Priceless Breath
by Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche • Nepal and New York

Visualize the last moment of your life, as you exhale your final breath.

This will happen to all of us. While you vividly imagine your final moment, how could you allow yourself to breathe with anger or rage? How could you allow yourself to breathe with jealousy or pride? You could not breathe in such harmful ways! When others cause us harm, they deserve our compassion, since they, too, are spending their priceless breath every second. No matter how harmfully they appear to behave, they do not deserve our vengeance, and we should not waste our precious breath dwelling in negativity.

Regardless of the wealth and possessions we accumulate, at the time of death, we cannot take a single penny with us. At that moment, search the world over to see if you can buy just ten more breaths of life. We cannot plead with our friend, “I have a million dollars in my account — can you buy me ten more breaths?” The wealthiest man on earth cannot buy one more minute of life. Ask yourself, “What is my bank account worth to me now? How valuable is a moment of breath? How could I waste a single moment of this precious human life? How can I have the courage to live this life fully and meaningfully?”

One of my students recently spoke to me about his father’s death. He spent several days by his father’s bedside as his life slowly ebbed away. In stark contrast to his full and active life, his father was now unable to speak and painfully struggled with every breath. Heartbreaking as it was, the son felt that this was his father’s final gift to him. His father was teaching him about the brevity and uncertainty of life and urging him to live in the most meaningful way.

We may believe we are living our lives fully when we frequent a popular French bistro for a delectable meal or an exclusive boutique for chic clothing. We may even study Buddhist teachings with a famous Tibetan lama in an effort to live our lives fully. We are constantly attempting to find happiness. We all share this common experience; therefore, I have tremendous respect for everyone. We are journeying together, and this path is not an easy one. Until we discover the true nature of our being, we suffer. And we all suffer together.

When we glimpse our true nature, we recognize the preciousness of being. We keenly sense that the value of a single breath is beyond calculation. If we stop and examine it closely, we will recognize how valuable each and every breath is. We will find real satisfaction in this discovery and the passion to use our time well.

Breathing fully is living fully, and in the midst of a deep breath, life is full. So breathe joyfully and breathe completely. You will be content with everything just as it is, and see each moment as flawless and perfect. You will experience a childlike fascination with the world and have a love affair with every instant of your life.

Excerpted with permission by New World Library, from Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath ©2011.

His Eminence, Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche embodies the noble tradition of the great Buddhist masters who have dedicated their lives to compassionate activity for the benefit of others. Rinpoche’s first book, Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath is the fruition of his heartfelt aspiration to bring the liberating teachings of the Buddha to all who yearn for a more purposeful and fulfilling life. Shyalpa Rinpoche is a highly accomplished meditation master and learned scholar in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. For over two decades, His Eminence has given teachings, retreats, seminars, and empowerments around the world and has lectured at universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Naropa.