Life and Self-Nature
　

Buddha inquired about life. He asked his disciples, “What is our life?” No one replied. Finally one disciple replied, “If we eat, we live. If we do not eat, we die. That is what life is.” Buddha was not satisfied with this answer. Another disciple responded, “If we breathe we live. If we do not breathe we die.” Buddha was satisfied with this answer.

This brings me to an example of an Indian yogi who once asked his disciple, “Why should we be thankful for the air that we breathe?” The disciple shrugged his shoulders. As a lesson, the yogi decided to take his disciple to the Ganges River. As they sat by the water’s edge the Yogi suddenly grabbed his disciple by the head and plunged it into the river. He held his disciple’s head under water for approximately five minutes. When he lifted his head back up the disciple exclaimed in shock, “What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?” The yogi was trying to teach his disciple that our life depends on the air that we breathe. That is our life support. Of course our life also depends on other things like water and food. However, once our air is cut-off our life immediately comes to an end; whereas our life can still continue without food and water for a certain period of time.

Life, then, is impermanent. Eating, breathing, and drinking water does not sustain us forever. Life is limited. Buddha asked his disciples this question, “How do we release ourselves from this limited life?” This question had lingered with Buddha for six years. The Great Master Sotaesan also toiled with this question for more than 18 years. Eventually, both Buddha and Sotaesan found eternal life. Eternal life does not need food or air. This new discovery is our self-nature. When the weather is cold our self-nature remains warm; and when the weather is hot our self-nature remains cool; and when it rains our self-nature remains dry; and when the weather is dry our self-nature remains moist.

Our eternal question should be “What is eternal life?”

Self-nature exists regardless of whether we consume food or inhale and exhale the air that we breathe. It is our spiritual nature. Through meditation we can connect with this spiritual life. In that state of calmness which is free of jealousy, greed, hatred, and delusion - we find our self-nature.

Our self-nature is like a flower in full bloom that never wilts or dies. It is the eternal breath of our life.

http://www.wonbuddhism.org/