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Facing death head-on may sound like a morbid undertaking, but for Buddhists across traditions, it’s a way to recognize the impermanence that defines our lives and embrace the precious time we have.
In the Upajjhatthana Sutta (Subjects for Contemplation) from the Pali Canon, the Buddha suggests reflecting on what’s known as the Five Remembrances: “I am of the nature to grow old. I am of the nature to have ill health. I am of the nature to die. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. My actions are my only true belongings.” Theravada texts outline visualization practices of corpses decomposing at various stages. Tibetan practices, particularly Chöd, call for practicing at charnel grounds. In Zen, dying is not separate from living; there is no birth or death, only continuation.
With our fragility and finitude top of mind, we can live with more purpose and compassion. As Plum Village nun Sister Dang Nghiem says:
When we remember impermanence, we stop waiting for life to begin. We recognize what is available to us right now: our breath, our health, our relationships, our community, our capacity to practice. Gratitude becomes a wellspring of energy and joy.
Facing death can also help assuage fears around dying and help us accept the unknown. In our newest Tricycle Online Course, How to Prepare for Death and Dying, Zen teacher and palliative care nurse Sallie Jiko Tisdale speaks at length about common fears and the power of naming them to set them free.
This week’s Three Teachings offers personal reflections and teachings from different Buddhist traditions on the value of facing mortality.
Learning to Die Each Day
By Sister Dang Nghiem
In an excerpt from her book Live Beautifully, Die Beautifully: Field Notes from the Edge of Impermanence, Plum Village nun Sister Dang Nghiem tells the story of losing a loved one, and how she embraces impermanence each day.
Accepting Death to Live More Fully
With Barbara Becker
In an episode of Life As It Is, writer and interfaith minister Barbara Becker joins James Shaheen and Sharon Salzberg to discuss the Buddhist teachings that help her turn toward death, and her year of living each day as if it were her last.
Finding Meaning in Mortality
With Reverend Marvin Harada
In this four-part Dharma Talk, Shin Buddhist minister Reverend Marvin Harada shares inspiring examples from the Shin tradition of people and practices that will help us face mortality.
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