the better way to live alone

"do not pursue the past.
do not lose yourself in the future.
[do not be swept away by the present].
the past no longer is.
the future has not come.
looking deeply at life as it is
in the very here and now,
the practitioner dwells
in stability and freedom.
We must be diligent today.
to wait till tomorrow is too late.
death comes unexpectedly
how can we bargain with it?
the sage calls a person who
dwells in mindfulness
night and day
'the one who knows
the better way to live alone'" - Buddha

"to live alone means to live in mindfulness.

if we practice "the better way to live alone", our presence will make a real contribution to the community, and vice versa.

when we are lost in thoughts about the past, we lose the present.
life exists only in the present moment.
to lose the present is to lose life.

the present contains the past" - Thich Nhat Hanh


anushaya - latent tendency


"when we hear that the forests of our planet are diseased and dying so rapidly, we may feel anxious. we are concerned for the future, because we are aware of what is happening in the present moment. Our awareness can motivate us to do something to halt the destruction of our environment. Obviously, our concern for the future is different from worry and anxiety which only drain us. we have to know how to enjoy the presence of beautiful, healthy trees in order to be able to do something to protect and preserve them".