Sellars the gamemaster uttered something unnerving on the last stages of a deadly game that spans 24 hours, during which the participant more or less constantly on the run is being hunted — ‘Hours will pass. Midnight will come and go. His movement will lose purpose, and then cease for long stretches as exhaustion sets in… The irony is, when he’s just a few scant hours from freedom, after all he’s been through, he’ll be incapable of believing it’ll ever come to an end.’
In the truly ‘most dangerous game’ that is life itself, that spans the whole of this life, (which might be longer or shorter than expected), it is likewise so, that we are always trying to preserve our lives, to dodge death. Yet, as time trickles by, we inevitably age, sicken, weaken and tire, as death creeps up, getting ever nearer. Our ultimate transcendental sense of purpose might be shaken or even be lost for a while then.
This is like a paradoxical ‘last lap effect.’ Just when a long journey is coming to its most crucial final minutes, due to fatigue and impatience, doubt might seep in, as to whether the goal can be reached. Due to exasperation, the goal might even seem further than it seems. To break free from this illusion, drop attachment to all such perceptions and simply press on from moment to moment till the goal is reached.
When mindful of Buddha (念佛) on the deathbed for connecting to Āmítuófó (阿弥陀佛) to reach his Pure Land (净土), just pump up the most profound Faith (深信) and most sincere Aspiration (切愿) to ‘gather all six roots with pure mindfulness in continuous succession’ (都摄六根，净念相继). After all you have gone through, liberation is mere moments away. Trust that all pain and suffering will soon end.
