1. Before death comes, what goodness have you left behind for future generations?
2. Since birth, have you come to know which of your habits are unwholesome and which are wholesome? Which unwholesome habits have you managed to correct?
3. Since birth, if there is anything you have not yet corrected — do you intend to correct it?
4. If you have no intention of correcting anything, then what would be gained from living another hundred years?
5. If you have not yet made corrections but intend to do so promptly — then set your mind to it resolutely. If you have managed to correct a good number of unwholesome traits, and have also cultivated a good number of wholesome ones, then should death come today, there is no loss.
If one thinks only of continuing to live in order to do as much good as possible — even if fear of death remains, there will be nothing left with which to reproach oneself. Unwholesome habits will have been corrected; much that is good will have been done. When the time of death arrives, there will be nothing to worry about and no evil to dread. With this way of thinking, one need not be concerned whether one lives or dies. This is offered as a reflection to carry with you.
March 17th, 2020
