“Fictional Stories”

Supposing…
One day, illness comes, with it brings the pain.
One day, loss of loved ones come, dead or abandoned.
One day, success becomes failure.
One day, fortune and praise disappear.
One day, death takes us from this world.
Whatever you hold on to, even a single penny cannot be taken with.

But.. This is not supposed to be a fiction.
It is a true story that reveals the impermanence of all things.
Therefore, you should strive for Dhamma practice,
To gain wisdom in dealing with all sufferings,
On the day all those fictional stories
Become the truth.

Once upon a time in the Buddha era, Buddha said to a young man who came in tears asking him to perform a ritual to send his father’s spirit to heaven.
In reply, the Buddha said, “Your father is dead. What can I do?”

His words give a great lesson; when he was alive, why didn’t he strive for goodness and stop committing sins? What did he spend his life doing while he was still alive in the world? Why does he now need a ritual to send off his spirit after he’s dead?
People often live a careless life, indulging in pleasures, lured by the illusions without paying attention to Buddha’s teachings which involve keeping the Five Precepts, doing good deeds, and purifying the mind.
Stop committing sinful acts means not adding more karma to yourself.
Practicing Vipassana meditation is releasing the mind from grievances,
Being free from the cycle of rebirth, old age, sickness, and death.

Do not view this inevitable truth as fictional
Because we are the ones who will face the truth.

Master Acharavadee Wongsakon

Source: Selected Teachings “Supposing” 8 August 2018

Quote on Picture
Supposing…
One day, illness comes, with it brings the pain
One day, loss of loved ones comes, dead or abandoned.
One day, death takes us from this world.
Whatever you hold on to, even a single penny cannot be taken with.

But.. This is not supposed to be a fiction.
It is a true story that reveals the impermanence of all things.
Therefore, you should strive for Dhamma practice,
To gain wisdom in dealing with all sufferings,
On the day all those fictional stories
Become the truth.

Translator: Nilobon Waiyaworn.