The world of Tzu Chi April 2020 (Vol.121)

2020 • 04 48 harma Ceasing the workings of the mind “I t was the middle of the night.” Why was it not in the morning or at noon but instead the middle of the night when the Buddha entered Parinirvana ? This obviously has a special significance; it too represents the Middle Way. After night falls, some time later, dawn arrives. This implies that even though we unenlightened beings are lost in confusion, if we are able to encounter the Buddhadharma, we can transform darkness into light, eliminate our delusions and head towards a bright future. Even the Buddha also had a finite time to live in this world, so what about us ordinary people? This acts as a reminder to us that each person’s birth resembles the sunrise, and life then passes through morning, noon and evening, followed by the sunset. Then, at the end of the night comes the moment of dawn anew. So, “birth is the beginning of death, and death is the starting point of birth”. At every stage of his life, the Buddha taught sentient beings through his own example. Spiritual cultivation must have a starting point and a goal – once we make a vow, we must put it into action. By doing so, we will give rise to strength. With the Buddha’s cultivation, his every action and every word inspires us to develop strength and take action. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must constantly cultivate our disposition, character and refinement. “It was the middle of the night, quiet and without a sound.” This also has another layer of meaning: how “the workings of the mind cease”. This refers to a state without afflictions. This is what sets the Buddha apart from us ordinary beings. As he manifested in the world, he had his beloved family and also had affection for his Dharma-family. Nonetheless, when he was about to enter Parinirvana , although he exhibited reluctance to leave, in actuality he had already left the past behind him without any trace in his heart. Thus, he had no afflictions. Spiritual cultivation is a matter of training our minds in the present moment. When we learn worldly knowledge, this is also for the sake of making CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION