This text explores the dual perspectives on death: one as a mere inevitability leading to despair, and the other as a motivator for a purposeful life. It emphasizes the cultivation of good deeds and merits as the true purpose of existence. Reflecting on death inspires consciousness and prepares us to live without attachment to worldly things. The teachings of the Buddha guide us to avoid evil, perform good deeds, and understand that our actions shape our afterlife. This practice leads to the attainment of Nibbana and fulfillment of life goals. Living with the awareness of death encourages a meaningful life focused on virtue.
หัวข้อประเด็น
-Perspective on death -The significance of merit cultivation -Buddhist teachings on good and evil -Reflection on mortality -Living with purpose and preparation
ข้อความต้นฉบับในหน้า
do not know when we are going to die. We must sooner or
later be separated from all loved ones and treasured things.
How can people think about death?
1. Thinking about death with the false view: Thinking
that death is inevitable or just waiting for death to come, without
cultivating merit or anything good, is a waste of a precious
human life.
2. Thinking about death with the right view: Death is
unavoidable, therefore, before dying, one must make the most
of one's physical existence by cultivating the maximum
number of good deeds in order that the accrued merit resulting
from those deeds will be carried on to the next life.
All life ends at death. Yet, death could never be the
purpose of life. The purpose of life is to cultivate merit and
purify oneself from defilements to attain Nibbana. Since
defilements still remain, one should never stop doing good
deeds until one's last day arrives. This is the best
recommendation that we have to offer.
Daily reflection on death and the separation from all loved
ones and treasured things helps develop consciousness and
progress in meditation. A person who performs this reflection
will live his life with prudence and preparation. He tends not
to seek any extra attachment to animate or inanimate things,
focusing instead on performing good deeds. He is unafraid of
any hardships. He realizes that death is creeping ever closer,
like a shadow that has followed him from birth and is ready to
attack him in moments of weakness.
3. Cultivating the utmost merit: The objective of life
is to live with purpose or meaning. Doing something that cannot
be carried over to the next life is not considered truly beneficial.
The Lord Buddha realized that only the results of our
deeds will follow us when we die. He taught, "We are owners
of our actions, we are heirs to our kamma, whatever actions
we perform, be they good or evil, we will receive their
consequences."
He taught three principle guidelines on how to live our
lives and get the best out of them:
1. Avoid evil deeds: Cast off past bad habits and avoid
starting new ones which can increase adverse consequences,
to the extent that they will bring us to the unfortunate realms
or cause us to miss the path to the heavenly realms and Nibbana.
2. Doing good deeds to the utmost extent: Attempt to
perform any good deeds one has never performed and increase
the effort devoted to those good deeds that one has already
performed in order to gain passage to the heavenly realms and
Nibbana while shutting the doorway of hell.
The Warm Hearted Family 308
The Value of Life
The Warm Hearted Family
309
The Value of Life