Days pass one after another without much reflection and adjustment. We can easily become complacent. We get older, and one day the doctor informs us of a series disease. We start ruminating about our impending death. But we haven’t adequately prepared ourselves for death while we were young and healthy. So, “seize the moment.” Be mindful, and observe the present state of our mind and heart. When we notice negativity, work with it. Sit in meditation with it, accept it. Remember methods to transform it. Remember others who are sliding down the slippery slope of life without reflection and adjustments until they reach the end of their lives unprepared, anxious, and fearful. Cultivate compassion for the welfare of others as much as you can. This is marvelous preparation for our own death. When we face death, remember others’ welfare. This reduces our own anxiety and fear. It allows us to attempt to practice the dharma when we are dying. This is the mark of a meaningfully lived life.
