Seems as though we are never really independent or free, constantly at the mercy of changing circumstances; born along the same paths we repeatedly transmigrate lifetime after lifetime. Fettered by agony, we go through periods of rage feeling unable to quell our misery with no hope of respite, where all that seems to arise from the delusion of our particular condition of hell, is more desperation, resentment, even war. Unfulfilled desires cause us suffering. The delusion feels as though our minds are immersed in a pool of intense craving. What a pitiful place, hunger, feeling as though we are living in a constant state of starvation. Some see life as a constant struggle for survival that leads to harming others to protect themselves; unable to plan for the future, basing motivation for the immediate gain or loss of a covetous desire on impulse and instinct, rather than on reason and logic. And so, there we stand or fall steeping in a delusional state of ignorance, no different than that of an animal, unable to distinguish between what is the right thing to do and what is wrong, which only leads to no other condition, than suffering and potential self-destruction. With our desire to compare ourselves with others and preoccupation to surpass them, some of us put on airs, become vexed, and jealous, becoming arrogant and full of contempt and feeling as though they are better than us. This abiding contention, this anger, that which arises from self-centered ambition, is but another delusion leading straight to hypocrisy and betrayal, and giving rise to once more, and none other than suffering. As a human being, however, the quality of reason we possess enables us to distinguish between right and wrong; and although we are vulnerable, we are highly capable of exerting ourselves and advancing remarkably. And still yet, there is joy that pervades our life at having any one of our desires fulfilled, but it doesn’t last. We soon realize it too is a delusion, and not a condition of genuine happiness where we can enjoy ourselves at ease, because there is none other than upholding faith. Obstacles sooner or later will impede our progress toward genuine happiness, including those resulting from the manifest or latent negative effects of our actions or offenses. Obstacles are not always obvious or easy to recognize. Some come through as people who influence us, and yet others arise from our tendency to be ignorant of the fundamental dignity of our life and the noble potential we possess. Not unlike obstacles, however, desires are like firewood and we can vigorously burn them to summon the wisdom we need from the depth of our lives in order to make changes that will benefit us now, and in future existences. It is not as though desires can exist independent of our life. They cannot. We live in a realm that encompasses all of life in a single moment. We never know what will happen from one moment to the next. We can choose to challenge obstacles, and thus look forward to a state of existence that transcends suffering and joy, where we are no longer governed by an ever-changing environment; or as some might have it, in the most extreme of terms, end it all, thus abandoning life to find ourselves born along the same paths of suffering onto which path we transmigrate once again; only with the epithet, “Why me?” The moment of death is important. It’s rare to be born a human being and life as a human is hard to sustain, but “it is better to live a single day with honor than to die in disgrace.”* The life of a human is fleeting; and while some believe like fire, others believe like water. Meanwhile, a fire burns more briskly when you add logs.
*Quote from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin.
September 12, 2017