I vividly remember the days when I was a child. We lived in a cloistered society. As children we would play for the whole day. There were no systematic games; life seemed to be beautiful in those days. We would neither worry about the future nor regret the past. Those summers with my family, friends and loved ones still linger in my mind. I remember the days back in school when I was a little boy. Those tiring lectures and never-ending assignments would always make me annoyed. But today, as I look back on my school days, I often experience an intimate feeling of happiness.
As the days passed by, piling up into weeks, months and years, I could sense that the very child I was before could no longer be seen. Now as I stand somewhere later in my life, all I can do is just take a deep breath and wonder at the fleeting moments of my childhood days. Everyone questions, “How does the time fly by so fast?” My nine-year stay in this institute seems to have passed very quickly. The memories of yesteryear are still fresh and vivid, as if they had just happened yesterday.
How surprising it is to know that six years have passed since my root guru, the late Padma Norbu Rinpoche, left this cyclic existence and attained blissful parinirvana. When I remember his spiritual teachings I can’t help but rejoice at the fortunate bond I had with my guru. Thinking about the swift flight of life, however, also drives me into fear and confusion; I wonder, what will be my condition when I become old? Is time moving faster or is it just an illusory game playing in my mind?
Every second is valuable in forming a life and no one can stop this unavoidable process. When I was little, I thought life was an endless journey that we have to pass through. Sometimes, I felt very excited and thought it was encouraging when my relatives pointed out how much I had grown up compared to previous years. But now, I spend most of the time wondering at how the months and years are blowing by in a hurry. Yet, I am happy about my life. At the same time, certain questions strike my mind: is there any meaning to life in this existence? And what is life and death? These inescapable questions cannot be kept hidden and they keep thundering inside me. There is no definite answer to these questions but if we look deep down into ourselves some answers can be revealed through our own individual understanding.
Most of us, however, live our lives without a sensible goal or a spiritual purpose; instead, we are too inclined towards the material world. Even if we have such a goal or purpose, we simply ignore it and are satisfied with whatever is there within our reach, and we procrastinate to practise the true conduct of the spiritual teachings. This attitude will lead us to ignoring spiritual practice in favor of worldly preoccupation. Living without purpose is the cause of instability in our lives.
As life goes on, things get more and more complicated. Life is not just simply living; many objectives need to be accomplished in order to lead a meaningful life. I realized that one should ask within oneself about the meaning of life rather than asking others. When my childhood stage waxed to adulthood it was time to face reality.
When we are children, at first we are not scared to touch fire but when the pain is unbearable, then we know what it is to touch fire. Every system changes to be responsive in this way as we become adults. We have to develop perseverance and be curious about knowing the truth. We can discover meaning in life by doing good deeds and experiencing the value of suffering. We should cultivate a simple change of thinking which can help make this life meaningful. Initially, this may not be an easy task and it requires constant practice. Nevertheless, the result can be valuable in eliminating bad habitual tendencies.
Life is an arduous climb. Prince Siddhartha, an ordinary man who searched for the meaning and purpose of life for many years, discovered the truth and became an awakened one at last. He accomplished this by seeing the profound and vast essence of the truth.
After his Enlightenment Buddha did not teach for seven weeks because the profound nectar he had realized was beyond the concept of ordinary minds. When Buddha did not teach, Lord Indra and Brahma earnestly requested him to turn the Wheel of Dharma by offering a thousand-spoked golden wheel and many precious gems. Finally, due to their ardent appeal, Buddha accepted to turn the Wheel of Dharma based on beings’ mental dispositions and intellectual capabilities.
I strongly feel that to make one’s life meaningful, one should engage in wholesome activities like helping others within altruistic mind, having a deep understanding about the nature of mind and accepting karma, the law of cause and effect. The concept of cause and effect is one of the fundamental facts discussed in Buddhism. These teachings help us to realize how precious this life is. It will intensify the importance of love and compassion, reduce interest in the material world and make us believe in the ultimate goal, which is Enlightenment.
It is often mentioned in the sutras that the essence of Buddhism is to realize the nature of one’s own mind. The positive or negative quality of our actions depends on the intention of the individual, not on the action’s appearance. Notwithstanding this, the main goal of Buddhist teaching is to transform our mind. Once we realize our mind, that is the ultimate goal, or Enlightenment. There is nothing more precious than a spiritual teaching that can extricate us from cyclic existence and lead us to ultimate bliss.
Therefore, we should know that it is meaningless to waste our precious lives. We have to concentrate on developing positive actions and eliminating negative ones. This present life is just one and our future lives are innumerable until we attain Enlightenment. So, we should not ruin our future lives just to pursue material happiness in this present life. As it is said, “Time and tide wait for no man”—it is very important to treasure this moment and make the best use of it.
By Sonam Dorji
Final Year NNI
