..续本文上一页r deeply yearned-for wealth, all of these keep changing. At a certain point when their causes and conditions completely evaporate, their results will automatically disappear.
Some may ask, “Since everything is impermanent and so are our lives, we should take our time for joy instead of worrying about other things.” This attitude is incorrect. Life is much more than physical body itself. After your current body dies, life will continue with another body and form your afterlife.
There is a very good analogy to explain the existence of afterlife. As I call someone with my cellphone, the procedure is, my voice is transformed from sound waves to electromagnetic waves, and then transmitted by satellite and reached the receiver”s cellphone. The voice is then transformed from electromagnetic waves to sound waves, thus he hears me.
Similarly, when our body of this life dies, our consciousness will be free from the dead body and form an intermediate state, just like sound waves being transformed to the electromagnetic waves. Then after some time, as being transformed backwards again, the intermediate state of consciousness will combine a new body to form next life. Although physical body has a gap, life remains existent and never perishes. Once we understand the truth of consciousness, we are sure that all sentient beings are going along with cyclic existence without a beginning or an end. Physical death is not a complete end, but rather a new start.
Of course, influenced by the normal education in our society, some of you may still have doubts about the eternity of life. Keeping such doubts is very harmful to your dharma practice. Therefore, I want to remind you that, we must study dharma diligently! The more you learn, the less doubts and wrong views you have. Only through studying the profound dharma can our faith and wisdom increase day by day.
III. How to Understand the Impermanence of Life
Actually, meditating on impermanence of life can bring us huge merits. Even if we can”t practice too much, only meditating on impermanence every day is already excellent. In Chinese Buddhism, the great master Yin Guang posted a big handwriting of “death” in his dharma hall, to remind himself of death and impermanence from time to time.
In Tibetan Buddhism, there is also a great master, who was asked about the most supreme dharma by his disciple. At first, the master said nothing, and the disciple asked again and again. Finally, the master took his hand and told him sincerely, “I will die, so will you!” Maybe some of you would be curious, “How can such easy words be the most supreme dharma
The guru should give more blessings or the highest empowerments, and those are the true dharma we search for. But the words “I will die, so will you” are so simple that everybody knows. If it is the true dharma, our disciples can also give the same teaching to our gurus.”
However, the disciple had deep faith in his guru. He thought, “My guru is absolutely correct. Finally one day, the guru will enter into parinirvana, and similarly, I will die someday. At that time, I cannot even take care of this body, not to mention all other stuff. Therefore, I shall diligently practice impermanence and completely give up this whole life.” As he practiced diligently in this way, the disciple soon got enlightenment.
Most of us, however, do not have such a deep faith. As I visited many big cities, from most people”s behaviors and the way they talk, I can tell that they never practice impermanence. This is very regretful. Although I am not a good practitioner, wherever I go, I have the feeling of impermanence. Every time I leave home, a thought will naturally occur to me, “This may be the last time of leaving home, and perhaps I will never come back.” From ten years ago t…
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