SMU DHAMMA CIRCLE
THIS TOO SHALL PASS: 5 REMEMBRANCES
We are all subject to impermanence and the unceasing passage of time. Our possessions will not be with us forever, we move onto different experiences, we lose touch with former friends. And yet, impermanence is a constant truth that often escapes our awareness. We become attached to all things frivolous while failing to appreciate what we already have.
In this session, participants reflected upon impermanence with the Five Remembrances, teaching us that our greatest gift is our ability to mould our own actions and thoughts. It is through an understanding of life's impermanence that we are able to navigate life with equanimity and compassion.
WHY FIVE REMEMBRANCES?
Our session’s speaker, Tony (Honorary General Secretary) took time to explain the purpose of reflecting upon impermanence with the Five Remembrances before starting on the main topic.
In Buddhism, the first step in the Dhamma Wheel (eight spokes of the wheel represents Noble Eightfold Path, the path to enlightenment) is the right view. In order to attain a right view, practitioners need to eliminate discontentment and appreciate impermanence, which is a key concept in Buddhism.
Impermanence means that all things, good and bad, will end. We often falsely believe that obtaining a particular object/success will lead us to long-lasting happiness. As such, learning and reflecting upon the Five Remembrances reminds us that nothing is permanent, allowing us to live each day with gratitude.
FIVE REMEMBRANCES
I am subject to aging, and have not gone beyond aging.
I am subject to illness, and have not gone beyond illness.
I am subject to death, and have not gone beyond death.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, bound by my actions, and have my actions as my refuge.
Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.
CONCEPTS OF FIVE REMEMBRANCES
I am subject to aging, and have not gone beyond aging: Everyone ages, and that is reality. Our parents, loved ones, ourselves, are constantly aging. Ageing itself can also be a painful process, especially when our physical and mental faculties start to deteriorate. While science and advances in technology have allowed humans to look younger, aging is a fundamental part of us.
I am subject to illness, and have not gone beyond illness: All, if not most of us have experienced falling ill. Some of us may think that we will definitely recover after a while. However, having access to medication or recovering after an illness is not to be taken for granted. With major epidemics and pandemics that happened over the years, humanity is helpless in the face of illnesses.
I am subject to death, and have not gone beyond death: Being relatively young, the concept of personally dying may appear far-fetched. However, contemplating death, and seeing death as it is without attaching any negative emotions to it, can, in some sense, awaken us from some of the unhealthy attachments we have to life.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me: We tend to get attached to possessions and loved ones. Reflecting upon the 4th remembrance does not mean that we let go of everything, but rather understand that objects and humans are impermanent. This allows us to be grateful for what we have and be aware of the things that truly matter in life.
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, bound by my actions, and have my actions as my refuge. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir:
“I am the owner of my actions”: we are responsible for everything we intentionally do, including thoughts and actions.
“I am heir to my actions…, bound by my actions”. We experience the consequences of our own thoughts and actions that we choose to have. Day in and day out, if we were to continuously act with such unwholesome intentions, the imprint each action leaves on our mind forms a habit. Once these habits form, they become instinctive and difficult to break and become the lens with which we view the world.
“I am born of my actions” includes rebirth and how actions of our past lives also shape us today. From a secular perspective, it also means that our current actions determine our future actions, and we are constantly being reshaped by our previous actions and habits. Everytime we wake up, our actions from the previous day has an impact on us today
“I have my actions as my refuge”. We have ultimate control over our intentional actions, and as such we have ultimate control over Kamma (as Kamma is not deterministic). By constantly and consciously choosing what we do at every moment, we are also protecting ourselves from future repurcussions. In that sense, our actions act as our refuge.
We cannot always control what happens to us in life, but we can control our actions and how we react towards it. However many negative habits we may have accumulated throughout our life, we still have the choice when it comes to breaking them and forming positive ones to lead a more wholesome life.
At the end of the session, we concluded that reflecting upon the Five Remembrances is not meant for us to be pessimistic, but instead cultivates gratitude within us, teaching us to be grateful for what we have currently.
WHAT DO OUR PARTICIPANTS SAY?
These five remembrances allow me to slow down and reflect upon my actions in my daily life. Do my actions today show that I am grateful to my grandma and parents? Or do I treat their existence for granted, and wrongly believe that they stay with me forever? Reflecting upon these Five Remembrances makes me grateful for the things and people around me, motivating me to be a better person each day.
I’m thankful for the reminder this session gave me. Nothing is permanent, and reflecting upon these Five Remembrances allows me to live each day with gratitude! :)
SMUDC hopes that all participants had fun while learning more about Buddhism concepts ☺
“My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground on which I stand.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
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