We are living in a moment.
That reminds us again and again.
That life is always on shifting ground.
Conditions change quickly.
Certainties fall away.
What once felt stable.
Can suddenly.
.
.
Feel fragile.
Many of us are noticing.
That the delusion solid ground.
Has thinned.
And that can be unsettling.
The five subjects for frequent recollections from the Upajjata Sutta,
Often called the five remembrances,
Are one of the Buddha's invitations to turn toward reality.
Rather than turn away from it.
He encouraged everyone to reflect on them every single day.
As both a reminder.
That anything can happen.
Anything.
At any time.
And as a guide for how to move through every moment of the day.
From the ubhacatana sutta.
With gender inclusive adjustments,
Quote.
These are the five facts that one should reflect on often,
Regardless of one's gender or gender identity.
Whether one is a layperson or a woman.
An ordained monastic.
Close quote.
Greetings of care.
My name is Aisha Shahida Simmons,
And I will be guiding you in a meditation.
With so much shifting around us and within us,
I want to invite our attention toward the five remembrances,
A contemplative teaching from the Buddha.
On aging.
Sickness,
Death.
Loss,
And karma.
These are not meant to be depressing reflections,
But instead doorways into freedom.
Clarity,
And presence.
An invitation to meet life as it is,
With a steady and open heart.
May they serve as a framework for how to move through each day.
May these teachings and practices support us in meeting these times with presence,
Awareness,
Compassion.
And steadiness of heart.
Let's begin by settling into our bodies.
Finding a really comfortable posture.
Where your body is relaxed or easeful and also alert.
Maybe sitting.
You may be lying down.
If you feel comfortable and safe.
I invite you.
To close your eyes.
Alternatively,
You may want to lower or soften your gaze in support of you turning inward.
If at any time during this meditation.
You feel uncomfortable.
And your eyes are closed.
Open them.
This too.
Is part of the practice.
We'll move through each remembrance slowly.
I'll offer both the traditional words.
And a contemporary reflection.
Then a question to sit with.
Here's what's important.
This is not a thinking exercise.
After each question.
Let yourself drop beneath the mind's commentary.
Notice what arises in the body.
Tightness.
Softness.
Resistance.
Opening.
Stay with the sensation.
If you find yourself spinning in thoughts.
Gently return to breath.
Or focus on sound.
Return to body.
See if you can let the truth land in your chest,
Your abdomen,
Your bones.
For those new to this practice.
There's no right way to feel.
Simply be present with what's here.
For those familiar with the remembrances,
See if you can bring your beginner's mind.
To meet them afresh,
Meet them fresh.
As if for the first time.
In actuality.
It is the first time.
In these moments.
Let's take three breaths together to arrive.
Seeing if you can bring your inhale from the soles of your feet all the way up to the top of your head,
Holding.
For a second or two.
And then exhaling,
Bringing it all the way back down.
From the top of your head to the soles of your feet.
And I will count each breath.
First breath.
.
.
Second breath.
Third breath.
First Remembrance.
I am of the nature to age.
I have not gone beyond aging.
Aging is part of being alive.
My body.
My abilities,
My roles.
And my identities will change.
When I remember this,
I don't cling to you.
Appearance,
Or productivity as measures of my worth.
I relax the craving for permanence.
And offer myself compassion.
As I change.
How can I grow old?
With grace.
Noticing what's present in the body.
What does this feel like?
Rather than.
What do you think about it?
Second Remembrance I am of the nature to become ill.
I've not gone beyond illness.
Honoring different physical abilities,
I remember that bodies vary.
And none of them will consistently feel strong,
Stable,
Or predictable.
Illness is not a personal failure.
It is part of the human experience.
Recalling this softens the fear of vulnerability.
And loosens the craving.
For constant control.
Or invincibility.
How can I show tenderness?
To myself.
During illness.
Let the truth settle into your body.
If you've drifted into thinking.
Return.
To sensation.
The third remembrance.
I am of the nature to die.
I've not gone beyond died.
My life has a beginning.
And it will have an end.
Remembering this does not diminish my life.
It deepens it.
It helps release the craving for more,
For better.
For different.
And invites me into presence.
Gratitude.
And integrity.
Right now.
How can I?
Be conscious.
Of the truth.
Of the impermanence of my life.
Rather than think about it.
What does it feel like?
To be conscious.
Of the truth of impermanence of my life.
Staying with the body.
Noticing.
What's present.
The fourth remembrance.
I will grow different,
Separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.
All that is mine.
Beloved and pleasing.
Will become otherwise.
Will become separated from me.
I must be separated,
Imparted.
From all that is dear.
And beloved to me.
Loss is woven into loving.
People change,
Relationships shift,
And conditions move.
Rather than clinging or grasping,
I can meet life with appreciation,
Stewardship,
And open-handed love,
Love that frees rather than holds.
I honor what is here without assuming it will remain.
Because impermanence is the nature of all conditioned things.
How can I love?
Without clinging.
If you've drifted into thinking.
Return.
To what it feels like.
Noticing what's present.
And letting the truth settle.
Into your body.
A fifth.
Remembrance.
I am the owner of my actions.
Born of my actions,
Related through my actions.
And have my actions as my arbitrator.
Whatever I do for good or ill will to that.
I will fall air.
While conditions unfold beyond my control,
I still have agency in how I respond.
My thoughts,
Words,
And actions are my true belongings.
Their consequences will follow me.
They shape the life I live and the legacy I leave.
They are my continuation.
How can I act?
With skillfulness.
Embody.
Heart.
And mind.
What a skillfulness.
And body,
Heart.
And mind.
Feel like.
Not what do you think about it.
The truth.
That this inquiry offers settle into your body.
Having sat with these truths,
Not as an intellectual exercise,
But as an embodied practice.
Take a moment to notice what it's like.
To be here.
Now.
The practice isn't to make ourselves feel better or worse.
Instead,
It is to support us seeing clearly.
When we see clearly,
We act with more wisdom.
More compassion.
More kindness.
More appreciative joy.
And ultimately,
More freedom.
As Ruth King teaches us.
Life.
Is not permanent.
It is not.
Perfect.
It is not personal.
May whatever insight.
Or tenderness arose.
Serve our practice,
And benefit all beings everywhere.
Without exception.
May all beings.
Be liberated.
In this lifetime.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your practice.
