle. Analyzing this, we find it is caused by the constant replication of afflictions, defilements, and evil. In this world, a lot of decay and destruction accumulates with the passing of time.
Take the Earth for example. Everything in this world goes through four stages. Formation, existence, decay, and disappearance. When was the Earth formed? Was it a few hundred million, or a few billion years ago, that the Earth was formed? After the Earth formed, it began to exist. It is one of the planets in the universe. In the universe, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the stars all orbit smoothly in their paths. These things already exist in the universe. Once the Earth came into existence, it had many conditions suitable for life. There was sunlight and water, which are the basis for life. Also, with sufficient oxygen, living things began to develop on this planet. In this period of “existence” living organisms gradually emerged.
Multitudes of creatures lived on this planet. But we have also heard about the extinction of the dinosaurs. Millions of years ago, these creatures inhabited the earth. Yet, they slowly became extinct. Whether the cause was the climate (or a disaster) is still being researched by paleontologists. They have only found evidence that these animals once existed. Though they “existed” here, they died out and became extinct. They “decayed” and disappeared. Other living creatures existing on this planet will eventually become extinct like the dinosaurs. So after they form and exist, they will slowly decay.
This will also happen to the planet. Lately, many disasters have occurred worldwide including earthquakes, floods and tornadoes. This is “decay”. The world is in a period of decay, or destruction. As the planet went through many Kalpas in the formation phase, it gradually came into being. After some time, it entered the “existence” phase. After a very long period of existence, it began to “decay”. Equilibrium between the Four Elements was lost, causing damage to the Earth. But actually, human actions created the imbalance of earth, water, fire and air he last phase is “void” or “disappearance.”
As we discuss these phase, we believe that one day the earth will be annihilated. The imbalance of the Four Elements will destroy it. Modern scientists espouse this view. This is not impossible. We often hear about such instances of “disappearance” and “decay.” We have seen reports of half a mountain disappearing after a landslide. Countless homes in the valley below are quickly buried by such landslides.
Take El Salvador, for example. A single earthquake caused a serious landslide that buried an entire village. See, in just a few moments, the entire village disappeared. This world is indeed impermanent. Nothing lasts forever, be it the land, mountains, rivers, grasses, trees, people or objects. The land forms, exists, decays and disappears. People undergo birth, aging, illness and death. These changes are continuously happening without our awareness. People constantly age and develop ailments. In the end they die. What is most frightening is how we allow thoughts to arise abide, change and cease in our minds. We vow to pursue spiritual practice, but temptations may seduce us and stop our pursuit. Then evil thought will arise.
Developing a will to practice is not easy. Once it arises, it may be quickly led astray. So it arise, abides, changes, and ceases. To hold fast to the will to practice is not easy. It will change. Besides changing, it will cease, and the roots of practice may be eliminated. In summary, every thought arises, abides, changes and ceases, whether it is good or evil. This is what happen in life. When there is suffering and decay, there is destruction. Destruction can also happen in relationships. In life, our bodies undergo birth, aging, illness and death. Aging and sickness are similar to decay. When our organs deteriorate, we get sick. Ultimately we die.
To some, death comes lightly like a feather, but for others, it is heavy like a mountain. (In death,) we clearly recognize the truth of life which is that love is everlasting. There was a 29-year-old man who worked in the administrative office at Tzu Chi Middle School. His sister and brother-in low also worked for Tzu Chi. They were all wonderful youths who aspired to serve and contribute in the field of education. After exactly a year in Hualien, this earnest and polite young man got into a car accident and was brought to our hospital.
When he arrived, his pupils were already dilated. The emergency treatment was useless. His mother and siblings were shattered by the news. They were heartbroken. Why was such a decent person riding a motorcycle at two in the morning? What happened? No one knew. But his mother was very wise. She knew looking into it was of no use. The doctor said he was probably brain dead. That day I told her softly, " You must take good care of yourself. Let us give him our blessings. If he still has affinities wit this world, he will make it through this disaster. Tell him that if he survives and recovers, he must benefit humanity as long as he is alive. The doctors and nurses will do all they can to save him. If they cannot save his life, his body can still save a lot of people. As his mother, you should tell him if his karmic affinity with this world is over, his organs can live on in other people. He can help them live for a long time. He should have this aspiration, this vow. Tell this to your son." As I spoke, this mother kept nodding. I said, "You have to do this."
The next day, the doctors confirmed he was brain dead for a second and third time. With wisdom and Great Love, this mother chose to donate all his organs and thus immediately benefited 8 people. His organs lived on in the bodies of eight people and prolonged their lives. Moreover, his bones were also donated to the hospital's bone bank. His bones alone could help 50 to 60 people.
See, just one body can benefit 50, 60 , even 70 people. It is so valuable. Even though he only lived in this world for 29 short years, after the car accident he helped prolong the healthy lives of 60 or 70 people. This is truly admirable. His life and spirit live on. His mother and family were most admirable. His mother made a very wise decision. Most people do not have such wisdom. His mother looks very ordinary, but she was able to do such an extraordinary thing.
Clearly recognize the truths of life. Transcend birth and death with wisdom. Fully utilize the value of your lives. This is the love that will last forever.
See, no one in this world lives forever. Everything in the world forms, exists, decays, and disappears. The body goes through birth, aging, illness, death. These are all forms of suffering related to destruction. In the world, there are no exceptions to these cycles. In the end, this life will be destroyed. We will die. In the process of death, letting go is the hardest thing to do. But we must use wisdom to transcend this. If we can, this transcendence will be everlasting.
Everyone, in learning Buddhism we should learn to transform our minds. If we do so, this transformation will be eternal, transcending the suffering of decay & of suffering. So everyone, please be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水).
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