The secret to longevity

When someone leaves us, we begin to miss him. When he is around, we take him for granted. This is what we experience when Michael Jackson left us for good last Thursday. Let us cherish our loved ones and do whatever we can to make them happy.

When a baby is born, he has to undergo another three stages of life, namely growing old, being sick and death. According to the teachings of Buddha, nothing is permanent, including the life of a human being. Our lifespan is destined and there is no way we can do about it if we don't practise the dharma. However, if one saves lives or does something so that deaths to beings can be prevented one can lengthen one's life to a certain extent. A man who can live very long now can be due to the good deed of saving lives in his past life or lives.

Taking vegetarian diet is considered a way of saving lives because we do not eat meat which comes from beings such as cows, chickens, goats and pigs. Hence we can live longer if we go vegetarian in food and save as many lives as possible. Of course we still have to do good most of the time to realise this wish of ours.