CHOOSE WHAT YOU DO WITH THE LIMITED TIME YOU HAVE IN THIS WORLD

We are born into this world with a limited number of breaths. When our numbered breaths are up, our soul leaves the body at the time of death. What we do with those breaths is up to us. We can choose to spend them wisely or foolishly.

In this regard, there is a story about a poor man who was given a sandalwood forest by a rich man for whom he did a favour. The poor man did not realise the value of the sandalwood and began chopping it up for ordinary lumber to build houses and sell for firewood. After many years, the rich man returned to see how the poor man was doing, expecting that he would now be rich from the sale of the expensive sandalwood. He was shocked to find the forest depleted and the poor man still barely making ends meet. Not having realised the high value he could have got for the sandalwood, he had squandered his treasure away. Likewise, we have been given the gift of a number of breaths to benefit ourselves, our family, and all creation.

Are we using our breaths for something that will be truly helpful? Every person has the choice of working towards goals of a worldly nature or those of a spiritual nature. If we do the latter, we will amass the spiritual rewards of eternal love, bliss and peace.

In this way, the sandalwood forest we have been given by God can be invested to bring more good for ourselves and others.