A Tibetan legend illustrates this concept very clearly. The story goes that a hunter was pursuing a deer across the frozen peaks of the Himalayas when he came upon an enormous mountain split in two, allowing him to see what was on the other side.
Besides the opening in the mountain, an old man with a long beard beckoned to the startled hunter to come closer and see.
The hunter obeyed and peered into the vertical crack that was just wide enough for one man to pass through. What he saw left him breathless.
On the other side of the opening was a fertile garden, bathed in sunlight and seeming to go on forever. Children played happily among trees laden with fruit, and animals frolicked freely in a world filled with beauty, serenity, and abundance.
“Do you like what you see?” the old man asked when he saw the hunter’s amazement.
“Of course I like it…this must be paradise!”
“Indeed, it is, and you have found it. Why don’t you come in? Here, you can live happily ever after.”
Overflowing with joy, the hunter answered, “I will, but first I want to go find my brothers and friends. I’ll come back with them soon.”
“As you wish. But remember, the gates of Shambhala open only in a lifetime,” the old man warned him, frowning slightly.
“I won’t be long,” said the hunter, before running off.
Excited by what he’d just seen, he retraced the path he had taken, crossing valleys, rivers, and hills until he reached his village, where he told his two brothers and three childhood friends of his discovery.
The group set out at a brisk pace, guided by the hunter, and before the sun dipped below the horizon, they managed to reach the high mountain that gave access to Shambhala.
But the mountain pass had closed, never to open again. The man who had discovered that miraculous world would keep hunting for the rest of his life.
If you don’t seize the moment, it will be lost forever. As the well known saying goes, you only live once. This is something we all know as human beings but easily forget when we allow ourselves to get caught up in our everyday worries and obligations.
There is a monastery in Spain where it is said that whenever the monks run into each other in the passageway, they say to each other, “Brother, remember that one day you’re going to die.” This custom places them in a permanent now, which, far from causing them sadness or worry, inspires them to enjoy every moment of their lives.
The Japanese concept of “Ichigo ichie” is a clear invitation to “now or never”, since though we may manage to live many years, every meeting has a unique essence and will never be repeated.
In these testing times, where we are isolated, have to work from home let us seize the moment before it is lost forever…
Excerpt from ICHIGO ICHIE by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles