Episode 47 of Freely Walking in the Red Dust [Broadcast on China Television on 89.03.24] If you can always maintain righteous thoughts and not be affected by the external environment, your mind will be peaceful, your body and mind can be coordinated, and diseases will not be scary. , death is even more fearless. If you further believe in cause and effect, take back this thought, and achieve the unification of the six roots, which is the so-called "reflecting on hearing your own nature, your nature will become the supreme path", you can finally reach the highest state of ultimate annihilation. Weijue talks about Zen: How to treat the mystery of life and death? Question 1: How does Buddhism view the mystery of life and death? The old monk said: When it comes to the issue of death, everyone is very sad and afraid. Regarding "death", we can discuss it into the death of the physical body, the death of the soul, and the absence of death. First of all, let’s talk about the body. The physical body refers to the body that we can see and touch. This physical body is composed of the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. The so-called earth element refers to the solid materials on the body, such as bones, skin, nails, and hair. Tears, blood, and urine on the body belong to the water element. Fire element is the heat in us. The wind element is the gas, our out-breathing, in-breathing and even all kinds of movements. When the four elements are out of tune, the physical body will become sick. Therefore, Buddhism teaches us to regulate the body and the mind. There is also a famous saying: "Ordinary people only know how to regulate the body but don't know how to regulate the mind. Wise people know how to regulate the mind but not the body." That is to say, first change the psychology, and the body will naturally be at peace. . But regardless of peace of mind, everyone will eventually die. This is the death of the physical body. The death of the body is inevitable. In the "Impermanence Sutra", the Buddha taught very clearly, "The Supreme World-Honored Ones and the Alone Awakened Sravakas and Hearers have to give up their impermanent bodies, let alone ordinary people." That is, regardless of the Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, or even us ordinary people, this The physical body will definitely die. Confucianism has a saying: establish virtue, establish words, and perform meritorious deeds, hoping to make life immortal. That is to say, before death, you can use this physical body to do more good deeds and merits, which will be famous throughout the ages, but the physical body will actually still die. The death of the physical body is called "staged birth and death" in Buddhist scriptures. For example, in our lifetime, we may be sixty years old, or seventy, eighty, or one hundred and twenty years old. This period of life is called "staged birth and death." The second is spiritual life and death. The mind refers to our mind. The birth and death of this mind is life and death. For example, the thought of getting up in the morning arises, and after getting up, the thought of getting dressed will arise. The thought of getting dressed will then arise, and the thought of getting up will be eliminated. After putting on clothes, you may have to put on shoes and socks immediately, and the attachment to getting dressed is gone again. After putting on shoes and socks, you have to rinse your mouth and face. The thought of putting on shoes and socks is gone again. By analogy, from morning to night, our thoughts are constantly arising and passing away. Good thoughts arise and pass away, and evil thoughts arise and pass away. This is "spiritual death." Sravakas and Bodhisattva saints have the so-called "variation life and death", which is the variation in which worries and attachments become less and less. This variation also belongs to "spiritual death." Therefore, from this perspective, human physiology and psychology are all in In death. The third one is "no death". If you want to reach the realm of no death, you must enter the most real and highest realm from the mind, which is the so-called "clear mind, see nature, see nature and become a Buddha" in Zen Buddhism, that is, The state reached by an enlightened saint is called the Tao after enlightenment. When you see your true heart and true nature, there is no more birth or death. If we understand the present mind, there will be no death, and our life will be as long as the void. From this standpoint, human life in this world is very meaningful and valuable. Because when you realize your original mind, you can transcend time and space, and truly have infinite life and infinite light. Question 2: How to understand this thought and achieve the state of immortality? The old monk said: After Buddhism was introduced to China from India, two monks before Patriarch Bodhidharma, Buddhabhadra and Saya, came to teach Buddhism, that is, to spread the teaching of immortality, immortality, and immortality. The heart imprint of reciting the Buddha's name. At that time, no one in China could accept it, because Buddhism at that time was a gradual practice, and it was not believed that everyone could become a Buddha. Therefore, when Buddhabhadra said that everyone can become a Buddha, the Buddhist community could not accept it, so they expelled Buddhabhadra and other two sages.

"Cuddle up" at the end of the life is "assisted in chanting", and aiding in chanting is what most people call "hospice care". Because when we are dying, our hearts will be very troubled and frightening. This heart cannot make the decision, and it is like a nightmare. If the person next to you is chanting, it will remind the person who is about to die to return to the light, so that his heart can rest at ease.