Living Our Best Life

We should live our life doing what we feel is the best thing to do. The main focus of each day’s activities should be that which we see to be the most worthy and meaningful activity.

Living like this, even when we come to our final day of this life, we will not feel the need to do anything new or different and we will die without regret.

My retreat master was a good example of this. He felt that the most important activity to dedicate his time to was the practice of the dharma. So every day, from very early in the morning until very late at night, he practised. Everything else – food, clothing, conversation, etc. – was secondary.

On the day of his passing, he woke up at the normal time, and got on with his practice. There was only one difference, usually he’d turn quite a large prayer wheel, but on this day he didn’t have the strength to hold it upright.

I was living with him at the time. He said, “I can’t turn the prayer wheel today,” and gestured for me to take it from him. He then carried on with his practice as normal until he passed away a few hours later.

May 2023, Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal