When a life has been lived well and rightly, the final days will be peaceful and happy, one’s mind is not grieved or alarmed by the thought of death. The way to live such a fruitful life is through reliance on the Dharma which helps one to cast aside whatever is worthless through engaging in spiritual activities. Only man has the opportunity and ability to practise and develop such activities while animals and birds live solely for the purpose of keeping themselves alive with sufficient food and rest, tasting a bit of joy and grief and then dying.

Throughout life, evil intentions and actions must be discarded otherwise peace of mind cannot be experienced. To do this, one must seriously look inward and discover all the faults with the view of eliminating them. Do not try to change the world, it is easier to change oneself! Self-blame is a better practice than self-cherishing. The world will be a happier place to live in once the habit of blaming others for one’s unhappiness is curbed, once one is able to ignore praise and blame and the other worldly concerns. To know whether one’s spiritual roots are firm or not, look at the mind at the end of each day, whether it is peaceful or aggravated. Aim for a blissful mind!

Monday, 5th December 1988 (10th Moon 27th Day)