放過身邊的人
（我受夠了！）生命走到盡頭，除了財產分配與遺囑紛爭，宗教勢力往往也會橫插一腳。
若肉體在臨終前表現得安詳平靜，如睡夢中辭世且無病無痛，
無論信仰為何，旁人總會將其歸功於宗教修持的善果。
反之，若身陷病榻、受盡折磨，狂熱信徒便會以此評斷你的信仰『不力』，甚至將痛苦視為罪孽。
在台灣社會，這種以『好死』作為信仰優劣指標的邏輯屢見不鮮。
最令人憤恨的是，當一個人喪失表達能力、處於最脆弱的時刻，
生平意志此時任由他人主導——佛教徒被迫接受禱告，基督徒被強加誦經。
理應最懂得慈悲與尊重的宗教人士，往往展現出最強烈的控制欲。
當死亡與宗教掛鉤，人們便憑藉臨終的狀態，來質疑你一生信仰的價值。
若死亡的進程不盡人意，身旁的狂熱者便會趁虛而入，強行更換你的信仰。
生命在最凋零之際，還需應付財產與宗教的雙重夾擊，
這份蒼涼———無言！
即使，我在佛法裡面研究這麼久的歲月，還是質疑人究竟是什麼？
想要善終的指標是；最後一口氣還得可以保護自己，最好是站著死去——-
來控訴人是什麼？
半寄
Let the People Around You Be (I’ve Had Enough!)
As life approaches its end, beyond disputes over inheritance and wills, religious forces often step in as well.
If a person appears peaceful and calm before death—passing away as if in sleep, without illness or pain—
regardless of their beliefs, others tend to credit it as the result of religious devotion.
On the other hand, if someone is bedridden, suffering through agony,
zealous believers may judge their faith as “insufficient,” even interpreting the pain as a form of sin.
In Taiwanese society, this logic—using a “good death” as a measure of faith—is all too common.
What is most infuriating is that when a person loses the ability to express themselves and is at their most vulnerable,
their lifelong will is taken over by others—
Buddhists are forced into prayers they didn’t ask for, Christians have scriptures recited over them against their will.
Those who are supposed to embody compassion and respect often display the strongest urge to control.
When death becomes entangled with religion, people use the manner of one’s final moments to question the value of a lifetime of belief.
If the dying process does not meet expectations, zealots seize the opportunity to impose a different faith.
At the very moment life is fading, one must still endure the double assault of property disputes and religious interference.
This desolation—beyond words.
Even after spending so many years studying Buddhist teachings,
I still question: what exactly is a human being?
If a “good death” is the standard, then perhaps the final breath must still defend itself—
perhaps one should die standing—
just to protest what it means to be human.
Master Banji
記得有人問我說：他們在上的生死學，對於生跟死的說法，
On Death
Someone once shared with me that the teachings in their life-and-death studies seemed unclear and uncertain.
I replied, “It’s simple. None of us has died before, so we cannot fully explain what death is.” Haha 😄
Since we have never experienced death, we cannot truly describe it.
As a result, the many discussions surrounding it oftenbecome excessive—and eventually turn into mere speculation.
The dead cannot speak.
Those who speak are not yet dead.
Master Banji
有一回我被人請托去處理一件往生事宜，
On Death 2
Once, I was asked to help with arrangements after someone had passed away.
In the front hall, volunteers from the Tzu Chi Foundation were chanting the Buddha’s name with great effort.
In the back room, the deceased person’s eyes kept opening wider.
I said, “He may have unfinished concerns.”
We then asked the family to tell him that everything he was worried about would be taken care of. Only then did his eyes finally close.
Chanting for the deceased is often emphasized as a meritorious act, so everyone puts great effort into it.
But whether the deceased had any Buddhist faith during their lifetime, or even any willingness to hear the chanting, often seems to be overlooked.
The reality is: if someone still has unresolved worries, how can he truly listen to the chanting?
In Pure Land practice, people stress that the first eight hours after death are critical—that certain things must be done for the deceased.
However, the wishes of the deceased themselves are rarely considered.
Before and after death are the most fragile moments of a person’s life.
Respecting their wishes should come first.
Master Banji
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