August 4, 2022
The “5 Remembrances”
As I recover from my turn with Covid, I have some time thinking about the five facts regarding life’s fragility – the “five remembrances” (here’s a dharma talk from Sr Thuận Nghiêm about them):
1. I am of the nature to grow old, I cannot escape old age.
2. I am of the nature to get sick, I cannot escape sickness.
3. I am of the nature to die, I cannot escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5. I inherit the results of my actions of body, speech, and mind. My actions are my continuation.
As Joseph Goldstein has said, “When you practice, practice like anything can happen at anytime”…