From yesterday’s news, a headline (and sub-heading) reads – ‘A star to the end: (Michael) Jackson mourners kept waiting as casket arrives late’. It finally arrived 90 minutes after the scheduled time. An interesting question came to mind. If it arrives even much later, will the mourners feel more sorrow or less sorrow? With no disrespect intended, if there was substantial waiting time, the sorrow is likely to climb for a while, before it hits a peak, before it tapers away… before is rises again when the casket finally arrives, before hitting a peak, before tapering away… unless the casket is so late for some mourners that they choose to leave first.
And this will apply not just for MJ’s wake, but any other emotional highs and lows too. The Buddha taught that all feelings are impermanent. Sometimes, this is mistaken as being unfeeling. This is not true, because the Buddha is the kindest being the world has ever seen. It is through realising the unsubstantial nature of the aggregates (as listed below), including feelings, that the Buddha attained perfect calmness and equanimity, while embodying universal loving-kindness, compassion and rejoice.
Form is like a glob of foam;
feeling, a bubble;
perception, a mirage;
[mental] fabrications, a banana tree;
consciousness, a magic trick —
this has been taught by the Kinsman of the Sun [enlightened].However you observe them,
appropriately examine them,
they’re empty, void [of substantiality]
to whoever sees them appropriately.