In long drawn drama serials, it is rare that there are no sudden misfortunes via traffic accidents or great illnesses among some key characters. Sounds cliched? But in the long drawn drama of real life, such stuff do often happen. Sometimes, just because it’s on reel, we forget it can be real too. [Crash is a movie; not a drama serial. Even good short films depict real life well.]
Related Article: Topsy Turvy Karma Drama
http://www.moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=683
Right after writing the above, I searched the moonpointer archives and found the related article, which was written more than 3 years ago on a similar topic. To my pleasant, or is it nasty surprise, it’s written better than this short entry. I try hard to make it a point to never repeat any ideas in my articles, which number in thousands by now. Am a stickler for originality, and struggle to not bore myself or readers. But I’ve also come to notice the prevalent pattern of ideas building upon ideas in a constructive way too. Phew!
However, that I sometimes forget what I wrote just a few years ago did make me wonder how much of what I learn and/or write in this life will be forgotten in my future life, of how much of my present efforts will go down the drain. Then I remembered I’m aspiring to go to Pureland. Thank Amituofo (Amitabha Buddha) for this vow of his below from the Infinite Life Sutra. All past lessons learnt, be they written for posterity’s sake or not, will not be lost!
第五生者皆得宿命愿：设我得佛：国中天人，不识宿命，下至知百千亿那由他诸劫事者，不取正觉。
[05] Vow of All Attaining Recollection of Past Lives: If, when I attain Buddhahood, devas and humans in my land, should not recollect past lives, at least knowing all the events which occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect awakening.
[Attainment of ability to recollect (and learn) from many past lives]