The First and Second Contemplations

Do you think you can escape death?

Intellectually, we know we will die. 

But we put off fully facing this because, for most of our lives, it is more of an abstract idea than a reality.

I find it helpful to listen to people for whom death is not an abstraction. I learn so much from them. One dear woman told me that as her body declines, she notices her heart's capacity to love is increasing. I love that.

The Nine Contemplations, written in the 11th century by the Buddhist monk and scholar Atisha, addresses the twisting, jeweled path of life and ultimately death. They are a quiet warning of the inevitable and the need for preparation, so that we can go beyond fear and live a fully engaged life.

The First and Second Contemplations are:

"All of us will die sooner or later. Death is inevitable; no one is exempt."

and

"My life span is ever-decreasing. Each breath brings us closer to death."

How do we face it? How do we allow this awareness to let us live more fully? How can I be at peace with death?

Keep breathing in and out, slowly with awareness, I tell myself.