A brief answer to the reality of life
略答人生实相
A lotus friend asks about the reality of life.
This is a major topic. It cannot be described clearly with only a few words. But this topic is very important. Every day we are living here. What is the reality of life? We should have some idea about it.
According to the Buddha’s teaching, the reality of life consists of only one word, ‘suffering’. Life is thoroughly sufferings, internally and externally. This is not being passive. This is a very serious matter which is very profound, real and full of kindness and compassion.
If by looking at this word a man does not have much feeling, we can be very sure he is shallow minded in life.
Another word is ‘emptiness’. Everything in life will not only become empty at the end, even in this present moment it is changing constantly. We cannot hold on to it as they are without a real form.
Next, it is ‘impermanent’. The myriad matters arise and fall constantly, without certainty. Because of impermanence, we cannot stay calm. If you wish for calmness, permanence, this is an impossible matter. Time passes by seconds by seconds. Thoughts arise and fall in the mind in every instant. The body grows old and weak, without our knowing. Everything is flowing along and changing. As it is said, ‘nothing will stay on permanently as they change constantly.’
Next, it dwells in ‘confusion’. If we cannot understand the reality of life, we will take sufferings as joy, no-self as having a self, impermanence as permanence, defiled as purity. All our concepts and thoughts are totally travelling in the wrong direction from genuine truth. This is known as the inverted views.
Next, it is ‘impure.’ This impurity cannot be understood by common people. Only those who have penetrate the Dharma Nature of the Genuine Thus which is neither increase nor decrease, neither born nor become extinct are considered purity. We who harbour the inverted views dwell in impurity in the arising of every thought. Even if a man is to hide himself in the mountain and does not do anything, that he relaxes, leading a casual life of drinking tea, admiring the moon, enjoying the soft breeze, all these are still not considered as dwelling in purity. He is still dwelling in defilements.
So, life is ‘sufferings, empty and impermanent. It is invertedly impure.’
In the Diamond Sutra, it is thus said in Gatha, ‘All the phenomena dharma resembles the dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadow. They are like the dews and the lightnings. We should contemplate them this way.’ Our life belongs to the phenomena dharma. On the certification to the noumena dharma, they are Sages. The life of phenomena dharma is described as the dreams, the illusions, the bubbles, the shadow, the dews, the lightnings. The descriptions of being like the dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadow, dews and lightnings show that they are unreal, illusive in nature.
The reality of life, the essence of life is known as Genuine Thus, Dharma Nature. It resembles the deep and profound great ocean which exist forever. But our life simply resembles the bubbles which arise at the ocean surface. Some are big others are small. These bubbles are inexhaustible and unending as they come forth unceasingly. This is our way of life when we push and extrude each other, one comes forth and another becomes extinct. This is true in a man, in a matter, in a thought. But they are simply this one bubble. Isn’t it meaningless to lead a life which resembles the bubbles, the foam? Yet, people are still running and seeking wildly, in this bubble, creating all kinds of hatred and negativities, committing all kinds of sinful karma, experiencing all kinds of pain and disasters.
When can this bubble -like life enter and be coherence with the great ocean, to become the water body? That is the origin of our life.
In the Pure Land Sect, the method we use is to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. Namo Amitabha Buddha is the essence of life as it is known as the immeasurable bright illumination, immeasurable lifespan. This is the Buddha Nature, the origin of life for all living beings.
By referring to the analogy we have just mentioned, the origin of the ocean water is deep and profound, expansive and great. It contains immeasurable Jewel stores. It exists continually, with unending rhythm.
But we have already forgotten such a way of life because we are living as bubbles, we are pushing and extruding each other. Hence, we dwell in worries, sadness, sufferings and afflictions. We are worried about getting and losing. We dwell constantly in becoming and extinction. This is a meaningless way of life. May all recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and may all realize the dreamy way of our life which is fake and unreal. May we be swift in poking through this fake life, the unreal bubble of shadow.
But with our root potential, we are still dwelling in great dreams even though we are reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha now.
Though we are dwelling in this great dream, we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and seek to be born in the Pure Land. We will surely attain a rebirth in the Pure Land. Once we have arrived at the Pure Land, we will truly wake up from this great dream. Our great enlightenment is equal to the Buddha. By Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong
An extract from the Compilation of questions and answers in Jing Zong Zhi Sheng
A comment by oridharma: By reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, we will soon be awakened from this dream and certified to our innate nature. Most grateful to Namo Amitabha Buddha
称念南无阿弥陀佛，很快的，我们就会梦醒，证入法性身。感恩南无阿弥陀佛
有莲友让我说一下人生实相。
这可是一个大题目，一两句、少言少句说不清楚；但也是个非常重要的题目。我们每天都在生活着，我们的人生，它的真实相状到底是什么？这个不可不知。
依佛陀的教导，人生的实相就是一个字——“苦”，是彻头彻尾的苦，彻里彻外的苦。这不是消极，这是非常严肃、非常深沉、如实的、充满慈悲的开示。凡是对这个字不能引起深度共鸣的，可以肯定地说，他的人生是肤浅的。
再一个字，就是“空”。人生的一切，不仅最终归于空虚，即使现在也是念念不住，无从把握，没有实体。
再来，就是“无常”，万事万物起灭不定。无常，所以无安，你想让它安稳、常住，绝对不可能。时间分分秒秒过去，心念刹那刹那变易，身体不知不觉衰老，一切都在流变，所谓“变动不居”。
再来，“颠倒”。不了解人生的实相，以苦为乐，无我认为有我，无常执为恒常，染污执为清净，所有一切想法、思虑，都和真理完全背道而驰，所谓颠倒见。
再来，“不净”，不清净。这个不清净，可能一般人很难理解，只有契入真如法性，不增不减，不生不灭，那才是清净；而我们抱着颠倒的见解，起心动念都是不清净的。躲到大山里，万事不做，心地悠闲，品着茶，赏着月，吹着凉风，这就算得上清净吗？仍然是非常重的染污。
所以，人生就是“苦空无常、颠倒不净”。
《金刚经》里有首偈子，“一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，应作如是观”。我们的人生，都是有为法，如果证入无为法，那就是圣人。有为法的人生就用这几个字来形容：梦、幻、泡、影、露、电。如梦如幻，如泡如影，如露如电，都是显示它的虚幻不实。
生命的真相，生命的本质，所谓真如、法性，如同那深邃、永恒的大海。
但我们的人生恰恰如海面上涌起的泡沫一样，
这些大大小小、无穷无尽、连绵的泡沫构成我们的人生，彼此相推相挤，你生我灭；也可能一个人，也可能一件事，也可能一个念头，都是一个泡沫。这泡沫一样的人生到底有什么意义呢？人们还在里面追逐，结怨结恨，造罪造业，受苦受难。
什么时候能透过这泡沫一样的人生，契入大海下面的水体？那里才是生命的本来。
净土宗的方法，就是称念这句南无阿弥陀佛，
这句南无阿弥陀佛是人生的本质，
所谓无量光明、无量寿命，
就是一切众生生命的本来，也就是佛性。
以刚才的比喻，就是大海水的本体，是深邃的，是广大的，是含有无量宝藏的，是生生不息、律动不止的。
可是我们都忘了这样的人生，我们都活在泡沫当中，你推我挤，忧悲苦恼，患得患失，幻生幻灭。这样没有意义。
愿大家多念佛，早日认识人生的梦幻不实，早日戳破人生虚假不实的泡影。
但是以我们这样的根机，即使念佛，仍然是做春秋大梦；
虽然是做春秋大梦，只要念佛，愿生净土，决定可以往生净土。一旦到达净土，才真正是大梦全醒，大觉等佛。
——净宗法师
摘自《净宗之声问答集》
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