If you were God, why would you create a world? A world of separation, confused, turmoil and pain? You are almighty God, can live with your glory of eternity, enjoy your delight for ages. Why you bother?
Then what? You are the Universe, you are One and Only One, Alone. Sometime, you may think to have dinner with someone. It is no fun to have dinner alone. So next, you created a world, or called it, the Game of Life, and pretend that you were not you. In this manifested world, it has opposites, in pairs - pleasure and pain, good and evil, up and down, subject and object, yes, this is a dualistic world (二元對立的世界). So the Game of Life begins!
Who is the main actor in this Game of Life? It is you! Your ordinary self that dealing with your daily life.
Who is the main actor in this Game of Life? It is you! Your ordinary self that dealing with your daily life.
Interesting is that: Since then, we have forgotten who we really are! We take this ego or self of "I" and "mine" as real and live with it. No wonder, in the dualistic world, it has love versus hate, good versus bad, alone versus many, pleasure versus pain, right versus wrong ... So with your own creation, you round and round in this samsaric world. You endure suffering, indulge to pleasure when live in this Game of Life. We resist, avoid the pain and strongly cling and seek the happiness, so become slave to the self, "I" and "mine". （被境界所牽引）We have no doubt to this delusional and non existent self of "I", seem satisfied with it.
More interesting is that: We don’t want to go home! Home, implies alone, aloof, safe and peaceful. Sharing is also the inner core of the Nature.
The masses (眾生), out of fear of loneliness, so we continue playing this Game of Life, (or you can call it samsara, the Buddhist term, if you like it) of course, you need the main player, the main actor (主角), that is your self, the "I", the small mind, the ego, to accompany you eternally, for you to experience the pain and pleasure of this delusional world, that you take for real, that you take it as your home.
So you lost in your own creation, you have forgotten you have a real home, before your creation. Eternally, you are indulged and cling to this Game of Life. That is your Fate. (or kamma, if you want to use the Buddhist term)
Not long ago, some smart and wise people, the ancient mystics, like the Buddha, Jesus, Lau Zi (老子) ... And more. They are not satisfied with this Game of Life, and suspected the genuineness of life. So they did lot of self experiments, studying the Nature through meditation, self contemplations. Finally, they traced back to the Source, the Home, the Creator, the God, the Cosmo, the Unborn, the Oneness, the Unmanifest, Emptiness, the Big Mind, the Unknown, Nirvana, 法界, 自然界, 上帝, 空, 佛性, 主, 本性, 直性, 本來面目 ... Whatever name, you can pick to your own liking, anyway, it is just a label, for the sake of communication. So don’t be confused and fight over a label. This is what always happened in this world of duality.
After their realizations, enlightened, now these sages, try to tell you and convince you:
“Hello, friends, this is not your home, it is a delusion created by you, that you live in your own created world.” Sages said, "you have a real home, I give you map, please go home!" Although, each sage expresses their own way, he always conveys the same message for mankind.
They used words like: Nirvana, The Bliss, Nondual, Union with Brahma, Buddha Mind, Godhead, 一体世界, 回到主的懷抱, 回歸法界, 重生, 回到彼岸, 天堂, 極樂世界, 淨土, 涅槃 ... Again, these are labels, not much help. In fact, some modern holy men, interpret and put new meanings to suit their own likings. Over thousand years, they changed the original face of this simple and profound truth. So, Truth Seeker, be careful, insists for the "original brand" - 找回原來品牌.
Must understand that, whether Home or delusional world, whether small self, ego or Big Self, Big Mind ... It is pointing to this mind and body. It is within this mind and body that you can find your Home. Since the sages have given you the map, all you have to do is follow the map, try it for yourself before you believe them. Not otherwise, not mysteriously, it happens here and now. Not that complicated, it is very simple, but not easy.
Sometime, in the name of bodhisattva (菩薩道), you prefer to continue, for the sake of serving the suffering masses (眾生). To help them, preaching your wisdom, share things with them. This is noble, but must always act with wisdom. Sometime, you attach to your loved ones, or for whatever reasons, you cling to this small self, small "I", ego and continue living in this delusional world. Yes, you prefer to stay, and play in this Game of Life, because lessons are not learned enough, need to continue learning.
Until one day, you feel: “Enough is enough, I have suffered enough!” Then, the miracle will come, thing will change! It will pave the Path, brings you back to your Home! Everyone has his own timing ... No force, no coerce, be natural.
When you follow the map, that realized by the sages, you will see the unseen hand behind the Game of Life, that created your life, at that particular moment, you also see the formation of “I” and “mine”, the life Creator, the agent of ignorance that is responsible for clinging and make you in samsara. That is the secret weapon, the main ingredient, embedded in this mind and body for eons of life time, since you were chased out from Garden of Eden (伊甸園) by God. Its function is to glue you, makes you cling to life. Exactly the same ingredient, that prevents you to go Home! Go to the Source, go to your God, the Creator, Nirvana, Emptiness, or whatever label. This is not talking about religion. As religion, one way or another, blocks you from seeing the Truth! Fortunately, the Truth of Nature can be verified and tested, as all the sages did in the past, without religion! In fact, it is in your mind, so you too can do it.
As long as you cling to life, this self, this ego, your "I" and "mine", will forever motivate, push you, to stay in this Game of Life. Round and round in this samsara. So life goes on and on, endlessly, of course, your lessons not learned enough!
Foot note:
Images taken at Egizio Museo, museum at Torino of Italy.
