Actions and Change
By Dhammacaro
Life is like a drama in which each of us is a script writer, director, and actor. A play depends on how we write it. It may be happy, unhappy, sorrowful, angry and so on. Likewise, the action depicted may be loving, hating, good, or bad – the permutations are endless. All the action can be seen to arise, to change, to exist and to come to an end in the way things do in the real world.
If the question ever arises ‘Who I am?’, the answer should always be ‘an action’. An action can tell us where we come from, why we came and why we are here.
If we understand action, or its process, the question is answered. But if we don’t, then the question is unanswered. There is a story, which illustrates this well. Here is the story:
There once was a well-known philosopher named Chuangtzu who taught people about the ways, or meaning of life. One day his wife died suddenly. He was so sad and lost his trust in life. A lot of questions arose for him, such as the origins of life, why it exists and where it is going. He got stuck and so reflected on his wife’s life. Then he got all the answers: that life was all about action, which drives life to change from birth to death. When he realized this about Life, he stopped sorrowing. When his friends saw this, they said to him, “It is not right! Your wife has died! You are supposed to be sad and crying.” Chuangtzu said, “Yes, I was like this. But now I have realized that life is all about action, which changes it all the time. Death is also a big change. So I stopped crying and being sad”. He added, “Flowers bloom and fall and – just as in life – are reborn, changing from being alive to being dead.” When his friends heard this, they understood the meaning of life and said, “You are a great philosopher.”
Have you ever had doubts about life? The story might give you an answer, or guide you to the realization that life is all about action and the changes it brings. Anyway if you observe life closely, you can see it as it really is, and form your own answer.
