Human Life is a Difficult Equation – The Secret to Living Wholeheartedly to Escape Samsara

**Summary:** Each human life is a difficult equation. How do we solve it correctly to avoid falling into the realm of hungry ghosts? Let us listen to the Buddha's teachings to live meaningfully.

Have you ever wondered: Why were you born into this family? Why do you experience joy and sorrow, gain and loss? Is it that each of us stands before an equation that we ourselves must solve? This equation is called "human life."

**Each Human Life is a Difficult Equation**

Thay Thích Chân Quang begins the dharma talk with a vivid story: A father, on his deathbed, calls his son and reveals all the family secrets – there are three pots of gold buried under the bed, two other houses, five wives, ten children, and an enormous debt to the underworld. The son is left with a tangled mess, unsure how to proceed.

Our lives are much the same. When we are reborn, we carry with us the karma, the sins, and the merit from past lives. Some are born into wealth, others into poverty; some are healthy, others have disabilities. These are the "equations" we must face and solve.

"Each of us, upon being born into this life, stands before an equation that must be solved. A human life is a difficult equation, and we do not know how to live correctly."

**Three Ways to Solve Life's Equation**

The Venerable points out three ways to handle life's equation. The first is to "rob" – to flee, refusing responsibility. The second is to "face it" – to accept difficulties and solve them one by one, even if it takes a whole lifetime. The third is to "become a monk" – to let go of everything, but not everyone has the conditions or the resolve for this.

Most of us choose the second path: to live with life, to face our karmic debts – to repay, to borrow, to sow, to reap. But are we doing it correctly? No one can guide us step by step. We stumble, fall, and sometimes make mistakes.

"We do not know if we are repaying debts or creating new karma. We do not know if the person inviting us to do business brings blessings or misfortune. All is unclear."

**The Score of Life**

If we solve everything correctly, we get ten points. A person with ten points will ascend to the heavenly realms upon death, and may even attain sainthood. But who achieves a perfect score? We make mistakes every day: a careless word, a thought of anger, a hasty decision. Each mistake is a point deducted.

But do not be discouraged. The Venerable reminds us: from now until the end of our lives, we still have the chance to correct our mistakes. What is important is to be diligent, applying the Buddha's teachings to every thought, word, and action.

"Especially for those who are already older, you cannot afford a single mistake, even in a minor thought. For the younger people, you are fortunate to know the teachings. Dedicate the rest of your life to living correctly."

**Over Ninety Percent of the Deceased Become Hungry Ghosts**

A fact few realize: after death, over ninety percent of beings fall into the realm of hungry ghosts – the realm of spirits suffering from hunger and thirst. Why? Because while alive, we are accustomed to eating three meals a day, but after death, not everyone has someone to offer food. In many countries, people only bring flowers to visit graves, while the Vietnamese have the custom of offering food to the deceased – a beautiful humanistic tradition.

These hungry spirits must beg for food, shake beds, bang on doors, and even cause disturbances, hoping for a bowl of rice. They are not terrifying demons, but merely souls in desperate straits because of hunger.

"A hungry ghost is a being from the spirit realm who is starving. If you are fed once a year, are you full or still hungry? Starving to death. That is why we speak of samsara."

**How to Avoid Falling into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts?**

Starting right now, practice the virtues of generosity, making offerings, and helping those in poverty. While you are alive, cultivate the habit of giving and sharing. Do not wait until death to feel regret. Most importantly, go to the temple, listen to the dharma, and practice diligently. Thanks to this merit, upon death, you will be reborn in a good realm, free from hunger and thirst.

The Venerable also reminds us: "Dying in Vietnam is more fortunate than dying in America" because the Vietnamese have the custom of offering food to the departed. But that is only temporary relief. The best way is to create your own merit while you are still alive.

**Live with True Meaning**

This life is just a brief stop. We come here to learn our lessons, to repay our debts, to plant good conditions. Do not live wastefully; do not let small mistakes ruin an entire human life. Start from today: a good thought, a kind word, a virtuous deed. This is how we can solve life's equation completely.

"From the moment you understand the Buddha's teachings, if you are determined and diligent in applying the truth in your every thought, you will begin to make fewer mistakes, becoming more correct step by step on your path."

Live so that when you close your eyes for the last time, you can smile because you have completed your equation. And if you can, place a fresh flower on the path of life – so that those who follow may also enjoy the fragrance from your good deeds.