Every Moment Is Precious

Set a Spell

“You see this goblet?” asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”

— Mark Epstein, Thoughts Without a Thinker

This was a story told by Mark Epstein in the PBS documentary, The Buddha. Though I’ve heard other sayings and sentiments that echo the message here, this gave me one of those wonderful “awake” moments. Since hearing this story, I’m still finding that I have a deeper moment to moment appreciation for everything in my own life.

All things do change, nothing is permanent, that is truth. What better thing to do than to savor and appreciate who and what is in your life this moment while knowing it’s already broken, already gone?

Now, if you find these thoughts distressing, you aren’t in appreciation for what’s in your life; you’ve moved into thinking about how you might feel in the absence of these things. This is truly a waste of the time you have with the people and things that you love. Take the time to truly feel appreciation, and perhaps you’ll find you’re able to release things from your life, when it’s time, with grace and appreciation that you had them in your life. As the wonderful and wise Dr. Seuss says:

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. — Dr. Seuss

Every moment is precious.

Echoes