Despite the reality that life is transient and will not last be it on Earth or in various levels of Heaven, the irony is that beings like men live in delusion. The hallmarks of life like birth, disease, old age and death that humans have and still manifested in other ways in the lives of those in the many levels of Heaven and elsewhere will affect others but not themselves.
Even men live in the delusion that what affect others will not bother them for now. They have the eternalism complex and this delude them to sidestep reality. They will go for sects that promise eternal life in the after life.
Men often live as though birth, disease old age and death are not issues. But they are indeed reality. Some become pessimist and negative with life when they become acutely aware of them as the inevitable the doom and gloom. They either loose the drive in life or just go for all as though tomorrow will never come. The more religious may go for the dream of eternal Heaven after death.
Even those in Heaven think they can have eternal life. In Chinese culture of old, even God the Jade Emperor the ruler of all Heaven and those levels of life below Heaven is not spared. He too realises that life in Heaven is never eternal though he is much better off and has a very long life span. He too looks towards the Buddha for inspiration.
The push to enlightenment is given by the Buddha in his last words. The Buddha's last words were delivered to a large group of disciples at the Mallas's sāl-tree grove near Kusinārā.
It is recounted in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta - "the story of the great extinguishing."
It is recounted in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta - "the story of the great extinguishing."
The Buddha was well aware that it was time for him to pass on into parinibbāna. He was on a final tour of the main places where he had taught. He was accompanied by Ven. Ananda and there was awe and divine atmosphere all around as miraculous events occurred where ever they went.
The tour came to an end when the Buddha became ill with food poisoning. A great company of the disciples gathered to pay their last respects to him.
He was aware they had undertood his teachings and asked if they needed to clarify further, but none of them did. He could vouch for this as everyone of them was at least a stream entrant, and had realised the Truth for themselves.
The tour came to an end when the Buddha became ill with food poisoning. A great company of the disciples gathered to pay their last respects to him.
He was aware they had undertood his teachings and asked if they needed to clarify further, but none of them did. He could vouch for this as everyone of them was at least a stream entrant, and had realised the Truth for themselves.
And then the Sutta says:
Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi - handa dāni, bhikkave, āmantayāmi vo: "vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā"ti. Ayaṃ tathāgatassa pacchimā vācā.
Now the Blessed One advised the bhikkhus - Well now, bhikkhus, my counsel is: experience is disappointing, [it is] through vigilance [that] you succeed. These were the last words for the Tathāgata (Blessed One).
The precise English translation of these final words, like all Buddhist teachings, is open to interpretation as it was spoken in Pali and passed on orally, not being written down for some centuries after Buddha's death.
One such interpretation is: "Behold, O monks, this is my advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."
Another translation is thus, "Behold now, bhikkhus (monks), I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"
Yet another translation is "Transient are all component things. Strive on with diligence"
For the real salvation, all without exception must go beyond life and death and beyond the hallmarks of existence, beyond ignorance and hanging on to false views of eternal life (eternal heaven or hell after death) and annihilation (no life after death).
Where there is transiency, there is no eternity. All must strive to save themselves from clinging and craving. It is even worthwhile for us to meditate on death as this brings us to reality so that we will not waste time. We will value life and cultivate the way to be enlightened like the Buddha.
As life is a great teacher, we must be with life and live life in the way that will make us learn and be better off so that we are on the path to exit from cycles of rebirths to enlightenment.
Often the values that promote spiritual if applied to worldly life will optimise worldly life as well. There is no running from life and society but handling life head-on. This was stressed by Lord Bo Tien in 1975.
The inspiration or push for salvation through enlightenment is in the Buddha's last words, "Transient are all component things. Strive on with diligence"
