December 5, 2025
A Contemplation on Impermanence
I am of the nature to grow old. I cannot escape old age.
I am of the nature to grow ill. I cannot escape sickness.
I am of the nature to die. I cannot escape death.
I will be separated from everything and everyone I hold dear.
My only true possession is my actions.
Known as the five remembrances, these verses comprise a contemplation practice found in the Upajjhatthana Sutta of Anguttara Nikaya, discourses of the Buddha from the Pali canon often referred to as the “Book of Numbers.” Bleak as the reflections sound, the Buddha suggested we recite them often to cultivate gratitude for the fleeting moment—for all that we have for the short and precious time that we have it.
We don’t have to run from or try to outsmart the inevitable, these verses tell us. Instead of shunning our unavoidable decline into old age, sickness, and death, we can welcome these transitions and live more fully in the process. Instead of grieving that we’ll lose everything we have and everyone we love, we can celebrate them fully just as they are. If we face head on the impermanence that defines us and all we know, we will hold it all more dearly. If we stop denying or resisting, we can open to what is with greater ease.
This week’s Three Teachings show us how three practitioners use this contemplation in everyday life to deepen appreciation, joy, and acceptance. | 
