The Unsurpassed Value of Impermanence Birth and death are realities of life. Regardless of who we are, we cannot escape either one. While birth is celebrated, death is feared by most. In order to cope with our fear, we often seek comfort in religion. Although each of the world’s major religious traditions has its own teaching concerning death, Buddhism is the only one that promotes the doctrine of impermanence as one of the universal truths. However, it is a truth that is not embraced by all. The majority of people chose to ignore or refute it, due to a lack of understanding or insight. As a result, impermanence has become a forbidden word in everyday living. According to the Buddha’s teaching, impermanence is, in fact, a good phenomenon. Because of impermanence, there can be hope in the future. Because of impermanence, there can be happiness without suffering. Imagine a world without change, where everything stays the same forever. Do we really want to live in that kind of a world? If the answer is no, then we should value the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence. However, we must understand that the outcome of change can be either good or bad, depending on the causes and conditions at hand. When we have a complete understanding of impermanence, we will learn to treasure the value of our lives, our possessions, and friendships. When we witness a seed turning into a tall tree, we will come to appreciate the significance of change. On the other hand, when we see a flower withering as the seasons change, we will experience the downside of impermanence. Through impermanence, everything is possible, The negative can be transformed into the positive, and the positive turned into the negative. With hard work, the poor can become rich and the unenlightened can be enlightened. Without change, democracy would never be able to overthrow dictatorship; civilization could never have replaced barbarism. Because of impermanence, we do not have everlasting fame, fortune, or good health. Therefore, it is not wise to become too attached to our possessions. We should instead be aware of the truth in impermanence, and in our endeavors seize the moment. Impermanence is a universal Law of Nature in addition to being a doctrine of Buddhism. Classical writers have long expressed their reflections on impermanence in their prose and poetry. “Where the grass and weeds grow idly, the soldiers and war horses once roamed. As the wind blows and the water flows, where did the heroes go?” Although impermanence, suffering, and emptiness are facts of life, by preparing the mind for enlightenment and the ultimate realization of the truth, they can be transcended. As long as we are strong in our resolve to reach the final stage of cultivation—nirvana—we will be able to overcome change and find the path to true freedom without attachments. 無常的可貴 人是宗教的動物，人生只要有生死問題，就一定要信仰宗教。世界上各個宗教皆有其教義主張，「無常」是佛教的真理之一，然而一般人因為不解無常的真義，因而心生排拒，甚至感到害怕。 其實無常很好，因為無常，才有希望；因為無常，才有未來，所謂「無常苦空，無常樂有」，假如世間一切都是定型的，沒有變化，沒有生滅，老的永遠都是老的，小的永遠都是小的，不知道你感受如何？所以無常變化就很可貴。 當然，無常可以變好，無常也可以變壞，但是變好變壞，都是有原因的。 無常，讓人會珍惜生命；無常，讓人會珍惜擁有；無常，讓人會珍惜因緣；無常，讓人會珍惜關係。 看到一朵鮮花衰殘凋謝，興起了無常的感受；看一粒種子展現生命力，茁壯成長，不禁感受到無常的可貴。 愚痴，因為勤讀而能變成聰明；貧窮，因為奮鬥而能增加財富，這都是無常的可貴之處。 上古時，帝王專制，人民毫無自由，假如不是無常，而是一成不變，那裏有今日的民主政治；過去石器時代，民智未開，人民茹毛飲血，如果不是無常，而是一成不變，現在不是仍然停留在文化末啟的蠻荒時代嗎？ 因為無常，因此有錢有勢的也不必太過得意，因為世事無常，財富為五家所共有，名位更是朝夕萬變，甚至身體健康也都是生滅無常，如少水魚，不值得太過貪執，反而要以無常為戒，應該做的事，要及早成辦。 無常是宇宙中最自然不過的現象，因此古來多少文人雅士莫不為文作賦感悟無常。例如誦讀《瑜珈燄口》中的「將軍戰馬今何在，野草閑花滿地愁」，不禁令人生起了無常之感；朗誦荊軻的「風蕭蕭兮易水寒；壯士一去兮不復還」，不禁令人生起悲壯犧牲的雄心。 無常苦空雖為人生實相，但在無常之中吾人皆有一顆不變的真心，若能證悟真理，超越無常，則能在無常之中找出自己的出路，是時任性逍遙，心安理得，豈不快哉！ —— 星雲大師 Venerable Master Hsing Yun
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 13:44:57 +0000