This is my last advice to you.
All things in the world are changeable.
They are not lasting.
Work hard to gain your own salvation.
Be a lamp unto yourself.
Be a refuge to yourself.
Take yourself to no external refuge.
The Buddha's Last Dying Words Hey friend,
Thanks for hitting play today.
My name is Anthony and today's message is about realizing that you have everything within you right now to be whole,
To be happy,
To be free,
And to evolve into the person that deep down you know you are capable of becoming.
This is the great call of spiritual growth.
The problem though is we often look outside ourselves.
We look to others.
We look to external circumstances.
We look for external solutions.
And there is no better insight of this truth,
Of this long-held truth,
That our salvation is right within our own being than in the words spoken by the Buddha on the night that he died.
Full disclosure though,
This message is not meant to be dogmatic or religious in any way.
And I am not a Buddhist or a historian on Buddhism.
But I do like to draw inspiration and wisdom from various traditions and teachings and see how it could be used practically in our modern life.
And these words from the Buddha are a doozy.
So,
As the story goes,
On the evening he died,
The Buddha knew that he was dying.
So,
He gathered with his monks and wanted to encourage them to continue practicing and embodying everything he shared with them long after he was gone.
And he delivered his final but one of his most powerful teachings for generations to come.
His words translated into modern English.
It may be that after I am gone,
That some of you will think,
Now we have no teacher.
But that is not how you should see it.
Let the path and the discipline that I have taught you be your teacher.
He furthered,
I was only able to point the way for you.
All individual things pass away.
Strive on with diligence.
Be a lamp unto yourself.
Be a refuge to yourself.
Take yourself to no external refuge.
What a powerful and beautiful teaching.
Essentially,
The Buddha was telling them that he himself and his teachings were not the source of their well-being,
Peace,
And wisdom.
Instead,
He was reminding them that in order to become fully free and to really become fully alive,
They needed to find what truth is for themselves and within themselves.
That awakening is not based on anyone or any teaching or any book of wisdom.
It's something that is in the hands of the Buddha.
It's something that is found and happens within.
Even though this message was delivered thousands of years ago,
The Buddha's message is more fitting than ever in today's world.
Let's face it,
We live in a rat race of constantly striving to get ahead and become better.
From our constant need for self-improvement,
To our chase for success,
To our hope that someone or something will make us whole and give us that feeling of freedom and happiness we so dearly crave.
Don't get me wrong,
Wanting to improve yourself and be a better person is admirable and wonderful.
Also,
This doesn't mean we shouldn't believe in something greater than ourselves,
Accept help from others,
Or let others inspire us.
We can only be so fortunate if someone can show us the way and help us on our path.
But I think in some regard,
The Buddha was simply telling the world,
He,
She,
Or it is not your guru.
I am not your guru.
Don't wait for a saviour.
You have to let go and be your own light.
In many ways,
This is the opposite mindset of the world we live in,
Where outside influences play a big part in everything we do.
In the digital age of social media,
There is no shortage of advice on how to get ahead and be a happier,
Healthier person.
On any given day,
Just scroll through your social media feed.
Who isn't telling you what you should be doing more of,
Or less of,
Or how to best optimize your life?
Wake up early,
Pray to God,
And do what you need to do.
Wake up early,
Pray to God,
Meditate,
Read a book every day,
Visualize your goals,
Go paleo or vegan,
Do intermittent fasting.
While it's all well-intended,
The advice is endless.
And I get it.
I'm on here,
On Inside Timer,
With the intention to hopefully help and maybe inspire someone.
And to get inspired by the many great teachers that are out there.
But sometimes,
We are so busy looking for answers outside ourselves,
That we forget to look within.
We neglect helping ourselves first.
And this is what the Buddha was telling us.
No matter how much wisdom we consume,
No matter how many coaching sessions we go on,
And no matter who or what we worship,
There will never be a teacher greater than life itself.
The experience of life itself,
And how you uniquely perceive reality,
Is the real treasure trove of wisdom.
That is,
If you choose to be awake for all of it.
This is what the Buddha was referring to when he said,
Strive on with diligence.
You have to derive your own meaning from things,
Come to your own conclusions,
And learn your own lessons.
You are here to wake up,
Each of us is here to wake up,
To find our own truth and blaze our own path.
All we need to do,
As the Buddha said,
Is be a lamp unto yourself.
Meaning,
You have the light.
You already possess the deepest and truest form of love and goodness to wake yourself up.
You don't need instructions,
Or a teacher,
Or saving.
You don't need to arrive anywhere,
Or change yourself.
The kingdom of heaven is already within you.
Your only job to keep walking yourself back home.
All we can ever really do during this lifetime is learn to love and trust ourselves,
Love and support others,
And respect the planet and all of creation.
What we are being called to do on the spiritual path is to remember,
Not to gain or accumulate,
But to remember the truth of who we really are,
And believe in our deepest and wisest nature of love.
With all that said,
Don't listen to me.
What do I know?
I'm just walking the path,
Trying to make sense of it all,
Like everyone else.
But I'm grateful that my lamp helps me see your lamp beside me,
And the light in me recognizes and honors the light in you.
Thanks for listening.
Strive on with diligence.
Much love.
