Its now or never

Yes, this is the title of a song by Elvis Presley, The King. But, I am not talking about love and romance. I would like to talk about life.

Yesterday, I heard a talk about " Inner Journey" by Maharaji and he emphasized the importance of  NOW.  For every second, there is a feeling and the feeling is a recipe of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. The varying combination of these factors will influenced the feelings. A varying sound,  a different degree of hot and cold, sweet and salty, changing colors ,etc  will cumulate into a feeling.  So, if we can control the recipe, we control the outcome which is the feeling.

Last week, my BIL James came back from Bangkok and he looks better after the chemo treatment. It was a welcoming sight and he will be back for  a longer stay , the next time around. On Sunday, we had a family dinner. On the next table, there was another family having dinner and two older folks on that table came into the restaurant using a wheel chair each and the lady was hook onto a oxygen tube. They look fragile and old but they were enjoying their dinner as usual.  I believe these two old folk must be  strong minded and wise people who have learned to live for the moment instead of waiting for an end to their life.  Like what Ajahn Brahm have said " we can be sick in the body but we need not be sick in the mind too".  These are two different  things and we should be able to understand this logic and not to link them together.

Looking at the fragility of our life, we should not look too far and lost sight of the present. Planning for the future is good but living for the day is more important. Whatever, we plan for the future is only a dream and what we have is only now.

Yes, I am getting sentimental and soft as age is catching up. I have to search for solace in the Dharma and wisdom of the Dharma.  Death is not scary if we know where we are going. If we do not have this belief , then ignorance is a bliss.

Namaste.