The five Remembrances.

[sky]

"When you deny the reality of life, you appreciate it less. Meditate on the Buddha’s Five Remembrances and rediscover the magic of life just as it is."
Thích Nhất Hạnh.


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 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.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Wise words. The truth is direct and unapologetic.

Let us dig deeper though, below the surface. Negating nothing, as we embrace and release, the waves of transience washing over us, our emptiness is magnetised with bliss in fullness. In time we vaporise, metaphorically speaking and then recognise essence of our luminous eternal being within.

In my view, as long as we are centred in form, stagnating in ego’s cravings, there is no reprieve from suffering owing to our ignorance. Remove ignorance and then we are free in the true sense of the word.

But I’ve diverged. Salutations to the late Thích Nhất Hạnh for his words of wisdom.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

But I’ve diverged. Salutations to the late Thích Nhất Hạnh for his words of wisdom.

Bless Him, He certainly used words of wisdom with His easy to understand interpretations of Buddha's teachings for the Western World who sometimes find the difficult to grasp....

[Maisy]

I sure see things differently from Mr. Hạnh. I never grow old, the body does. I never get ill, the body does. There is no such thing as death to me, the body stops working at some point. Never seen people I know change, their bodies get older though. My uncle changed when he was in a war though. Some life experiences are traumatic and can change us a lot. Not sure if me as conscious awareness changes but our ego or "person" sure does. We are the same age of a lot of people so it's not like we are separated for long. Most of my actions are a result of ego or my conditioning and not really from me. So to me, my actions are not of much importance but raising awareness is so my actions come from my true nature and not my conditioned body and brain and ego.

[Maisy]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

Let us dig deeper though, below the surface.

I don't really understand why he was identifying with his body so much in those quotes. I thought he was supposed to be enlightened.

"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."

My perception is I am the same as when I was born. The content from the brain changes but I don't. I also don't perceive I am old. The body ages not me like I said. Odd to me he says his nature is he is growing old.

Here's a different view:

"When the lake of the mind becomes still and clear, then the truth is no longer distorted; we get to see and know ourselves as we really are, always have been, and always will be." The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

[sky]

Originally Posted by Maisy

I don't really understand why he was identifying with his body so much in those quotes. I thought he was supposed to be enlightened.

' He's' not identifying with His body, the Five Remembrances are found in the 'Upajjhatthana Sutta'.....

Enlightenment in Buddhism is to see the 'Reality of things' shown in the Five Remembrances....

[Quote Maisy, 'Odd to me he says his nature is he is growing old.']
'He' didn't actually say that.The Upajjhatthana Sutta states, I am 'of' the nature' to grow old...

[Maisy]

I looked those quotes up. Thích Nhất Hạnh just was repeating some of what was in the Sukumāla Sutta. But then to me, TNH completely missed Buddha's meaning when he said "When you deny the reality of life, you appreciate it less." According to Buddha the point of those remembrances was not to appreciate life more, the point was to make people act more moral. For example if a young person knew they would get old and die, they would seek higher values than lust and short term pleasures. So find happiness in what lasts. Place value on things that don't change like detachment etc. Seems like to me the stories part of those quotes were based on seem to be Buddha being sheltered by his father the King and never seeing anyone who was sick or old etc. Then when Buddha snuck out he for the first time saw people sick and old etc. That's why Buddha decided to leave his wife and child and seek the meaning of life or a "bigger meaning" than being a good father and husband.

[Maisy]

Some Buddhist's say enlightenment is knowing your true nature. Other Buddhist writings say enlightened beings have escaped the cyclic existence, known as samsara, and attained nirvana, where there is no more birth and death and no more suffering. Upon enlightenment, beings escape the three fires, or poisons, of anger, greed, and delusion.

So would a enlightened entity who had attained nirvana, where there is no more death or birth, say "There is no way to escape death?" as that quote says? Would any Buddhist say "there is no way to escape death?" One huge point of enlightenment is to escape the cycle of birth and death. So clearly in Buddhism there is a way to escape death. But then they seem to be talking about themselves like they are the body. Seems like teachings for egos to me or those who think they are the body. Those identified with it as self.

According to Buddhism, if one is enlightened, they do not incarnate anymore (unless they are Mahāyāna Buddhist's and believe one can choose to come back to help others. ) But if you escaped the cycle of birth and death and choose to come back to help others, have you really escaped the cycle? Seems like the desire to help others keeps one on the wheel. Seems like the beliefs of enlightened ones coming back by choice to help others revolved around the idea Buddha's are supposed to have compassion so how could they not come back to help others? There were some splits in Buddhism when these beliefs were being developed. Thus the different schools that came to be.

[sky]

Contemplating on the Five Remembrances its obvious to see that none of us have 'Gone beyond' the reality of any of them.... Ageing, sickness, death etc:

[sky]

Originally Posted by Maisy

I looked those quotes up. Thích Nhất Hạnh just was repeating some of what was in the Sukumāla Sutta.

Btw Maisy, the Sukamala teachings are for ordained Monks and the
The Upajjhatthana Sutta is for Lay practitioners, Buddha had Teachings for all So TNH didn't miss the point......imo.