Spirituality & Philosophy

How To Start Where the Buddha Stopped

His last moment should be our every moment.

Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of happiness?

Me too.

Early this morning, I was mindlessly organizing some papers at my desk. My mood was, to be honest, a bit sour.

I had slept poorly and started the day without a plan (an unusual thing for me). Before I had even gotten out of bed, a recurring petty annoyance — something out of my control — was at the front of my mind, coloring my mood gray.

I was mindlessly tossing papers here and there when I came across an oversized green index card in the middle of the jumble of papers.

On this card was a quote in my handwriting. I recognized it as from the Buddha.

I don’t remember writing it down, and I don’t know when or why I saved it. But I’m sure it was a long time ago, given the faded green color of the card and the size of the pile of papers on my desk.

As it turns out, I had hidden away a gift to my future self, and the card reappeared just when I needed it.

“It may be that after I am gone that some of you will think, ‘now we have no teacher.’ But that is not how you should see it. Let the Dharma and the discipline that I have taught you be your teacher. All individual things pass away. Strive on, untiringly.” — The Buddha

I recalled that these were the Buddha’s final words to his disciples and to the world. I read and reread these final words a dozen times this morning, searching for — something.

I imagined myself among the monks who were with the Buddha at that moment.

I imagined the emotions of the group as the Buddha slipped into death. I felt the heat in the air, I saw all 500 monks huddled together, I heard the weeping and tasted the overwhelming sense of loss and bewilderment.

I tried to be there and wonder what those words would mean to me in that monumental last moment. And while I found some comfort in the words, I didn’t feel completely comfortable. Something was missing — something yet unfound — until I quit trying to understand.

I just stopped thinking and breathed.

Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out.

Then I listened with my heart to his final teaching again.

And then these words snapped me back into the only thing that really matters: this moment.

“It may be that after I am gone that some of you will think, now we have no teacher.’ But that is not how you should see it. Let the Dharma and the discipline that I have taught you be your teacher. All individual things pass away. Strive on, untiringly.” — The Buddha

I grabbed a pen, turned the card over, and spontaneously composed this short poem:

Have we not already inhaled The Buddha’s last breath?

Have we not seen, heard, tasted, and touched All that he saw, heard, tasted, and touched?

We begin this moment With his last moment Our every next breath A continuation of his final breath

In truth The Buddha never stopped breathing He was just waiting patiently — Holding his breath —

For all of us to begin Breathing with him — Living the Dharma and discipline On our own and together with him

When I finished, I found some tape, and I attached the card to the wall in front of my desk, with my newly composed poem facing me.

The Buddha’s dying words will still be there when I need them, not hidden, but underlying my spontaneous poem.

How will you “strive on” today?

Waking up on the wrong side of happiness is unnecessary. It’s silly. It’s a waste of precious time. And it’s completely avoidable.

I will try to follow the Buddha’s instructions. I will let go of petty annoyances, gray moods, and the gravity of the past.

I will commit to living intentionally, mindfully, in this moment, and the next, and the next. And when I fail, I will forgive myself and try again.

Will you join me in the Buddha’s final moment, and help to make it our every-moment?

Now, it’s time for me to make a plan for the day, breathe in, breathe out, be content in this moment, and to strive on, untiringly.