MIND-BODY-SPIRIT Everything Changes
BY PATRICIA ULLMAN
When Buddhist teachers are asked to sum up the essence of their tradi- tion in one word or phrase, the most common response is, “Everything changes.” In the set of teachings called the Four Reminders , or the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind , this truth is on the list, along with the ÀHHWLQJSUHFLRXVQHVVRIKX - man life, the inexorability RIFDXVHDQGH̆HFWDQG WKH LQHYLWDELOLW\RIVX̆HULQJDQG anxiety in this conditioned H[LVWHQFH ZH ¿QG RXUVHOYHV in. Buddhists contem- plate these four basic truths over and over again to turn their minds toward them
mysteries which themselves will eventually dissolve. This is the time we’re in now, a painful awakening to the inevitabil- ity of the loss of our world as we knew it. We privileged ones wrongly believed that we were secure in at least some things, like the ability to see our friends and relatives, go shopping, and live on our savings. Those of us with the luxury of safety, an internet connection, electric- ity and water, and enough money to at least survive for the time being can still, even with our deep feelings of sadness and loss, be compla- cent about the preciousness of these things. But we should stay alert, because everything changes. In the midst of this, though, it’s obvious that human beings share a deep sense of connection and an inherent urge not only to survive but to be creative and connect with each other. Sometimes this gets covered over by greed, aggression, and other fear-base diseases, both personal and societal. But we can look for the goodness in ourselves DQGLQHDFKRWKHUDQGUHDOL]HPRUHDQGPRUHKRZGLVDVWHUVELQGXV together and remind us of our common humanity. In this time of fearful sadness and uncertainty, you can contemplate what you have and what you do that brings you some energy and joy. You can be deliberately kind, which lifts you out of your negative story and reminds you of your own strength and power to help someone else feel better. You can think of the things and people you have and real- L]H\RXUJRRGIRUWXQHDQGJUDWLWXGH<RXFDQWXUQ\RXUPLQGWRZDUG the eternal truth of human goodness. This isn’t done to cover over the pain of change, but to shift atten- tion from dwelling only on the negative consequences of that. There LVDQRWKHUVWRU\WKDWLVHTXDOO\YDOLG$QGDV'U0DUWLQ/XWKHU.LQJ -UVDLG³«WKHDUFRIWKHPRUDOXQLYHUVHLVORQJEXWLWEHQGVWRZDUG justice.” In this traumatic time, we can contemplate and celebrate the goodness and resilience of ourselves and our fellow sentient beings. 3DWULFLD 8OOPDQ _ 3DWULFLD LV D UHJXODU 3DWKZD\V FRQ - WULEXWRUDQGWKHDXWKRURI(LJKW6WHSVWRDQ$XWKHQWLF/LIH $QFLHQW :LVGRP IRU0RGHUQ7LPHVDQGKHUQHZERRN(QWHULQJ WKH0DLQ - VWUHDP &XOWLYDWLQJ 0LQGIXOQHVV LQ (YHU\GD\ /LIH $ 0DQXDO IRU 3UDFWLWLRQHUV 7HDFKHUV DQG WKH 6LPSO\ &XULRXV %RWK ERRNV DUH available on DPD]RQFRP
instead of habitually avoiding them. One of my teachers called these four contemplations “the facts of life.” They’re not religious beliefs we have to take on faith; they’re just true. Our lives are enriched if we look straight at them. Everything is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever, as it is. From the moment we’re conceived until the moment we die, our bodies are JURZLQJDQGFKDQJLQJRQHYHU\OHYHO7KLVLV¿QHZLWKXVXQWLOZHWXUQ the corner into aging, and then there is a fearful sense of the impend- ing loss of health and life. Seasons come and go, our loved ones and acquaintances depart, objects we love are broken, lost, or abandoned when we die. Even mountains and solar systems don’t last forever. And today we’re ex- periencing more personally how societies as we know them are tem- porary. Whether they last for a generation, a few hundred years, or a few thousand years, they all will eventually change into something else before they disappear altogether, leaving at best some archeological
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76—PATHWAYS—Spring 22
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