One day Shakyamuni Buddha asked a monk: How long can we live alone in this world?
The disciple replied: "In my opinion, it is within a few days. People can change a lot in a few days in the world."
Shakyamuni Buddha said: "You still don't understand Buddhism!"
Then, Shakyamuni Buddha asked another monk: How long does a person live in this world?
The disciple replied: "Master, I think a person's life is only as long as one meal."
Shakyamuni Buddha said: "You still don't understand the Dharma!"
Shakyamuni Buddha asked another monk: Tell me again, how long does a person's life last?
The monk replied to Shakyamuni Buddha: "In my opinion, life is only between breaths."
After hearing this disciple's answer, Shakyamuni Buddha praised him and said, "Very good, you got the answer right! You have understood the Dharma."
"The day has passed, and life has also diminished. What joy can there be in being like a fish that lacks water? Everyone! Be diligent, just like saving your hair when it is on fire. Always remember that all things are impermanent, and never indulge yourself! ” - "The Warning Words of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva"
There is a saying that you may not understand after hearing it, which is "Buddha does not save sentient beings." Originally, it is said that the Buddha saves all living beings, so why do we say that the Buddha does not save all living beings? This sentence means that the Buddha cannot practice on our behalf or become a Buddha on our behalf. This is called "individual life and death are decided by the individual himself. Just like eating, only the person who eats feels full.” The Buddha just told us a method. This method is to purify your mind every time a thought appears, and always practice it. - Master Jinghui explains the "Altar Sutra by The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng"
When a person cannot stay away from desires, his heart is like a boat sailing against the current. If he is not careful, he will retreat very far. When a person is able to stay away from desires, the heart is like a feather floating into the flames, curling up and disappearing as soon as it gets closer. - "Saṃyukta Āgama" Shariputra
The gentleman (Wang Yangming) was visiting Nanzhen. A friend pointed to the flowers and trees in the rocks and asked (Wang Yangming): "There is nothing in the world outside of my heart. If flowers and trees bloom and fall by themselves in the deep mountains, what does it matter to my heart?" "The teacher (Wang Yangming) replied: "When you don't look at this flower, this flower and your heart are silent together; when you look at this flower, the color of this flower becomes clear for a moment, and you know that this flower is not outside your heart." ("Wang Wenchenggong Complete Works" 》Volume 3)
A filial son who has deep love must have harmony; a son who has harmony must have a cheerful look; a son who has a cheerful look must have a graceful appearance. Explanation: A filial son has a deep love for his parents, and his heart must show a cheerful look. If he has a harmonious spirit, he must have a cheerful look, and if he has a cheerful look, he must have a docile appearance. Excerpted from "Book of Rites: Sacrifice for Righteousness"
In ancient times, there was a great novice monk who practiced diligently and attained the fruit of Arahantship. He was still deep in the mountains, pursuing the supreme path with courage and diligence. In a nearby village, there is a seven-year-old whizz-kid who has deep roots and early wisdom. At a young age, he loved to study Buddhism. He bid farewell to his widowed mother and went to find a teacher. The whizz-kid met the Arhat and asked to be a novice monk. He devoted himself to studying Buddhism under his teacher. Knowing that this whizz-kid could learn Buddhism, the teacher took the opportunity to enlighten him. The whizz-kid is very enlightened, reciting sutras and practicing the Dharma, never slacking off. This whizz-kid gained supernatural powers at the age of eight. His eyes can see everywhere, his ears can hear all sounds, he can fly in the air, he can change his shape as he wishes, he can understand events in the past, and he can reflect back on all causes and conditions in his past life, just like a mirror reflecting light and shadow, the past suddenly appeared.
One day, the whizz-kid was sitting quietly, looking at the events of his past life, and couldn't help but smile. Seeing that the boy was smiling broadly, the teacher asked the whizz-kid why he was laughing. The whizz-kid answers: "I laugh at my past life and this life. I was the son of five mothers. All the mothers cried for me day and night, sighing with sorrow, and they can't help it. They all worried about me the weak son and they never give up. I have harmed five families as one son, so that The Five Mothers have suffered immeasurably for me, and they have lost their freedom for me. My body is like dew, and the Five Mothers saw me as a pearls in their palm. However, they all suffered in vain and were obsessed with this. I now see the infatuation of five mothers in my stillness, so I can't help but laugh. When I came to the world of Jambudvipa, I was reborn in five families.
When my first mother gave birth to me, my neighbor gave birth to a son on the same day. I died a few days after I was born because my fate was over. My mother felt very sad when she saw her neighbor's children learning to speak, learn to laugh, and learn to walk. She thought that if her child was still here, he would be able to learn to speak, laugh, and walk at this time. She couldn't help but shed tears secretly. When my neighbor's mother is happy, my mother is sad.
When I became the son of my second mother, my fate was exhausted. When the time came, I died early. My mother felt sad when she saw other children drinking milk. She thought about how lively, wise, and happy I had been when she fed me with my breasts, but unexpectedly she had a dream. She always mourned in the evenings and mornings.
When I was the son of my third mother, my karma was also limited. When I was ten years old, when the time came to leave, I died in a hurry. Whenever it was time to eat, the mother would cry bitterly and say, "If my son were here, he would eat with me at this time." What a misfortune it is now to leave me to die, leaving me to eat alone! ” She choked up her words as she spoke, feeling extremely miserable.
When I was the son of my fourth mother, I died before I was young due to my poor fate. The friends nearby have all grown up, and their marriages are very lively. When my mother saw them, she felt sad and said, "If my son were alive, he would marry a wife at this time." In the blink of an eye, I can play with my grandson, isn't it a joy? I don't know why, but I have offended the heaven, and the heaven has torn out my heart and killed my only adopted son. ” She was filled with grief and hatred, and her resentment was soaring.
When I was the son of my fifth mother, when I was seven years old, because I wanted to learn Buddhism, I left home, left my widowed mother, got close to the master, cultivated in the mountains, and gained supernatural powers. My mother was at home, crying every day. She said: "I gave birth to a son, and he studied with his teacher. I don't know where he is, I don't know whether he is hungry, fed, warm or cold, or whether he is alive or dead. In the distant years, my child and I will no longer see each other."
I became the son of five mothers one after another. I caused infinite pain to my five mothers due to separation in life and death. If the time and space were shortened to one place at a time, and I was tossed around in the wombs of five mothers as a child, for me, going and going would be easy, without any increase or decrease; for the mothers, they would be in pain, crying and going crazy, they each want to commit suicide. Emotions in the world are like a net, binding people to hardships, joys and sorrows, charming and tiring, that's it! I have woken up and it is difficult to shed tears of sympathy; but mothers are still obsessed with this love net, so I laugh.
"I now thinks again: Mortals in this world don't know that things are destroyed when they are created, and that life is bound to die. Life and death happen in the blink of an eye, and mortals don't know it. They drift with the tide, sacrifice their lives to create karma, and fall into a trap. I have witnessed countless sentient beings in the three evil realms who have created karma. They have suffered for a long time and cannot find a way out. I feel terrible on behalf of them. How lucky am I to wake up early and go to the mountain to seek the truth. Inspired by the Buddha's kindness and the teacher's kindness, I collect the six roots, do not have delusional thoughts, do not create any karma, and have a pure heart, understanding Buddhism quickly. I gained supernatural powers and can see things in the past. I now pity the five mothers who are blocked by my emotions and cannot extricate myself. Instead, I sigh that my life is miserable and I cannot live forever. I am worried that my wishes may not come true. I pity the world even more, Day and night, I am driven and insulted by lust for fame and fortune, but I don’t know how to wake up. Look! It’s hard to fly as high as you want if you are constantly grappling with love. How can you escape from life and death if you are not separated from the barriers of emotion and consciousness? Who is the true seed? It is only self-enlightenment. The roots of all living beings are not mature, and persuasion becomes discord. What more can I say after leaving? A smile is like a torch of wisdom." After saying this, the teacher flew away.
I now pity my five mothers who are blocked by love and cannot extricate themselves. They lament that my life is miserable and I cannot live forever. They are worried about me and feel sad, but they may not get what they want in the end. I pity the people of the world who are driven and insulted day and night by lust for fame and wealth, but don't know how to wake up. What a sigh! If you are constantly tied by the rope of infatuation, it will be difficult to fly according to your ambitions. How can we escape from life and death without the barriers of emotion and consciousness? Who is the true seed, it is only self-enlightenment. When the consciousness of sentient beings is not yet mature, persuasion is like discord. I left, said no more, and treated this smile as a sign of wisdom. "After the whizz-kid finished speaking to his teacher, he flew away.
- "The whizz-kid Lost His Laughter" (published in "Buddha Said the Five Mothers and Sons Sutra")
the man who blames others has a long way in his journey to go；
the man who blames himself,is halfway there
and the man blames no one,has already arrived.