324-Everything passes- Buddhism in daily life

Everything passes


In a Buddhist temple, a great master taught, he was already very
old, but incredibly white, he had many followers, the monks of
the temple, and also the people from the neighboring town,
respected him, as a counselor and as a gifted scholar.


In the great hall of the temple he lectured, organized meetings,
provided social gatherings, gave advice, and there he taught his
students the philosophy of Buddha, also meditation and prayer.


He was particularly fond of a local student, who was intelligent,
interested and hard-working, hardly missing any of his seminars.
And he took special care of her, he encouraged the young girl.


One evening, after the meditation exercises, she said to her
master: "My meditation was terrible, my thoughts were everywhere
but here. Today my eyes kept falling shut, every bone ached from
sitting, I was unfocused, distracted, not in my mind at all. My
ego was constantly running away with me, whispering incoherent
things in my ear, questions arose in me, self-reflection did not
want to occur."


The master replied succinctly, "Student, this will pass."


In the following time her exercises were as before, she said
nothing to her master, came again almost every day, she pleased
the old teacher with joy.


A few months later, the master and the pupil got into
conversation again. She told him, "Master, today my meditation
was wonderful, inspiring, I was fully concentrated, sitting was
effortless, I was not distracted, my ego was silent during the
exercises, breathing was easy, did not burden me at all, I think
I have made great progress."


The master just looked at her casually, he answered again
succinctly, "Student, this will pass".


THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS WORLD IS ITS TRANSITORINESS


- FRANZ KAFKA - GERMAN-LANGUAGE WRITER - 1883 TO 1924


HAPPINESS BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT. FOR ALL
EXTERNAL SOURCES OF HAPPINESS AND PLEASURE ARE BY THEIR NATURE
HIGHLY UNCERTAIN, UNFORTUNATE, TRANSIENT AND SUBJECT TO CHANCE.


- ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1788 TO 1860


The lot of mankind is not easy. Already on the day we fall in
love, for example, we know that we will EVER have to say goodbye
to this person again, we know that the child that has just been
born will EVER die, that everything, simply everything, will be
lost, will pass, will be extinguished. Even our planet will pass
away one day, and with it the utopia we call "our world" today.


Everything passes, we must accept this unchangeable truth.


If it were not for the teachings of Buddha, my human lot would
weigh heavily on me, sometimes even almost crushing me, the fact
that everything passes EVERYWHERE would be very difficult for me
to come to terms with without Buddhist philosophy, would
unbearably and threateningly overshadow my life.


From the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers I first drew
the strength, and today the certainty that this does not have to
occupy me, because not everything is as it appears at first
sight.


Buddha has shown us a way out, he has paved the path to
"enlightenment" for us. Like all paths, this alley is not always
easy to negotiate, but in the end we have "awakening", the
"gateless gate" through which we pass, but which cannot be
grasped with our hands.


If you, esteemed reader, have read this text up to here (to the
end), then you are in any case interested in Buddha's teaching,
perhaps you even want to follow his path? Take up the undertaking
courageously, because even a great journey begins only with a
small step.