You come, you see, you leave
The world is a stage and life is a passing. You come, you see, you leave.
- Democritus
Disclaimer: I do not consider myself a Buddhist, my knowledge can be limited. Apologies in advance for possible mistakes.
When thinking what to write about using this quote, I remembered that one day I thought to myself: “Why are so many people religious? I wonder if I can find one for myself? I’ve read about Islam and Christianity, but no. The communities are full of people who use religion to justify hate on queer people, which is one of the reasons I could never get behind them. Every time I see a comment from someone with a cross in their nickname, or a bible verse in their bio, it’s either the most homophobic or racist one you’ll ever see or “god loves you”. Then I stumbled upon buddhism. It has no god, and it focuses on intention and the effects of actions. An action is moral if it comes from compassion, wisdom, and good intention, and if it doesn’t cause suffering to yourself or others. There are no sins, and no god waiting to punish you for your actions. It was almost perfect for me. I deeply appreciate Buddhists morals (ex. 5 buddhist precepts1) however, as an empiricist I cannot agree with metaphysical ideas such as life after death, and reincarnation. Also I believe that religions are an unhealthy coping mechanism. I think that religion can discourage personal responsibility, and learning practical coping skills outside of religion.
You may think now “Okay, cool but what does it have to do with the quote?” It's impermanence, one of the three marks of existence in buddhism along with suffering, and non-self. It means that nothing in life is permanent, that everything is undergoing constant change. Buddhism teaches that thoughts, emotions, physical objects, and our perception of self are temporary. Understanding impermanence makes me realise that both joy and suffering are temporary. It encourages me to appreciate moments without clinging to them, and to let go of regrets. So I think that life really is like a stage. We play our part, experience our scenes, and then move on. Nothing stays forever, and that’s what makes every act, every connection, and every breath worth something.
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Refrain from killing living beings, Refrain from stealing, Refrain from sexual misconduct, Refrain from false speech, Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.↩