| When we are at the dead end
of a road, and if someone comes to lend his/her helping hands to you,
it usually does not take to refuse it by first checking whether it is
a true or a false helping hand. The worst thing in life is that a lot
of people, by using this Archiles' heel, pretend
themselves to be saviors and gurus in "helping" others,
and thus enable themselves to fulfill their own selfish wishes and aims.
They use different kinds of "nets" to catch those who need to
be saved, and then use them for their own purposes, and lead these people
into another kind of tormented environment, bringing more sufferings to
those whose lives have already suffered endlessly. These
kind of actions are, indeed, most heart-breaking to hear of!
Ultimately, who is the real savior ? The answer is only one : it is you! Those who really know how to use life, whether situated in favorable, unfavorable or ordinary conditions, will steadfastly search for the Path of liberation and enlightenment. First of all, try to learn about the basic knowledge of Buddhism, and then learn to distinguish between real and false teachers. Then cautiously and strictly choose one who is most suitable to you as your own mentor and follow him/her through. Then diligently practice what have been taught, in the study and practice of Buddhism, and relate these into your daily life in order to transform these into real strength from within, so as to further push yourself into the real practices, thus saving yourself from the pit-like cyclic existence of samsara. There are those people who think that they can use some of their material wealth to do some meritorious deeds, in order that they will receive some material rewards in return. This is good in the sense that one can accumulate some basic merits for the preparation of further teachings and practices, yet the accumulation of merits in itself is not enough to lead oneself to liberation and enlightenment. Hence, one needs to accumulate enough merits, and, with this, to further put into practice what are being taught such that wisdom will slowly evolve from your understanding and concentration in the practices of the Dharma. Only then can one begins to tread on the Path of liberation and enlightenment. "Some people spend the whole of their life preparing to practice; then the end of their life comes, and they are still preparing. So they begin their next life without ever having completed all these preparations!" - Sakya Master Dragpa Gyaltsan. Because of past actions (karma), beings are always wandering in the six realms of cyclic existence of samsara without their own mastery. This kind of karmic forces seemed to have determined our present life script to become our so-called "destiny". But, in reality, this is not necessarily true. In fact, what is called "destiny" is just a series of trends of events, caused by previous actions, and they cannot exist on their own without the combinations of causes and conditions ( both past and present ), that is, "destiny" cannot exist without Interdependent Origination. Hence, one can make use of one's present actions by doing spiritual and virtuous practices, thus bringing these trends of events ( the so-called "destiny" ) towards the spiritual Path of liberation and enlightenment, using appropriately all the resources of our life and correctly investing them into the spiritual practices. In so doing, one can change one's own "destiny", and the outcomes of your own life will be wholly determined by yourself, and none others. Whether the end result is liberation and enlightenment, or whether it be the wandering in samsara, is purely up to you to decide : it really depends upon yourself as to whether you will diligently devote yourself wholeheartedly to the practices, and without any wrongdoings on your part. On the other hand, if you are deceiving yourself and others, or unfortunately fell into the traps offered by others, then the results can be most fatal! -- CONTINUE -- |
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