Unexpected events can arise at any moment in our daily lives. Impermanence is constantly with us, whether we are aware of it or not.
One evening, the weather was pleasantly cool. As usual, I was watching my child play with friends in our community. Seeing them happily absorbed in their games, I took out my phone and began browsing some news and information.
Suddenly, I heard an elderly man exclaim, “The child has been hurt from the fall!” I immediately looked up and saw my child crying uncontrollably several meters away. I rushed over and discovered that another child had accidentally knocked her to the ground. A large bump had already formed on her head.
It happened so quickly. In just a moment of inattention, an accident occurred.
That night, as I watched my child sleeping peacefully, I could not stop thinking about how she had cried in pain, tears covering her face. My heart ached for her. Just moments before, she had been a carefree child, full of laughter and joy. Yet in an instant, everything changed.
What if she had been seriously injured?
This incident reminded me of something that happened to my mother in 2020. She was in her seventies when she fell from a three-wheeled vehicle. During a turn, she was thrown from the vehicle and landed heavily on the ground. She could barely move afterward. A CT scan revealed that four ribs had been fractured, and her face was severely bruised and swollen. For days, the pain was so intense that she repeatedly said she could not endure it.
Reflecting on these experiences, I realized how unpredictable life truly is. Accidents and misfortunes can happen to anyone, at any time. This is the reality of impermanence.
“Without an awareness of impermanence, one cannot enter the Buddhist path. Even after entering it, one cannot engage in correct cultivation.”
These words prompted me to examine myself more deeply. Although I have studied Buddhism for many years, I realized that I had not truly developed a profound awareness of impermanence.
When I quietly reflected on my life, I saw that impermanence is everywhere. We age without noticing it. White hairs gradually appear. Our bodies lose their former strength. Family members and friends whom we once shared life with gradually depart from this world.
There is nothing we can do to stop time. We cannot bring back those who have passed away, nor can we prevent our own lives from eventually coming to an end.
Life lasts only as long as a single breath. Impermanence can arrive in a single instant.
Every day, we witness unexpected tragedies—accidents, natural disasters, illnesses, economic hardships, and countless unforeseen changes. No matter how much wealth, status, or success a person possesses, no one is exempt from the uncertainties of life.
As long as we remain within the cycle of samsara, impermanence will continue to accompany us.
This realization led me to ask myself: If my life were to end unexpectedly today, where would I go?
The thought was sobering.
I therefore made a sincere vow to cherish this rare and precious human life and to practice even more diligently the authentic Tathagata Dharma transmitted by Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. May I attain liberation in this very lifetime, transcend the cycle of reincarnation, and ultimately realize lasting happiness and freedom.
Gratitude brings peace to the heart. In life, people often focus on what is missing, what is difficult, or what has not gone according to plan.
In life, people often focus on what is missing, what is difficult, or what has not gone according to plan.
But when we learn to be grateful, our perspective begins to change. We become less burdened by dissatisfaction and more aware of the blessings already present in our lives.
Gratitude is not merely a polite feeling. It is a form of inner cultivation. When we appreciate the kindness of others, the support we have received, and the opportunities to learn through hardship, our hearts naturally become softer and more peaceful.
In the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, true cultivation is reflected in how we transform our minds and conduct ourselves in daily life. A grateful heart helps us reduce arrogance, complaint, and resentment, and allows humility and kindness to grow.
When we live with gratitude, we do not take life for granted. We become more mindful of every condition that supports us, and more willing to repay kindness through good thoughts, good words, and good actions.
Let us begin today by giving thanks sincerely, living more humbly, and cherishing each day with a grateful heart.
Rather than saying “Buddhism” is a type of religion, it is better to regard it as “teachings by the Buddha.” Also, the most basic foundation of Buddhism is to “clearly believe the law of cause and effect.” Where we go after death and if we will no longer transmigrate and can break away from the suffering of birth, aging, illness, and death all depend on what you do from now on and what teachings and lineage you follow. All the consequences are determined by the causes we have created due to “The law of cause and effect never errs.” That is why the Buddha taught us, “Abstain from whatever that is evil, and do all that is good.”
Why do we need to learn Buddha Dharma and understand Buddha Dharma? The most fundamental reason is as we live in this world, we must clearly believe the law of cause and effect. You need to know what effect will be created in the future from the mindset and ideas you give rise to at this moment. If today, you waste your time and ruin your health, be aware of the consequences tomorrow. Causes and effects form the incessant transmigration. Therefore, good causes will lead to good results. The same is true on the opposite. That is why we need to have a positive attitude to face our life and treat every day and every consequence in a proactive manner.
How can one attain liberation and end the cycle of birth and death? His Holiness the Buddha told us to proceed in the two aspects of cultivation and Dharma practice and not to miss either of the two! “If you practice the Dharma but do not cultivate yourself, you will not be able to attain accomplishment. If you cultivate yourself but do not practice the Dharma, you will not be able to generate realization powers. If you have listened to the teaching of the Dharma and cultivation, yet you do not put it into practice, it is as if you are trying to catch the moon from the moon’s reflection in water.
When you look at the many so-called Dharma masters, Dharma kings, rinpoches, and great knowledgeable and beneficent persons, if they do not mention cultivation to you and only say practicing a Dharma or just studying the theory of emptiness in Buddhist sutras can lead to accomplishment, then they are absolutely outside practitioners or demons. They can even be called evil practices. They are not authentic Buddhism. This is also a very important criterion for evaluating holy gurus.
In other words, other than concretely implement “cultivation” and “Dharma practice,” there is no second path leading to “accomplishment and liberation!” “You must cultivate yourself. If you do not cultivate yourself, you cannot attain accomplishment. You must learn the Dharma. If you only cultivate yourself but do not learn the Dharma, you also will not be able to attain accomplishment. These two points are very important and are interrelated. Neither can be missing.” This is also an important standard for you to judge whether the master you choose to follow can lead you to accomplishment and liberation.
Perhaps many people would say, since they have done very little study in Buddhist books and due to other conditions, “We do not know…” and “Who should we believe after all?” Actually, the answer is very simple. His Holiness the Buddha has told us long ago to rely on the “four points,” which are, “relying on the Dharma, not people;” “relying on wisdom, not consciousness;” “relying on the truth, not words;” and also “relying on the definitive truth, not non-definitive truth.” All need to use these four points to measure. What is to be measured? Following the principles of causality and attaining accomplishment, you measure if your master has taught you to transform causality through cultivation, and how many disciples have attained accomplishment from the Dharma transmitted by this master. All must be based on real examples and real evidence, not empty theories or meaningless words!
The above is my understanding from learning from Buddha, benefits and reflections that I would like to share with you all. I respectfully pray for all living beings to take refuge in true Dharma early and thus attain enlightenment early! Amitabha!
頂禮 H.H. 第三世多杰羌佛-- 正教 