Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Measure of a Life

Did I love well?

Did I live fully?

Did I learn to let go?

- Jack Kornfield

I've recently been delving back into 'A Path with Heart' by Jack Kornfield after many years, and once again came across this lovely aphorism. He relates how when one is lying on your deathbed you are unlikely to be thinking 'did I stay late enough at work that night', or 'did I earn enough' .. but much more likely these three questions in the quotation.

Many, many times I've reflected on this, and come back to this fundamental point about life. It says so much about what we put our energy into, and whether that's really what we want our life to be about.

And much like Buddha's
"Cease to do evil,

do good,

purify the heart"

this most pithy aphorism contains so much in the way of guidelines to practice, encompassing the whole path.

Well, did I? Do I? Will I?

What a beautiful thing this journey is, bitter or sweet it appears to be .....

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