08:18

How Can I Make My Life Worthwhile?

by Ven.Pomnyun Sunim

Type
talks
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Beginners
Plays
30

[With English interpretation] Ven. Pomnyun Sunim's Answer to “How can I make my life worthwhile?” A question chosen from the weekly Sunday meditation with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim. Peace of mind is only one step away. Join Sunday Meditation and Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.

LifePeace Of MindMeditationGoalsAcceptanceImpermanenceProcess Over OutcomeDharma TalksLife ReflectionsProcessesGoal PursuitWorthwhile

Transcript

I spent much of my youth distracted by pursuing different goals such as education,

Career,

Relationships and wealth.

Now that my youth is over and these issues have mostly been settled,

I am no longer distracted by their pursuits.

I have turned my attention to other questions.

Has my life been worthwhile?

Is this all life has to offer?

What is the most important thing I should do to make my life worthwhile?

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

I have been trying to find a way to make my life worthwhile.

When we are young,

We tend to expend all our energy pursuing goals and dreams that we desire.

When we are young,

We tend to expend all our energy pursuing goals and dreams that we desire.

And we are happy or unhappy depending on how our goals can be achieved or not.

And we are happy or unhappy depending on how our goals can be achieved or not.

But as you get older and look back,

It's not that important whether you achieved a goal or not.

It's not that important whether you achieved a goal or not.

For example,

When I was in high school,

I had a monthly exam.

I had a monthly exam.

I got 100 or 70 points for my math exam.

I got 100 or 70 points for my math exam.

The difference was so painful that I almost died.

The difference was so painful that I almost died.

But looking back,

Whether I got 70 or 100 points,

For example,

Going through high school,

At one point,

The final exam in math,

Whether I got 100 as a score or 70,

It seemed like a huge deal at that time.

But looking back,

It's really not a big deal.

It's very trivial.

And while in elementary school,

You play with marble balls.

And whether you win or not,

It seems like all of life is actually hanging in that balance.

But looking back,

It's also very trivial.

So just as you look back to those trivial points,

So just as you look back to those trivial points,

You can see that there is a huge difference between the marbles and the scores of your childhood.

You can see that there is a huge difference between the marbles and the scores of your childhood.

You can see that there is a huge difference between the marbles and the scores of your childhood.

So just as you look back to those trivial pursuits when you were a little boy and find them trivial,

Not important,

Can you do the same at your deathbed,

Looking back at the dreams that you have today and find them just as kind of trivial,

Not as important?

So it's not really that important whether you achieve a certain goal,

Or achieve a certain result.

The important thing is really focus on the process to get you there.

So in a way,

Life can be defined but not where you end up as a deathbed person.

So in a way,

Life can be defined but not where you end up as a destination,

But it's how much effort you put into the process of living.

Whether you want to pursue some goal and achieving that goal,

Or whether you look back on something you did bad in the past and you repent,

The significance is pretty much the same.

So I believe regardless of the destination of the goal,

The important thing is for you to not to be impatient,

Not to be tense,

But really be consistent and constant in your pursuit of your goal.

And the effort you put forth to get to wherever you want to go.

When we dream,

Whether this is a nightmare or a good dream,

It makes a huge difference while you are in the dream.

But once you're awake,

It doesn't really matter what the nature of the dream was.

The important thing is that it wasn't real.

It was just a dream.

So the important thing is whether it's not to pursue,

Try to pursue a good dream versus a bad dream while you're actually dreaming.

It's when you open your eyes and realize that it was just a dream,

That it wasn't real,

It was just an illusion that you created.

So the question,

Addressing the question itself,

It's not something that you should spend a lot of time on.

It's an easy answer.

Basically,

You're saying to yourself,

Oh,

That was just a dream,

And just let that go.

Meet your Teacher

Ven.Pomnyun SunimSeoul, South Korea

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© 2026 Ven.Pomnyun Sunim. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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