Can you accept your definite future?
If you are a freshman right now, are you able to say that you will become a Sophomore next year?
Is this definite?
You may not have sufficient grades to move on to sophomore year.
You will have to retake freshman year.
You have a general idea about your future, but are you able to say that it is definite?
You probably think that you are able to stand up from the chair that you are sitting in right now.
Is that definite?
An earth quake may occur and you will never be able to stand up from this chair.
Then, is there anything that we can call definite future?
You may not be able to inhale after you exhale.
However, the only definite future is that
"You are going to die."
There is no exception of this.
So, a never -mistaken prophet will tell you this,
"You are going to die."
He will always predict your future.
But, this is the only thing that he will say you.
This is because every human being's future is this.
An allegory of an airplane
Let's think about this future through an allegory of an airplane.
The days pass by like an arrow flying by.
From yesterday to today, from today to tomorrow, from last year to this year and from this year to next year, the days pass by like an airplane flying at full speed.
Birth is the start of a life journey - what happens if the destination remains unknown?
Here is a vivid description by a very successful salesman in Japan:
"Where shall I go? Uh-oh, no clue what airport I'm supposed to land at. No map or compass, either, I see. Oh well, the fuel tank's full and the plane's in good shape, so I'll just sit back and relax. As long as I'm enjoying myself, everything will be fine--no need to worry about what lies ahead."
In time, fuel starts running low. This corresponds to the waning years of life.
"Oh no, I can't go on flying any more! I thought all would be well if I was enjoying myself, but this is awful. The terrain below is mountainous. Nothing like a landing strip in sight.
What do I do! What do I do!
The pilot turns pale and panics, eventually crashing into the side of a mountain and bringing his life to its tragic end.
No matter how high an airplane is soaring, there is no way that it can fly forever.
Eventually, fuel will run out and any kind of airplane will have to fall to the ground.
The longer you fly the more fuel that will diminish, Similar to this, human kind's life fuel will diminish and everyone must eventually die.
However, since passengers naturally think that the airplane will not fall so they watch movies and have trouble deciding whether to eat beef or chicken.
We are actually headed to our last moment "death" at an unbelievable pace.
However, nobody realizes this.
What if we are faced with a crash?
2001 9/11, a devastating terrorist attack occurred in America.
That day, the terrorists told the passengers on board that the airplane is going to crash.
When one's future is dark, the present is likewise darkened.
This is clear if you think of the mental state of airplane passengers who learn their aircraft is doomed. No meal could taste good to them, and no movie, however hilarious, could entertain. What might otherwise have been a pleasant trip has been transformed completely.
Fearful and anxious, the passengers are thrown into confusion, some of them shrieking in terror. In this case the root of their suffering is the impending crash, but fiery death is not the only horror: the flight toward tragedy is itself a kind of hell.
Like this, we all have a problem of our death.
It's called the "crucial matter of the afterlife."
Sakyamuni Buddha taught that the true meaning of life is to solve the "crucial matter of the afterlife."
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