Have a dream of unknown life and death. Can you believe it?

"What is the meaning of life?" This is a big problem. People are old from birth and die quickly; In the process of illness and death, I am busy working, eating and dressing ... what is this for? What's the point? Mysterious problems, in children, in a fog, obey social habits, will not think of this problem, of course. But those who feel agile, or the environment is bad, their careers are frustrated, their bodies are attacked by diseases, and they lose one point or even all hope. At this time, this question-what is this life for, what are you busy with, will come to mind. Although I can't solve the problems that I accidentally think of, or the problems that linger in my mind, I still have to stay busy-busy working, busy eating, busy getting dressed ... alas! What is the meaning of life?

"Everything is empty"-in some people's minds, this is the answer. In these people's minds, life is just busy with work, eating and wearing ... it's really meaningless. There used to be a popular Song of Awakening the World, which began with: "The sky is empty, the earth is empty, and life is in it." How to say: "The husband is also empty, and the wife is also empty. It will be different then. " "Mother is empty, the child is empty. We don't meet on the road. " Finally, he said, "Life is like a flower-picking bee. After you have collected all the flowers into honey, you will be exhausted! " "How disappointed and empty!" Everything is empty "-life is meaningless, which is completely different from the explanation of" everything is empty "in Buddhism. According to the representative's point of view, everything is disappointment and disillusionment, and life is meaningless. Buddhism denies absolute meaning and affirms relative meaning from real life; Go deep, reveal the absolute meaning of life, and give people a final destination.

Although the journey of life is attacked by emptiness, disappointment and disillusionment, life cannot be meaningless. Even if it is not perfect and correct, there will always be some meaning to comfort yourself and live forever. For example, the ancients said that "virtue", "meritorious service" and "making a statement" are "three immortals", that is, if they can do this, they will be worthy of this life and have eternal significance. Generally speaking, the meaning of life is nothing more than two kinds: one is the meaning in the real world; Second, in the future kingdom of heaven. In the real world, we still attach importance to family-family reproduction, which is the continuation of precipitating the meaning of life in the family. Therefore, although people are dead, they have permanent significance. Confucianism is particularly important in China. People in the family stretch, "connecting the preceding with the following"; Therefore, people should be "prosperous before the light" and be cautious about their ancestors. What grandmothers want is nothing more than a few grandchildren, who "love their grandchildren" before their death and bear their sacrifices after their death. So you can endure the pain and live in peace of mind. According to this meaning, "there are three kinds of unfilial, no queen." And my career, good or bad, will also be reported to my children and grandchildren. Therefore: "If there is a good house, there must be Qing Yu; If you are poor and weak, there must be more than one. "

Or attach importance to the country and deposit the meaning of life in the country. Ultra-nationalists believe that individuals are subordinate to the country and only living in the country makes sense. It seems that a person's life is to realize the country's major policies. This is in line with the continuation of the family. In ancient times, some clans took the whole clan as a whole; If any one of them is hurt, it is regarded as an injury to the whole family, and everyone takes revenge. Under this concept, fighting for the clan, sacrificing for the clan, was promoted to the left and right of God. When the clan expands to form a country (or integrates most clans), the meaning of life lies in the prosperity of the country. Confucianism attaches importance to close relatives, so it attaches importance to families or clans. This is differentiation.

Or focus on all mankind and exist in the progress of human society with the meaning of life. The progress of human beings makes life meaningful, which is the ideal of human beings. Therefore, life should strive for the progress of mankind and the interests of most people.

It is not human will to pin the meaning of life on family, country and all mankind, just because the combination of body and mind of an individual will soon rot and will not be stable. However, can this establish the meaning of life? Putting family first, such as a life without children, makes life meaningless! Focusing on countries, from a historical point of view, how many countries in their heyday are now safe? It has long since disappeared without a trace and become a thing of the past. All mankind? As we know, human beings live according to the existence of the earth. Although the future may be far away, it is inevitable. Once the earth is destroyed, how will the progress of human civilization and the meaning of life exist by then? In this way, the general meaning of life is empty after all, and it can't escape the point of view represented by Wake Up the World.

It is the general religion, especially the western religion, that gives birth to the kingdom of heaven from the future to illustrate the meaning of life. In the eyes of God, the world is just empty. Human beings are born on the earth, believe in God, love God and carry out God's will in order to enter the kingdom of heaven in the future. It is said that the end of the world is coming, and people who don't believe in God will fall into a desperate situation of eternal pain; People who believe in God will enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy eternal happiness. Strictly speaking, all people's beliefs and good deeds on earth are just to prepare for entering the kingdom of heaven. However, the kingdom of heaven is a thing of the future, but it is impossible for people now to enter it. So, this is just faith; Because in real life, the kingdom of heaven cannot be confirmed. Don't you think it's too slim to regard the impossible kingdom of heaven as the ultimate meaning of life?

Buddhism denies its absolute significance to life, saying it is bitter and empty. However, life is not without relative significance; If there is no relative meaning, it is impossible to embody absolute meaning through practice. Let's talk about the relative meaning of life first: according to the Buddha's revelation, life and the world are nothing more than "various behaviors"-all phenomena of birth and death and the process of birth and death; Nothing is constant, this is called impermanence. "impermanence", then there will be no eternal happiness, and it will eventually die out and eventually end in emptiness, so it is said to be "bitter". Bitter, then there is no really perfect freedom, so we say "no self" (I am self-righteous). Faced with such a life world, Brahmanism conceived a metaphysical entity, namely "Chang", "Le" and "I". The Buddha completely denied him and called it inversion. Buddha is facing the reality and talking about impermanence, suffering and selflessness. How to affirm the meaning of life from the viewpoint of impermanence and suffering without self?

According to Buddha's revelation, the world of life is "origin". The significance of origin is that all phenomena exist, so it becomes such a phenomenon, and such existence is not divine, natural, fatalistic or accidental, but comes from fate. It is under the main, secondary and complicated conditions and reasons that this phenomenon and this existence become possible. Everything depends on karma; For karma, it is called fruit. Therefore, in the world of life, there is an infinitely complicated causal relationship, which is stipulated by strict causal laws.

From the origin, man is the existence of the origin. Origin has a simultaneous relationship with him and a continuous relationship with himself (and indirectly with him). For example, at the same time, people have a mutual relationship and mutual causal development with others, all beings, the nature of the earth, water, fire and wind (air). An existence is an activity. At present, everyone has different influences on it, resulting in different causal relationships. For example, a country, whether in politics, economy, education or diplomacy, a measure or an action will affect other countries to a greater or lesser extent; Of course, it is oneself (country) that is most affected. The same is true for a community and a family, and all actions will affect other communities and families; And more importantly, it has affected itself (community, family). The same is true for individuals. No matter what they say or do, they will affect others, now they will affect themselves and their future. It is the inner behavior that is not manifested outside, but also affects physiology and affects one's own heart more deeply. Originated from the world and life, it is such a dynamic, passive, self-centered and self-centered relationship network. Described as "magic net" and "emperor net" in the classics, we can understand life-everything in the world from the infinite mutual relationship and continuous relationship.

According to the causal view of origin, Buddhism confirms that the physical and mental activities of life, whether good or bad, not only affect the outside world, but also directly affect themselves, forming potential habits (karma theory). When the life-long combination of body and mind is declared to collapse-death, the potential habit (karma) is based on the desire to regenerate after self-love ("post-love"), a new combination of body and mind is started, and a new life begins. For the past, this is determined by the karma of the past (but Buddhism still has the ability to live, so it does not belong to the theory of destiny). Buddhism is like this. From the perspective of causal continuity, impermanence has no self (there is no constant individual spirit as mentioned by general religion), and all life continues indefinitely. Just like a country, there is no constant national entity, and dynasties are constantly collapsing and announcing one by one. If we confirm the origin of life in this way, we will affirm everything in life, whether it is good or evil, or be rewarded now or in the future. In a word, causality is an inevitable law. The body and mind in this life can collapse and die, but the good and evil of behavior will affect themselves and decide not to fail. The continuation of all sentient beings' karma, whether good or evil, has positive or negative value and affects the future, whether it is joy or bitterness. So death is a process of life, not extinction; Everything has paid off, and I have been creating new careers all my life. Temporary suffering and depravity need not be disappointed; This is a short-lived phenomenon and the future is bright. However, the only way to get happiness from suffering is to obey the law of cause and effect and get happiness from doing evil and doing good. Besides, there is no luck or divine help.

Life is the income of good deeds; The present acts of good and evil have become the hub of future ups and downs. "Life is rare", the Buddha told us again and again. It is a pity that ordinary Buddhist disciples misunderstand Buddhism, so there is only a bitter sigh of life, but there is little joy of "life is rare"! According to the scripture, there are three special victories for human beings, which are not only better than animals, but also better than ghosts and gods, and better than hell. What are the special victories of mankind? It is morality, knowledge and strong perseverance. In this world, knowing suffering can relieve suffering. Although human morality, knowledge and perseverance are not perfect, they will inevitably cause side effects and even self-destruction crisis. However, the undeniable fact is that mankind has developed a noble culture with these. The progress of human culture is finally understood as incomplete and imperfect, but tends to be perfect and practical. Therefore, human beings can not only leave evil deeds and do good deeds, but also seek more happiness from themselves and have an upward trend. Buddhism believes that only self-conscious human beings can send out centrifugal and bodhicitta; Only human beings have the possibility of transcending the relative and entering the absolute (initial enlightenment). How rare life is! Confirm that "life is rare" and the meaning of life will be fully displayed. So "life is rare", we should cherish this life, make good use of it, and don't live up to it!

In the absolute sense of life, life can do good and make progress, but it is imperfect and has no eternal meaning. Any intelligence or fortune has disappeared in time, and people are still in the cycle of rising or falling. But if human beings can realize their own defects and incompleteness, they can also emerge complete and perfect ideals and requirements (called "seeking Brahma" in Buddhism). This kind of subjective desire can't be realized reasonably, and it is always led to an illusory eternal paradise by believers. Buddhism believes that the reality of life is the source. Only by understanding the source, grasping the source and going deep into the essence of the source can we transcend the relative and enter the absolute situation. Origin is a phenomenon of impermanence and selflessness; Life is an impermanent (non-eternal) and selfless (uncomfortable) life. Everything starts from karma. From the causal point of view, there is endless birth and death for what. The reason is that all beings-human beings are based on self-love, and all activities are based on self-love. This action caused karma, formed a causal system of self, and the birth and death of individuals continued. On the other hand, we can't afford it without fate. If we eliminate self-love, we can get rid of life and death and achieve the situation of "life and death, silence is fun".

Why is there self-love? Self-love (the root of human nature and selfish nature) is confused by the phenomenon because of the confusion of cognition (called "ignorance"), but it fails to realize its original nature-its true colors. With unparalleled convenience and ingenuity, the Buddha directly demonstrated the eternal silence of the origin from the birth and death of the origin. For the generally understood phenomenon, this is the absolute that time and space do not fall, each other does not fall, and life and death do not fall. This is the reason, but all beings-human beings are confused by self-respect and self-love and turned upside down. Therefore, people's virtue, wisdom and perseverance, under the convenient guidance of Buddha, can break through the general realm of life by progressing to a high level through practice. From the origin of reality, directly enter (realize) absolute transcendence. To achieve this situation, life is still life, and the present moment of life is eternal, endless rather than free. Although there are many differences between Hinayana and Mahayana in Buddhism, the principle is the same.

Life is not only meaningful, but also can find meaning and realize absolute eternal significance. That is, life goes straight into Buddhism and Taoism, how rare life is!

Source: Nanhai Guanyin Network Author: Master Yin Shun

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