弘明集 13.19

13.19

A sūtra states: 'The suffering of birth, the suffering of old age, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of association with what is hated, the suffering of separation from what is loved, and the suffering of not getting what one seeks.' Encountering these various sufferings, one ought to deeply contemplate causal retribution and concurrently become aware of the deceptions of Māra. Broaden [the mind] through comprehensive vision, and expand it through an impartial heart. Furthermore, a petty single lifetime is like a horse passing a crevice; though what one encounters may differ, in the end all return to withered decay. Gain, loss, little, or much are certainly not worth calculating. Encompassing them within these several paths, this mind will naturally cease. Moreover, if one has not yet entered the Dao, joy and sorrow alternate, and assembly, dispersal, departure, and arrival are shared alike by the wise and the foolish. Therefore a sūtra states: 'In security there is danger; in gain there is loss; in gathering there is separation; in life there is death.' These are indeed the constant norms of nature and the predetermined times that must arrive. Extending this understanding and resting content with it, there is nowhere one goes that will not be level and serene.