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The Happiness of Zero: Freedom from Birth and Death
Looking deeply changes our way of thinking, which otherwise brings sorrow, pain, and fear. The notion of zero, often seen as negative, can represent the greatest happiness of freedom from possessions and worry. True liberty is found in having nothing to lose, moving from a life of protection and fear to the peace of sitting at the foot of a tree. One cause is never enough to bring about an effect; the whole cosmos comes together to help a flower or a sheet of paper manifest. Because nothing comes from nothing, birth is actually a moment of continuation, a continuation day.
By looking deeply into the heart of reality, we touch our true nature, which is characterized by:
- No birth
- No death
- No being
- No non-being
- No coming
- No going
- No same
-
No difference
Touching this ultimate dimension, or suchness, brings the greatest relief and the ultimate joy of non-fear. Reality is not subjected to birth and death; when conditions are sufficient, something manifests, and when conditions are no longer sufficient, the manifestation ceases. This is expressed in the teaching: “This is because that is.”
The Discourse Given to the Dying Person illustrates how to water seeds of happiness through guided meditation on the four recollections: the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, and the mindfulness trainings. This practice involves recognizing that we are not caught in the six sense organs—eyes, nose, tongue, body, and mind—nor are we the four elements: water, fire, air, and earth. We are life without boundaries, and death is merely a threshold for continuation. Understanding that we are not the same as, yet not different from, our ancestors allows us to transcend grief and see our loved ones in their new manifestations, just as a cloud continues as rain or snow.
Part of the following collection
Sitting Meditation 4