Teaching in Virginia Beach in 2018, Ven. Thay Thanh said “There are three things we can’t get back: time, age, the passing of our body. Enjoy each moment. When these things pass, you can’t get them back.”
This teaching is a simple reminder for us to focus on the moment. We can’t go back in time to change a thing nor can we assure what a future moment may hold for us. We can only live in and appreciate, or not appreciate, the present. Does the present moment influence the next one? What does the practice teach us about learning from our experiences and letting go?
(Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh is the Dharma Master at Dong Hung Temple. These quotations were collected from 2015 through 2018 as he taught in Virginia Beach, VA and Southern Shores, NC. The quotation titles and commentary are by temple member Mark Palamara.)