On Fear

“Someday you will die
Lying on your sick bed, about to breath your last breath
You will be assailed by every kind of pain,
Your mind will be filled with fears and anxieties and you will not know where to go or what to do,
Only then will you realize you have not practiced well
The skandhas/aggregates (matter, sensations, conceptions, impulses and consciousness) and the four elements within you will quickly disintegrate,
And your consciousness will be pulled wherever your ancient, twisted karma leads it.
Impermanence does not hesitate
Death will not wait
You will not be able to extend your life by even a second,
How many thousand times more will you have to pass through the gates of birth and death?
If these words are challenging, even insulting, let them be encouragement for you to change.
Practice heroically
Do not accumulate unnecessary possessions
Don’t give up
Still your ind, end wrong perceptions, concentrate and do not run after the objects of your senses.
Practice diligently
Be determined not to let your days and months pass by wastefully.”
Zen Master Guishan