Mitch Albom Bash ’07 Speech
I wanted to share this message I recieved VIA facebook. How kind of Sandy. I appreciate it very much and I want to share with everyone.
Thank you so much Sandy.
Tsem Rinpoche
Received from Facebook: Sandy Clarke June 6 at 7:02am
Dear Rinpoche,
After watching Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture” from a link provided on your page, I thought you might find the attached video similarly inspiring.
The 25-minute speech, given by Mitch Albom, recounts the true story of his old professor Morrie Schwartz’s battle with ALS, and his unwavering resolve to use his terminal illness as a teaching experience for those around him.
He tells of the importance of compassion, our inter-connectedness, the poignancy of ‘now’, and the necessity of realising that giving is infinitely more important than taking.
Morrie was an extraordinary yet ordinary man. I first read the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” years ago and found it to be so inspirational. I think it was the first book that made me cry, purely because afterwards I realised that what he taught was so blatantly true, and yet many of us spend much of our lives really only giving to ourselves instead of others.
I hope you can watch the video and enjoy its content, and may I take this opportunity to thank you again for all you have given me. You are an exceptional teacher and, may I say, a wonderful comedian at times! I hope one day to be fortunate enough to be able to meet you and thank you in person.
Kindest regards, Rinpoche.
Your student,
Sandy
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/v20494734XwWdm4FX.mp4
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this video with us. It is truly inspiring to see someone battle with a terminal illness and be able to realise the important aspects of life.
However, why do people tend to only realise the true nature of life or what’s important to them when they have terminal illness or near death experiences? Sometimes, it’s abit late for them because they had been living their life with the old way for quite some time and now their time is running out. If they had meet with dharma earlier and comtemplated on this previous human rebirth, I’m sure they will get similar realisation. I am fortunate to be able to meet with dharma.
Humbly,
Chris
Hi Chris, thank you for your comment! When you have the time, you should read “Tuesdays with Morrie”. It is an excellent book, as an inspirational piece of writing, as just good literature or just an interesting read. What I liked about it was how it encompassed many Dharmic principles without using religious jargon.
You’re totally right though in wondering why people only realise the true nature of life when they have a terminal illness. At that point it’s way too late for them to do anything much and most people end their life full of regrets.
The funny thing is that death was always inevitable. Life itself is a terminal illness; you start dying the second you are born. It’s just that when they discovered they have a fatal disease, suddenly the timing of death became more tangible in their minds. Then they realise what’s really important in life and pay attention to those things…but they only have a short time to appreciate those important things.
Hence if we meditate on death every day, we will realise what is important much sooner and therefore have more time to appreciate them.
Uninformed people think meditating on death is morbid and disgusting but in reality, it is the best thing we can do for ourselves if we truly want to enjoy every moment of our life appreciating what is important to us and makes us happy.
Thank you!
I am half way reading the book “Tuesdays with Morrie”, and I must say that Morrie was portrayed as a strong, kind-hearted and patient elderly man. He accepted his fate very early on into his illness.
I wouldn’t know how to empathise with Morrie, or with whomever has a terminally ill disease, but I guess that when you are diagnosed with one – you can either get depressed, or make the best of your final years.
It’s inspiring to others that Morrie used the remaining months of his life dedicated towards teaching others what life is really about. What’s sad was that it’s just about valuing the people around you, but nothing to do with anything higher. How to get a stable rebirth, where you will go in your next life.
After Morrie teaches people how to live their life, then what – he dies, and is reborn again as a child, will go through life and death, all over again.
Thank you so much Rinpoche for sharing this precious video, teaching about life lessons and giving our time, our energies, our effort and sharing everything we have for the benefits of others. i wish i can remind myself to watch this video again and again so that i can share this teaching precisely to everyone i will meet in my life. i am truly fortunate to have met with Rinpoche in this life.
This is truly a very touching video that brings us with so much wisdom within a short time of 35 minutes.
So much time we live as if there are still many tomorrows, but yet, not many people know that death can come anytime. We seek to satisfy our own needs, and ignore and harm others in the process. This is so true in a competitive environment – we need to grab as much as possible before everything is gone. This selfish thought makes people senseless and self-centred.
When one has a lot, he/she tends to lose sight of what is important and meaningful. When all these superficial materials are stripped off, we are dropped from the sky and while experiencing the pains, we start to see that simple things can bring us happiness. We will start to see what we have done wrong in the past and be wiser in our doings in the future.
We all will die, it is about making the best of the time that we have now. Taking away the religion factor and whether or not one believes in karma and reincarnation, if most people can be kinder to people, this will be a better world.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this video here. You have arose my interests in getting the book on ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’.
This video is very touching, it reminds us to always be compassionate and altruistic.
1. It is the positive attitude that one choose to adopt will see one through any adversity. It is this resilience that many of us lack, especially so in the younger generation. Morrie did not adopt the ‘poor me’ stance, he wanted to be of benefit to others despite his impending death. What courage and selflessness!
2. “Taking from people makes me feel like dying, giving makes me feel I am living”. This is not evident in many of today’s children (and adults as well), they tend to take more than they give. Hence, it is important that we, as parents need incorporate Dharma values into our children’s upbringing, to see them grow up to be benefit of others.
3. Most of us chase material possessions thinking that this will give us most satisfaction in life. However, we must be constantly reminded that all these will not bring you comfort in your final hour. All that matters most are relationships (and Dharma of course), because people who love you are with you. We are dying the day we are born, we don’t know when our end is near, it could be as quick as the next hour or years to come. Hence, if we do not invest in our relationships early and regularly and “deposit” time and care into this relationship bank, you cannot expect your loved one to be still by your side when your end is near. Learn to live life to the fullest, with no regrets, be in the present, NOW!
4. The subject of touch.. it is true that as we grow older, we tend to withhold touch. My recent encounter with my elderly (and sickly) relative, I realize they appreciate nothing more than a listening ear, comforting and assuring touch. Simple gesture it may be, but it does make them feel more connected and less isolated.
As parents, I pray when my kids grow up, they have the wisdom to appreciate and practise the above.
“If you lead your life with people, making time for them/helping them, when you are gone, you are not 100% gone.” is what I got most from the video. Most of us today are definitely guilty of putting ourselves before others and our problems before theirs, only to realise it when it is too late.
Thank you once again for the inspiring video. It serves as a great reminder for all of us.
Would also like to share a movie “Pay It Forward” with a similar thought, describing how a boy does a good deed and asked that the beneficiary pass the deed forward to three others, but not back to him. Giving selflessly and not expecting something in return.
Mitch recounted that Morrie was waiting for everything to stop and mourn for his terminal illness after he got diagnosed, but failed and it didnt happen. And eventually he chose to be positive and wanted to benefit many through his illness by inviting people to speak to him. I was kinda touched when Morrie’s said: “Pay no attention to this body……I am still here.” Not many could do that and treat our body which we are attached to for so many years as if its just a “container”, but Morrie’s picked the positive path to spend the rest of his days through sharing and giving and gave the least attention to his ailing body.
Giving makes me feel like i am living, Morrie’s realised that giving is the best way to live your life. With this in mind, it also gave him the courage to face his illness and touches many through Mitch’s book. Very inspiring short speech by Mitch, many of us would love to learn from Morrie but not to wait till we are at our deathbed to start giving. He encourages and inspires people from Mitch book to start giving, to be compassionate and the importance of “now”.
Short and inspiring video to watch. Prof Morrie Schwartz was indeed the real example that we ought to follow. He saw his death was imminent, he made the choice of giving instead of self-pity. Many of us do not realise it until we see it right before us.
So let us all start now and practice giving and compassion. 🙂
Morrie wsa indeed a selfless compassionate and kind human being, who never thinks of “self”. He used his dying as an opportunity to show and teach others an “unforgetable” lesson on how to live and to give, even when one is dying, but yet still has much to give in the last chapter of his life, happilly. When one can do that there is actually no death nor life, all of which, is just like a “dream” in life. Thank you Rinpoche for this beautiful unforgetable lesson of life to learn from in this heart-touching video.
Inspiring story about unlimited giving and compassion.
Few quotes i love from the video:
“Giving feels like one’s living, Taking never makes one feel alive.”
“All that are purchased or acquired brings no comfort upon facing death, which everyone will one day.”
“You cannot control what’s going to happen to yourself, but you can control your response.”
“Death ends a life but not a relationship. It still goes on if you have invested in it.”
So start making time & sharing with others. Give yourself up for others(letting go of the egoistic “I”), helping others with their problems. Even after death, one will still live within the hearts and minds of those people you have touched.
I read “Tuesday with Morrie” quite a few years back. I remembered being deeply touched by the stories told from a student and friend’s heart; Mitch, the student changed his view on life and was inspired by the compassionate and generous actions of Morrie.
In spite of his terminal illness, Morrie looked out to help others instead of focusing on his own health. Truly inspiring speech by Mitch.
I could not stop crying when I read the book. For a start, I was totally in awe of how much dignity Prof Schwartz died with. I couldn’t help but think about myself – what am I doing now to create the causes to die a similarly dignified death? And the truths that both Mitch Albom and Prof Schwartz realised, they are universal truths that any religion, including Buddhism, teaches…but do I want to wait until I am that close to death in order to have the same realisations? When I have so little time left to enjoy the realisations?
What struck me also was how much honesty there was between student and teacher. Honesty from Mitch to realise he had gone off the “path” (whatever that may be) and chosen material success instead of inner fulfillment. Honesty in his willingness to admit that mistake, and accept the truths his Professor wanted to teach him. And honesty from Prof Schwartz to realise that he could’ve lived life differently, and spending the last few moments of his life compassionately spreading his realisations.
There are few books worth reading as this one, especially if you put it down having taught yourself the same lessons as what Prof Schwartz shared with his student.
The speech made by Mitch Albom Bash reminded me of a dharma talk. I believe when reality kicks in, we either continue to live in denial or confront the facts of life.
Morrie was obviously a very wise person. He chose to face the facts of life as he was dying from ALS and realised that “giving is living”. Isn’t this what compassion is all about? Being selfless and focusing on helping others always are the keys to happiness.
Selflessness and compassion are not exclusive to Buddhism. They are just facts of life if we want to be truly happy. This transcends all religions.
A truly touching and heart wrenching speech by Mitch Albom on his old professor who battles with ALS,a terminal disease
Morris Swartze chose to spend the remaining time of his life to teach and inspire others as he believe that love last forever and cannot die.This was the lesson he wanted to impart to others.As he stressed it,”How you live will define how you perish,and that all you leave behind is what you give to others.”
He was remarkably fearless and selfless till his last breath.
Thank you for sharing this inspiring video,Rinpoche.
When we live our life in a beneficial way, then even when we are gone we are still able to benefit others. Prof Morrie has a caring nature even when he was healthy. Hence, he was able to continue to care and help many when he was stricken with ALS. Instead of feeling depressed and bitter, he had a positive attitude and never stopped caring and counselling others. The “he wave” and “she wave” represents our self-centredness. But if we consider oneself as part of the ocean, it shows we have a mindset of caring and concern for others. Mitch Albom wasted many years not keeping in touch with Morrie. We must not take things for granted and nothing is permanent. And at the end of the day, we cannot take any material possession with us but only the imprints of our actions during this temporal existence.
Professor Morrie chose to live his remaining days of his life meaningfully and not succumbed himself with self-pity. He taught Mitch Albom a few precious lessons on life.
Professor Morrie felt that the action of giving made him alive whereas the action of taking made him feel like dying. “You talk I listen” – the favour that Professor Morrie asked Adam to do after his death is great pointer on how we should listen to others more than we focus solely on ourselves! We should help and benefit others. In this way our actions will touch others’ hearts. It is something that people can remember even after we are gone or dead.
Professor also taught the importance of “Now” i.e. to live the present moment. He stressed the importance of having our loved ones before us when we die is much more important than all the things we have in the World.
Professor Morrie also realized that he has endless compassion for others who had similar terminal illness like him.
One other thing Professor Morrie emphasized was the value of touching – just as a new-born baby requires the parents’ touch, a dying person similarly requires the touch of his loved ones!
Augie Nieto shared his realization of how we can control our response to situations even though we could not control whatever that will happen to us.
These sharings by Professor Morrie, Augie Nieto and Mitch Albom are truly invaluable.
The speech by Mitch Albom is about what life really means which is really fantastic and inspiring.He explained it by the example of his teacher Morrie.
Morrie was dying with a terminal disease and yet he never complained about the disease and his suffering but instead he teached and encourage those who visited him to ask questions. He shared the problems of other people and cry if he see them suffering.
This talk by Mitch is to explain that to live a happy life is not to focus on oneself but to focus on others.
Thank you Rinpoche for showing another example of your teaching.
In my humble opinion, Mitch found a wonderful life Guru in Morrie, who helped shape who he is today. Their symbiotic student-teacher relationship is truly inspiring and exceptional. I am glad I found another exceptional Guru here.:)
there are so many similarities between Rinpoche’s teachings and that of Morrie.
The truth is, there are so many wrong preconceptions to life. The quality of a person’s life is not judged by how much wealth or material possesions we have but is the quality and virtues in which we instill into others. What I find inspiring is that this guy even when he will be passing away, wants people to talk to him about their problems so that they will have an outlet to disperse both their joys and frustrations.
Like high Lamas whom have passed into clear light, these high Lamas are still benefiting their students and friends through the many projects, teachings and and work they have done. Their works do not end at their death, it continues to bring in the wave of benefit to others continuously.
We do not have to be high lamas to inspire and benefit people that way, Morrie is a very classic and good example of how we can be of benefit by focusing out even we are normal lay people
Thank you Rinpoche and Sandy for sharing such a great video. These are some of my thoughts:
It is amazing that the biggest lessons in life – what life is all about, and what is important in life were not taught in schools and even in universities. Luckily, these lessons are still shared with us via people like Morrie, who had more profound realisation when he was diagnosed with a terminal disease.
“The world cannot cater to one person”. It is a fact but we constantly choose to live in the state of ‘me, my, mine’ first before others because we are afraid that we will be unhappy and dissatisfied if we put others first. I thought about how we are such hypocrites because the school teachers/ parents/adults scold children when children are being selfish, but why such double standard when we ourselves practise it every day?
I like the he and she waves story that we are all part of the ocean. I believe it doesn’t mean something mystical like we are all one, but rather we are all human, and all of us want happiness and do not want suffering, and all of us are afraid that we become nothing when we die. In this way, whether we are rich or poor, what race/ religion we are, where we live, what we do, from the viewpoint of real human value, we are all the same.
We always have a choice. Like what Augie Nieto said, “You cannot control what happened to you but you can control how you respond”. Morrie didn’t choose self-pity or played the victim role to get sympathy when he got terminal disease, but he decided to teach people what it was like to die so that they can live better. Augie founded “Augie’s Quest” with the purpose of finding a cure for ALS so that others don’t have to suffer. We admire them because they didn’t focus on themselves but rather on others although they were suffering more than others (normal people). On the contrary, these people who supposedly needed more support are giving support to others in a bigger way and contributing much more.
In sharing about giving vs taking, I am glad Mitch Albom reminded us that taking is the basis of popular culture of consumerism, materialism and capitalism. Bombarded with the ideals of and immersed in these cultures, perhaps we forget that giving is what makes us feel we are living.
We are grateful because we learnt something from the video, but this too, comes from the kindness of everyone who gave so that we can watch this video in the comfort of our own home and typing out these comments here: from Morrie who told Mitch about his realisation, to Mitch who wrote the book, to the publisher, to the organiser who invited Mitch to give the speech, the people who recorded this video, the people who put it online, to Sandy and Rinpoche/ the blog team who shared it here with us. In repaying their kindness, perhaps it’s time for us to start giving instead.
I like the part of “You are not the wave, you are part of the ocean”. I think want differentiate the people who just take and people who give is who they think they are. People who take keep taking to maintain as the wave, while people who give knew they are the part of the ocean and they see every wave as their own, selflessness. If we see ourselves as wave, then we will be gone when we hit the shore. If we see ourselves as the ocean, then our energy will continue on like the endless wave.
This is such a wonderful video to share with friends.
In life, we have choices and decisions are in our hands, we can choose to be an angel or a devil, a support for someone or a burden to someone, a taker or a giver, it’s all what we want to be. Instead of blaming the world that how unfair the world is, why not choose to think positive, act positive when something negative happened on us. We can’t choose what happened on us, but we can choose how to face it.
A lot of people said our body control our mind, but from this video show us clearly our mind over body. Our mind is just like software and body is like a hardware, if something wrong with the software no matter how advance the hardware is, nothing can be done. A lot of time when we are facing difficuthy in life we would say: I’m too weak/old/not capable to do this and that, actually it’s a clear sign we give up and let our body control over our mind. With a positive mind, no matter what’s difficuthy is it, we will able to find a way to deal with it (if we want to).
Instead of being depress of what happened on ourself, why not focus out and start giving what other looking for? The world will not stop spinning because 1 person is suffering, since nothing positive will happened when we are depressing over own problem, why not share our life with other, and by helping others, we will feel happy, which is the best anidote to depression. Poor me stories only work if we use it for the first time.
Giving is one of the best act when we are living, why not give help, support, shoulder, care, love, wisdom to someone who need it more than us? By giving what others need, we will gain the antidote of our problems. Since focusing on ourself is proven will not bring us any benefit, why not try the new way by giving.
I doubts all the speakers in this video are Buddhist, but whatever they said is very similar to what Buddha taught for thousand of years. This is not new news but choices are still in our hand to decide what we want for our life.
I admired Mitch’s narration of his time with Morrie, so eloquent, so inspiring, so touching. Mitch said ‘you live inside everyone you touch, the voice, the memories’. Most of us have that someone inside us, therefore, we have to start giving in order to create that memory now before it is too late.
“Giving makes me feel I am living” and it rhymes. That is what Morrie Schwartz said when his is dying. “Taking makes me feel I am dying”. This is reverse is also true. How profound! When facing his own immortality he feels endless compassion for strangers who is suffering. “We are more alike then different”, he said.
It reminds me that whether we are told we have a terminal disease or not, we are dying. Maybe even tomorrow, maybe next week, next month, next year or in a few years. Who knows? We are immortal and we are ignorant if we do not realize it. Hence, we should feel endless compassion for all. Strangers, friends and even enemies, for we are all “more like then different” as Morrie said, for we all suffering and dying.
“In the final moment, all other things are not important to you”. We all think we got endless sands in the hour glass. All the grains of sands are same. So start giving for it make us feel more alive.
The last message is “you talk and I’ll listen”. If we give now we are always there and can continue to touch others on and on and on.
Simple lessons but yet profound. We can touch many many people if we start giving.
“We are all part of the ocean”, being waves are just temporary! Wow!
Morrie must be a Boddisattva for he has experientially taught the perfections of giving, patience, effort and wisdom along with great compassion, emptiness, interconnectedness and impermanence. Such condense teachings taught ” live”!
Thank You Rinpoche for posting this video. I will take this as a reminder and contemplate to transform more.
I teared as i watched this video and it makes me think how selfish i am. How inspirational this video was and I thought i was giving. This video has thought me about pure giving. I thought i was giving but nothing close. Even with such terminal illness, nothing selfish about him. AS a teacher he never gives up teaching even his terminal illness.
Mitch Albom has delivered a very powerful and inspiring speech in this video revealing the true life story of his old professor Morrie.Even though he is dying from ALS,instead of feeling depressed, he focus on other people, he still talks about the importance of compassion to the people around him and we must realize giving is definitely more important than taking and giving is like living.This is something i must learn from the wise man like Morrie.
So many similarities with what Morrie shared with Mitch Albom and what Rinpoche himself have taught all of us.
To me my benchmark of a successful person is not how much wealth or grandchildren a person owned or have when he/she passes away but what that person have done for society or others when that person passes on. Animal can also have many grandchildren also…so no big deal/achievement. I am not talking about doing once a year charity dinner/auction or donating with motives but what lesson WE learn from this person. I first read Tuesday in Morrie many years ago, it has impacted my selfish life and made me think twice about many things. I am sure the book has also impacted many others.
Many who shares the same experience with Morrie would have stayed devastated and would have been just thinking about themselves but NOT Morrie. This is something which Rinpoche has taught all of us that if we have the karma to have sickness or diseases which is life threatening, we should pray and also absorb the pain for all the patient who has to go through what we are going through. It is hard, I know but just like Morrie when we start thinking of others, it makes things easier.
I do hope one day, Mitch Albom will be able to meet Tsem Rinpoche.
In the nutshell, the essence of the video is the essence of what Tsem Tulku Rinpoche is teaching from day 1 to all people that cross his path. It is truly inpsiring and I will definitely share this video with my family and friends.
Incredible speech by Mitch Albom.
Who would have thought that a dying man named Morrie could inspire and give so much even after he is gone. Instead of choosing to be negative about his decease and last few months of his life, he was choose to be positive and really embrace life to it’s fullest. Instead of taking, he gave, and it made him feel more and more alive. This man who is a nobody, just a simple school teacher, touched so many and taught so many how to live and continues to be teaching us all.
I like how Mitch closed his speech with Morrie’s favourite joke… that we are part of the great big ocean. Yes this is something we so often forget, thinking we’re just an individual wave and we lose sight of the big picture, when in fact each one of us having our roles to play in the the big picture is what completes it. Being self-centred is only thinking of our own roles and losing sight of the big picture. In Morrie’s dying months, he discovered more about the big picture of life then he ever did healthy, more then we who are strong and alive ever did. In dying he lived. A great sharing that we can aspire to become.
This is one of those few rare speeches that is a tear jerker for me. All of us have at some point of time been touched by an elder / teacher who gave their best if not their all to “educate” or share with us what they have learnt in life . Prof Morrie was one of those unique persons who never stopped giving and sharing , when most would have just stopped when they retired. This play between , teacher and student is truly precious , many unlike Mitch would have just missed the opportunity to learn more. The most poignant part of the entire lesson in life here to me was the part where he shared that by giving it made him feel alive or living. The prof gave until his last breath and is still inspiring us. Totally amazing example of a “teacher” . Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this video , you have definitely inspired me as well.
I read Tuesdays with Morrie many years ago. At that time, although it was a good book to me, and I even recommended it to others, now I realise that I didn’t really understand what Morrie tried to tell us.
When I listen to Mitch’s talk now, I found that the message Morrie trying to teach us is very similar to what Rinpoche has been telling us about life eg. about giving, death, seeing the world from a different perspective etc.
Then I think about Rinpoche’s comment on J.K. Rowling’s speech (http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/a-powerful-speech-on-. There is a pattern that those who really lives their lives fully, their understanding about life, about human values are actually very similar, and this is similar to what we learn in Dharma too.
It again proves to me that whatever taught in Dharma is actually about life. It is not qualities that we can’t achieve. We say we can’t is just because we haven’t come to the last moment of our lives. However, for most of the people, when they finally realise this, it’s already too late for them to do anything.
I am thankful I have met Rinpoche who makes Dharma so easy for us to relate to our daily lives. Or else, for a person who is so lazy to think like me, Tuesdays with Morrie is just another book that I read, I recommended then forever being abandoned in my bookshelves with no realization and no action to change.
This quote makes the greatest impact on me, “Taking makes me feel like dying.
Giving makes me feel like I am living”. It made sense as the result of taking will be the opposite.
The true purpose of life is to give and taking only makes life meaningless. So if we want to make our life beautiful and alive, we should remember this daily. To give and not to take. Very simple yet profound.
This video also show me that everyone has the Buddha nature. It only needs to be cultivated.
在这段演讲里。。。给我学习到无需自怜，不要再去埋怨。人生无常，我们现在有健全的身心。应该要好好利用去提升自我，然后去帮助他人。故事中的老教授，身怀病魔，己经有不治之症。。。但是他还是用尽有生之年，去帮助他人，也通过学习去分享，非常正面和快乐的面对不多的岁月。这个精神是我们现在现代人要学习的态度。非常感谢仁波切的分享，我一定会去把这故事与他人分享。
“If you live your life with people, making time for people, giving out yourself with people, sharing with people , helping with people with their problem and when you gone, you are not 100% gone……” Because whatever he did still touch the heart of people and people will remember him. This is very powerful teaching to encouraging more people to give time to help others, to care others. And it give me more strength to do more things to benefit others and at least our life will not be wasted.
Thank you Rinpoche and Sandy for sharing this video. It is a truly touching and inspiring video.
What would I want to have if this is the last day of my life? Is it just material things? What would I want to leave behind? What’s the purpose of my life?
What Morrie taught me of his last few months journey is with touch, compassion (feeling the suffering of others) and GIVE!!! When people went to visit him and wanted to comfort him, at the end, he is the one who GIVE, give of love, attention and a listening ears…
“Taking from people makes me feel like i’m dying. Giving makes me feel like i’m living.” It is by Giving, our lives have meanings! May I continue using my life to serve Rinpoche and follow Rinpoche to give and benefiting others.
I admire Morris and I am amazingly honored to hear such tremendous wisdom that was passed and written into beautiful words by Mitch Albom. Mitch is one of my all time favorite authors, not only because at every book he’s been able to portray the perfect realisation of what we are isn’t good enough but because he has the ability to expose the truth to millions of people. Within that talk, that was only less than half an hour, he had the power of speech that changed the lives of MANY.
The saying of “Stop, and Smell the Roses” has a similar trait of what Morris is trying to say. Stop and appreciate everything down to our last touch. To give! Instead of taking and taking, you GIVE, he made an effort to touch lives, he made an effort to open to others so that they know that there is an open door waiting for them to enter if they are up for it — to LISTEN, as said sometimes you don’t have to do monumental actions to showcase your meaning of giving sometimes you just have to LISTEN . The smallest of actions are sometimes the biggest we can give in life. Quote ” Giving makes me feel like I’m Living”. Giving is truly the answer of life itself.
He shows nothing but compassion. Why did every person countlessly fail to cheer Morris up? Simply put. because unlike us he does not want to spend the remains of his life living in the state of useless depression! Why is depression useless? Simple, again, because it DOES NOT benefit anyone, not him nor anyone around him. He decides to turn the other cheek, to look on the bright side, to enjoy his sickness and too see it as a blessing in disguise. And within that moment he discovered Hope = Joy within himself because he knows to love others he had to start by loving himself. THANKFULLY it was fate he had met such an amazing man, Mitch Albom, who was able to portray his wisdom for all to learn. I’ve learnt an immense amount of hope from this book, and regrettably I have almost forgotten how much this meant to me until being reminded by this video. I remembered Rinpoche once said or something of it’s kind, ” You won’t know that it’s there, until it’s gone.” (“You cannot control what happens to you, you can control how you respond…” – Augie Nieto) Familiarity rang a bell, as I recalled Rinpoche saying the exact same thing in one of your Dharma Talks.
Only the ones who are living in the worst of conditions can realize the truth, and there are many examples of great speakers to prove it such as — JK.Rowling. I only hope for myself to be born in their conditions, to have gained such powerful wisdom and to be able to live every second of it. Our human mind (or just mine) is a stubborn one you see, we can only learn from our scaring mistakes and time is of the essence. WE CAN CHANGE THAT! This isn’t the only thing Mitch has written, he has written beautiful books of turning teachings into stories such as — The 9 People you meet in Heaven, The Time Keeper, Have a little Faith…and I HIGHLY recommend to read all of them if you have the time and to sit and appreciate. I myself has been convinced to read his books again! xxx
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful video.
Unfortunately I, just like Morris, never read a sigle word about this book “Tuesday with Morris” before. Many of friends and even both my two children read about this book. When I asked them what is so good about this book, they replied and said “you must read this book. it is about this old man is going to die and he shared his life experience with his student…”
I believe everyone’s life is a story some even is an encyclopedia just like Tsem Rinpoche’s life that touches many many people and changed their lives. What makes one special is, when we choose to pick up the essence of our sad stories and make it into a teaching for our lives. It all depends on how much we treasure our lives and care about others. How much of those little little love that we shared with others and the little little joy that we picked up even though when we were sad or in deep shit.
I think what makes us different from Morris is that, we can still give, we can still share, we can still love, we can still see and talk, we can still feel and touch. Last but not least, we have the most precious guru Tsem Rinpoche who is constantly giving us love, care and wisdom, so that we do not have to realize only when we come to the end of our lives but now. How fortunate we are.
I like what Morris said, we are just part of the ocean. Why remember all the little little faults that people have done? It will be more beautiful to remember all the little little favor that people shared because we are part of the ocean.
Love, Julia
It is truly sad for Morrie to realise happiness only when he found out that he is dying. Well, many of us only realise how much we have lost when we lose it. How much time and energy we spend for ourselves and then realise how much we wasted it. Isn’t that the case?
Although Morrie knew he has little time left, he rather help others than focusing on himself. Not only because of death that one only realise it. With all these inspirational videos, we should learn and not waste any more time.
The methods and points that Morrie and Mitch use are so Dharmic. Every word and realisation are exactly what we learn from the teachings. So… How can it be wrong?
Thank Buddha I don’t have to realise giving, happiness and selflessness only when I am dying as I have Rinpoche to constantly guide and teach me. How fortunate I am to be able to do this for the rest of my lives…
Giving makes me feel like I am living is the BEST mantra!
Thank you Rinpoche for this great sharing and always reminding me what I must do and stop wasting precious time.
I need to watch this again a few times and think back to what Mitch Albom says every time I feel I hit a brick wall. It’s amazing to realise that every opportunity presents itself as a choice – that we can choose to respond to it in a terrible, negative way, or as a positive, uplifting one, just as Morrie did. When faced with the actual situation though, it can be much harder. I’ve learnt recently that sometimes we subconsciously think it’s “easier” to go down the negative route. It requires less effort, and in being down in the dumps, we can elicit more sympathy and attention. What most of us don’t realise is that in the long run, this is much harder work to maintain. It is tiring and exhausting to be negative.
Being positive can be hard work at first – fighting against everything and looking for silver linings can also be tiring. But the pay off, eventually is much more. You’re uplifted, you’re lighter and you remain in the head and hearts of people far more than you would if you were a dreary mary. Morrie proved this perfectly in the last years of his life.
I loved especially Mitch’s analogy of the hourglass and the sand. How often we forget that every moment in our lives (yes, that’s plural, for we’ve had thousands, and have many thousands more to go!) is actually of the same continuum. We’re all living multiple grains of sand. And yet, how much importance we place at different times of our lives on things that really have no consequence – because as we’re worrying about something so very small, those grains of sand have already slipped by and we’re no wiser or better off for it. We forget what it’s important, until it’s too late and there isn’t any more sand to live out the important things.
I understand more and more now how important it is to think about death continuously, not as a morbid reflection, but in realising death, we realise how best to live. For it’s only when we’re faced with losing everything do we realise what’s really important to us. Rinpoche has often advised that if we think about death consistently – like in a daily meditation – we will let go of a lot of the attachments we have that don’t serve us or anyone around us. We will also start to place more important on the things that do matter, and which will endure way past our death – our spiritual practice, qualities that will not just serve our temporary bodies of this life, but the many more lives of people all around us. And that legacy we leave in the hearts of people is how we will truly endure and become “immortal”, not the physical parts of us, our bodies, and the things we own. How magnificent it would be to leave a legacy that really lives on past us – that would really be what it means to make a difference in the world for the short time we are here.
Only by giving we are feeling alive…
The whole world, the people around us who knows us or strangers will not stop because we are sad, we are down. Either, the world will not goes faster when we are happy to celebrate with us.
The only way is goes up, when you are down, you are sad.
Our body will goes old and rotten, no matter you are a king or a beggar. But how you make full use of your body to benefit yourself, people around you and strangers in the other parts of the world, that will differentiate whether you are a winner or a loser. Or you will be remembered after your body is rotten.
Thank you so much Rinpoche for this most heart warming video.
I have read all of Mitch Albom’s books and “Tuesdays with Morrie” has always been my favourite. I cried reading the book and wept watching the movie. Now that i know why he wrote the book , besides just narrating his story about Morrie Schwartz, it has given me a whole new perspective of the meaning of Giving Unconditionally. To give with no expectations , but purely out of unconditional love.
How many times we have done things for others with ‘that’ ulterior motive that at the end of the day , it’s with some form of expectation of one thing or another.
I read somewhere that one of the definitions of Compassion is “Divine Love in Action ” and this is truly a wonderful example of Compassion and Unconditional Love !
This is a very touching and profound speech by Mitch. It’s very sad to know that Morrie was ill. Sometimes we will only realize something when things started to go terribly bad..
But i’m happy that Morrie has figured out to do something positive instead of not to do anything and just wait for the arriving of his death. I really respect him for what he has done, he was a very kind and caring person.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Love, beatrix.
Thanks Rinpoche for the posting and as reminder to me.
Whatever Prof Morrie taught Mitch before he passed on, his was using Dharmic way of teachings, and it’s similar with what Rinpoche use to teach us all the while. The teaching was about selfishless, attachement, giving, compassion and care for other more than oneself. When the death arise we can’t take anything with us anymore but with the actions we have done, will bring much memory and benefits to others.
A wonderful speech from Mitch Albom indeed. Very touching and full of wisdom. This is definitely something we can not use money to buy or learn in school just as we experience our lives with trials and errors and our human problems bring us down. But we indulged in ourselves so much, we forgot that there are people who needed help as much as we do. We can afford what we eat and choosing what we want to eat yet there are people worrying what their meal for tomorrow will be.
This video is inspiring to motivate people to think outside the box than ourselves, focus out and GIVE. Through giving and and helping people, only we will know how fortunate we are to have the perfect health and human condition we have.
This reminds me a session which I had with a friend. She is a very inspiring successful career woman, pretty, young, capable, successful, determined, rich… You name it, she got it. She can have everything in life, she is “happy”. But one day she realized her lungs are failing and doctor told her just be prepared… Her world crashed. What she had, money, a successful career, relationship etc couldn’t help her… It is not like it is bad to have things like that but she realize there is actually something more in life than to just acquire these things…
It is wonderful if any of you came across material like these and even this blog.. We are so lucky to have the endowments to be able to receive and learn an extra subject called spirituality…
“Tonight it is a celebration of living..” I guess this is what life is all about. It is not about things, it is about living… Know what we are living for.
I was very touch by watching Mitch Albom and professor Morrie sharing very powerful message to many people about interconnection, fell compassion ,living in the moment and care about other rather than more about ourselves.Their speech are full with wisdom how we facing our life ending time.
I like one of he quote “Giving is living,taking is drying”. we have to stop our poor me story just focusing our own problem,we should more in touch in human relationship with care and compassion to other. When the dead come by, no regret sharing at the end of our life.
Thank you rinpoche sharing is meaningful and value video to us.
What Mitch Albom sharing is what Rinpoche always teach us. How Professor Morrie Schwartz turns his illness around by his positive thinking so instead of he becomes angry and makes everyone around him suffer, he makes everyone happy and use his last period of life to benefit and make people happy as he said there is only two choice and it up to us how to choose it.
I heard many time that some people life turn around when they are facing with bad situation or facing with illness which hit their mind and make them realize the truth of life whether they are in any religion and that is the best period of their life as they use it to benefit others.
As we start 2013 and look forward to what is to unfold for us, this video is completely best timing. Every year we are closer to death, morbid but true. This is a fact and this video makes it even more imperative to live everyday with a purpose greater than ourselves. This is not an easy thing to do because most, if not all, of us are inherently selfish. This too is a fact.
“You talk, I listen” – there is a lot of meaning in this simple line. I create lots more value listening than talking… I love to talk so I do struggle with this but I am getting better. To listen is a way of giving.
Live our lives for greater causes…live with and for others. Let this be our 2013 motto.
听了这个演说，更加让我觉得，不论什么宗教信仰，中心思想都是一样的。里面的每一句都和仁坡切所教导我们的非常相似。
世界不能只围绕我们转动，这也是我们每一次会犯的错。当我们得到坏的消息时，我们会认为为什么大家还是那么的开心，难道他们不知道我们的难处吗？每一个人都有自己的故事，决定在于我们个人对世界，对事情的概念的改观。
Morrie Schwartz gave a very simple yet profound teachings to all the people, for people to contemplate and have another choice of life. He provided another ways of looking at death and acquisition. “Life will end but not the relationship”. This is very powerful. I agree with this statement. Even though Morrie is dead, but his teachings his words are still alive. The relatioshionship between Mitch Albom and Morrie will never end. Because Morrie uses himself as the subject of teachings, because Morrie touches Mitch’s heart and this will be remained. I like what Morrie said: “When we are about to die, we would not tell people around us ‘take the television to me, I want to touch it’. Yea, this is so true! All the acquisition will not help during the time of death. Morrie revealed this to us! Very wise.
From what Morrie said, I recall back what Rinpoche always tells us too. Life is about giving, and by giving, you can actually get back something that is meaningful. I bet if Morrie chose a negative way of living during his last days, he will be just a ordinary old man that die because of some illness. No one will ever mention about him after his death, and no one will remember him. But because Morrie chose a positive way to live the rest of his life, he chose to give instead of take, therefore, people still remember who he was what he did!
If we want to take something, why don’t we take something in this beautiful way? Why don’t we give the world love and care, and the world will give back exactly what you have gave. Money, fame, glamour does not last, but true care and love will last forever.
Dearest Rinpoche,
When I was watching the video, I was thinking to myself than maybe Morrie is a Buddhist. All the conversations he had with Mitch Albom was so inspiring. He did not have even a slightest hint of self pity knowing the disease he was having is slowly killing him. Instead he made a great effort to teach those around him what it was like to have ALS, and more about living a meaningful life by giving and listening to others. Because of the inspiration, Mitch Albom wrote Tuesdays With Morrie, which benefits more people with and without ALS. The lesson learnt from here would be to focus on others rather than towards ownself. Thank you Rinpoche for always teaching us to benefit others, and showing compassion and care to all.
The one thing that stood out for me was, Mitch Albom joking about dying people’s last requests. It really hit a spot, and I’m sure that it did as well for others who have never contemplated about death.
Most of us live our lives in a mad rush to accumulate material possessions. We equate temporary pleasure to long-term satiation.
Mitch Albom joked that you would never ever hear people utter under their last breath, “Bring me my big flat screen TV, I want to touch it one last time”. Everyone laughed in response, and yet the joke felt like it reflected something much deeper than a line to wake up the audience.
If at the time of death we realize that material possessions are not important, why do we waste away our youth, time and energy on ways to accumulate something that does not really matter?
A lot of what Mitch Albom said really made sense, and tied in with what Rinpoche teaches. Every attachment around us has an expiry date.
– The moment we are born, the time ticks down for when we will take our last breath.
– The moment we step into a relationship, the time ticks down for when we will separate.
– The moment we take the first bite of a burger, the time ticks down for when we will have our last bite.
Nothing is permanent, nothing is fixed. The best way to live is to continuously give, help and serve others. For me, it is also to learn as much Dharma as possible in this life and to gain some realisations and attainments.
Hopefully, on my last breath, I will utter a line of mantra in controlled meditation… and not be holding onto a Christian Louboutin shoe!
When Morrie received the ‘death sentence’ from his doctor, his first thought, as he walked out into the open and saw that the sky was still blue and the world was still smiling around him,was; ‘Why doesn’t the world stop for me’. But that was the last self-centered thought he had.
The next thing that happened was that he made a decision to use his dying as an opportunity to teach people about dying. He resumed his giving to others,an act he had repeated all throughout his life.
In giving, we live. In giving ,we forge connections with another and another and another….
Mitch continued to visit his beloved dying teacher every Tuesday. i have read the book – Tuesday with Morrie – several times.I have cried after each reading.At his dying teacher’s feet, Mitch learned about compassion and giving and about how these qualities make a dying person do more for others than those who are alive and take each day of their lives for granted.
We are just waves in the ocean of humanity,as Morrie taught Mitch. We are interdependent on one another.
Thank you Rinpoche for bringing tears to my eyes once more with this sharing. I like the crying because I know there is a Morrie in me that must be awakened.
这位患上肌萎缩侧索硬化症的老教授莫里施瓦茨跟病魔斗争的故事实在太感动人心了。
虽然身体不能正常的运作但是他运用了本身的智慧去对抗人生，人生本来就是快乐的，不需因为身体有了缺陷而自暴自弃，当Mitch Albom的人生就要走上尽头时，他并没有让人觉得可怜兮兮反而把那态度转化为激励别人的行为。
太过专注于本身的问题反而让自己不快乐，还会荒废掉剩余的时间以及活在恐慌里，简单的付出行动其实就考验着我们有多慈悲，痛苦的不在于我们面对身体的缺陷而是痛苦在于不转化思维，虽然控制不了病症的复发但是可以控制自己的快乐与思维，这些点也都是仁波切时常给予的教诲。
谢谢仁波切分享Mitch Albom的演说．
There’s lessons to be learnt but most of the time, we are blind to it. There are many “Morrie” around in our lives but we have not been ” Mitch Albom” This video to me is a reminder to listen deeper, open my heart to learn and take in the wisdom that is all around, and most of all, to listen to be able to give what others need. In focusing on giving, just like Morrie…whatever shortcomings he had, he was able to overcome instead of complaining about the inevitable. He instead made so many more friends by being there for them.
A very very touched and inspiring video indeed. I tears and laugh at the same time. I am touched by the words of wisdom from Mitch. What Morrie had taught him in all these years especially when he is dying. One heart touches many hearts!
I learn alot in this short video. I love what Morrie had taught Mitch and others about integrity, love, compassion, giving, positive attitute, patient.
There are a few very profound words and teachings that Morrie left behind that touches my heart : 1)Giving makes me feel like I am living. 2)death ends a life, but not the relationship. 3)one life touches another. 4)You talk and I listen and 5) THE TOUCH.
It is a great impact for us to realize that “WE” are the one whom decide to live in happiness or in sorrow.
After watching this video I also realized that all these teaching I have heard it from Rinpoche before hehe. That is what makes me a happier person 🙂
I have watched it 2 times and I am gonna watch again. I also want to buy the book “Tuesdays with Morrie”
Thank you for sharing this beautiful video.
生老病死，是人生必经道路。
到这时刻来临， 多么怨恨，都不重要了。 这段演讲里， 提醒我们， 勇敢面对问题，乐观关怀身边每一个！ 在这时刻带来正面的教材！让病痛边缘的病人带来希望！
如果我们看不开， 自会活在痛苦。
就如刚过去的２１－１２－２０１２， 人人都说是世界末日！ 今天， 我们还站在这地球上！ 在这一天你是如何渡过呢？
Prof Morrie was very wise when he asked people to visit him and talk with him. He understood the importance of keeping in touch, the human touch. Throughout his dying process, he still managed to reach out to people and to focus on them, but not on himself. No “poor me” stuff.
This video by Mitch Albom is truly inspiring!
He uses his body to teach everyone, and tell people to focus on love and compassion for each other, and not otherwise.
What Mitch has shared with us, is very similar to what Rinpoche has taught us. Death is certain, so therefore focusing on benefiting others, and not our selfish mind.
Most of us ‘know’ death intellectually, however almost non of us take death seriously and prepare for it, we always though we could live another 100 years, hence take life for granted.
Mitch is showing us his body and situation, so that hopefully some of us could realized, and live ourself in “NOW” positively, helping each other and creating a harmony society benefiting others, this world could be better!
Whatever Prof Morris realised during his dying days is dharma. His realisations is what is carved in stone in every dharma book. But how often do we read, listen to testimonials, eulogy and then tell ourselves “yes, that’s true”, then conveniently forget to put into practice until another tragedy strikes someone we know or our loved ones….and then we tell ourselves the same again….
The phrase that stood out most for me is ‘the whole world cannot cater to one individual’. Again, eradicating the concept of I,I,I, me, me,me that we were always taught in dharma teachings.
May this not be another teaching that only moves us for the moment but really take it on to the next level; practice the dharma and use this precious body to benefit others. Don’t wait till we are struggling to feed ourself with a slice of tomato. By then, it would have been too late and how many lives could have been deprived from some form of help from our able body.
We always think that death is the end, when really, death is just the beginning. If only we could all be so fortunate to experience death in our lives, yet somehow keep on living. The world would be a much better place for it.
And that was what Morrie Schwartz did, so that he could share his experience with others before he died, so that others who were still alive, could truly live. And what was really amazing for me was what Morrie learned from his disease, was exactly what Rinpoche teaches us – to be aware of our impending death, to value our precious human life, to use our lives well, to think of others, to be compassionate, to do the best we can.
My favourite Mitch Albom book isnt Tuesdays with Morrie, but The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I read it in my early twenties, and it powerfully taught me that when we die, everything we did in our lives, good or bad, is not forgotten. And if we had to come face to face with some of the people from our past, could we do that with our heads held high? Or would we turn away in shame? Isnt Death a powerful way to examine ourselves?
This is a very very good talks on death, impermanence, relationship, care and compassion.
The talks begin by introduce how the speaker met the Teacher. I can see that Prof Morris, his teacher has made a great impact into his life. To have a great teacher that able to teach in spirituality, to teach the truth of life – is a very very fortunate matter. It is an ultimate gift that a teacher able to give to the students. Think about now, I am so fortunate to have met, to know and to learn under H.E Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. H.E are always so compassionate in guiding and teaching us. H.E pinpoint our weakness without even worry that we might treat him badly. H.E do not care about this, all H.E cares are- does we improved. H.E uses all the methods he can to make us realize/ wake up and practiced into our real life.
The speaker continued with an important topic PROMISE. He said that he has promised his teacher- Prof. Morris to visit him, but everyday the promise was broken because he does not make it. This alerts me that, how many promises that I have made and have its broken. Maybe it seem does not matter to me, but, to the person I have promises; they might be hoping that I will fulfilled it, especially to people who have benefited us and care for us. Do we care what we do to every promised to them? Days by days and years by years gone by, do we still have enough time to let the promises fulfilled?
This life is impermanent, but Death is sure. How we live our life is our choice. But when the moment of death arrives, what is important is NOW. At the moment of death, is not the material that we have “chase” for almost entire life that matter to us, ironically is the relationship that we always ignored. Thus, we can’t blame if we are forgotten.
This world is not about me-individual. This world was making from pool of humanity, as what Mitch said, “we are part of ocean.” Seldom we have compassion or act of kindness to other people. We forget that we are connected with another in some way. In Buddhism we believe in the karmic relations. People appear in our life maybe not by coincident, a person can be our relatives, our friends, our loves one even our enemy could be link with us karmically. OR, e.g. in Global warming issues, our mother earth is sick now; because each of human in this world contributing some part to cause the warming. It is collective Karma.
We do not invest in the relationship, if so, when we hopes people helps us in our difficult times it is almost impossible. For instant we asked for donations, people might not even trust in you to give you that amount of money that you wanted. Why? Because we do not contribute to their life; we do not share their pain, we do not care. All we did was to take take and take. E.g.: we hunger for love, thus, we always request our loves one to give to us, to fulfill our desire. But we forget that taking from people can never be an end. In fact it trigged more desire. I like what Prof Morris said to Mitch “Taking for people “make me feel I am dying, Giving makes me feel am living” Taking never make a person feel alive.
Compassion arises when we have equanimity. Mitch asked why did Prof. Morris cry when seeing people in the war zone. How many of us really worry and cry for people who are in the war. It makes me realize I do not have equanimity towards them because to me they are strangers. I do not know them and they can’t benefit me. Realizing that, this is how selfish I am, rather stayed in comfort zone and ignore people’s crying. Have to be more mindful on this matter.
The other matter I learned from the talk “ you talk , I listen” . This is another way of sharing people’s pain. When people talks and I am able to listen. They will feel more better because they have the chances to express their feeling. About “picnic at the graveyard”, well, to be honest – I am sure afraid to do so. Why am I so afraid, maybe deep in me I am too use to the ideas that I will live permanently and refuse to “remember” one day I will be in there too.
This is a wonderful lesson, a lesson to learn in this 2013 New Year.
I sincerely thank H.E Tsem Rinpoche for teaching us.
With folded hand and love
Freon
It’s always amazing to read stories such as this one, how an individual when faced with mortality finds the strength to inspire others. But for me personally despite watching and reading a number of these stories, I do wonder how much have I really learnt, how I have I been truly inspired?
Have I been inspired to be more giving? Giving is Living as Mitch said. This quote/teaching is not new to me. How much does it take to truly inspire a person to change? Does the event actually do need to occur to me personally for me to have the realization? Or if it does happen to me, this story will be the last thing I remember?
It might be odd but the part of the video that struck a cord with me is Mitch making his promise to visit and he never did. It struck a cord because it’s so familiar. How often have I say “Yes, I promise….” but just proceeded to break that promise every day, every week, every year and in most cases actually do recall making the promise but consistently choose to ignore it. Profound selfishness, that’s what it is.
We are touched by kindness and compassion but so unwilling to do so in return out of selfishness. We all know death will come one day but always think it will be later than sooner. But when dealt with a sickness that force you to face your mortality gradually but surely, where then is room for the self.
What an excellent speech, Mitch Albom delivered it with much power but yet easy to digest.
What I particularly liked in Mitch Albom’s speech was the part where he spoke about Morrie having a choice. He could choose to wallow in anger and sadness, or he could make something positive out of it. And so he chose the latter. From using his sickness and his path towards death, Morrie benfitted and inspired those who crossed paths with him. He did not become bitter and angry, but instead, used the remaining of his days to make the most out of it until the very day that he passed on.
In life, everything we do, how we feel, our thoughts and speech is all out of choice. It is our choice to make someone smile or make them cry, it is our choice to forgive someone or take revenge. Whatever our choice is, the result will always come back.
Also, I liked it how Morrie likened his body to a carton he has been shipped in and that he is “Still here”. “I’m still here”, he says. The mind will always be there, but the vessel may differ. Just like what is taught in the Lamrim, our body is just a temporary vessel for our minds which will continue on. To me, that was pretty powerful.
Like what Rinpoche has taught, this shows that the truth is universal. Happiness is really in our hands, and it is our choice. Dharma is the way towards living a life which would eventually end, happily.
It is so touching viewing this 25-min video on the speech of Mitch Albom. He related his true encounter with his professor, Morrie Schwartz who has changed his life. Always keep your promises, be contented of what you have and be happy no matter what situation you are in.
Morrie, while battling with terminal illness, still tirednessly continue to show his compassion, his teaching on giving and care for others.
This reminds me on what Rinpoche always taught us about compassion, always think and care for others instead of ourselves, and we have to do it while we are still alive and no matter under whatever circumstances. There is no excuse.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this inspiring video with us.
“Giving makes me feel like I am living.” the motto of Morrie when he was living his final months. And this sums it up what life is all about. Giving! Giving emotionally, physically or monetary is a form of contributing to others which will enrich our lives. Why else are we here if we are not here to share and give.
Our sand hourglass is flowing all the time and we never know when it will end. What Mitch said was true that the grains of sand in the hourglass are the same. What is important is that we define the sand now so that the sand will be the same from the change. That would be a defining moment. Like how Morrie decided to take life on by continue teaching and giving to even more people when he was diagnosed with ALS.
Like what Rinpoche always teach us, “Live our lives for other” and we will be happy. Time to take out the book to read again.
The world cannot cater to one individual.
At a crossroad, leaving the clinic with the news of having to live 2 years only, Morrie was at a crossroad. He was going downhill, well his body was, he had a timeframe to work within.
What is it that made Morrie so happy even though he was degenerating and dying? Maybe the acceptance of his fate, accepting that he was dying, that he was going to loose this world, the people around him. And yet in this realization, he did not focus so much on himself, but he focus onto others and developped compassion, just as the truth of his mortality revealed compassion.
“you’re not a wave, you’re part of the ocean”…
I do like that the speech of Mitch Alborn was not one of pity, but one of gratefulness towards a dying man who taught him how to live.
“you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond” is my favorite quote…
这个信息告诉我们，一个行动不便的病患者，比我们健健康康的人，还来到坚强，来到乐观。
如果发生在我们的身上，这早已经是世界末日的事了，这信息告诉我们，就算残障了，不代表是废了！
这教授以身作则，为残而不废，做了给好榜样！以自己的感受，分享给大家，关怀大家，鼓励其他的病患者，和身边的人。
四肢健康的我们，是否要感到惭愧呢！！！！
Morrie’s story is inspiring. He was very sick but instead of blaming the whole world, he started to focus out. He decided to use his limited life time to help people, to brighten someone” life with his wisdom. This story is a good example of being ‘focus out’.
When we start to ‘focus out’, our sufferings suddenly disappear, we become more positive because we our mind is now set to help others. For people who always ‘focus in’, ie to focus on oneself, they find more sufferings. For instance, in Morries’ case, healthy and ‘successful’ people who come to see him wanting to give him comfort, ended up a crying baby themselves.
Thus, suffering is actually a state of mind, not physical. Once we change our state of mind, life is not that miserable anymore and this is how we create harmony and peace starting from ourselves.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this speech.
讲述他的一位患上肌萎缩侧索硬化症的老教授莫里施瓦茨跟病魔斗争的故事。老教授也趁有生之年，以他的不治之症经历，通过学习来分享，爱与关怀，宽恕一切，感化身边的人。
每个人都可以彼此爱与关怀，宽恕一切.，世界将是一个更好的地方，智慧让我们看到，我们的生活，面临着一些问题正朝着我们的方向
我们要学习的是爱与关怀，只有慈悲的心才可以治疗一切，我们所得到的，是我们所付出的，因此，我们应该注重，给别人带来幸福与快乐，爱与关怀，在面临死亡的时候，我们也不会有任何遗憾。
This is a touching video and a thought provoking speech delivered by Mitch Abom. When he realised that he is unhappy eventhough he has the youth and health while Morrie can be happy eventhough he is already old and dying. One makes me think does it really have to make someone realise the turth (inevitable death) in order to make that person becoming so wise about the truth of life and becoming a more giving person. A lot of my friends (in fact most of us) does think that we have a long life ahead and nothing bad will happen to us. This makes me think that one should not waste their precious human life by just taking care of themselves and be responsible to their family but also be kind and compassion enough to make others happy. We ourselves will be happy eventually by making others happy.
I had watched twice for this video. Something sparkle in my mind after I watched is I need to appreciate who I am now. Yes, I need to appreciate what I have now! The reason I have then I must work for others, because I need to create more and more good karma for my future and next life. If I do not change now how can I become better in future? When I saw someone in their deep shit they still want to bring happiness and benefit others, why not me?
The two speakers were very sincerely in their words, what they said are logic and practical. I feel moved after finished watched the video. To me their speech not so so so good but they are real and sincere. This two qualities moved me a lots.
I must continue my life no matter the world so beautiful or worst, our life must take care by us. That is what I feel after finished watching the video. Let’s share to more our friends!!!
In our life, many times we always heard complaint their life non-stop. Msny time we just focus on our own feeling our problem our lost. Day after day, all these become a habituation and trap ourselves in the circle of me me me… And every thing we do must benefit to ourselves. In fact, in the of the day nothing is own by us, and everything will be disappear on day. Whereby, if we always learn by giving to other help, love, compassion, etc.. it will bring the benefit a good inspirational teaching from one to another, from generation and to next generation and soon it become a legacy that we left after our life.
It reminds me one of Tsem Rinpoche quote lately:
All things that begin will end…so why hang on. All things that exist will be a memory tomorrow. All activities done will be a memory the very next day. All things said and all actions carried out will be a memory even in just the next hour…so why not always leave good memories in the minds of others about yourself? You yourself will eventually just a pure memory anyways…
Another quote from Brian Tracy ~ “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”
The quality of our life will be determined by how much control we choose to use.
Mitch Albom’s speech is so amazing, his realization in life is so much related to Buddha’s teaching and yet, there is nothing religious in it.
Life is not about taking, it is about giving, giving does not mean giving in material, giving can be in any form, we give our time to care for others, we give our smile to cheer others, we give our words to comfort others, it can be in any form and any way.
When life comes to an end, it is the fact, there is nothing we can do, so do we hold onto it and get angry with everything and everyone around us or we let go and live our lives with compassion. Morrie said: when you are facing your own mortality, you will have endless compassion for those who are doing the same. That is so true, we had the compassion because we been through / going through that suffering, that’s why we understand their pain and hence, we get to be more compassionate to them.
Rinpoche had been trying very hard to pass on this message to us while we are still healthy, where many people only started to realize it when their life comes to an end. How fortunate we are to be able to receive all these teachings, if we don’t know to appreciate and practice it, it will also be too late for us.
Give but not take, live our life where it is suppose to be.
Thank you Rinpoche again for this teaching, it is short and yet, very profound, I will listen to it again and i will definitely share this with others.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this great video, it’s full of wisdom.
The great story started when Morrie switched the view of “how unfortunate I am to have this disease” to “Let’s do something before I am gone.”
Life is great when we focus out. Because of his love and care towards others, regardless how the disease is taking away Morrie’s health, he spend his breathe to live up others life. How compassion he is.
Thanks Rinpoche, Mitch Albom and Sandy for bringing us this heartwarming video. May Morrie rest in peace and take an excellent rebirth.
This is really a great sharing on how we should live our life just like the last sand that going to drop from the sand glass. Whatever we acquire and purchase will not follow us when we depart. What would left is memory and whether it’s a good one is depend whether how we live for others.
The value of touch is about sincerity, honesty and compassion. Focusing on ourselves will just close us up and waste our precious life because they are people always in a very worst situation or condition than us so what to look so much on our little world. More people we open up to and more will be benefited and more people will be inspire and more people will benefit more people.
We give and it makes us feel like living. I love this!
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.
Another ‘selflessness is the best antidote to unhappiness’ teaching. Very inspiring and emotional provoking video. Holding on to anger because of self created problems is just like taking poison on a daily basis until we realize the art (or rather importance) of letting go and focusing out. It’s quite sad to say only when it comes to near death, we then only realize something because we take life for granted for all the while. By giving up himself and serve people based on compassion, Morrie has found the true meaning of life.
“Taking from people just make me feel like dying, giving makes me feel like I’m living” Simple yet powerful quote. This should be our mantra in our daily Sadhana. Serving others bring long term benefits. When we serve only ourselves, when we die, nothing is left. Everything fades off. When we spend time with others solving their problems, we are actually putting ourselves inside them, then when we are gone, at least we live on in other people’s mind. The good memories that we leave behind doesn’t fade.
It is from all these wonderful great people that we have the opportunity to learn to live our lives in giving and not taking.
I am very inspired by Morrie who in death served to benefit so many as expressed by Mr. Mitch Albom with a book. An illustration like a bible of life.
Mr. Albom’s speech is powerful highlighting the true nature of how even a single person can make a difference to the whole world by developing great compassion and in such realization every human is part of the ocean.
What is said in the video is what Rinpoche had been and is still teaching us. I like the statement that we cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we respond.
I have learnt so much from this video and also realized how much Rinpoche had been teaching me, but alas how I am so foolish and forget at times the ultimate truth of benefitting others and that will rid me of my ego, selfishness and ignorance and set me free.
“Taking from people makes me feel like i’m dying.. Giving makes me feel like i’m living.” How profound and the perfect reflection of what Tsem Rinpoche always tells us – giving is the secret to happiness.
“Everyone has the ability through your contributions, through your efforts and through your friendships to touch many many people round the world – those who need it most.” – Mitch Albom
“You cannot control what happens to you, you can control how you respond…” – Augie Nieto
Thank you for sharing this very moving video… how people who are terminally ill find the strength to be happy is the same method taught in Dharma – theirs just doesn’t have the label buddhism on it. To read more about Augie’s quest, see here http://augiesquest.org/
After watching this video, it really brought back some matters which yet to be done and been hiding somewhere in my brain. Sad but true we tend to always prioritized our comfort over others. Taking care of ourselves or something that we desire became a must. Status, successful, materialistic is a must, if you do not have that, you are kind of a loser. Most of us are being brought up in the society thinking that material and money can bring us happiness, yes, no doubt it can solve a lot of temporal problem but it is not the main reason for us being happy.
I am glad that professor Morrie Schwartz’s managed to counter his illness mentally by keep on inspiring people around him thru his sickness.
Thank You Rinpoche.
There is a lot of wisdom in Mitch Albom’s speech. Some of the things he says are very close to Buddhism. I wonder whether he has read about Buddhism or other religions. What he says is universal and can be applied or practised in one’s life whether one is religious or not. His teacher Morrie embodies many human values that are inspiring because he chooses to be positive, brave, and selfless. He inspired his student Mitch who realised that his teacher was much happier than him because in spite of his terminal illness, Morrie never complained but instead continued to learn and discover about life and sharing his compassion with others.
This is really a great sharing on how we should live our life just like the last sand that going to drop from the sand glass. Whatever we acquire and purchase will not follow us when we depart. What would left is memory and whether it’s a good one is depend whether how we live for others.
The value of touch is about sincerity, honesty and compassion. Focusing on ourselves will just close us up and waste our precious life because they are people always in a very worst situation or condition than us so what to look so much on our little world. More people we open up to and more will be benefited and more people will be inspire and more people will benefit more people.
Whatever Mitch and Morris said is what I heard from the Rinpoche’s teaching and it is what people practicing and proven to bring happiness and great value in live. Dharma is the way of life.
Giving make me feel like I’m living. I love this!
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.
Dear Lama
Thank you for posting this film. There are three things that I learned from the post:
1. We cannot control our life and there is no shame in revealing your illness if the purpose is to inspire other people. Many of the people I know including me have worked so hard to cover up our illness or physical deficiencies. The main reason is because we do not want to inspire pity and we would like to project certain image of “perfection”. It’s really took a lot of hard work to maintain perfection or illusion of perfection.
2. It’s better to give than to take. Most of my life I have always think that giving is identic with giving material possessions. But it can be in any form including giving time, time to meet people, time to listen, etc.
3. When faced with sufferings or trials we are faced with two choices. Facing it with lots of anger (thinking I do not deserve this and dwell in it) or accept it with open heart and don’t create more misery for other people around us.
4. We cannot always control what happened to us and keep in mind that nothing is permanent.
Valentina
It is so amazing that a terminally ill person like Morrie Schwartz realized so much truth about life and he focus on sharing this wisdom with others rather than focusing just on himself and his problems. The speech by Mitch Albom is very touching and inspiring as it was about what he learned from Morrie.
To share is to care and love only grows by sharing. By learning to give, we learn to cut off our attachments. It is said that a kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal and happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give, thus we should focus out on bringing happiness to others before it is too late so that we will not have any regrets at the time of death.
To quote Mitch Albom, “one life touches another, touches another”…. The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth. The world will be a better place if everyone can show love and care to each other….
Thank you, Rinpoche, for sharing this inspiring video.
The book Tuesdays With Morrie is a simple yet profound story about a writer getting chance to discover life through a friend, Morrie.
“GIVING MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I AM LIVING”
Morrie teaches everyone how to live our life to the fullest, at the final moment, all you purchased, all we owned become no value at all except people you love and dharma.
Morrie’s wisdom words made us look at our life as well and face some questions about the direction we are heading in.
Furthermore, Morrie’s words also give people a new perspective and a renewed determination to live to the fullest in spite of circumstances.
This video also reminded me what life is all about. Unforgettable story—about love, compassion, forgiveness—everything that is truly important.
Through the recommendation of a friend, I read this book “Tuesdays with Morries” in year 2000. This is the first time I read a book of such nature, that talks about life, death, for others, and the purposes. It was an easy read, and I finished reading the book quite fast, but it has really got me thinking about what is the purpose of my life.
Most of us don’t know when our lives will end, and as such, we tend to think that it will be a long time before our lives will end, and therefore we do things (mostly about acquiring material objects) which are “important” to us, and forgot about caring for the people around us. If, at the time of death, we know that all the material belongings are not important to us, then why are they important now? This is something we must remember and keep remembering.
I find this quote very interesting: “… and the way you can feel alive is by giving”, because Rinpoche also keep reminding me that the purpose of my life is to serve others.
Thank you rinpoche for sharing with us this very nice video of Mitch Albom’s speech, which was shared to Rinpoche via FB from Sandy Clarke.Amazing speech by Mitch Albom!
The speech given by Mitch Albom is very touching and has a lot of wisdom and truth about life. We should be living our moments as out last. We must care for those around us and not just focus on ourselves and the little things. If we are not lucky, we must not drown ourselves in our self pity. Also, I learned that in certain times, you just can listen.
I read the book Tuesdays with Morrie when I was primary 6. A school teacher of mine really liked the book and gave it to me. I remember crying my eyes out as I read the story.
Mitch is such an eloquent speaker who convey the wisdom of his teacher taught him to a public audience in a very easy to understand way. To me he has internalized the teachings in himself and living it. I am very happy for him that a chance came when he saw his professor on the screen and he connected back with his professor thus the most profound aspects of this great professor was passed down to a living person. I very very much agreed that giving and relationship form the core of being human. One additional thing came to my mind is I am afraid of giving. Thru giving we connect with other human and other sentient beings. Therefore it is something priceless for both side. The giver and the receiver. We cannot live our lives forever with the mindset of taking. In the end there won’t be anything left for us.
I read the book Tuesdays with Morrie and found it to be so very inspiring. The lesson I got from the book and the talk above is that human beings are the Important and Our Relationships with others really do matter. Our relatives and friends are not just there for us to hang out with, rely on, do things for us, help us when we have problems. Our friends and relatives have karmic relationship with us, hence it is not accident we have met them. Hence we should cherish this connection to another human being in our lives and the people we connect to is not just for our own utility or our comfort, hence this connection we should strive to make the best out of it and bring some benefit to all those we touch.
This short 25 mins speech by Mitch is amazing and really got me thinking of my purpose in life. No doubt I have been living a life full of self indulgence. I was brought up this way thinking that money solves all MY problems. And not having money creates more problems for ME.
Thankfully, I found out in the recent years that this is not the case. Money or no money, MY problems will always be there if I focus on MY own problems. I will never be happy if I continue to put the blame on the world for my own problems, simply because it is never ending.
Like what Mitch said in his speech about how his old friend found peace and happiness through giving, our purpose in this life has never been about ourselves. I guess somehow this concept got corrupted which explains why majority of us are always unhappy.
Thanks to Rinpoche, I realized happiness comes very easily. All we have to do is to focus out. Focus on bringing happiness to others. This actually has a multiplying effect. When we bring happiness to others, and when they feel our sincerity, they will do the same. They will pay it forward by bringing happiness to others as well.
Happiness can come in many forms. Something as simple as feeding the homeless can bring happiness. Imagine a homeless person who has been hungry for a couple of days and you very kindly gave him some food. This food may just be food to you, but to this homeless person, this food is hope and inspiration. It might just help him stand up on his feet.
So yes, the world is much larger to waste time focusing on just ourselves. It is as simple as that.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing with us this very nice video of Mitch Albom’s speech, which was shared to Rinpoche via FB from Sandy Clarke.
The speech given by Mitch Albom is very touching and with much wisdom about life. How we should live every moment like it’s our last by being genuine to ourselves and to others. To care about those around us rather than focusing only about ourselves and our problems, forgetting all the small things in life that makes life so beautiful. When dealt with a bad set of card in life, how do we deal with it the best we can, rather than spending time wallowing in self pity and think that life is so unfair.
Watching this video makes me realize that all of us are but a small part of something bigger. Hence if everyone can be a little more sensitive towards others and truly take the time to listen and care, then the world will become a much better place.
As Mitch Albom said nearing the end of his speech, “one life touches another, touches another.”
Joe
Oh gawd! This is such a tearjerker. I think I teared a lot throughout watching this video because a lot of what Mitch Albom experienced with Morrie was very similar to my little relationship with Rinpoche. Although Rinpoche does not have a terminal disease but his method to teach me to give is oh-so-similar. Rinpoche is constantly learning and having realizations about himself and his students, which he never fails to impart in teachings and in his actions.
There’s just so many experiences I had with Rinpoche and he is always getting me to massage him – his aching neck, legs and shoulders. And they are such a testament to him teaching me the offering of touch. He would always encourage me to offer it to other people too. Rinpoche would always make sincere and heartfelt statements about animals and people whenever he hears that they are experiencing suffering of any kind. Rinpoche jokes about everything but he would never joke about people who are suffering and it is always accompanied by a pained expression that reveals his communion with those that suffer.
Last of all, Rinpoche would always make me spend hours upon hours telling him ‘new news.’ Hearing that word would never fail to inspire me with fear and desperation because my lazy mind would immediately focus on the fact that I have nothing left to say. New news is such a testament to the act of giving even if it’s just me talking and when he does his meditations and prayers, all he does is listen. This was exactly what Morrie told Mitch to do at his grave, Mitch was to do the talking and Morrie promises to listen.
These are just incredible similarities. Its kinda sad to be reminded of their meaning via this speech when I encounter it almost on a daily basis with Rinpoche while Mitch experience it for a limited amount of time.
Amazing speech by Mitch Albom!
I feel that Mitch Albom himself must be a very wise person even before he met Morrie whom was terminally ill. The very fact that he realized Morrie’s extraordinary quality which brought him to come back every Tuesdays itself is very amazing… he realized, he was unhappy even though he was young and healthy, while Morrie whom was old and dying was happy. I think this point, not many people realize which is thus his explanation about the hour glass… that people think their hour glass is always full, when the reality is you can’t even proof tomorrow will be there for you. Despite the fact that every grain of sand in our hour glass will be the same as our last, we fail to see the preciousness of each and every grain… and we ignorantly waste it, not appreciating each and every one of it when the truth is life would be much more fulfilling if we cherish every moment.
What also made me so inspired on the life of Morrie, is at the very late stage of his life, he realized so many truths about life which he takes this chance to bring it to the people around him…
Giving makes me feel like I’m living… what he said here is so true. Mitch’s speech on Morrie shows how much he learnt and realized on the pointlessness of being attached… as the things that we own will be no use at our final moments in life.
It truly is amazing what a terminally ill person can do, to bring so much wisdom and truth about life, and it is also so fortunate that Mitch actually took the time to record and write a book on his fortunate encounter with Prof Morrie. It truly makes us think that being fully able bodied, we need to bring more life into others, bring more meaning into other people’s lives… and never miss a single moment in life to bring benefit to others as it may be our last.
Very inspiring and powerful talk… one that all should listen to.
This is an enjoyable video talking of human ethics and morals. It’s about keeping promises, choosing to be positive even after being told that death is near, and not being depressed with that ‘poor me’ attitude but focusing on others, learning new things, compassion, giving and not taking because giving is like living while taking is akin to dying; impermanence, that death is inevitable and what we own cannot be brought with us when the time comes; interaction and inter dependency.
It is dharma values.
This is one of the best videos I have ever watched and everyone should spend 35minutes to get a lifetime of wisdom. Mitch Albom delivers a powerful speech about lessons he learned from his friend Morrie who was dying from ALS. Amongst the many pearls of wisdom, Morrie learned that when you come face to face with your own mortality, you realise that anyone anywhere in the same situation is a brother and you cannot help but feel compassion. Morrie talked about how it is in giving that we feel like we are living and in taking that we feel like we are dying. Finally, the last breath we draw is like the last drop of sand through the hourglass, and what we relize to be truly important at that last drop must also apply to each and every drop of the sand.
There is so much in this video that makes so much sense. It is full of lessons about life that people learn when they are facing death, brought forward to us now so that we can gain from it and benefit others from it.
The speech by Augie Nieto, who also suffered from ALS and started “Augie’s Quest” to find a cure for ALS is very touching and again, we see what people realize towards the end of their lives.
A find a quote worth remembering, that is “death ends a life, but not the relationship”.
[…] （点击此处点击此处阅读更多关于尊贵的詹杜固仁波切的部落格文章） […]