Don't Waste Your Life
Posted on Apr 4th, 2006
by 
Maile
Maile
The recent 'spring ahead' of the clocks has recast my mornings in darkness, and I've been waking up feeling quite sloggy. I find that the best way to start mornings like this is to pick up one my books on Buddhism and read a few random paragraphs. It helps me get my mind moving again.
This morning, I picked Thich Nhat Hanh's Being Peace and opened to page 33 where he says this:
"On the wooden board outside of the meditation hall in Zen monasteries, there is a four-line inscription. The last line is, "Don't waste your life." Our lives are made of days and hours, and each hour is precious. Have we wasted our hours and our days? Are we wasting our lives? These are important questions. Practicing Buddhism is to be alive in each moment."
Reading this shifted my attention back to the present. My cloudy mind is here; that is what's happening now. But also now, I'm able to hear the cars passing on the cold rainy street while I am warm and dry inside. My body, though tired, is strong and healthy and sitting up in my chair. My fingers are hitting the keys, and I am communicating my thoughts (muddled as they feel) into my blog.
I sometimes worry I'm wasting my life if I'm not making enough money. I worry I'm wasting my life by not pursuing the career I think others expect of me. But maybe this is wrong. Maybe Thich Nhat Hanh is right.
If I am alive in the present moment, whatever I am doing, maybe that is enough.
This morning, I picked Thich Nhat Hanh's Being Peace and opened to page 33 where he says this:
"On the wooden board outside of the meditation hall in Zen monasteries, there is a four-line inscription. The last line is, "Don't waste your life." Our lives are made of days and hours, and each hour is precious. Have we wasted our hours and our days? Are we wasting our lives? These are important questions. Practicing Buddhism is to be alive in each moment."
Reading this shifted my attention back to the present. My cloudy mind is here; that is what's happening now. But also now, I'm able to hear the cars passing on the cold rainy street while I am warm and dry inside. My body, though tired, is strong and healthy and sitting up in my chair. My fingers are hitting the keys, and I am communicating my thoughts (muddled as they feel) into my blog.
I sometimes worry I'm wasting my life if I'm not making enough money. I worry I'm wasting my life by not pursuing the career I think others expect of me. But maybe this is wrong. Maybe Thich Nhat Hanh is right.
If I am alive in the present moment, whatever I am doing, maybe that is enough.
Access: Public
buddhism
June 2006 
Let me rephrase your last sentence:
“Whatever I Am doing, if I Am alive in the Present moment, that is enough.”
Wow, so Buddhistic of you. Well said.
:)
exactly!!!!