After picking up Buddhism, I found my threshold of being able to withstand seeing others in suffering to have reduced significantly. I can’t sit long in front of the television watching people scheming against each other, even though I know it’s just a show. Well, scriptwriters don’t get their stories out of thin air – many are inspired from life experiences – theirs or others. In short, evil does exist in real life.
I wasn’t in denial when I refused to watch evil stuff and people in pain. In fact, I couldn’t comprehend why bad intentions and actions exist in the firs place. I wanted to know how one’s ill motivations first arose in the mind and why one would choose to harm rather than to have compassion and generosity.
As I dug more deeper into Buddhism, I realised there are no absolutely or inherently evil people, while most are just ignorant, with limited wisdom, with the three roots of evil (greed, hatred and delusion) are at play to different extents. How deeply the three poisons had taken root in us would determine how much we value our ‘self’. The greater the amount of importance we see in that illusory ‘self’, the more greed, hatred and ignorance we have.
The false notion of ‘self’ causes us to be self-absorbed and egoistic. As we centre the world around this ‘self’, all we think of is nothing but that ‘self’. Everything and everyone else becomes secondary. It is exactly because of such corrupted views that we begin to see and do things that only benefit and ‘protect’ that ‘self’ of ours. ‘Self’ becomes the Mara, and that’s how we hesitate and forget to help others, to love and forgive.
As reel life is like real life; real life is like reel life. (戏如人生，人生如 戏) I could only wish that what we watch onscreen will make us take heed of the evils that we should do without, and be reminded of the Four Immeasurable Minds (loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice and equanimity) that we should possess, as guided by wisdom. May all beings be free from enmity and danger. May all beings be well and happy.
The statement “reel life is like real life; real life is like reel life” probably means that both are illusionary in nature and that one should not be too attach to it.
Other than historical dramas especially those with historian as consultant, some TV shows seem illogical in their plots and the emotions & choices made by the characters are out of place.
If there is a need to unwind, i would rather watch a comedy knowing very well that it is purely for entertainment sake.
What i don’t understand is that why some people would want to pay good money to see sad or horror shows so that they can get upset or nightmares.
I think there is a Zen saying that say something like this:
Seeing a mountain as a mountain
Seeing a mountain as not a mountain
Seeing a mountain as it is, a mountain.
Probably we should see TV shows for what it is – Entertainment.
I would think the best place to practice would be in “real life” rather than reel life.
Happy Viewing ! 🙂