Buddhism, Death and Finality

Consider movement stationary
and the stationary in motion,
both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist
Oneness itself cannot exist.
To this ultimate finality
no law or description applies.

-Seng-tsan, "Verses on the Faith Mind"

From "Teachings of the Buddha," edited by Jack Kornfield, 1993. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.

James: The following story was said to have been told by the Buddha:

Self-salvation is for any man the immediate task. If a man lay wounded by a poisoned arrow he would not delay extraction by demanding details of the man who shot it or the length and make of the arrow. There will be time for ever-increasing understanding of the Teaching during the treading of the Way. Meanwhile, begin now by facing life as it is, learning always by direct and personal experience.

James: I was pondering the Buddhist idea of ultimate finality and came across these two writings. I think the thing that I came away with the most from these two writings is not to worry about "finality or 'Nirvana.'"

The here and the now is the most important thing to deal with in our lives and the cessation of suffering. Whether there is any "finality" of samsara (or the cycle of birth and death) is frankly not that important in our daily lives right now. We have enough trouble dealing with and over-coming our current daily suffering.

-Peace to all beings-