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Birth and Death 1
In the image of the flame illustrating birth and death, there is no absolute “being” nor absolute “non-being”: when the match is struck, the flame manifests thanks to conditions (oxygen, phosphorus, the hand striking the match…), and when the conditions are no longer sufficient, it ceases to manifest but does not “go” anywhere. Similarly, a cloud does not arise from nothing but is the result of water vapor, the heat of the sun, mist and smoke…, and then it only “transforms” into rain, dew, or a river. The nature of all phenomena is impermanence, neither being nor non-being, neither birth nor death.
Paragraphs 1–4 explain how to contemplate in order to recognize continuity, which is neither strictly “one” nor strictly “many”:
- In today’s rain, the “cloud of yesterday” is still present—formlessness helps us see no birth, no death.
- When we lose a loved one, contemplation allows us to see that they still exist within us, helping us overcome loneliness.
- The flame that has gone out can be rekindled—an expression of impermanence and the capacity to “continue.”
- The story of miscarriage and birth, the Cognassier blossom “neither one, nor different,” reveals the ceaseless flow of dependent arising.
Practicing meditation in daily life is to deeply contemplate each moment: looking at the flame, the cloud, the leaf, your beloved or your child to see non-self, dependent co-arising, and neither one nor different. From there, we live mindfully, cherish each moment, and recognize the truth of no birth, no death.