Death – A Buddhist Viewpoint

25 Jan 2012 5 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Death - A Buddhist ViewpointThe passing of the close friend, of a close friend, led me to seek out a Buddhist poem about death, from the Buddhist viewpoint.

Though we may relinquish our body in this lifetime, we are not gone, nor will we ever be.

This body is not me.
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born, and I have never died.
Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars, manifestations from my wondrous true mind.
Since before time, I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we pass, sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and seek.
So laugh with me, hold my hand, let us say good-bye, say good-bye, to meet again soon.
We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Eternal Faith

16 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Buddha NatureWhen we are open and engaged, we experience the greater self. When we are closed off, we are exhibiting our lesser self. The lesser self is a deluded condition, whilst our greater self is synonymous with our Buddha nature.

To live for the greater self means to recognise the universal principle behind all things and, being awaked in this way, rise above the suffering caused by the awareness of impermanence. A belief in something eternal is needed to enhance our quality of life.

By believing that this world is the be-all and end-all of existence, we will miss out, we will not live a truly profound life. When our viewpoint expands beyond the boundaries of our present existence to include the entire, eternal universe, we can finally live deeply fulfilling lives.

Time After Time

01 Sep 2011 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Time After TimeTime only moves in one direction, forwards. That is why we say time after time, and not time before time.

Life is eternal, and we need to fix our focus on the two existences of the present and the future. We must not let ourselves get caught up in the past, it is done, and cannot be changed or undone.

No matter what the circumstances, we must never concede defeat. Never come to the conclusion that we have reached a dead end, that everything is over, finished.

We all possess a glorious future, no matter how things look right at this moment. Precisely because of this fact, we must persevere, study, learn and go right on.

So focussing firmly on our goals, we must cultivate the strength of spirit to begin anew ‘from this moment’, to redouble our efforts and face our challenges, day after day after day, until we are victorious.

Miracle Day

28 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

TorchwoodI’ve been watching the new series of Torchwood, Miracle Day in which the human race suddenly becomes immortal, receiving the ‘gift’ of eternal life. Now, of course this is only the latest outpouring from the fertile mind of Russell T Davies, but it does give us food for thought from a Buddhist perspective.

For millennia, Buddhists have believed in reincarnation, a form of eternal life albeit from the viewpoint of our karma. We believe that every thought, word and deed, from each lifetime, creates causes for the effects we may experience in this lifetime.

Eternal life is a pretty scary thought, growing ever older, our bodies and minds slowly deteriorating, but without the prospect of the release of death. It would be the same as having a day that goes on and on, without a night, or the chance to refresh our bodies and minds with sleep.

Death in Buddhism is the equivalent of that refreshing sleep, except that instead of being between days, it is between lifetimes. Not that Buddhists look forward to death, they simply accept it as a part of the Wheel of Life, and necessary in the process of reincarnation.

There is a sobering thought however. As karma follows us from one lifetime to the next, creating effects as we go through our lives, it leaves us with the realisation that we have an eternal responsibility. Every thought, word and deed has been, and will be, forever stored in our karmic bank balance, to be cashed in at some point, when the circumstances are right.

So if you want to know what causes you made in the past, look at the effects you are seeing now. And if you want to see the effects the future holds, look at the causes you are making now.

Eternal responsibility is both a gift and a burden. Think about how your actions today, will affect your life tomorrow, or the next day, or at some time in the future, and use your wisdom, courage and compassion to make the right causes for the effects you would wish to see.

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