I found a way to improve myself and move towards a bright life.

Is your life the same as that "shepherd"?

What is the meaning of life? Is it the satisfaction of material enjoyment?Is it a pursuit of fame, fortune and status?Is it poetry and a distant yearning?None of the statements has ever rippled in my heart, but the answer from the only shepherd's baby is still fresh in my memory.

Someone saw a child grazing sheep and asked the sheep herd: "What are you doing for herding sheep?"The child replied: "Sell money to build a house.""The man asked again, "What are you building a house?""The little child replied: "Marry a wife and have a baby.""The man asked again: "What are you doing for having a baby?""The child said without thinking: "Give birth to a baby and herd sheep."”

When I first heard the story of the shepherd’s baby, my heart was filled with melancholy and sadness.Herding sheep - making money - marrying a wife - having children - grazing sheep, what a sad and foolish life!Perhaps many people, like me, seem to put themselves out of the matter, feel that they are superior to the shepherd's children, feel that they have received a good education and a good job, and their lives have ideals and meanings.

In fact, what is the difference between us and shepherds?Calm down and think about it. Every day when we open our eyes, we dress, eat, work, and sleep, day after day, year after year, repeating this monotonous life constantly.Like me, aren’t many people walking step by step on the road of “studying—work—marriage—have children”?And our children are also repeating our life trajectory. Aren’t we all the “shepherds” who are trapped in a vicious cycle?

“What is the meaning of life?” Throughout history, there have been many different opinions. However, for many people, this is a proposition that has been turned into thousands of thoughts but has no solution. People who are confused can only spend their busy life, personnel entanglement and troubles.Because most people do not know that people still have the next life, and do not understand what everything we do now has to do with this life and the next life, so they will inevitably be attached to this "I", for my children, for my wealth, for my status, for my face... all selfishness is for me.

Everything is my life, it must be a life of pain and tangled.I am burdened by love and love throughout my life, and there are always people and things in my heart that I can’t let go, grudges, and troubles;Don’t understand that the root of troubles and pain comes from one’s own attachment, always blame others for the pain, and complain and hatred towards others.

Everything is my life, it must be a life of incomplete desires and confusion.In order to satisfy our various desires, we have done so many confused and inverted wrong things, and even harmed our lives and committed numerous evil karma;We who do not know how to give are only know how to seek, and we are always working hard on the road to pursuing wealth, and our hearts are filled with endless greed.

Fortunately, in this life, I encountered the pure and unbiased Buddhist teachings personally taught by the Buddha in the coming of my life. Listening to the Buddha's teachings was like a sudden enlightenment, and my heart suddenly became clear.The Buddha's Dharma books "Talking the Truth of the Heart Sutra" and "The Great Seal of the Extreme Saint Liberation" perfectly explain the true meaning of life and the universe. The numerous fogs of life have become clear in my heart one by one.I finally understand that a life without the guidance of Buddhism must be a dim life, and the ending can only enter a dead cycle, and I cannot get out of the circle of "herding sheep babies" in every life.Only Buddhism has made me truly understand the meaning of life, and Buddhism is like a brilliant light that illuminates my life.

My life is no longer confused, and I have found a way to improve myself and move towards a bright future.

I understand that life is impermanent, and I can only live up to this leisurely and fulfilling human body when I practice it;I understand that good and evil will be rewarded, and only by doing good and accumulating virtue and staying away from evil karma can one be happy and auspicious;I understand the meaning of giving, and only by giving can you gain something in life;I understand that only by letting go of selfishness and self-attachment can one feel happy;I understand that all sentient beings who have lived through many lifetimes are my parents and relatives. Only by being kind to others and treating life well can the world be peaceful...

Only after thousands of lifetimes can we have this precious and leisurely human body in this life. We must sow the merits of good deeds and be happy in this life and the next life;If you only know how to pursue worldly pleasures and commit all kinds of evil deeds, you will never be able to be human in the next life. You can only turn into a pig, a dog, a hungry ghost, and go to hell, and you will never have a chance to stand out in the sea of ​​suffering of reincarnation.

Born as a human being, doing good and accumulating virtue is our compulsory course, and it will inevitably bring us infinite blessings;What does good deeds only bring about blessings from humans and heavens, and cannot change the pain of birth, old age, sickness, death and reincarnation.Using your precious human body to study Buddhism and practice, escape from the sea of ​​suffering of reincarnation and reach the other side of eternal happiness, this is the most important meaning of life!

Written by: An Ran