Only if you are a Star Trek fan will you know that this is a Klingon quote.
But it seems to me there may have been some Buddhist influence in whoever wrote this line for the TV show.
I’m sure most of you are familiar with an infamous celebrity who recently made full use of the term “Winning!”.
I think many of us grow up thinking about winning and not losing. That old saying “he who dies with thew most toys wins” really encapsulates this type of thinking.
But I have come to learn that life is not at all about winning or losing, it is about the experience.
I no longer am able to even think in terms of winning and losing. It doesn’t make any sense to me. What do I win? What will I lose? How does one determine which is which?
Seems to me, that this type of thinking is only a cause for great suffering.
Bhante Sujatha always reminds me that there is no struggling in Buddhism. I have come to see this is true.
Acceptance and mindfulness eliminate the concept of victory and defeat. And cultivation is the vehicle by which we may all share this with one another.
Perhaps if we could see clearly that birth is not the beginning, then we would see that death is not the end.
What did you gain when you were born? What will you lose when you die?
I will let you contemplate those questions and see what you discover. Hopefully before you die.
The point I am trying to share, is to finally be free. Free to completely and openly be present in this moment. With nothing to gain and nothing to lose. Think about this for a moment, and let all of that weight merely lift off of you.
My prayer is that you may experience this, if only for a moment. This is your window to what is available to you always with proper practice and determination.
May you be well, happy and peaceful.
