Everyone dies. We all know it, but most of us live our lives as if we were going to live forever. What's wrong with that? You might ask. Nothing, except that you might waste your life and, for sure, you'll miss a great deal of the beauty and joy that comes from truly appreciating life. Contemplating on death is an important part of the Buddhist spiritual path. You might think that living in awareness of the fact that you could die at any moment would be a miserable mind state, but in fact, the opposite is true. When you're aware of the inevitability of death, you don't take anything, or anyone, for granted. You don't miss the beauty and joy in a single moment, and you don't let sadness and pain get you down because you know it won't last. Contemplating on the fact that you could die at any moment - accidents happen and the people they happen to never thought it I would happen to them either - also helps sort out your priorities. When you ask what will be important at the moment of … [Read more...]