The Five Remembrances ~ or ~ Memento Mori

 

Day of the Dead, Concordia Cemetery. El Paso, Texas. October 2016.

Recently I came upon The Five Remembrances. 

1. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.
3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
4. 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.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Thich Nhat Hanh's version of an early Buddhist scripture

Cemetery, Mtatsminda, Caucasus Georgia. April 2012.

Numbers 4 and 5 provoke pause. And some urgency, because of numbers 1, 2, and 3.

I am reminded of a 12-step aphorism: We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions; others judge us by our actions. 

Cemetery. Cheyenne, Wyoming. May 2016.