What really matters in this life? When you get to the end of yours, what will you say you wish you had done more of? Had more of?
The answer to this question is different for each of us. Many people go through their whole lives never thinking about it. We are scared of death and so we avoid thinking about our lives ending until in some cases it’s too late.
Sometimes I’m accused of being pessimistic because I ask this question of myself and those that I care about. I don’t see it as pessimistic. I see it as realistic. Tomorrow is not guaranteed and at some point we will die. There is no alternative. No one gets out alive. As David Wong says in John Dies at the End, “You're gonna die, Arnie. Someday you will face that moment. And at that moment you will face either complete nonexistence, or you will face something even stranger. On an actual day in the future, Arnie, you will be in the unimaginable. It is physically impossible to avoid it.” Some of us will have experiences that bring this fact crashing through the walls of our reality like a deranged Kool-Aid man and we’ll have no choice. But why should we wait for something like that to happen. If it’s that certain, then it only makes sense to on some level consider it. I’m not saying we should dwell on our inevitable fate, but some thought is worth it.
Our society has an answer all ready for us to the question of what is important. Money. Power. Fame. Stuff. The Capitalistic way of life is built firmly on the foundation of insatiable need for stuff. We need better cars, bigger houses, more money. We believe having these things will make our lives more comfortable; more secure. We think we can shield ourselves from the harsher side of life. And maybe on some level we can. But all the money, power, and fame in the World does not guarantee that we won’t get hit by a bus tomorrow or live beyond the end of this year. So how much does that new car really matter? How much of your precious time on this Earth are you going to devote to having more than you really need?
Now before I or anyone else starts to get the wrong impression about what I’m saying here, I am not advocating that we all quit our jobs. Remember, that the Buddha preached the Middle Way between extremes. Have money, but don’t be greedy. Have stuff, but not too much. Above all, really consider what matters to you and make time for it.
For me, I find that I want to spend more time with my family, more time with my teacher, and more time on my practice. Does another hour of video games really matter? Probably not. Am I still going to play them? Yes, but not to the detriment of everything else. And keeping my priorities straight is an ongoing task. Just like a ship, I can set my course in the direction I want, but I still need to check in from time to time and make sure the bow is pointed in the right direction. Are you charting the course you really want or letting outside forces blow you around?
Gassho,
Daishin
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