{"id":2056,"date":"2020-03-10T10:25:23","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T00:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/?page_id=2056"},"modified":"2020-03-11T13:09:42","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T03:09:42","slug":"heartfelt-reflections","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/index.php\/heartfelt-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"Heartfelt Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Streamlining: Heartfelt Reflections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In sorting through accumulated notes, books, journals,\nmagazines, personal items, letters and cards, as well as CD\u2019s \u2013 stored in boxes\n(unopened from several moves), drawers, cupboards \u2013 I became mindful <\/em>of\nthe following insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aging: Age 70 Reached<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
  1. A new reality. <\/li>
  2. Time in my life is running\n out; life is too short now to waste any of it. <\/li>
  3. Age 70 must be a turning\n point. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    One Focus Now<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    1. The Path to Awakening,\n which has been miraculously and graciously been opened up for me now, MUST\n be taken advantage of!!! <\/li>
    2. Focus on spiritual\n realities \u2013 the DHARMA! <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Death <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      “Death, like birth, is just a transition to another\nstate of consciousness.” (Lama Ole Nydahl)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Reality of Death \u2013 Realise and Accept that Death Is Coming <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Accept: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. The certainty of death \u2013\n death is certain; it cannot be escaped.<\/li>
      2. Think of the uncertainty\n of death\u2019s arrival and timing.<\/li>
      3. Avoid living in denial of\n this reality.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        After Death <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Think of the journey after death (the bardo<\/em>\nexperience) \u2013 alone for a time; then, a new scenario! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Beyond Life and Death <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
        1. Focus on what goes beyond\n life and death \u2014 continuity of consciousness. <\/li>
        2. Let go of illusory\n phenomena. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Pure Land<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

          Think of the reality of a Pure Land \u2013 recite heartfelt\naspirational prayer to be reborn in Dewachen<\/em> (Sukhavati<\/em>)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Stewardship <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

          Make the best use of my: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. Time <\/li>
          2. Energy <\/li>
          3. Resources [physical body;\n mental ability] <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Reality of Karma<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

            “Samsara is a dangerous place and none of us knows what\naction will ripen for us next \u2013 like we do not know what we are going to dream\nnext in our sleep. It is all pretty unpredictable and haphazard.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Therefore, “the only solution for any of us is to use\nwhatever circumstances arise to further our Dharma practice \u2013 for (1) learning\npatience, for (2) giving up selfishness, (3) giving up our grasping at a\nfalse sense of self, and (4) inspiring us to make skilful pranidhanas<\/em>\n(aspirational prayers or wishes), so that we do not lose our way and so that\nwe can use our suffering as a way of helping others.” (Lama Shenpen]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Four Kinds of Mindfulness <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

            Practice the four kinds of mindfulness: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. Mindfulness of body<\/li>
            2. Mindfulness of feeling <\/li>
            3. Mindfulness of mind\n (“citta”) <\/li>
            4. Mindfulness of phenomena\n (dharmas) \u2013 mental and sensory events.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Daily Life Awareness <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

              Actively practice daily life\nawareness!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Time <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
              1. There is no time to sort\n everything with perfectionism now!<\/li>
              2. There is no time to go\n back to the past \u2013 to live in the past! To continually ruminate on the\n past.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Embrace Change and Impermanence <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                1. Knowledge changes.<\/li>
                2. Love, however, is\n permanent.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  Serve Now! <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                  1. Donate, for example, clothes\n not being used.<\/li>
                  2. Donate items that would be\n cherished by others.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                    Accept the Journey Taken <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                    1. There is no need to be guilt-ridden over the past!<\/li>
                    2. I did my best \u2014 it was my choice each step of the way. I lived the life I wished to.<\/li>
                    3. True, I have a lot of accumulated notes, magazines and books. However, much was collected during the pre-Internet era \u2014 a time of needing to keep information for future writing.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                      Secular Books <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                      Donate the many fine books we have in our possession responsibly\n\u2013 don\u2019t just throw them out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Discipline <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                      There is always a time and need for ethical behaviour:\n“Any accumulation of wisdom is based on a solid accumulation of good\nactions. It’s unavoidable.” (Lama Ole Nydahl)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      A Consumer Culture Is Not the Goal of Life! <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                      \u201cMaking things, buying and selling them, piling them up,\nrepairing them, then trying to figure out how to dispose of them: for sensitive\npeople, boredom with this carnival cycle began some time ago. A consumer\nculture is not the goal of life.\u201d Eknath Easwaran) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Giving <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                      1. Give while I have the\n opportunity and accrue merit.<\/li>
                      2. Don\u2019t just cling on to\n things and hoard items!!!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                        Disposing <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                        1. Responsibly dispose of all\n items that are no longer needed now. <\/li>
                        2. Responsibly dispose of all\n items that are not being used now. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                          Files of Notes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                          My motivation was to return home to serve others, using the\nknowledge I had been privileged to gain in College and University (kept via\nnotes). This has been achieved (to a degree). So now, many can be discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          In other words, my motivation was always to serve in the\nfuture. (This has been achieved to a degree.) Therefore, my old notes can now\nbe disposed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Opportunity Now!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                          1. Use this time of relative\n peace and calm to streamline and organize.<\/li>
                          2. Realize that when\n circumstances change (and they can change quickly) there will not be the\n same time available \u2014 sudden, intensive time demands can occur! <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                            Life Is Like a Story <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                            1. Each period of time is\n like a chapter. Make the most of life.<\/li>
                            2. Some chapters are long,\n others are short. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                              Date: July 8, 2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              (Revised March 9, 2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \"\"
                              Reflections:
                              Putting worldly affairs in order can be an important spiritual process. Writing a will enables us to look at our attachments and transform them into generosity. Our attachments will only obstruct us in the transitions of dying and death, whereas our legacies to relatives, friends, and charities will create merit that benefits us immensely in the afterdeath …
                              (Chagdud Khadro) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                              Streamlining: Heartfelt Reflections In sorting through accumulated notes, books, journals, magazines, personal items, letters and cards, as well as CD\u2019s \u2013 stored in boxes (unopened from several moves), drawers, cupboards \u2013 I became mindful of the following insights: Aging: Age …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":""},"yoast_head":"\nHeartfelt Reflections - End-of-Life Reflections<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/index.php\/heartfelt-reflections\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Heartfelt Reflections - 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