The Five Remembrances

I talked with a friend last week about how I have taken a step back from so much in my life that has been so important to me for such a long time. I have changed. Relationships have changed. Situations have changed. My friend said she has been working with the idea of detachment. We talked about the positive aspects of caring about others without becoming entangled in their lives or attached to specific expectations. We admitted to each other that it's a difficult process, and it's worth the effort because it is the healthiest way to live. She shared with me that someone just introduced her to Buddha's Five Remembrances. I looked them up online and found a reference to this version by Thich Nhat Hanh in The Plum Village Chanting Book (Parallax Press, 1991) in an article by Frank Jude Boccio titled "Embrace Reality" in Yoga Journal:

The Five Remembrances

I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.

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.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The article is well written and clearly introduces an explanation of this teaching of Buddha. To quote Frank Jude Boccio, "The problem is not that things change, but that you try to live as if they don't."

I found many other links to articles about The Five Remembrances. There is a lot there to think about and understand. It feels like it fits with so many other ideas about staying present and letting go ~ pearls of wisdom that have come my way in the last several months. This is one more step on the journey.