Chan in Daily Life

Generally speaking, the problems of people nowadays can be seen in four aspects: First, life today is marked by frequent changes and fast movements, unlike the more stable lifestyles in the past. Second, today people live more and more distant from each other; there is less and less interaction, mutual care, and concern among people. Third, since people in modern societies today enjoy abundant material comforts, sustaining life is no longer difficult. Nevertheless, people’s desires are endless. Because people pursue more and more pleasure and excitement, many strange and eccentric lifestyles have emerged. Fourth, not confident and secure about future prospects, people live under constant stress and uncertainty.

　If we look deeper, however, we find that although their living environments are different, the psychological problems of people today and in the past are actually similar. The roots of the problem lie in the pain of being alive, or of feeling forlorn, small, and helpless. This very problem had already been discovered in Shakyamuni Buddha’s time. In fact, the pain of being alive has never changed and is never going to change. Nonetheless, I would still like to raise some major issues. For example, people today face ever more family, marital, and parenting problems. As well, career and environmental problems are much more complex. This is because, despite the advantages of modern life, it is not that easy to live and survive.