Live In A Way That is Full of Life

Live in a way that is full of life... for yourself, for your loved ones, for your friends. People who do so will find the courage to transform sufferings into hopes. Not only that, but they will be able to light the lamp of hope in the hearts of many others, as well.
- Daisaku Ikeda

I read a book once called A Crack In Forever. Fabulous title which the book didn't quite live up to - or maybe it was just where I was at the time. Whatever it was, the title stayed with me for whatever reason. And I've been thinking a lot about it over the past few days. When someone you care about is standing close to that edge of forever, faith suddenly takes on a whole new meaning and importance.

Shakyamuni wanted to find a way to relieve all people of the sufferings of birth and death. So many of us - me included - say our faith has taught us to no longer fear death. In and of itself that is great but I got to wondering about how many of us actually learn to live in a way that is full of life - and if that isn't the true purpose of faith. I'm not talking about the organisation we might belong to, or the building we attend, or the 'ism we adhere to. I'm talking about living a life based on faith that life is in fact a wonderful thing and that must be lived in a way that is full of life, of faith, of meaning. It seems to me we waste a lot of time trying to define ourselves by our successes, which in turn are usually defined in terms of material gains or status in one way or another - but are we living in a way that shows others that it is not death that causes our suffering - it is not embracing our life that does.
I'm not sure if I'm explaining what I mean that well - all I know is that these past few days I've been thinking that when we die it all means nothing unless we lived every single minute for what it is. If it is a moment of fear, of anger, of joy, of courage - embracing it, accepting it, and appreciating our life for what it is - life. I think that might be where faith is really meant to lead us - because when we get to that place, death is nothing more than a moment to be embraced on the journey.