Words of Wisdom to Live to 100 Years and Beyond
Life might not have been fair to you with happenings that might have been beyond your control. No matter what, life is not meant to be a punishment for you. If you just don’t die, you will have the wisdom to live it through.
“Life begets death; one is
inseparable from the other.
One is form; the other is formless.
Each gives way to the other.
One third of people focus on life, ignoring death.
One third of people focus on death, ignoring life.
One third of people think of neither, just
drifting along.
They all suffer in the end.
Trusting the Creator, we have no illusion about life
and death.
Holding nothing back from life, we are ready for
death,
just as a man ready for sleep after a good day’s
work.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 50)
“Abiding in the Creator, we do not fear death.
Following the conditioned mind, we fear everything.
Fear is a futile attempt to control things and
people.
Death is a natural destination of the Way.
Unnatural fear of death does more harm than good.
It is like trying to use
intricate tools of a master craftsman:
we end up hurting ourselves.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 74)
If you just don’t die, the wisdom in living the rest of your life is no more than . . .
Just like eating a meal
Living the rest of your
life is just like eating a meal.
Before your start your
meal, say your grace. (Just like being grateful and thankful that you just
don’t die and that you can still have this meal.)
Before you pick up your
food, take a minute or two to still your mind. There is no need to hurry;
you’ve all the time in the world to finish this meal. (Just like being
conscious of living in the now.)
There is no right or wrong
about eating the food in front of you—eating is just a process, a way of living
and surviving, just like breathing in and out. (Just like knowing that now you
don't need to eat to socialize, to relieve stress,
to satisfy your food cravings, or to make yourself feel better—you eat
simply because you just don’t die.)
Look at the food in front
of you. Notice the color, the smell, and the texture of the food. (Just like
being conscious of the people and the happenings around you.)
Now, begin
eating. No matter how small the bite of food you have, take at least two bites.
Take your first bite. Chew it very slowly but thoroughly,
noticing and enjoying your actual sensory experience of chewing and tasting.
Chew every morsel of food to explore the differences in their taste, texture,
and smell. (Just like enjoying whatever that is still available to you that you
still find enjoyable.)
Continue to
eat in silence without any distraction. (Just like you continue to live without
being distracted by what might happen tomorrow.)
Just like watching a suspense movie
Living in the last days is also like watching a suspense movie, full of unpredictable twists and turns: you don’t know how it would end until the very end; otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth watching. Don’t turn your head away, and don’t cover your eyes with your hands. Just watch and enjoy the movie!
No comments:
Post a Comment