There seems to be this idea out there that "there's always tomorrow," but is this true? Is this helpful? If dealing with stress, and finding peace with the idea that you can't get everything done, then I can see how it might be helpful to remind yourself that the world won't come to an end if you don't finish everything today. But the idea that there's always tomorrow is delusional, in a couple different ways, and more often than not, serves as an obstacle between us and life. Just like painkillers, TV, and surfing the internet can act as a way to avoid life, this mentality too can leave us one step away from what we are looking for.
In one respect, the most obvious, we all have to die, and therefore, someday will have to be our last. On that day, saying "there's always tomorrow," not only won't help, but it won't be true. Since we usually never know when our time is up, and the end could come at any time, it makes much more sense to treat everyday as if it were our last, just in case it is. But, the threat of death seems to be of little importance for us, especially those of us from the west, and we go on living as though it's a non-issue. In a way, there is some wisdom here, especially if you see death as being final. If you see death as final, it's too dark and gloomy to take into consideration on a daily basis. If you believe that in some way, life goes on after death, the subject might be a bit more bearable, but the uncertainty leaves one to wonder, "What will happen to me? Where am I going to go?"
Unless you are a devout Christian, Muslim, or have strong faith in the answer to this question, you may have doubts about your "fate." For me, it's a lot of speculation and doesn't leave me with anything tangible to work with in this life. Rather, by focusing on what we can know in this life, through our powers of observation and the intellect, we can keep it simple, practical, and find ways to lead better lives. That is the blood and guts of spirituality, it's not about talking to angels or renouncing the world to live in a cave, it's about becoming a better person.
Now, there's no need to take this personally. Everyone has room for improvement, and our loved ones would undoubtedly like to see us more patient, more thoughtful, or less angry. If we can't find a better reason (not that there is one), can we at least undertake the intention to become a better person for the sake of our loved ones?
If we find this intention ourselves, rather than having it shoved down our throats, we don't even need to share it with everyone. We don't need to make any radical changes, quit our jobs and leave behind our families, we can just start working on ourselves quietly, for the sake of others, and we will find that life becomes better for us, too. That being said, don't think you need to limit yourself to this model, if you want to include talking to angels and living in a cave, by all means, go for it, just don't forget why you are doing it. If it's not to make yourself a better person, then why are you doing it?
In my own practice, I have found that this intention is not just something that needs to be set once and then forgotten about. It needs to be set and reset as often as possible. It needs to be cared for and nurtured and checked upon regularly, as if looking after a small child. Otherwise, the desires of the mind may take advantage of the opening and greed will take over.
Here are some examples of the voice of greed in regards to spiritual practice:
"I want more clarity so I can make more money, win friends, and influence people."
"Maybe, someday, I can be famous."
"If I keep practicing, I can live a life full of bliss and ecstasy."
Even with tangible reasons to practice self-improvement, despite their pitfalls, we may still have the delusion that tomorrow will always come, and spiritually, this leads to laziness. This type of practical work requires some self-reflection, to find our weaknesses, and that isn't always at the top of today's "To do list." If we keep this attitude that we can start tomorrow, we will never start. Besides that, but I want to say that tomorrow never comes, and with this understanding, we can find ways to enjoy our lives more fully, today.
Why do I say tomorrow never comes?
If you haven't noticed, everyday is today. The only day you can live in is this day, just like every changing moment is this moment. This moment, is this one, and then this one, and then this one. Every breath we breathe is in this moment, and this moment is all we'll ever have. If we don't capitalize on this understanding, the mind will remain stuck, drifting between past and future, and our lives will slip out of our fingertips. Sure, from our observation, we can say that tonight, the sun will set, and rise again tomorrow, but by that time comes, it will be today again. It will always be today.
I understand, this is a bit of a trick, but it's also a trick of the mind to think that there's always tomorrow. If we believe in this trick of the mind, we will be fooled, and that's not what we want. If we trick the mind, the mind will be fooled, and we can see clearly. If we have to choose between tricking our minds or being tricked by our minds, I think the choice is obvious. I don't want to make it sound like there needs to be a battle between the mind and us, but if the mind is winning, we are losing.
Knowing this, we need to be on our guards. We need to be watching out for the tricks of the mind, ready to counter-attack. We don't force anything, we don't resist, but instead, we open our eyes and make ourselves see what is really happening.
Are we putting off those personal changes, always saying we will get around to it tomorrow?
Are we delusional about thinking that we are guaranteed to be alive another day?
Are we just making excuses, and are those excuses causing those around us to suffer?
I would have to say that I am personally guilty of all three of these things. I go to sleep at night thinking that I will definitely wake up the next morning, but I remember being a kid and it wasn't so certain. I remember being more grateful when I woke up, when I had another chance to be alive. Why am I now so lulled by existence? Why am I now so delusional?
The truth is, it happens. We are all conditioned, and we tend to forget about the miracle of life, its uncertainty. And what can we do?
We can take a stand in our lives by agreeing that today is all we have, and that it's now or never.
May all beings find motivation to bring about changes in their lives by looking to the benefit of those around them.
May all beings understand that tomorrow will never come, and that when it comes to making changes, the time is always now.
May all beings see that life is fragile and not take it for granted, being thankful for each new day by determining that, "Today is the day that I will change my life."
In one respect, the most obvious, we all have to die, and therefore, someday will have to be our last. On that day, saying "there's always tomorrow," not only won't help, but it won't be true. Since we usually never know when our time is up, and the end could come at any time, it makes much more sense to treat everyday as if it were our last, just in case it is. But, the threat of death seems to be of little importance for us, especially those of us from the west, and we go on living as though it's a non-issue. In a way, there is some wisdom here, especially if you see death as being final. If you see death as final, it's too dark and gloomy to take into consideration on a daily basis. If you believe that in some way, life goes on after death, the subject might be a bit more bearable, but the uncertainty leaves one to wonder, "What will happen to me? Where am I going to go?"
Unless you are a devout Christian, Muslim, or have strong faith in the answer to this question, you may have doubts about your "fate." For me, it's a lot of speculation and doesn't leave me with anything tangible to work with in this life. Rather, by focusing on what we can know in this life, through our powers of observation and the intellect, we can keep it simple, practical, and find ways to lead better lives. That is the blood and guts of spirituality, it's not about talking to angels or renouncing the world to live in a cave, it's about becoming a better person.
Now, there's no need to take this personally. Everyone has room for improvement, and our loved ones would undoubtedly like to see us more patient, more thoughtful, or less angry. If we can't find a better reason (not that there is one), can we at least undertake the intention to become a better person for the sake of our loved ones?
If we find this intention ourselves, rather than having it shoved down our throats, we don't even need to share it with everyone. We don't need to make any radical changes, quit our jobs and leave behind our families, we can just start working on ourselves quietly, for the sake of others, and we will find that life becomes better for us, too. That being said, don't think you need to limit yourself to this model, if you want to include talking to angels and living in a cave, by all means, go for it, just don't forget why you are doing it. If it's not to make yourself a better person, then why are you doing it?
In my own practice, I have found that this intention is not just something that needs to be set once and then forgotten about. It needs to be set and reset as often as possible. It needs to be cared for and nurtured and checked upon regularly, as if looking after a small child. Otherwise, the desires of the mind may take advantage of the opening and greed will take over.
Here are some examples of the voice of greed in regards to spiritual practice:
"I want more clarity so I can make more money, win friends, and influence people."
"Maybe, someday, I can be famous."
"If I keep practicing, I can live a life full of bliss and ecstasy."
Even with tangible reasons to practice self-improvement, despite their pitfalls, we may still have the delusion that tomorrow will always come, and spiritually, this leads to laziness. This type of practical work requires some self-reflection, to find our weaknesses, and that isn't always at the top of today's "To do list." If we keep this attitude that we can start tomorrow, we will never start. Besides that, but I want to say that tomorrow never comes, and with this understanding, we can find ways to enjoy our lives more fully, today.
Why do I say tomorrow never comes?
If you haven't noticed, everyday is today. The only day you can live in is this day, just like every changing moment is this moment. This moment, is this one, and then this one, and then this one. Every breath we breathe is in this moment, and this moment is all we'll ever have. If we don't capitalize on this understanding, the mind will remain stuck, drifting between past and future, and our lives will slip out of our fingertips. Sure, from our observation, we can say that tonight, the sun will set, and rise again tomorrow, but by that time comes, it will be today again. It will always be today.
I understand, this is a bit of a trick, but it's also a trick of the mind to think that there's always tomorrow. If we believe in this trick of the mind, we will be fooled, and that's not what we want. If we trick the mind, the mind will be fooled, and we can see clearly. If we have to choose between tricking our minds or being tricked by our minds, I think the choice is obvious. I don't want to make it sound like there needs to be a battle between the mind and us, but if the mind is winning, we are losing.
Knowing this, we need to be on our guards. We need to be watching out for the tricks of the mind, ready to counter-attack. We don't force anything, we don't resist, but instead, we open our eyes and make ourselves see what is really happening.
Are we putting off those personal changes, always saying we will get around to it tomorrow?
Are we delusional about thinking that we are guaranteed to be alive another day?
Are we just making excuses, and are those excuses causing those around us to suffer?
I would have to say that I am personally guilty of all three of these things. I go to sleep at night thinking that I will definitely wake up the next morning, but I remember being a kid and it wasn't so certain. I remember being more grateful when I woke up, when I had another chance to be alive. Why am I now so lulled by existence? Why am I now so delusional?
The truth is, it happens. We are all conditioned, and we tend to forget about the miracle of life, its uncertainty. And what can we do?
We can take a stand in our lives by agreeing that today is all we have, and that it's now or never.
May all beings find motivation to bring about changes in their lives by looking to the benefit of those around them.
May all beings understand that tomorrow will never come, and that when it comes to making changes, the time is always now.
May all beings see that life is fragile and not take it for granted, being thankful for each new day by determining that, "Today is the day that I will change my life."
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