As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?

Explanation

This teaching emphasizes the importance of prioritizing spiritual well-being and the pursuit of enlightenment while one is still in good health and has control over their physical body. It suggests that when death is far away and one has the opportunity, it is crucial to focus on nurturing and saving one's soul through spiritual practices and inner growth. However, when death is imminent and unavoidable, there may be limited options for spiritual progress. The teaching reminds us to seize the time we have in life to cultivate spiritual awareness and prepare ourselves for the inevitable, as the opportunity to do so may diminish as death approaches.