CONTEMPLATE DEATH
Master Jun Hong Lu: To Contemplate Death. This may not sound too pleasant to many people. No one would even entertain negative thoughts like, “Gosh, I am going to die!” as they are deemed to bring bad luck.
However, if you are constantly contemplating the impermanence of life, don’t you think you are actually contemplating death? Think, how old are you now? How many years have you lived?
It is important that we are always reminded of death. Bear in mind that life is short and pathetic, so is it worth the while to fight tooth and nail among ourselves over something or harbour jealousy towards others?
Always think: it is so pathetic that all of us are going to die, sooner or later. We can’t even be compared with a dead old log as it can still be carved into an antiquated artwork. As for us, all is gone when we die!
This calls for the need for us to contemplate: Life is anything, but impermanent and brief.
Some may even give excuses like, “I’m still young. It doesn’t matter if I don’t commit myself to spiritual cultivation now. I can do so when I retire from my job, when I have nothing else to do. By then, I would surely dedicate myself to spiritual cultivation and performing recitation.”
By then, for all you know, it is all too late as you can never be too sure that you get to live to see the day that you retire.
The ancient Chinese sages had often said, “Death does not discriminate between the old and the young”. This means living is not a privilege of the young and death is not necessarily the misfortune of the old. In reality, many youngsters die prematurely – way too many of them.
For this reason, we must always think about how precious life is and deliberate on its impermanence. Not cherishing time only means you are wasting your life away. You are one step closer to death with each passing day.
Herein lies the urgency to embark on your spiritual cultivation journey this very moment. Don’t wait anymore! Throw all trivial matters and worries of this world to the back of your mind.
Focus on the most meaningful tasks in life and that are: to help sentient beings, embark on the spiritual path with the aim of attaining Buddhahood, form positive connections with people, and last but not least, dedicate yourself to a life of kind deeds.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 83
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