Knowing that death is inevitable, what is precious about today?
~~Roshi Joan Halifax
Roshi Joan is an American Zen Buddhist teacher who has worked with end-of-life care for decades. Her book, Living with Dying, is a remarkable spiritual resource for those who are caring for people who are dying, and for contemplating our own death.
Knowing the inevitability of death makes each moment of life more precious, more vulnerable, more poignant. How can we regard them all as precious, even the painful ones? This is a great spiritual challenge as we age with consciousness, with awareness not only of our mortality, but our ever-present, generative life-force.
What is precious about today, about right now, this moment? Simply acknowledging its precious nature makes each moment prized, meaningful. Is this moment filled with joy? Is it filled with sadness or pain? Is there love in this moment? Does it hold regret or anxiety? Is this moment filled with fear? Each of these states of being can be seen as precious for it is a discernible manifestation of our life force, our awakeness, our humanness.
Perhaps what is precious today is the scent of lavender as you strolled down the road. Or it might be a visit from a friend. Precious moments on your own, reading a wonderful book, might be the jewels in your day. You might treasure preparing your next meal, your next bubble bath or your next holiday. Moments spent in the non-judgemental contemplation of the past might bring understanding and a new view of events and relationships.
Can we see the moments filled with our aversions, the things we prefer not to look at, as precious also? Holding each moment as a gem, whether it be a diamond or a mud pie, is one of the many gifts of eldering, because we have acknowledged the inevitability of our death and the finite nature of our precious life. What is often called “the shadow”, those parts of ourselves we would prefer not to see, emerges into the sunlight when we are willing to hold our wholeness as precious. None of us can deny that we have caused pain to others over our many decades. Nor can we deny the pain we have suffered. Yet, somehow, regarding all as precious, lightens the burden of this sorrow.
Buddhists tell us that human life is rare, a gift of inestimable value. We have a rare opportunity, having lived so long, to honour this gift by living each day acknowledging its worth. By finding at least one precious thing or event each day can change how we view our lives, and each present moment.