While selecting films for a Buddhist film event, we sampled some movies. A friend wondered why many of the shortlisted films seem to end with some form of death. Someone else in the audience remarked that we all have to die anyway. Hmmm…. only half correct… some of us might be able to transcend life and death (attain enlightenment!) before our time’s up! But yes, most of us are going to die. Death is really okay so long as it’s a ‘good death’, which is one that marks the end of a good life, which leads closer to enlightenment. It struck me that there are six ways a Buddhist movie can end in terms of life and death.
1. The protagonist has a happy living ‘ending’ (but s/he will still have to undergo one of the following 4-6 later)
2. The protagonist has an unhappy living ‘ending’ (but s/he will still have to undergo one of the following 4-6 later)
3. The protagonist has a mixed living ‘ending’ (but s/he will still have to undergo one of the following 4-6 later)
4. The protagonist has an unhappy death (which leads to a bad rebirth)
5. The protagonist has a happy death (which leads to a good rebirth)
6. The protagonist realises enlightenment
If this reflects reality, how is the story of your life going to end? It’s you who decide you know… because not only are you the protagonist acting out your destiny, you are also the scriptwriter and director who decides what happens! Here’s the tricky part – the ending might be more soon or abrupt than you expect! ‘Seize’ the moment! But don’t be attached to it – because you can’t hang on to ‘now’ forever… or ever!
过去心不可得
现在心不可得
未来心不可得
The past mind cannot be grasped [because it is already gone]
The present mind cannot be grasped [because it changes in the moment]
The future mind cannot be grasped [because it has not yet arisen]
– 金刚经 Diamond Sutra (The Buddha)
Related Articles:
Back to Life, Back to Reality
https://moonpointer.com/new/2009/01/irony-real-life
Reel to Real
https://moonpointer.com/new/2008/12/reel-to-real