Which type of Buddhism is closest to what the Buddha actually taught?

Pre-sectarian Buddhism of course. There was only one Gotama Buddha and he had strong words against the schism of the Sangha. Common sense also tells us no religion would be happy to have schism into various sects. The existence of a sect means it only represents partially the original doctrines but rejects some parts of the Buddha’s teaching. In a way, they are indirectly claiming they are right and others are wrong, even the Buddha wasn’t completely right; which justify the adding of so many words into the mouth of the Buddha. If they sincerely want to preserve the truth, they would tell others: “Such is our faith, which deviates from the original teaching of the Buddha, but we knowingly wish to follow our own path.” (Discourse with Caṅkī, MN95)

Of course, every sect claims to be the “Big Brother”. The ego and arrogance defeat themselves and get them discredit. The Buddha taught us to see no self, no greed for sensual pleasure, no greed for existence, and no greed for non-existence; but here you have a sect which calls itself the greatest and calls other sects as inferior. The Buddha taught us to abandon attachment to self-identification, sensual objects, rules and rituals, views; but here you have so many new inventions of rules and rituals, and views, competition for self-identification and sensual objects.

The Buddha taught us to abandon greed, hatred and delusion; but here you have monks who teach the Dharma but don’t live in accordance with the Dharma and don’t practice what they preach. They are like people talking about wealth but couldn’t show any when asked to make donations.

The Buddha taught us to have faith but never pretend to have awakening to the truth, leaving alone attainment of the truth. But here you have monks who pretend to see the karmic process with their own eyes, pretending to have personal and direct knowledge about the truth. They proclaim “Only this is the truth and everything else which disagrees with it is falsehood.”

The Buddha is our one and only teacher. Everyone else can be our tutor or companion but never to pretend as our teacher. We must study the original Suttas ourselves and never rely on anyone. Find refuge in yourself with no one else as the refuge. Find refuge in Dharma with nothing else as the refuge.

If a person holds the faith that “My personal knowledge alone is the truth and all else are false”, he is grasping at the egoistic self (执于我) which is simply empty boasting. If a person holds the faith that “My collection of Sutras alone is the truth and all else are false”, he is grasping at the impermanent material (执于法) but falsely seeing it as a permanent thing. It is like mistaking the finger as the moon itself when the finger is simply pointing at the moon. It is like mistaking the boat as the other shore itself when the boat is only temporarily keeping him afloat. If a person holds the faith that “Nothing is acceptable as the truth and all are false”, he is grasping at the empty self (执于空) but falsely thought that he is free and liberated. A truly empty thing cannot possibly grasp or be grasped. “Buddhists” who only do meditation but don’t care about Dana (charity), Sila (moral conduct) and Bhavana (self-cultivation to change their characters); ignorant of the Four Noble Truths and not walking the Noble Eightfold Path; they will not be able to find true happiness and equanimity because meditation alone does not lead to abandonment of greed, hatred and delusion. The presence of Five Aggregates of Attachment is proof that he has not attained the truth of selflessness or emptiness of self. The Five Hindrances (sensual desire, ill will and anger, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt) are yet to be abandoned.

Don’t insist you are right (不执于我). Don’t insist a particular Sutta is right (不执于法). Don’t insist that nothing is acceptable (不执于空). Self-confidence is essential, original Suttas are essential, and meditation which can help to reduce and abandon the Five Hindrances is also essential. Use all these tools to help you achieve awakening to the truth, and attainment of the truth. Don’t be limited by rules. Rules are meant to be broken; yet the rules need to be made (勿被法轉心，執空即頑空). Having no rules at all can make us bewilder, but strongly upholding the rules can make us brainless (不生知見法不明，若生知見障心靈). If we hold strongly the stand that no rules should ever be made, that means the rule of “having no rules at all” should also be abolished. It will be self-contradictory.

There are cankers that should be got rid of by vision,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by control,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by use,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by endurance,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by avoidance,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by elimination,

there are cankers that should be got rid of by development. 

— Discourse on All the Cankers (Asavas), MN2

Under different circumstances, different tools must be used to get rid of the cankers or asavas.

Many kings were lay followers of the Buddha. Naturally, the kings lived in luxury. Unlike Buddhist monks, lay Buddhists are not subject to Vinaya rules which are for monks only. Monks are not allowed to enjoy or feel pleasurable in luxury clothes, vehicles, and monasteries according to the Vinaya rules. For lay Buddhists, the Buddha does advise us to live moderately. In the Sutta (SN 3.13), the Buddha advised King Pasenadi of the Kosala kingdom to have moderation in eating.

“When a man is always mindful,

Knowing moderation in the food he eats,

His ailments then diminish,

He ages slowly, guarding his life.”

King Pasenadi must have understood how important it was for him to remember the Buddha’s advice . So he asked a brahmin youth, Sudassana, who was standing behind to memorize and recite it to him whenever he is having his meal, for which he shall be paid a hundred kahapana daily. So, having learnt the verse from the Buddha, the youth recited it to the king whenever he had his meal. Thus, with each reminder, King Pasenadi gradually reduced the size of his meal, from the super-size one bucketful to a pint-pot measure. After some time, he slimmed down and became quite pleased with it.

According to Buddhism philosophy, each one of us is born as a human with a “tank” of blessings. As one enjoys the blessings daily, the “tank” will be depleted if there were initially little blessings in the “tank” or one opens the “tap” too big. One can replenish the “tank” through charity (Dana), moral conduct (Sila), and self-cultivation to change his character (Bhavana) in terms of virtue, equanimity and wisdom. Obviously, if the outflow is faster than the inflow, the “tank” will still be depleted. Conversely, if the inflow is faster than the outflow, the “tank” will be filled up. Upon breaking up of the body after death, the unused blessings will be carried forward to the next live in Heaven or human realm. Conversely, if there is little blessing remaining, one may be reborn as ghost, animal, or in Hell.

If one has the right insight, he would see that living in luxury is unnecessary. If a person need a crutch to walk, he has a disability. Similarly, if a person needs a lot of external help, without which he cannot feel happy, he has a disability. There is a difference between need and want. One is advised to live comfortably and satisfied with what he needs; this is known as the Middle Path of the Buddha. Wanting more is greed. With greed, one will start to have like and dislike; therefore, he will have aversion and hatred. He will perceive it as suffering when he faces aging, sickness, death, association with the disliked, separation with loved ones, and not getting what he wants. It is truly not wise to be greedy. It is a delusion or ignorance to not thinking about the repercussions. Deluded persons choose not to think, ignorance is bliss to them, but feel fear, anger, anxiety, grief, lamentations, and despair only when the time comes.

“Suppose that there was a leper covered with sores and infections, devoured by worms, picking the scabs off the openings of his wounds with his nails, cauterizing his body over a pit of glowing embers. The more he cauterized his body over the pit of glowing embers, the more disgusting, foul-smelling, and putrid the openings of his wounds would become, and yet he would feel a modicum of enjoyment and satisfaction because of the itchiness of his wounds. In the same way, beings not free from passion for sensual pleasures — devoured by sensual craving, burning with sensual fever — indulge in sensual pleasures. The more they indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their sensual craving increases and the more they burn with sensual fever, and yet they feel a modicum of enjoyment and satisfaction dependent on the five strings of sensuality.” — Majjhima Nikaya 75. Is it better to be cured of his leprosy: well and happy, free, master of himself, going wherever he liked? Or is it better to continue having itchiness so long as he has access to glowing embers to relieve the itchiness? Of course, a little bit of itchiness is bearable. However, addiction or attachment to sensual pleasures will not end well.

In the Kaccāna-Gotta Sutta (SN 12.15), Venerable Kaccayana Gotta asked the Buddha: “Lord, ‘Right view, right view,’ it is said. To what extent is there right view?” The Buddha replied: “This world, Kaccayana, usually bases its view on two things: on existence and on non-existence. Now he, who with right insight sees the uprising of the world as it really is, does not hold the view with the non-existence of the world. But he, who with right insight, also sees the passing away of the world as it really is, does not hold the view with the existence of the world.

Grasping after systems, imprisoned by dogmas is this world, Kaccayana, for the most part. And the man who does not go after that system-grasping, that mental standpoint, that dogmatic bias, who does not grasp at it, does not take up his stand upon it, does not think: ‘It is my soul!’

This man thinks: ‘That which arises is just Ill, that which passes away is Ill’

This man is not in doubt, is not perplexed. Knowledge herein is his, that is not merely another’s.

Thus far, Kaccayana, he has right view.”

“Everything exists: — this is one extreme. Nothing exists: — this is the other extreme. Not approaching either extreme the Tathāgata teaches you a doctrine by the middle way.”

Saying there is no self: — this is one extreme. Saying there is a self: — this is the other extreme. What the Buddha said was: the body is not the real self, and the real self is not inside the body. This is a way of thinking, a philosophy, which helps one to be not perplexed. Why would one choose to think otherwise if this way of thinking is useful? Why would one choose to be perplex?

Ātman, which means “real self” of the individual, “innermost essence” and soul, is considered as eternal, permanently unchanging, imperishable, beyond time. This traditional concept has been in existence before the Buddha’s time. It is not an invention of the Buddha. Since the body is impermanent, it doesn’t fit the description of Atman. The Buddha holds that everything which is subject to arising will be subject to cessation or passing away. Therefore, the real self must also be impermanent. Again, it doesn’t fit the description of Atman. In other words, a so-called Atman is not inside the body.

It is a useful philosophy (or a way of thinking) to think that everything in this world, including the body, is empty of substance. In the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, “All experienced phenomena are empty (sunya). This does not mean that they are not experienced and, therefore, non-existent; only that they are devoid of a permanent and eternal substance (svabhava) because, like a dream, they are mere projections of human consciousness. Since these imaginary fictions are experienced, they are not mere names (prajnapti).” This was Nāgārjuna’s grand commentary on the Buddha’s discourse to Kaccayana. (I believe Nāgārjuna was a member of the pre-sectarian Buddhism but later hijacked by the so-called Mahayana sect as one of its founders. The usual antagonism towards the śravakas and arhats, as is typical of later Mahāyāna texts, was absent in his works.)

“And the man who does not go after that system-grasping, that mental standpoint, that dogmatic bias, who does not grasp at it, does not take up his stand upon it, does not think: ‘It is my soul!’” By not seeing the body as the real self, nor the real self is inside the body, this man has no fear of losing the body, leaving alone everything else. This true man has no craving for sensual objects (which causes three kinds of feeling: pleasure feeling, painful feeling, neither pleasure nor painful feeling), no craving for existence, and no craving for non-existence. This true man has no suffering because he sees that the real self is not the one experiencing birth, aging, illness, death, association with the dislike, separation from a loved one, not getting what one wants. This body which is impermanent, which will surely lead to suffering, is not fit to be considered as the self. The past of this body is not a cause for regret/remorse to the real self which is a different entity. The future of this body is not cause for worry/restlessness to the real self which is a different entity. Greed, hatred, and delusion originate from mistaking the body as the real self. The true man, who has the right insight, will not have greed, hatred, and delusion. Thus, he has perfect virtue, equanimity, and wisdom.

The question now is: Is there a real self or not? This is like the questions of whether the Tathāgata exist after death, the world is finite or infinite, the cosmos is eternal or not, etc. (Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta MN63) “It’s just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends and companions, kinsmen and relatives would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, ‘I won’t have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble warrior, a brahman, a merchant, or a worker.’ He would say, ‘I won’t have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the man who wounded me… until I know whether he was tall, medium, or short… until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-colored… until I know his home village, town, or city… until I know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a crossbow… until I know whether the bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark… until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or cultivated… until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird… until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.’ He would say, ‘I won’t have this arrow removed until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.’ The man would die and those things would still remain unknown to him.”

“In the same way, if anyone were to say, ‘I won’t live the holy life under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me that ‘The cosmos is eternal,’… or that ‘After death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist,’ the man would die and those things would still remain undeclared by the Tathagata. Malunkyaputta, it’s not the case that when there is the view, ‘The cosmos is eternal,’ there is the living of the holy life. And it’s not the case that when there is the view, ‘The cosmos is not eternal,’ there is the living of the holy life. When there is the view, ‘The cosmos is eternal,’ and when there is the view, ‘The cosmos is not eternal,’ there is still the birth, there is the aging, there is the death, there is the sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, and distress whose destruction I make known right in the here and now.”

“So, Malunkyaputta, remember what is undeclared by me as undeclared, and what is declared by me as declared.”

“And why are they undeclared by me? Because they are not connected with the goal, are not fundamental to the holy life. They do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That’s why they are undeclared by me.”

“And what is declared by me? ‘This is stress,’ is declared by me. ‘This is the origination of stress,’ is declared by me. ‘This is the cessation of stress,’ is declared by me. ‘This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress,’ is declared by me. And why are they declared by me? Because they are connected with the goal, are fundamental to the holy life. They lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That’s why they are declared by me.”

We must know how to use the knowledge of knowing and also how to use the knowledge of not knowing. Only then, we can have complete knowledge.

The world as we know through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind has its limitations. There are things which we cannot possibly understand through the six sense-organs. The Tathagata does not see the six sense-organs as the self. The Tathagata is not defined by the six sense-organs like a normal person. Therefore, the existence or non-existence of the Tathagata is unfathomable for one who sees the body as the self. Only the enlightened Arhats can possibly fathom it through direct and personal knowledge.

One who is inside a dream cannot possibly understand what the real self is until and unless he wakes up from the dream.

Chinese are generally more “obsessed” with their ancient history than any other once-great nations. It is true, but the word “obsessed” is exaggerated. A more accurate word is “value”: Chinese value their ancient history more than other nations. It is not really out of pride, but it is a cultural thing which started in the early Zhou Dynasty. The founders of Zhou Dynasty valued very much the historical lessons of China although at that time it was only about 1500 years history. We don’t really see the 5000 years history as of today as very long, leave alone feeling proud about its longevity. In a Daoism “bible” written by Zhuang Zi, a 800-years old person should feel ashamed to claim he has long life because he selectively not comparing himself with turtle and tree which have much longer life. “There is a type of bug which is born in the morning and dies in the night. It cannot comprehend the concept of one month. There is a type of cicada which is born in the Spring and dies in the Summer; or born in the Summer and dies in the Autumn. It cannot comprehend the concept of one year.” Feeling proud of 5000 years history is not recommended; instead, we are cautioned to never be arrogance but keep learning from historical lessons.

It all started during the replacement of the Shang Dynasty by the Zhou Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty was very strong before its sudden collapse. Zhou was just a small state; which was really just a tribal land. The King of Shang once instructed the tribe leader of Zhou state to go to the capital city just to be imprisoned for years. His eldest son went to plead to the Shang King for his father’s release, with himself as replacement for the prison sentence. It was not approved; instead, the son was cooked and the Zhou leader was forced to eat his son’s meat. The Zhou leader dared not show anger nor remorse for the cruelty of Shang King, because he knew it was a test for him. This managed to convince the Shang King that the Zhou leader was truly loyal to him. Not long later, the Zhou leader was released. He then plotted for revenge. It didn’t take long for the Shang Dynasty to be toppled despite its apparent strength. It was a “paper tiger”, in the words of Mao Zedong. Due to the cruelty of Shang King, its army mostly surrendered to the Zhou leader and helped to fight against the Shang King. The swift victory was an extremely great surprise to the Zhou leader. He and his ministers started to contemplate the reasons for the sudden collapse of the Shang Dynasty. They came to see clearly the historical lessons which can be learnt. They vowed never to repeat the same mistakes of the Shang Dynasty so that the new Zhou Dynasty can possibly survive forever. The new central government started to have officials responsible to record daily events, including the private lives of the noble family. According to《荀子·王制》, the most important lesson is 水可载舟，亦可覆舟: the people are like the river water which supported the boat, but turbulence of the water can also capsize the boat. The Mandate of Heaven was given to the king only if he works to improve the lives of the people. If the people are angry with him, Heaven listens through the sensual organs of the people and It will then give the Mandate of Heaven to a deserving new king.

The founding Emperor of Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong, has the same feeling as the Zhou King. The preceding Sui Dynasty was new and strong but suffered similar sudden collapse; for the similar reasons, of course. 水可载舟，亦可覆舟: the people are like the river water which supported the boat, but turbulence of the water can also capsize the boat. Emperor Taizong always reminded himself and the ministers to work diligently and ardently for the welfare of the people.

《墨子·非攻中》：“君子不镜于水而镜於人。镜于水，见面之容；镜于人，则知吉与凶。” Mo Zi of Mohism said: “a gentleman doesn’t use calm water as a mirror but uses the people as his mirror. Using calm water as mirror only allows a person to reflect on his face; whereas, using the people as mirror will allow him to know fortune or misfortune.” 以铜为镜，可以正衣冠；以史为镜，可以知兴替；以人为镜，可以明得失。Emperor Taizong said: “Using the copper mirror as reflection allows me to tidy up my dress; using history as mirror allows me to reflect on the reasons leading to the rising and falling of dynasties; using people as mirror allows me to reflect on my conduct and misconduct.” He encouraged people to point out his mistakes so that he can correct himself and ensure the longevity of the Tang Dynasty. He restarted the examination system of the preceding Sui Dynasty to select government officials based on merits. Obviously, all the candidates were expected to be well-versed with history. Consequently, it became fashionable for everybody to know history very well. It is not just for the examination, but much more for self-cultivation in terms of virtue, equanimity and wisdom. People read about famous heroes and virtuous Sages, then think about emulating them. People also read about infamous corrupt individuals, and then vow never to become one of them and get into the history textbook for the wrong reasons.

《论语·学而》：“曾子曰：‘慎终追远，民德归厚矣。’” A student of Confucius said (in the Analects of Confucius): “Carefully handle the funeral of parents and remember the ancestors are to be encouraged so that the people will cultivate themselves to become virtuous.” It actually has another meaning. It tells people to do wholesome deeds until the end of their lives so that they are remembered by their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as virtuous persons to be proud of. Their benevolence will then be emulated by the successors and bring peace and prosperity to the society. It is this cultural practice which makes Chinese value their ancient history very much. We want to learn to become gentlemen with three important qualities as defined by Confucius. Confucius said: “A true gentleman has three attributes, but I have yet to attain any of those. The three attributes are: true compassion makes him have no mental suffering (no anger, grief, anxiety, guilt, etc.); true wisdom makes him have no delusion and doubt about his life mission; true courage makes him have no fear.” Upon hearing this, his disciple replied: “My good teacher, you are simply describing who you already are.” (子曰：“君子道者三，我无能焉：仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧。”子贡曰：“夫子自 道也。”)

For Buddhist monks in the Theravada (meaning the ways of the elders) tradition, there are more than 200 disciplinary rules (called Vinaya) which they must abide by. The goal of the strict practices is to achieve complete detachment from this world and become deathless. The cause of death, for all living things, is birth; if one is never born, he will never have to face the suffering of death. Buddhism believes that one will be reborn after death, but the destination may be in Heaven, human realm, ghost realm, animal realm, or Hell. The cause of rebirth is attachment to worldly things; each of us feels attached to certain worldly things (wealth, sensual objects, relationship, fame, success, etc.) and subconsciously we don’t want to die or be separated from what we love or attached to. Because we want to stay in this world, consciously or subconsciously, our wish will be granted, but the destination of rebirth is not guaranteed. Strict adherence to the disciplinary rules is a precondition to escape the cycles of rebirth, or Wheel of Samsara.

All religions, as well as Atheism, believe in the theory of cause and effect. Everybody believes that he will get something if he does certain things. For example, if we study hard, we will become more intelligent. If we disobey traffic rules, we will end up with road accidents. If we pray to God and follow the commandments of our religion, we will go to Heaven after death. If we do good deeds, we will somehow be rewarded. If we do bad deeds, we will somehow be punished. In Buddhism, this theory of cause and effect is called karma and its fruition. We may say all religions, as well as Atheism, believe in the karmic process but in different linguistic forms. Another difference is the view about the afterlife. Nevertheless, nobody would really believe there are no bad consequences in committing evil unwholesome deeds. Evil people just choose to be ignorant and not thinking about the potential bad consequences of their evil unwholesome deeds. Ignorance is bliss; they are not free-thinkers but simply not thinking.

Outside the Theravada tradition, there are many different Buddhist sects. They don’t follow the oldest Suttas of Buddhism, which are contained in the collections of Digha Nikāya, Majjhima Nikāya, Saṁyutta Nikāya, and Anguttara Nikāya. They make their own Sutras, and they have their own disciplinary rules. Some sects have strict discipline for monks but some not so strict. Some sects practice cruelty, allow monks to have sexual intercourses, or get married and have children. Some sects focus on meditation; some focus on chanting. Some sects advocate choosing to stay in the cycles of Samsara out of compassion for others.

Disciplinary rules for lay followers are not so strict. We are instructed to abide by the Five Precepts: 1) no killing of any living things, 2) no stealing, 3) no sexual misconduct, 4) no intoxication, 5) no wrong speech (lying, malicious/divisive talk, harsh speech, gossip). Lay followers typically don’t seek to escape the cycles of Samsara but wish to be reborn in the Heaven or human realm after death. However, there is no guarantee that a Buddhist (monk or lay follower) will not be reborn in the ghost realm, animal realm, or Hell. It is all determined by the action or karma of each individual. The fruit of karma may ripen in this life or next life. The fruit of evil unwholesome karma which doesn’t ripen in this life may ripen in the afterlife. It is not wise to bet that the fruit will never ripen forever. What if there is an afterlife? Conversely, it is best to do good deeds so that we don’t get bad fruition; we have nothing to lose even if there is no afterlife. We will stand to benefit if there is a next life after death. The good deeds which Buddhists are advised to do include Dana (charity), Sila (moral conduct), and Bhavana (self-cultivation). For our benefits in this life and also afterlife, Buddhists are instructed to follow the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Thought, Right Action, Right Speech, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

The Buddha doesn’t encourage blind faith. Although Buddhists are instructed to find refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha of monks, we are told to believe the words of the Buddha only after consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion of the teaching. Faith is only the first step. It must be followed by energy to investigate the Dharma and undergo the training, recollection and reflection on the Dharma, attain equanimity (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). Monks and lay followers are not allowed to pretend that they know which karma leads to what fruition; or who was the person in one’s past life; as if they can see the karmic process themselves with their own eyes. We must also not pretend that we know the destination of one’s rebirth, unless we really have the psychic power and not bluffing.

“Māgaṇḍiya, it is like a man blind from birth who could not see dark or bright shapes, nor green, yellow, red or crimson shapes, who could not see what is even or uneven, who could not see the stars, who could not see the moons and suns. If he should hear a man with vision saying: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ he would walk about searching for a white cloth. But some man might deceive him with a greasy grimy coarse robe, saying: “My good man, this is a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ and he might take it; having taken it, he might put it on; having put it on, he might, in his pride, utter a cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth.’ What do you think about this, Māgaṇḍiya? If that man, blind from birth, had known and seen, would he have taken that greasy grimy coarse robe; having taken it, would he have put it on; having put it on, would he, in his pride, have uttered the cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth’?”

“Or was it from faith in the man with vision?”

“The blind man might take the greasy grimy coarse robe; It was from faith in the man with vision.”

“Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, wanderers belonging to other sects are blind, they are without vision; not knowing health, not seeing Nibbāna, they yet speak this verse: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna the highest bliss.’ But, Māgaṇḍiya, this verse was uttered in days gone by by perfected ones, fully Self-awakened Ones.” — Majjhima Nikāya 75.

“These five things, Bhāradvāja, have a twofold maturing here-now. What five? Faith, inclination, report, consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion. These, Bhāradvāja, are five things having a twofold maturing here-now. Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even though something may be thoroughly believed in, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, something not thoroughly believed in may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”

“Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even although something may be thoroughly inclined towards … well reported … well considered … well reflected upon, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, even though something is not well reflected upon, it may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”

“Preserving a truth, Bhāradvāja, is not enough for an intelligent man inevitably to come to the conclusion: ‘This alone the truth, all else is falsehood.'”

“Bhāradvāja, if a man has faith and says: ‘Such is my faith,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”

“And if, Bhāradvāja, a man has an inclination … a report … a consideration of reasons … a reflection on and approval of an opinion and says: ‘Such is my reflection on and approval of the opinion,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”

“Bhāradvāja, suppose a monk is living depending on a village or market town; a householder or a householder’s son, having approached him, examines him concerning three states: states of greed, states of aversion and states of confusion. While examining him, he knows thus:

‘This venerable one does not have such states of greed that, his mind obsessed by such states of greed, while not knowing he would say, “I know,” or while not seeing he would say, “I see,” nor would he incite another to such a course as would be for a long time for his woe and ill.’

As is that venerable one’s conduct of body, as is his conduct of speech, so is it not that of a greedy person.

And when this venerable one teaches Dharma, that Dharma is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond dialectic, subtle, intelligible to the wise; it is not a Dharma that could be well taught by a greedy person.

After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, then he examines him further on states of aversion, and states of confusion.

After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, states of aversion, and states of confusion, then he reposes faith in him; with faith born, he draws close; drawing close, he sits down near by; sitting down near by, he lends ear; lending ear, he hears Dharma; having heard Dharma, he remembers it; he tests the meaning of the things he remembers; while testing the meaning, the things are approved of; if there is approval of the things, desire is born; with desire born, he makes an effort; having made an effort, he weighs it up; having weighed it up, he strives; being self-resolute, he realizes with his person the highest truth itself; and penetrating it by means of intuitive wisdom, he sees.

It is to this extent, Bhāradvāja, that there is an awakening to truth; it is to this extent that one awakens to truth; it is to this extent that we lay down an awakening to truth.” — Majjhima Nikāya 95.

I know I feel happy and wonderful because I have no fear, obligations and guilt (FOG). I have no fear because I have no desire and attachment. I am content with my life; I am satisfied to live a good life for so long. It is enough for me; I am totally grateful. Mother Nature can take back this body anytime and I have no complaints but praise for Her. This body doesn’t belong to me but loaned to me; this body is not me, and I am not inside the body. It is just a vehicle, like the car which I drove. Whatever happens to the vehicle will not take away my virtue, equanimity and wisdom. Similarly, I feel no suffering to be separated from loved ones, because I have no clinging. There is nothing I want, therefore, no suffering for not getting what one wants. Association with the disagreeable is totally avoidable.

Worldly obligations don’t apply to me. The fools have tried to put all kinds of responsibilities on my shoulder. They will only disappoint themselves. I live my life for myself. I only do good deeds out of love; never out of obligations. Loving others makes me happy; thus, it is out of self-interest that I love others. Intelligent people don’t need the promise of heaven to see the merits of good deeds. My heart is unmoved. No amount of praise can make me do more good deeds; no amount of blame can make me stop doing what I like to do. I have no fear, anger, grief, lamentations and despair. The past is not a burden, and the future can be anything. I have no delusion to wish something to happen or something to never happen.

I have no desire. I have no greed, hatred and delusion. Therefore, I have no wish to commit unwholesome deeds. Guilt doesn’t apply to me.

I am happy every day. I have no attachment to this happiness. Therefore, I can let go of everything, including this happiness, any minute.

The Buddha said: “Five treasures rarely revealed in the world are: (1) The Tathāgata, arahant, fully enlightened, (2) a person able to teach discipline and Dhamma, (3) a person able to appreciate the teaching, (4) a person who has stepped his way in Dhamma by Dhamma, practicing in accordance with the Dhamma (tranquilization of the mind), (5) a person who is grateful and thankful.” The Buddha had great respect for Dhamma and liking it to his king, and he himself lived in accordance with Dhamma. Speaking Dhamma to a person who doesn’t appreciate it is, in essence, not showing due respect to Dhamma.

“Monks, to the faithless, faith-talk is ill talk; to the virtueless, virtue-talk is ill talk; to the little learned, learned-talk is ill talk; to the mean, generosity-talk is ill talk; to the lack-brain, insight-talk is ill talk. And wherefore, monks, is faith-talk/ virtue-talk/ learned-talk/ generosity-talk/ insight-talk to the faithless/ virtueless/ little learned/ mean/ lack-brain ill talk? Monks, the faithless/ virtueless/ little learned/ mean/ lack-brain, when faith-talk/ virtue-talk/ learned-talk/ generosity-talk/ insight-talk is talked, are roused, angered, upset, made obstinate; they show temper, ill-will and sulkiness. And why? They perceive no achieving of faith/ virtue/ learning/ generosity/ insight in themselves and they get no joy and gladness therefrom. Therefore, to the faithless/ virtueless/ little learned/ mean/ lack-brain, faith-talk/ virtue-talk/ learned-talk/ generosity-talk/ insight-talk is ill talk. Monks, to five persons, talk is good talk when the appropriate person is confronted. Of what five? Monks, to the faithful, faith-talk is good talk; to the virtuous, virtue-talk is good talk; to the learned, learned-talk is good talk; to the generous, generosity-talk is good talk; to the insightful, insight-talk is good talk.”

A woman said to the Buddha: “I want happiness.” The Buddha replied: “Throw away “I”, which is ego. Throw away “want”, which is greed. You are then left with “Happiness” and nothing else.”

Similarly, don’t think about wanting love for yourself. Instead, make yourself lovely by loving others. However, you will only be able to love others if you have built up your capacity. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can build up that capacity through self-cultivation in abandonment of greed, hatred and delusion, which is essential to perfect your virtue, equanimity and wisdom. When you become lovely, you will be a magnet which attracts the right kind of love towards you, although you don’t think about wanting love from others.

It’s a luxury to talk about happiness if you are a beggar. It is difficult to help others if you are a beggar because you just don’t have the capacity or capability. You are already a beggar if you are one who is always expecting help and charity from others. You are already a beggar if you are a taker instead of a giver in terms of material and sense of wellbeing. Obviously, you won’t find helping others can bring you any happiness, no matter how much the preachers harangue you to do charity. Common people, especially capitalists, only feel happy when their greed and desires are satisfied. They are just beggars.

If you are awakened to the truth that begging and receiving profits/benefits, satisfying your greed and desires, is not really so honourable, you will then want to be a giver even though you are not financially rich. You will then truly feel happy in helping others, but dislike receiving help.

Feeling happy in helping others requires mental strength and wisdom. The same goes for forgiveness. It is not easy to do for common people. Harangue to do charity may “force” religious followers to abide but they may not feel happy. Instead, they may feel proud or unhappy. They may hate the recipients for lacking self-accountability. We must not expect too much from common people.

There is no perfect world. There can be a world which is described as a perfect world by definition of a group of people. However, it will not be accepted as a perfect world by another group of people because they have a different definition. Therefore, an absolute perfect world agreed by everybody is not possible.

Perfection, which is not absolute perfection, but contented by a group of people is possible. Therefore, it can be said that perfection is only possible when there is contentment. Thus, it is really just satisfaction. Lao Zi said: the permanent satisfaction is contentment 知足之足，恒足矣。The greatest perfection is imperfection. 大方无隅；大器免成；大音希声；大象无形。The greatest selfishness is selflessness 大私无私.

Since it is possible to have a perfectly imperfect or imperfectly perfect world, which provides permanent satisfaction, we should be satisfied to live in such a world. One must always be mindful that this is only possible when there’s contentment. The content hearts make a perfect world.

Wanting to have absolute perfection is a delusion. It is born out of greed or discontent. It will then cause the people to like certain things but dislike many other things which are taken as unbearable imperfections. One will start to have a lot of suffering due to fear, anger, hatred, grief, lamentations and despair. It is therefore a terrible world, far from being perfect. No one should wish to live in that kind of world. Chasing for absolute perfection will instead lead to narcissism which is an inferiority or complete opposite of perfection.

On the other hand, no one should endeavor to make the world more imperfect than it naturally is. No one should tell us to be content and keep quiet while the politicians destroy the country. We should not assume we don’t deserve to have a better life than we currently enjoy. No politicians should expect us to live only better than the poor people of Myanmar or India.

The Buddha said that desire is the cause of all suffering, but he never said that all desires are bad. In one of the Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya 95, Discourse with Caṅkī, the Buddha instructed that desire to practice holy life (leading to cessation of suffering) is essential:

“Desire, Bhāradvāja, is of much service to making an effort; should desire for it not be born, one could not make an effort for it; but if desire is born, then he makes an effort; therefore desire is of much service to making an effort.”

Desire for Enlightenment is essential initially; just like when we want to visit a place, we need to have the desire and exertion to start the journey and follow the right path. However, when we reach the destination, we don’t need the desire and exertion anymore. During the journey itself, if we are following the right path, we don’t have to keep thinking about reaching the destination and start having anxiety. The right path will surely lead us to the right destination; entering the stream will naturally lead us to the sea. If we have too much desire, i.e. wanting to reach the destination as quickly as possible, it will be counterproductive. We should instead enjoy the fun of the journey. A fertilized egg will definitely hatch when the time comes; wishing it to hatch earlier will be a delusion.

If you have too much desire to attain Enlightenment, your anxiety will be a hindrance to your effort. Your mind will not be able to calm down during meditation, thus leading to no progress. It is like desiring for perfection; obsession for perfection itself is already an imperfection. Therefore, true perfection will never be achieved.

Everyone can achieve enlightenment, according to the Buddha. The question is whether one has the wish to do it, and has the faith and diligence in the practice of holy life.

The first thing to do is to find refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. The fundamental doctrine is the Four Noble Truths: 1) life is full of suffering, generally. 2) All suffering are due to desire. 3) Suffering stop when desire ceases. 4) The way leading to cessation of desire and suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. Everyone who practices (not just knowing) walking the Path can achieve enlightenment if he/she strives diligently.

There are 7 types of suffering: birth, aging, illness, death, separated from love one, association with the dislike, not getting what one wants. These are unavoidable in life. The source of the suffering is birth, without which one will not have all other suffering. The cause of birth is karma. One is reborn after death due to karma, which includes the desire to be reborn, i.e. desire for existence. This is the belief in Buddhism. If one is enlightened, he will not think it’s fun to be reborn again and again for an infinite number of cycles to experience the suffering. However, one can’t escape the cycle of Samsara just by praying or wishing, or just by abandoning the desire for existence. To achieve enlightenment and be liberated, feeling satisfied in this life and never being reborn again, one must let go of all attachments. This is so logical; to become truly free, all fetters binding oneself to the world must be broken. Other than desire for existence, one must also abandon desire for nonexistence and desire for sensual pleasure. Killing oneself, having no will to live, is a desire for nonexistence. Thus, suicide and self-torture/asceticism will only lead to bad rebirth as ghost, animal or even in Hell. One must instead walk the middle path, wanting little, be content, not indulge in sensual pleasure, and follow the Noble Eightfold Path to cultivate perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom to achieve enlightenment. Having no attachment to rules and rituals, no attachment to views, no attachment to self-identification are also essential. Meditation can help one to have strong concentration to focus inward on his body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma. With no desire, he will have no greed, hatred and delusion, therefore no suffering. Every little victory will give him delight, happiness or equanimity. This is the more superior form of happiness one can have by living a holy life. He will live happily every second of his life until the last second when the body breaks up and is abandoned. The true self is naturally liberated and permanently escapes the cycle of Samsara.

How does one know whether there is afterlife or rebirth after death? If one bets that there is NO afterlife or rebirth after death, what is the risk and profit in this life and the afterlife? If one bets that there is afterlife or rebirth after death, what is the risk and profit in this life and the afterlife? The Buddha gave the answers in Apaṇṇaka Sutta of Majjhima Nikāya as follows:

“Householders, is there any teacher agreeable to you in whom you have acquired faith supported by reasons?”

“No, venerable sir, there is no teacher agreeable to us in whom we have acquired faith supported by reasons.”

“Since, householders, you have not found an agreeable teacher, you may undertake and practise this incontrovertible teaching; for when the incontrovertible teaching is accepted and undertaken, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.

And what is the incontrovertible teaching?

Householders, there are some recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this:

‘There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed; no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world; no mother, no father; no beings who are reborn spontaneously; no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realized by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ — Group 1

Now there are some recluses and brahmins whose doctrine is directly opposed to that of those recluses and brahmins, and they say thus:

‘There is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings who are reborn spontaneously; there are good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realized by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ — Group 2

What do you think, householders?

Don’t these recluses and brahmins hold doctrines directly opposed to each other?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“Now, householders, of those recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this (Group 1):

‘There is nothing given … no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realized by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world,’ it is to be expected that they will avoid these three wholesome states, namely, good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct, and that they will undertake and practise these three unwholesome states, namely, bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct.

Why is that?

Because those good recluses and brahmins do not see in unwholesome states the danger, degradation, and defilement, nor do they see in wholesome states the blessing of renunciation, the aspect of cleansing.

Since there actually is another world, one who holds the view ‘there is no other world’ has wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, and opposed to those arahants who know the other world.

Since there actually is another world, one who convinces another ‘there is no other world’ convinces him to accept an untrue Dhamma; and because he convinces another to accept an untrue Dhamma, he praises himself and disparages others.

Thus any pure virtue that he formerly had is abandoned and corrupt conduct is substituted.

And this wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, opposition to noble ones, convincing another to accept an untrue Dhamma, and self-praise and disparagement of others — these several evil unwholesome states thus come into being with wrong view as their condition.”

“About this a wise man considers thus:

‘If there is no other world, then on the dissolution of the body this good person will have made himself safe enough.

But if there is another world, then on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell.

Now whether or not the word of those good recluses and brahmins is true, let me assume that there is no other world: still this good person is here and now censured by the wise as an immoral person, one of wrong view who holds the doctrine of nihilism.”

“But on the other hand, if there is another world, then this good person has made an unlucky throw on both counts: since he is censured by the wise here and now, and since on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. He has wrongly accepted and undertaken this incontrovertible teaching in such a way that it extends only to one side and excludes the wholesome alternative.”

(Group 1 has bet on a position which is risky but no profit in return for that risk. They will lose if there is another world, of which their unwholesome karma will lead to rebirth in woeful realm. They will also lose if there is no other world, because their unwholesome deeds will cause them to be censured by the wise as immoral persons.)

“Now, householders, of those recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this (Group 2):

‘There is what is given … there are good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realized by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world,’ it is to be expected that they will avoid these three unwholesome states, namely, bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct, and that they will undertake and practise these three wholesome states, namely, good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct.

Why is that?

Because those good recluses and brahmins see in unwholesome states the danger, degradation, and defilement, and they see in wholesome states the blessing of renunciation, the aspect of cleansing.

Since there actually is another world, one who holds the view ‘there is another world’ has right view, right intention, right speech, and not opposed to those arahants who know the other world.

Since there actually is another world, one who convinces another ‘there is another world’ convinces him to accept true Dhamma; and because he convinces another to accept true Dhamma, he does not praise himself and disparage others.

Thus any corrupt conduct that he formerly had is abandoned and pure virtue is substituted.

And this right view, right intention, right speech, non-opposition to noble ones, convincing another to accept true Dhamma, and avoidance of self-praise and disparagement of others — these several wholesome states thus come into being with right view as their condition.”

“About this a wise man considers thus:

If there is another world, then on the dissolution of the body, after death, this good person will reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world.

Now whether or not the word of those good recluses and brahmins is true, let me assume that there is no other world: still this good person is here and now praised by the wise as a virtuous person, one with right view who holds the doctrine of affirmation.

And on the other hand, if there is another world, then this good person has made a lucky throw on both counts: since he is praised by the wise here and now, and since on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world.

He has rightly accepted and undertaken this incontrovertible teaching in such a way that it extends to both sides and excludes the unwholesome alternative.”

(Group 2 has bet on a position which will surely bring profit but no risk. They will win if there is another world, of which their wholesome karma will lead to rebirth in happy destinations. They will also win if there is no other world, because their wholesome deeds will cause them to be praised by the wise as moral persons.)

“Householders, there are some recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this:

‘There is definitely no cessation of being.’

Now there are some recluses and brahmins whose doctrine is directly opposed to that of those recluses and brahmins, and they say thus:

‘There definitely is a cessation of being.’

What do you think, householders?

Don’t these recluses and brahmins hold doctrines directly opposed to each other?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“About this a wise man considers thus:

‘These good recluses and brahmins hold the doctrine and view “there is definitely no cessation of being,” but that has not been seen by me.

And these other good recluses and brahmins hold the doctrine and view “there definitely is a cessation of being,” but that has not been known by me.

If, without knowing and seeing, I were to take one side and declare:

“Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” that would not be fitting for me.

Now as to the recluses and brahmins who hold the doctrine and view “there definitely is no cessation of being,” if their word is true then it is certainly still possible that I might be reborn as human, ghost, animal or in Hell. (i.e. No good following this view because the outcome is bad whether their word is true or not.)

But as to the recluses and brahmins who hold the doctrine and view “there definitely is a cessation of being,” if their word is true then it is possible that I might here and now attain final Nibbāna. (i.e. Surely good following this view because the outcome is good whether their word is true or not.)

The view of those good recluses and brahmins who hold the doctrine and view “there definitely is no cessation of being” is close to lust, close to bondage, close to delighting, close to holding, close to clinging; but the view of those good recluses and brahmins who hold the doctrine and view “there definitely is cessation of being” is close to non-lust, close to non-bondage, close to non-delighting, close to non-holding, close to non-clinging.’

After reflecting thus, he practises the way to disenchantment with being, to the fading away and cessation of being.”

(One loses nothing by following the Noble Eightfold Path.)

“Here, householders, a Tathāgata appears in the world. He understands:

‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’

This, householders, is called the kind of person who does not torment himself or pursue the practice of torturing himself and who does not torment others or pursue the practice of torturing others — the one who, since he torments neither himself nor others, is here and now hungerless, extinguished, and cooled, and abides experiencing bliss, having himself become holy.”

When this was said, the brahmin householders of Sālā said to the Blessed One:

“Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness for those with eyesight to see forms.

We go to Master Gotama for refuge and to the Dhamma and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama accept us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge for life.”

Do you see a contradiction between the Daoist ideal of gracefully accepting death, suggested by Daodejing, and the Daoist search for long life and immortality? Can the two be reconciled?

Daoism, according to the writing of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, has many similarities with the original teaching of the Buddha in the five Nikayas. 

Boon Kuan Chung’s answer to What about Buddhism specifically makes its followers so accepting of death?

Both Buddhism and Daoism teach us to have no fear. That is probably the best feeling or state of mind one can attain. Nothing is certain but death and taxes. We pay taxes not just to the government but also Nature to stay alive, i.e. to maintain our bodies. If we minimize our desire 寡欲, we will have less suffering, as we pay less taxes to Nature. In that way, we will have a life well lived.

Many people are afraid of ghosts although they have never seen one except in the movie. Fear is due to lack of knowledge and wisdom. Afraid of death is like primitive people afraid of things they don’t know about but listen to rumours and wrong views. Buddhism and Daoism give us more knowledge and wisdom to have no fear about anything and everything, including death. Gracefully accepting death precisely means no fear of death. Because of the good feeling of no fear, one will also have no fear to live, but live well to have a long life and enjoy the delight, happiness and equanimity for as long as possible. There is no contradiction. However, some later Daoists started to use drugs to extend their lives, and also helped Emperors and nobles to attain long life. It violated the original teaching of Daoism because the practitioners started to fear death or have desire for existence. It caused them to suffer from the fires of lust, aversion, and ignorance. 

何谓贵大患若身 吾所以有大患者 为吾有身 及吾无身 有何患 

Lao Zi said: “Why should one pay attention to natural disasters like it is happening to his body? Disasters can have an effect on me because I have a body. If I don’t have a body, I will have no worry over disaster.” One fears death or suffering to his body because he sees the body as the self; therefore, he has the natural tendency to protect the self. If he chooses to see that the body is not the real “self”, and the real “self” is not inside the body, he will have no fear of whatever disasters happen to the body. The body is just a vehicle; whatever happens to the vehicle has no effect on me since I am never inside the vehicle. A Daoist must learn to see “no self” 无我. The greatest self (or selfishness) is selfless 大私无私.

适来，夫子时也；适去，夫子顺也。安时而处顺，哀乐不能入也，古者谓是帝之悬解。

Zhuang Zi said: “Our great teacher came into this world spontaneously at the right time, and leaves this world spontaneously and peacefully as a necessary natural sequence of events. Accept the Natural Laws, be content with the ways things are and how things change, come as we are and go as we should, then our hearts will not be troubled by what common people consider sadness or joy. This is what our ancestors called the great relief from all punishments of being hanged upside-down.” 

You must see and accept reality as it really is, not as you wish it to be. If you wish to have a long life and no sickness, you are not accepting the reality as you should. If you wish to have no pain in your life, you are not being realistic. Conversely, if all these desires are negated, you will be expecting sickness and death instead of trying to run away from these natural phenomena. You will feel blessed for being healthy most of the time, and the duration of you being in the state of sickness is just a small percentage of your lifetime, and you are lucky enough to die only once. If you choose to inflict distress on yourself by feeling fear, sad, angry, guilty about past mistakes, or worrying about the future, even during healthy times, you are choosing to suffer most of the time in your lifetime. Physically living for a hundred years means you have a short meaningful life if you are suffering most of the time. Physically living for ten years means you have a relatively long meaningful life if you are happy most of the time.

Zhuang Zi said: “The longest living person in history lived for 800 years. (Coincidently, Master Yoda also lived for 800 years or so.) There is a type of bug which is born in the morning and dies in the night. It cannot comprehend the concept of one month. There is a type of cicada which is born in the Spring and dies in the Summer; or born in the Summer and dies in the Autumn. It cannot comprehend the concept of one year. There is a type of turtle where 500 years is like a Spring season; another 500 years is like a Summer season to it. There is a type of tree where 8000 years is like a Spring season; another 8000 years is like a Summer season to it. The bug and cicada have short lives; they cannot comprehend the thinking of the turtle and the tree as far as longevity is concerned. To the bug and the cicada, longevity more than a few years is simply impossible or unbelievable. Similarly, an 800-year-old human is considered having a really short life as far as the turtle and the tree are concerned. Isn’t it laughable if you consider that as longevity? It doesn’t really matter whether you live for 100 years or 10 years; Anybody who claims to have longevity is simply fooling himself (or having a shallow mind) and choosing to ignore the longevity of the turtle and the tree.”

Being not afraid of sickness doesn’t mean you don’t look after your health. Being healthy is essential for your happiness. Being not afraid of death doesn’t mean you have to jump down the mountain cliff. Killing yourself is not bravery but plain stupidity for abandoning your future happiness. You had nothing, not even your body, before coming into existence in this world. Everything you have is a bonus; you get to enjoy it like the bank does in the business of safe keeping and investing the deposits of the customers. You don’t really lose anything when the customers withdraw all their deposits. You shouldn’t feel unhappy; instead, you should feel happy to have gained so much profit in the past out of someone else’s deposits. You should feel content.

Don’t ask what if you get sick but prepare to face it. Nobody is 100% healthy. Expecting perfect health and no illness at all is judgmental. Thinking negatively and worrying that your health will worsen cannot bring any improvement. Instead, the depressing thoughts will worsen the illness and also cause clinical depression (major depressive disorder) if you allow these thoughts and feelings to grow out of control. The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. Get help if necessary. Take medications and drugs prescribed by qualified doctors and stop worrying about the side effects.

Think positively. Not every illness needs to be cured with medication; you can usually heal yourself. Not every illness needs to be cured; it may not kill you. You can sometimes live with the illness, and die with the illness, instead of dying of the illness. That doesn’t mean you don’t take care of your body. You must eat well, sleep well, exercise well and have good hygiene in order to maximize your happiness. Don’t be afraid to eat anything but be wise to avoid eating too much or crave for delicious/exotic foods. Some people have a long life although they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and drive fast cars. They must be thinking: “Nothing too bad will happen to me.” I am not sure whether they are being too positive. Too positive necessarily means lack of criticality. Being too positive may be equally undesirable as being too negative. You must find a balancing point for yourself. Let intelligence guide you on what to eat or not to eat; and let intelligence guide you to have no fear in making good decisions as well as bad ones.

Sicknesses are changes to your body by the Nature. Whatever happened to the body need not be associated with unhappiness. As long as your mind is still functioning properly, it is possible to stay happy as if the body doesn’t belong to you. Your body, including your brain organ, is like a vehicle to facilitate the functioning of the real you which is your mind; you don’t have to feel unhappy when your car breaks down. If your mind is not functioning, your body will not work even if it is 100% healthy.

Zhuang Zi said: “Mother Nature is extremely powerful. She gave me a physical body; and uses the necessity to live and maintain the body to make me work. She doesn’t need to say a word to compel me to do anything. She uses time to make me turn old and retire; and uses death to make me rest forever. We must accept the changes by Mother Nature without any resentment. We will then be able to have no fear and see no difference between life and death. The history of time is extremely long; it makes the lifetime of a human being so insignificant regardless of his age.”