Vipassana Meditation Master
Acharavadee Wongsakon
When human beings who lack light in themselves are drawn to live together on this planet, every life struggles and adapts to make this place a temporary home of happiness. Thus, various concepts were created, including “movies and plays”, allowing audiences to escape their real-world struggles into a realm of virtual stories.
Once the show ends, viewers believe they are returning to the real world. In truth, they simply return to the stage of life where they are the actors themselves. Nothing in our world is absolute truth. Everything that constitutes life is only partially real and largely illusory. All that humans obsess over – happiness, suffering, wealth, status, praise, and even their physical bodies – are merely temporary illusions.
There is a Zen story about a Native American man brought to court. Before giving testimony, the court officer asked him swear an oath:
“I will speak only the truth, nothing but the whole truth.”
The man replied, “Your Honor, I cannot swear to that because I do not know the whole truth.”
In Buddhist philosophy, the truth he referred to is Ultimate Truth (Paramattha Dhamma). Everything in this world is impermanent and non-self (Anatta). Understanding this prevents one from clinging to emotions or assuming things will last forever. Everything exists for a moment and dissolves. Clinging to what constantly changes brings immense suffering. Human suffering arises from emotional attachment, grasping onto occurrences with the belief that they are absolute and permanent. Wealth, happiness, sorrow, and social status all bring distress when clung to tightly.
Life tricks us into falling for what we receive, binding our hearts to it deeply. In truth, everything arises from interconnected, temporary conditions. Buildings exist because they were constructed; shiny and new at first, they eventually age and decay. Relationships stem from karmic bonds, and titles come from past good deeds, yet political power and social status are never truly permanent.
We all play roles on the world’s stage assigned by past Karma. We act out a realistic drama that ends only with our last breath. Yet our mind does not stop there. It remains trapped in the endless ocean of the cycle of rebirth (Samsara). Minds fail to detach from their roles because actors invest too much emotion into the performance. When the show ends, the mind fails to awaken.
Unlike a regular play with bright lights and stage props, the theater of life requires everyone to act without a director. We must direct ourselves; otherwise, we face severe consequences. Every script requires us to be good and refrain from harming others. There should be no villains. Anyone who breaks the rules and plays the villain will suffer deeply.
For those who maintain good roles, their future roles will elevate until they realize that what they are doing is not the complete truth, but a script governed by Karma. Upon accumulating full wisdom, one uses this life’s script to search for the truth. Once found, they burn down the theater, ensuring no script can ever force them to act in the drama of life again.
If we could detach our emotions from our real-life roles without lingering attachments or suppressed emotions, this stage would not have expanded to over seven billion actors. Everyone acts fiercely, refusing to step back or let go of their roles. Ultimately, they cycle back to the same unavoidable roles; crying bitterly, killed by old age, and tormented by illness. This theater inflicts real pain, and the show never truly ends. It loops continuously until one shreds all scripts through awakened mindfulness and non-attachment, erasing the stage in this dark world forever.
I cannot force those whose minds remain unopened to set their ultimate goal on escaping the cycle of rebirth, even though they should. Wisdom varies; some still take joy in rebirth, while others cannot see that life is an illusion – a past dream that continuously returns to haunt them. Most people live aimlessly, drifting with societal trends without resisting the illusory path laid out before them. They chase worldly goals, believing them to be true happiness, while death awaits them ahead. Loss is inevitable, but one should at least open their heart to truly follow the path of the Buddha.
Thinking that everyone meets the same end in death, so effort is unnecessary, is only half correct. It applies to the body, but not the mind. When death arrives and the mind leaves the physical body, where will it travel? To a higher realm or a lower one? To heaven, hell, or the realm of suffering? Have we prepared for this long journey, or are we merely lost in playing our roles without accepting the truth on the other side?
To know whether your mind is headed toward a good or bad destination, simply observe yourself without the need to ask a psychic: deep down, do you fear the Karma you have created, or do you carry a heavy heart over certain matters?
If so, do not dismiss it as mere imagination. It is a signal from your mind warning that the journey beyond this life will not be pleasant. Turn to the path that leads to the cessation of suffering before life reaches a dead end.
Ask yourself: since being born human, have you ever done the utmost good? Have you shared goodness with others, or have you merely lived life driven by cravings for temporary pleasure? If you have the answer, ask further: what are you waiting for, and when will you begin?
Is the opportunity of having a breath meant only for eating, traveling, working, and seeking happiness with family until the day you die? Is there really nothing better left to do?
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