The Wind, the Water, and the Wandering Spirits

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

30 April 2022

The Indifference of the Passing Wind

Consider the wind as it blows across the earth. Even when it scatters the fallen leaves upon the ground, the leaves remain what they are—simply leaves, scattered and aimless. The wind, meanwhile, continues its journey, indifferent and untethered, moving toward destinations unknown to the leaves. To the leaves, the wind’s passage seems entirely unrelated to their own existence. They do not know where the wind comes from, nor where it is going, and the wind does not concern itself with the plight of the leaves it has disturbed.

The Transience of Human Connection

How many times in our lives do we encounter others? We meet, we interact, and we share moments of our journey. Yet, once we part ways, we often lose touch, as if the connection never existed. Even when we live together, sharing a home and a life, what happens when the end comes? We do not know where they go, nor do they know where we are headed. We are like strangers passing in the night, our lives intersecting briefly before we drift away into the vastness of the cycle of rebirth.

The Ripple of Existence

Think of the moment the wind brushes against the surface of the water. It creates ripples, a brief disturbance that dances across the surface. But once the wind passes, the water returns to its stillness. The wind remains the wind, the water remains the water, and the leaves remain the leaves. They are separate entities, briefly touching, then drifting apart. This is the nature of our worldly interactions—a momentary collision of karmic conditions that leaves no lasting mark on our true self.

Awakening from the Drift

There are countless Wandering Spirits in the wind, drifting without a home. There are countless molecules in the water, each representing a sentient being. Even the fallen leaves are but another form of sentient beings. If our lives are like the wind, the water, and the leaves—drifting, colliding, and scattering—what is the true nature of our existence? When will we finally take charge of our own destiny? When will we stop drifting and return to our true self? This is the question that must guide our practice. We must look beyond the surface of these fleeting phenomena and find the stillness that lies within. Namo Amituofo.