A Zen Story For Reflection

The Present Moment
A Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his Zen master came to him, "Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep.

Reflections on People's Comments

* "We have to take each day one at a time. Each moment in this life only comes once, so take advantage of it and live it fully."

* "We all have images and concepts of what tomorrow will bring - good or bad. But we never know for sure what will happen."

* "People tend to worry way too much about things that they can't control. If we can just let it go, we'd be at peace with ourselves."

* "We always want to plan for the future, but we often make ourselves miserable in the present while doing it."