Life is but a thought: Nan Huaijin's 15 Life Wisdom Lessons

Chapter 2 Life is but a thought (1)
what is the purpose of life

Only when a person understands what is his duty, can he think about the purpose of life and the meaning of life; only when a person does the little things around him well, can he have a bottom in his heart and be able to do everything with ease .

When Mr. Nan Huaijin gave a speech at Tsinghua University, a student stood up and asked him such an empty but broad question: "What is the purpose of life?"

Mr. Nan Huaijin replied with a smile: "This question is actually asked in the wrong direction. There are many purposes of life, and the question itself is actually the answer to the question—life is the purpose of life, and there is no other answer."

What is the purpose of life?
From ancient times to the present, this question has been raised countless times.The British philosopher Russell once said that it is people's longing for love and knowledge, together with their compassion for disasters, that constitute the essence of life values.He also publicly stated in his writings: "I pursue love because it makes me ecstasy and relieves my loneliness... I also pursue knowledge with the same enthusiasm, because it allows me to understand the human heart and the universe. The splendor of God. As long as love and knowledge exist, human beings will always have a chance to enter the ideal paradise. This is my life. I think this life is worth it. If God gives me another chance, I will choose to live again like this." Russell said that the pursuit of love and knowledge is the pursuit of some people in life, and it is the purpose of life they pursue throughout their lives.But everyone's purpose in life is different. Mr. Nan Huaijin firmly believes that everyone's life is their own.

In the course of life, there will be many people vying to tell you what the purpose of life is.But you need to be clear that when you are in a state of confusion, your mind will be disturbed by confusion. Although confusion can guide you to find the direction, the answers you get at the same time are likely to be caused by anxiety and fear. Yes, thus, such answers are usually distorted answers.Therefore, the point of the question is not "what is the purpose of life?" but that we have to sort out our inner confusion.It is like a blind man asking, "What is light?" If he is told what light is, he will hear the answer from his own previous experience; but if he can see light, then he will not ask what is light. It's bright.In the same way, if you can sort out the confusion in your heart, you will naturally understand what the purpose of life is. You don't need to ask or look for it anymore, as long as you walk out of the cause of the confusion.

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Guangzang who dreamed of becoming a sculptor, so he specially visited Zen Master Dongyun, hoping that the Zen master could give him some knowledge about Buddha statues so that he could improve his carving skills. building.

When Zen master Dongyun saw him, he didn't speak, but asked him to fetch a bucket of water from the well for him.So, he brought water, but Zen Master Dongyun suddenly yelled at him, trying to drive him away.But it was almost dusk at this time, and the other disciples were very sympathetic to Guangzang, and asked the master to keep Guangzang in the temple for one night, and let him leave tomorrow.

At three o'clock, Guangzang was woken up to see Zen Master Dongyun.The Zen master said to him gently: "You still don't understand why I scold you during the day, do you? Now let me tell you that Buddha statues are worshiped by people, and only those who carve them have a pious heart, can they carve solemn Buddha statues. When you fetch water during the day, the water overflows the bucket, but you don’t care about it. Although the overflow is not much, it is also bestowed by merit and fate. People like you don’t cherish blessings and waste easily How can a person who can carve a vivid Buddha statue?"

Guangzang was quite moved by the Zen master's instructions.After some introspection, Guangzang decided to become a Buddhist disciple.Several years later, Guangzang finally became a generation master with unique carving skills.

How can we improve the engraving technique?The Zen master's non-verbal answer is: "You need to have a meticulous Zen mind, which is the foundation of being a human being. Only by being a good person can one practice Zen." Buddha is actually the sublimation of "human". Only when a person does his own duty well can he do other things well.If a person who has not tied his shoelaces wants to run, then there is only one result: he falls himself black and blue.

In fact, whether it is practicing Zen or Taoism, it teaches people to start with every little thing around them, do things honestly, and behave in a well-behaved manner.Only when one understands one's own duties can one think about the purpose of life and the meaning of life; only when one does all the little things around one's side well can one have a firm mind and be able to do everything with ease .

There is an old saying: "If you don't sweep a house, how can you sweep the world!" To do a simple thing to the extreme is not a simple thing in itself; to be able to do every ordinary thing well is itself a kind of extraordinary.Lingyun's ambition needs to be built on the accumulation of bits and pieces, and the spirit of success is also the spirit required for success. Instead of imagining how to find another way to reach the sky every day, it is better to be a little porter and fill the gap in your heart first. That is the purpose of life.

life is only a breath
Between one breath and one breath, life is like a white horse passing through the gap, like spring water flowing eastward, and will never return.As long as you live with a clear mind and see your nature, no matter how long or short your life is, as long as you spend it seriously, it is not a waste of life.

Mr. Nan Huaijin used a saying from the ancients to point out life and death: "The living is sent, and the dead is returned." Living is actually a kind of boarding, while death is a kind of return.The ancients believed that living is not a very pleasant thing, but at the same time, death is not a painful thing.Birth and death no longer exist in the mind.

Mr. Nan Huaijin once said that life and death are a major turning point in the journey of life. Life and death are the same, and life and death are the same. If you have the courage to see through life and death, then the most important problems in life will be completely solved.

"The one who is good at my life is the one who is good at my death." Only when a person truly recognizes the meaning and direction of his life can he not be afraid of death, cherish the present time, and perform every day of his life incomparably wonderful .Between one breath and one breath, life is like a white horse passing through the gap, like spring water flowing eastward, and will never return.As long as you live with a clear mind and see your nature, no matter how long or short your life is, as long as you spend it seriously, it is not a waste of life.

What is life?One day, the Tathagata Buddha called his disciples to the Buddhist hall and asked, "Can anyone tell me why you beg for food every day?"

"World Honored One, of course this is to support the body and protect life." The disciples blurted out.

"So, how long can physical life last?" the Buddha continued.

"Probably decades." A disciple replied without thinking.

"It seems that you don't understand the truth of life." Buddha shook his head.

Another disciple thought for a while and said: "In my opinion, human life is between spring, summer, autumn and winter. Life sprouts in spring and summer, and withers in autumn and winter."

The Buddha shook his head with a smile and said: "Although you have seen the shortness of life, what you said is just the appearance of life."

"World Honored One, I understand that human life depends on food and drink, so we have to beg for food every day!" Another disciple looked very happy.

"No. People don't live just to beg for food!" The Buddha was still not satisfied with this answer.

The disciples looked at each other, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

At this time, a young disciple who was lighting the fire said timidly: "Master, I think human life is between breathing and breathing!"

The Buddha finally nodded and smiled again and again, and said: "That's right! That's right! Human life lies in breathing. You have realized the true meaning of human life. This breath is human life. Don't think that life can be spent in a moment or Measured by a day and night of a mayfly or a season of flowers and plants, it is not decades, but only between one breath and one breath."

It is accidental that people come into the world, but it is inevitable that they go to death.Life is short and perishable. It is not easy for us to live in a healthy and comfortable way today, and there is no reason not to cherish life and love life.

Mr. Nan Huaijin said that God gave us a great life, which is to let us learn to face everything in life, including the major issues of life and death.If we are not given life, we will not even have the chance to die.Now finally gave us a chance to die, how precious!This is a kind of courage to see through life and death.When facing life and death, we can still be contented, this is the understanding of the true meaning of life.As Churchill said of death: "When the pub closes, I leave."

In the journey of human life, everyone will inevitably go to the end of life, but some people go faster and some people go slower.People who walk fast see through life and death, and live a wonderful life instead; while people who walk slowly always think that they still have enough time to achieve their life goals, and procrastinate and procrastinate until they finally want to I didn't do a single thing, and spent my mediocre life doing nothing. This can't but be said to be the tragedy of life.

People, if you can always think of death, as long as you think that so many lives are lost every day, but you are still alive and healthy, then you will definitely feel the preciousness of life and the loveliness of life.Then, no matter how difficult and complicated the dilemma you face, you will naturally be open-minded and detached.Only after people understand life and death can they be truly calm and rational, fully enlightened, and transcend themselves.

In fact, everyone has many beautiful dreams in the journey of life, but very few people can really realize them.In many cases, we do not lack time or ability. What we lack is just execution.You once planned to travel to Tibet, planned to learn another foreign language, or planned to write an autobiography... These plans were delayed again and again, and finally fell through, and ended without a problem.The reason is not because these plans are difficult to realize, but because you are always making excuses for yourself: family opposition, busy work, poor health...

There was a man who wanted to learn painting, but was always hesitant and couldn't make up his mind, so he went to consult his friends.He said: "I want to learn painting, but I will be 40 years old in four years. Can I learn painting again at my age? Isn't it too old?" His friend said to him: "Why not? ?Even if you don’t learn painting, you will still be 40 years old in four years.” My friend’s words are like enlightenment. Since I spend every day in the same way, why not do something I like?So the next day, he went to sign up for study.

In fact, you don’t need any excuses to live. You can use every minute and every second to do what you want to do. Don’t care about other people’s opinions and opinions, because your breath and life are your own, and your own life is more exciting than anything else. are more important.

Don't slack off, don't think that life is long, and there is enough time to do many things. In fact, the point of life is to seize every minute and every second to do what you think is important.Only by understanding life in this way can we truly experience the essence of life.

Life has been full of hardships since ancient times

The so-called "the sea of ​​suffering is boundless, turning back is the shore", the "turning back" in this sentence is not referring to others, but the Zen practitioner himself.What you need to understand is that when you are struggling in the sea of ​​suffering, you can only save yourself. Whether you pin your hopes on gods and Buddhas or others, it is unrealistic and tantamount to nonsense.

Mr. Nan Huaijin once said about Zen practice that there is no single way to bring all sentient beings into Nirvana, because the self-nature is self-sacrificing, and the Buddha cannot save you.Gods and Buddhas are just people who have experienced it themselves; all masters just tell you the whole experience.After all, people must save themselves, and all sentient beings must save themselves.In other words, everyone is born in misery.If people cannot save themselves, then the Buddha cannot save others. The so-called gods and Buddhas are also enlightened after self-help. Others can only teach the meditators the experience of self-help, but cannot save the meditators from the predicament of water and fire. Suffering, everything can only rely on yourself.

In real life, some people choose to believe in religion, hoping that faith can transcend themselves and help them escape the sea of ​​suffering and resolve suffering and sorrow.However, it is not the gods and Buddhas that the meditator worships that can really save people, nor will it be others, more often it is the meditator himself.In many cases, it is because people cannot forgive and forgive themselves, and this mentality makes them fall into a sea of ​​suffering from which they cannot extricate themselves.Only when you learn to bear it, can you truly learn to be free.

The so-called "the sea of ​​suffering is boundless, turning back is the shore", the "turning back" in this sentence is not referring to others, but the meditator himself.

What you need to understand is that when you are struggling in the sea of ​​suffering, you can only save yourself. Whether you pin your hopes on gods and Buddhas or others, it is unrealistic and tantamount to nonsense.

(End of this chapter)