Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘I have learned what matters to my patients as they approach the end of their life. All the irrelevant stuff is stripped away. No one cares about how much power they had, how big their house is, how fancy their car is, how much status they had at work. What they care about is the people they love… 

The way to live a life that is rich and deeply fulfilling is to build human connections. That matters more than anything else… The richness of life comes from our relations with other living creatures, human and also non-human. It could be animals or birds or plants, but it is living connections with the wider world that give life meaning. The more you can pour yourself into those connections, the more likely you are to have a deep sense of contentment and happiness.’ (from the Guardian)