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Always a Stranger
- From TBN, issue 436
- Guru's Talk: Always a Stranger
- By Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Sheng-Yen Lu
- Translated and Edited by True Buddha Foundation Translation
Team
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Among people living in
Leaf Lake, you will find some neighbours greeting each other with
a nod of the head and a smile when they first meet, but rarely do
they engage in any conversation.
Some individuals will ask me, "Are you...?", to which I will usually
reply, "I am not."
"Are you a writer?"
"I am not."
"Are you into religion?"
"I am not."
I have become a stranger in this world.
In fact, who isn't? When I first arrived in Tahiti, I knew no one
and nobody there knew me.
I once stood on top of the Tokyo Tower looking down at the heavy
traffic that rushed by and asked myself who really knew who I was
and did I know anyone? If I was not a stranger, than what was I?
When I was standing on the beach of Hawaii looking at the crowd
in their swimsuits, it made me wonder who were those people? What
were their names?
When I arrived in Seoul and stared at the signboards written in
Korean characters, I had no idea what any of the characters meant.
When the Korean people looked at me, I would have come across as
a total stranger.
I finally understand that I came into this world as a stranger,
and that I will leave as a stranger, coming here empty-handed and
leaving here empty-handed, that all is void.
Those who are with me in my travels are merely temporary visitors.
While I do come to like these temporary companions and long to see
them, the fact remains that none of these [companions] are everlasting.
When time passes, the times we share shall become a thing of the
past, and what remains as memories will linger as sweet sorrow.
When separated by distance, people are bound to forget each other,
leaving only a shadow of their friendship behind. Our faces will
reflect the tracks left behind by the trail of time.
I do really love all of you, and care for all of you, yet I find
it hard to voice my feelings. I really wish that we can always stay
together, yet the time of our parting has arrived so early.
I remember a verse:
Among the scattered bamboos, the wind passes silently.
The geese fly across the cold lake, and leave no trace upon it.
I come and go without a trace. I am just a traveller passing by
this human world. I really wish that we can always stay together-let
us all adjourn to the Maha Twin Lotus Ponds!
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