What Should You Truly Cherish in This Life?
There is a thought-provoking story about a king who wanted to reward a servant for his many years of loyal service. The king gave him a special opportunity, saying, “Run as far as you wish. As long as you make a full circle and return here before sunset, all the land you encircle will be yours.”
Overjoyed, the servant began running forward without stopping, almost like a wild beast driven into a frenzy.
He ran and ran with all his might. Finally, just before the sun went down, he completed a vast circle and returned to where he had started. However, exhausted beyond endurance, he collapsed and died.
With great sorrow, the king buried him. In the end, the only land the servant truly obtained was the small plot of ground needed for his grave.
This story reveals a profound truth: People always hope to gain more, yet in the process of pursuing more, they often lose themselves and may even pay for it with their lives. In modern society, we too are often driven by our desires, constantly pursuing greater achievements, greater wealth, and more possessions. Yet amid this endless pursuit, are we not sometimes like that servant, overlooking the true value and meaning of life?
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha said in the Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings:
“You should know that those with many desires, because they seek much gain, also suffer much distress. Those with few desires, having little seeking and craving, are free from such troubles.”
Excessive desires often bring endless exhaustion and anxiety, causing us to lose ourselves in the flood of material pursuits. Rather than constantly seeking more external possessions, we should stop and reflect: What is truly important? What is the genuine treasure that we should cherish?
In a Dharma discourse, Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III taught His disciples:
“The most valuable thing in the world is the great Buddha Dharma that can enable you to attain liberation from birth and death! If you can grasp the Buddha Dharma and cultivate yourself in accordance with the Dharma, you will be able to live when you wish to live and die when you wish to die. That is what is truly most valuable.”
Therefore, as long as we have enough food to sustain ourselves and our lives are manageable, we should quickly seize the opportunity to learn the Buddha Dharma well, take worldly matters lightly, cultivate ourselves earnestly, have few desires and be content, never err in matters of cause and effect, and strive to attain liberation from birth and death with certainty in this very lifetime. This is what makes a life truly worthwhile.
Jiangqiu Lunzhu
June 2024
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Happy Life 