..续本文上一页rience you can see that the mind is different from the body. From there you can deduce that your mind must have come from a previous life, because the mind does not die with the body. But I could not see what I was in my previous life, a dog, a cat or a human being. Some meditators can recollect their past lives but it is not the goal of Buddhism, whose aim is to achieve insight into the three characteristics of existence, that will enable the mind to detach from everything.
Some meditators can acquire a sixth sense: the ability to read other people”s minds, or see things that others can”t see, or contact spirits, which are minds that have no physical body. Once the mind leaves the body it”s called spirit. When it reaches a good state of existence or heaven, that mind is then called angel. When it reaches a bad state of existence or hell it is called devil. But this is not the goal of Buddhism. The Buddha warns us to stay clear of those things. If you happen to acquire them you should be careful not to assume them to be your intended goal, which is to rid yourselves of all forms of attachments that are the cause of your worry, anxiety and stress, and to realize peace and contentment, which is another kind of happiness. It is not the happiness that arises from seeing, hearing, or getting. It”s better because it is free of stress and sadness.
Q: What is the meaning of life
A: According to Buddhism, we are here to develop our mind to the highest state. Every time we are born as a human being, we should cultivate the three stages of practice: charity, morality and meditation. This is the purpose of life according to Buddhism because our goal is to reach enlightenment, no longer have to be reborn, because every time you are born you have to get old, get sick and die. It”s not good. No one likes it. But we all have to go through it. It”s like getting on the plane, you have to land somewhere. Once you are born, you have to get sick, get old and die, sooner or later. If you don”t get on the plane, you don”t have to land. If you didn”t have rebirth you wouldn”t have to die. The mind doesn”t die with the body. The mind is always there. Delusion makes us think that being born is good. We can do all sorts of things, like getting married. This is the upside of life. We forget that there”s also the downside. We”ll eventually get old, get sick and die.
The purpose of life is to be charitable, to abstain from hurting other people and to practice meditation. Instead of watching television, you should meditate. If you have some free time and don”t know what to do with it, you should sit in meditation. Concentrate on your breathing and don”t think about anything. When you can no longer sit and feel you have to get up, then you should do walking meditation. Find a space where you can walk for10 to 20 steps. While walking back and forth you should contemplate on the impermanence of your body. It will get old, get sick and die. You”ll have to leave everything behind. Keep teaching yourself this way. The truth will slowly sink into your consciousness and make you let go of your attachment to things that you rely on to make you happy. You will see that you”re happier doing meditation and letting go of things.
This may be contradictory to what you are doing right now because you are studying, which is good for you because you need to have an occupation. You have to maintain life and look after yourself. Once you have achieved that, don”t forget your main goal which is enlightenment. You must first take good care of your body because you will need it to help you achieve enlightenment. You have to study hard in order to graduate and get a good job that will provide you with the money to look after your body. Don”t spend your money on other things be…
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