There are many passages where “the buddha”
encourages the contemplation of the inexorable reality of change: impermanence.
One such practice is the contemplation on the decomposition of a corpse while
reflecting on the fact that this too will be the fate of your body. Another is
called “the five remembrances.” The first three, briefly, are that you, I, and
all beings are of the nature to age, experience illness, and die and that there
is no way to avoid these realities. The fourth reminds us that everything we
treasure and all whom we love are of the nature to change and there is no way
to avoid being separated from them. And the fifth states that we are the heirs
of our actions and there is no way to avoid the consequences of our actions.
One practice that the Tibetan tradition offers, "the four reminders," also called "the four reversals" as in the four thoughts that turn the
mind, are often presented in such a way that the world-denying and escapist
metaphysical tenets of some Tibetan Buddhisms become clear. As Andrew Holecek
writes in his article on the four reminders in the Winter, 2013 Tricycle: “These contemplations develop
revulsion to conditioned appearances, point out the their utter futility, and
cause awareness to prefer itself rather than outwardly appearing objects. They
turn the mind away from substitute gratifications and direct it toward
authentic gratification – which can only be found within.”
Among other things, this notion that awareness might
“prefer itself rather than outwardly appearing objects” posits awareness as yet
another subtle atman despite the rejection of atman by “the buddha.” Awareness
arises in relation to some phenomena; positing an awareness independent of all
causes and conditions is no different than positing a soul/self/atman! I find it striking that so many contemporary buddhists have such a difficult time seeing this! Also,
common to some forms of Tibetan Buddhism is an idealism that can become a form
of solipsism that seems to be rearing it’s ugly face here in the disparagement
of “outwardly appearing objects.” Research on happiness seems to suggest that
happiness comes from both within and without and that learning the proper balanced ratio is
what is necessary; not to discount one or the other.
That this life only has value in terms of the
“afterlife” is made overtly clear when he adds: “Don’t worry so much about
social security. Finance your karmic security instead. Invest in your future lives now. Investing so much in
this life is like checking into a hotel for a few days and redecorating the
room; what’s the point?” This emphasis on “reincarnation” which is only seen in
Tibetan Buddhism (yes other forms of buddhism teach rebirth, not the same thing
and equally wrong when taken as the rebirth of some atomistic entity, one even
as nebulous as a specific ‘stream of consciousness’) is another aspect of this
life-denying tendency and is very selfish. Taken literally, this statement equating life to time spent in a hotel, and thus there being no point in
redecorating it, could lead one to wonder why we should bother to confront
structural forms of oppression, catastrophic climate change, or systemic
economic inequities; if this life is no more than a hotel, what’s the point?
Holecek quotes B. Alan Wallace: “In light of death,
our mundane desires are seen for what they are. If our desires are for wealth,
luxury, good food, praise, reputation, affection, and acceptance by other
people, and so forth are worth nothing in the face of death, then that is
precisely their ultimate value.”
Now, I practice the five remembrances regularly, and
emphasize to my students that we should never forget impermanence. The “gatha of encouragement,” which begins our daily practice, reminds us: “Great is the matter of birth and death. Impermanence
permeates us. Be awake each moment. Do not squander your life.” But as a
naturalist, this isn’t a practice designed to create revulsion for this life,
it isn’t a mere “investment in future lives” (other than the metaphorical “lives”
we live throughout this one life that we know exists and the equally important lives of those who will come after, as our actions now will definitely impact them) but it’s a practice to
awaken us from our complacency; indeed it can be seen as a fierce compassionate
shattering of the placid denial we too easily fall prey to, taking this life
for granted. And no mistake, that can be a brutal awakening!
To me, though I agree desire for "wealth, luxury and praise" hold little value and may derail our attention from what is of real value, it’s sad that Wallace feels affection and the
human need for relationship is “ultimately worthless,” literally “worth
nothing” just because we all die! It is the fact that we will die, that we will
be separated from all we love that makes my time with my loved ones so very precious; so
precious that I don’t want to take one moment with them for granted. Ideally. And through this contemplation, who "loved ones" are becomes vast and ever more inclusive. And that’s why constant contemplation and remembrance of impermanence is
important and can be so thoroughly a “turning of the mind,” because the default
seems to lull me – us – into a kind of somnolent, zombie-like walking through
life. Beyond this, I think it’s intellectually and morally dishonest because I
somewhat doubt Wallace, and those who teach this life-denying perspective
actually live with the full implications of what they are saying.
So yes, contemplate the fact of impermanence in
order to live life fully, intimately, to come to see its absolute value in its
ephemeral nature. Practice in order to avoid living this precious human life
grasping at impermanent objects or experiences, and not ignoring them either,
but savoring the good, and working to change what you can that is harmful to yourself
and other real living beings who are also precious because also mortal. Don’t
waste this life as if it were some dress rehearsal for future lives or some transcendent state of being. Immerse yourself in the
world because you really are of it!
Here’s something I've written about the five remembrances if you’re
interested…
Ignorance, or
avidya, is a root cause of suffering, according to Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra (II.5). But the ignorance
Patanjali refers to is less a lack of knowledge than an almost willful ignoring
of reality. Today we call it denial. For instance, we may intellectually know
that all things change, yet we desperately deny this truth; a denial that leads
to anxiety, fear, and confusion.
At a past lecture,
I led a group of interfaith seminarians in the contemplation of the five remembrances, "the buddha's" teaching on impermanence, aging, health, change, and
death. Afterward, one of the students asked, "Isn't this just negative
thinking?" On the contrary, I would argue that the five remembrances is
what "the buddha" offers to awaken you from denial, to cultivate an appreciation
for living, and to teach you about nonattachment and equanimity.
If you think of it
this way, the meditation is not a bleak, depressing list of things you'll lose,
but a reminder of the existential situation of the human. When you accept
impermanence as more than merely a philosophical concept, you can see the truth
of it as it manifests itself in your mind, your body, your environment, and
your relationships, and you no longer take anything for granted.
Once you accept
the reality of impermanence, you begin to realize that grasping and clinging
are suffering, as well as the causes of suffering, and with that realization
you can relax and celebrate life. The problem is not that things change, but
that you try to live as if they don't.
To work with the five remembrances below, it helps to memorize and repeat them daily. Say them
slowly and let the words seep in, without immediately analyzing or interpreting
them or your experience; that can and should come later. Just notice your
reactions. Let them rest until they shift and pass away—as all things do, being
impermanent. Stay with your breath and observe the sensations under all your
thinking. You may experience dread at the thought of any or all of these realities. You may experience huge relief as the energy you've spent denying and
hiding from the truth is liberated to move freely through your body. Who knows what you'll experience until you try it?
Some remembrances
are easier to accept than others. For me, it was easier to consider that I'm
aging and will die, than it was that I have the potential for ill
health. I have a strong constitution and am rarely ill; I had believed that
if my practice were "good" enough, I wouldn't get sick. So, on those
rare days when I was ill, I often reproached myself for being sick and was a
pretty cranky person to be around. But with the help of the second remembrance,
I've grown more accepting of illness and can now feel a profound sense of ease even while ill so that
I don’t needlessly suffer my illness. What this has shown me is that there is indeed a difference
between disease and dis-ease.
Another way of
practicing the five remembrances in relationship is through hugging meditation. When your partner
or children leave for work or school, hug each other for three full breaths,
and remind yourself of the fourth remembrance: "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." If you're having a disagreement with someone, remind
yourself, before getting swept away by heated emotions, of the fifth remembrance: "I am the heir of my actions. I cannot escape the
consequences of my actions." None of this means you should be passive or
reluctant to advocate your views. Instead the meditation helps you respond more
skillfully with awareness rather than simply from conditioned reactivity.
You can also get
used to the concept of impermanence by listing things that have changed in your
life over the past month or two. Perhaps a difficult posture has become easier,
or an easy posture has become challenging. Perhaps a problem with a family member
has resolved or grown more complicated. You'll be hard-pressed to find
something that hasn't changed! As I post this today, I look back over the month
and review my mom’s illness and death; a teaching engagement that took me to
Los Angeles; and a political fight to influence Arizona’s governor to veto an
immoral, discriminatory bill that the state legislature had passed!
Again, facing the truth of impermanence
shouldn't depress you; it should free you to be fully present. It should help
you realize that the peace and ease you seek are available in the midst of
changing circumstances. When you really see that all things change, your
grasping and clinging fade under the bright light of awareness, like the stains
in a white cloth bleached by the sun.
If nonattachment sounds cold and
unappealing, you may be mistaking it for indifference. It's the experience of
attachment, based on the denial of ceaseless change, that is lifeless. Life
without change is a contradiction in terms. When you're attached to something,
you want it to stay the same forever. This attempt to "freeze-dry"
elements of your life squeezes the vitality out of life. The practice of
nonattachment allows you to enjoy life wholeheartedly in its very passing.
Through your attachments you create mental
manacles that bind you to the limited view that life is your life, your body,
your lover, your family, your possessions. As your insight into impermanence
deepens you start to see the truth of "not-self." When you can
extend beyond the limits you've created you see that your life is not really
"yours" but ultimately simply one manifestation of life.
As “the buddha” tells us: "When one
perceives impermanence, the perception of not-self is established. With the
perception of not-self, the conceit of 'I' is eliminated, and this is nirvana
here and now."
The Five Remembrances
I am of the nature to age. There is no way
to escape aging.
I am of the nature to experience illness.
There is no way to escape illness.
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.
I am the heir of my
actions. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the
ground upon which I stand.
