Affinity of life

Today I heard a long phrase in Mandarin about ones affinity with another human being which moved me to tears. To get me to shed some tears with just simply words, it has to be really something and so to share I will attempt to reconstruct it in English to the best of my ability and bring forth the meaning in its full entirety. Hopefully, its impact will not be lost in translation and I can do it justice. Here goes.

There was once a lotus born in a pond which faced the Buddha teaching the truth of life to his disciples. Everyday, it was exposed to lessons after lessons and in one great sermon, it learnt about the affinity of ones life. In that teaching the Buddha said : ‘ do what is to be done, go where one is meant to go, meet one that is meant to meet and connect with who you have affinity with.’ To earn that one life time’s chance to meet with a stranger face to face, you would have had 500 times of glance back of that someone’s back as you both walk in separate direction. It is always just seeing the back of the person but never to meet. To wait a further 500 years to exchange one life time’s chance to meet face to face. Therefore, to achieve the opportunity for two to be in wedded union as one, it is a seemingly endless anticipation of wait.

So to all that are married, cherish all the time you have left to enjoy each other’s company, share in each other’s dreams and live every single moment together knowing that once this life time is over, your chance to be together again maybe another few thousand years or never again. You earned the right, you earned the chance. Least you may forget. It wasn’t just the meeting of someone that turned out well. It was the work and effort put in thousands of years back for a chance of affinity with one another.

I guess this post is more to remind all in a union to remember the meaning of affinity. Or maybe truly understand it for the very first time. Tell your significant other how much you cherish and love him or her because once the clock stops, no amount of money earned or recognition gained in society will ever present or buy you back this life time’s chance to say it again. Maybe not for another few thousand years of glance backs.