As true Buddhists, we need to remind ourselves that we are here as a guest and our precious body is a guest house. It’s not a matter of if, but when we are going to depart for our next destination. As Buddha rightly said, “We prepare and plan to do so many things in our lives, however, we fail to plan for our next unknown journey which is in fact the most important part of the planning.” Rebirth, old age, sickness, and death are all part of our lives, and we should realise that from the moment we are born, we are already moving nearer to death, and nobody can undo this process because this is the reality of our lives. Buddhist doctrine teaches us how to go along with the nature of things, and by doing so we will not feel so much pain. For instance, when we buy a new piece of clothing, we don’t get worried about the fact that over time it may get torn, old, and eventually thrown into the garbage, because this is how everything happens. Thus, it is very important to remind ourselves that we are simply a guest visiting for a short stay for the purpose of being happy and sharing happiness with others. If we are wise then we will try to make good use of our opportunities while we can, because if we miss a moment, then it may be difficult to get another opportunity.

-- Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche