Reflections on A Precious Human Rebirth
Hmm.. Haven't blogged for an extremely long time. Not sure why too, just didn't have the mood to blog although lots happened in my life. Today, i'm on MC at home and just decided to revive this blog with some reflections. Aster requested for a personal reflection abt anything so that she can put it up on the Lotus pillar for Vesak at Orchard this year. I didn't have any idea what to write about when she asked me to. However, in a span of just 2 days, through a conversation with Ven Chuan Guan and after a discussion abt KMS Youth group, a very strong feeling hit me and i knew i just have to write about it.
A Precious Human Rebirth
The Buddha gave this analogy of how very difficult it is to get a human rebirth and to be able to learn the Dharma:
There is a huge vast ocean and in it lives one tortoise that is blind. He is usually at the bottom of the ocean and comes up only once every hundred years. There is a round tube floating on the ocean. What is the chance that this tortoise have, coming up once every hundred years and being blind, to stick its head through this tube? Pretty low since the ocean is so vast. He might be thousands of miles away or only a foot away. But still, it doesn't matter, he missed the tube. So he has to try again after another hundred years.
The way the analogy relates is: the ocean is like the ocean of cyclic existence. The tortoise is like us. Being at the bottom of the ocean is like being born in the unfortunate realms, all the situations where it’s very difficult and there’s much confusion and pain. Coming up once every hundred years is like getting a good rebirth as a human. The round tube is the Buddha's teachings. More often than not, we are blinded by our ignorance and are usually in the unfortunate realms, only coming up to the surface once every hundred years. Putting our head through the round tube of the Buddha’s teachings is like getting a precious human life with the opportunity to learn the Dharma.
The Buddha said in the Dhammapada that “The gift of truth surpasses all gifts”. Recently, through a conversation with a Venerable, I’m once again reminded on how rare and difficult it is to be able to get a precious human rebirth and to have the conditions to receive the precious gift of the Dharma. I view it as a great opportunity to be a Buddhist and I am determined to use the opportunity wisely, get myself together and not waste the valuable, limited time I have in this lifetime. At the same time, I have the deepest gratitude to my parents, for giving me human life and for opening up the doors for me to come in touch with the Dharma, and to all my teachers who patiently and compassionately taught and showed me how to integrate the Dharma into my life.
May all sentient beings have the good conditions to learn the Dharma.
A Precious Human Rebirth
The Buddha gave this analogy of how very difficult it is to get a human rebirth and to be able to learn the Dharma:
There is a huge vast ocean and in it lives one tortoise that is blind. He is usually at the bottom of the ocean and comes up only once every hundred years. There is a round tube floating on the ocean. What is the chance that this tortoise have, coming up once every hundred years and being blind, to stick its head through this tube? Pretty low since the ocean is so vast. He might be thousands of miles away or only a foot away. But still, it doesn't matter, he missed the tube. So he has to try again after another hundred years.
The way the analogy relates is: the ocean is like the ocean of cyclic existence. The tortoise is like us. Being at the bottom of the ocean is like being born in the unfortunate realms, all the situations where it’s very difficult and there’s much confusion and pain. Coming up once every hundred years is like getting a good rebirth as a human. The round tube is the Buddha's teachings. More often than not, we are blinded by our ignorance and are usually in the unfortunate realms, only coming up to the surface once every hundred years. Putting our head through the round tube of the Buddha’s teachings is like getting a precious human life with the opportunity to learn the Dharma.
The Buddha said in the Dhammapada that “The gift of truth surpasses all gifts”. Recently, through a conversation with a Venerable, I’m once again reminded on how rare and difficult it is to be able to get a precious human rebirth and to have the conditions to receive the precious gift of the Dharma. I view it as a great opportunity to be a Buddhist and I am determined to use the opportunity wisely, get myself together and not waste the valuable, limited time I have in this lifetime. At the same time, I have the deepest gratitude to my parents, for giving me human life and for opening up the doors for me to come in touch with the Dharma, and to all my teachers who patiently and compassionately taught and showed me how to integrate the Dharma into my life.
May all sentient beings have the good conditions to learn the Dharma.
posted by Magnesium at 8:24 pm
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