Do Not Ask Why the Old Days Were Better
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not out of wisdom that you ask this.
Clinging to a good time gone by, am I letting the life before my eyes today slip away?
📝Reflection
The phrase "the old days were good" comes more readily to the lips as we age. Yet the Preacher declares flatly that such nostalgia is not wisdom. Memory smooths the past into something lovelier than it was, and against that idealized past, today always looks shabby. This touches directly the Buddha's teaching to "dwell in this present moment" — do not chase shadows and call them real. However good the old days, they have already scattered like vapor, and the only time I can live is today. Let us turn the heart that longs for the past into the strength to love the present.
🌱Apply It Today
When "it was better before" arises today, switch the question to: "Then what is one good thing within today?"
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
