What Mission?

A friend sent by the Chinese text below, written by a Dharma teacher, for comments. My comments are in English, in between –

“依佛法的认知,人来到这个世间,有两个任务:一是还债受报,偿还过去多生之中恩怨情仇的债务,接受福报与苦报;

This is not exactly true. A 任务 (mission) would mean a specific task one chooses to undertake. Most beings are not born intentionally to pay back, or to receive pay back. They are simply reborn here because they still cling to Samsara out of delusion. Once they are born, they might receive pay back as karma allows, but not many intentionally return to pay back others. There are immeasurable karmic debts to pay back anyway, to countless beings we interacted with in countless past lives, which means it is impossible to finish paying back in one lifetime. Life is not for the mission of paying back or claiming debts, but for realising how to break free of life and death, to attain liberation.

二是还愿发愿,人们在过去无数世中曾经许过的心愿,
必须逐一完成,在受报还愿的同时,也可继续发愿。当在这一生中的债务及愿心告一段落时,便算任务结束,就可以安心的离开世间了。

This is not exactly true. Some might be reborn due to unfulfilled wishes but we make many wishes that are simply forgotten, dismissed and never fulfilled, and are not always reborn with the intention to fulfil them. Again, many are simply reborn here because they still cling to Samsara out of delusion. For those practising the Bodhisattva path though, they might choose to be reborn with clear intentions to fulfil their vows. It is also not true that only when our responsibilities and wishes are fulfilled can there be a happy departure from this life. In fact, for most beings, it is difficult to fulfill everything. However, one can still have a happy departure by letting go of the burden – e.g. by Buddha mindfulness to reach Pure Land.

不同的人会在不同的阶段完成这一生的任务,有的人年纪轻轻就走了,有的人则到八,九十岁,甚至活到更高寿。

This is not exactly true. That a person dies young does not mean the person’s mission is accomplished. If it is true, this means all who die young, are as wrongly suggested above, able to die happy. But this is not the case. Many who die young do not depart happily because they feel that they have a lot more they want to do in life. Likewise is the case for those who die old. Dying old does not mean one will die happy. It depends on how attached to Samsara the person is.

最难释怀的是因意外事故往生者,在外人眼里看来相当凄惨,在“师经”中称之为九种“横死”之一,但是对当事者自己来说,或许要比久病死亡者,少受了点病苦的过程,也未尝不是好事。

This is not exactly true. As sudden accidental death can be very strong negative karma ripening too, which leads the person to depart very unhappily, leading to rebirth in a lower realm.

当然,这些人走得突然,许多事情尚未来得及交待;但纵使留有遗憾,他们在这一生中的任务毕竟已经结束。” -摘自“人间世”,圣严法师著。

This is not exactly true. Our life does not end automatically upon the completion of some mission, but according to our karma. If it ends upon completion of some mission, it would be as if there is someone controlling our lives. The only thing that controls is our past karma ripening in the moment and the new karma we create in the moment. For example, some feel that they have done all they wanted in life, but they are nevertheless healthy and alive. They do not just drop dead!

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