Over the past week, we have no doubt encountered a great deal of news — some of it auspicious, and some of it far from auspicious, leaving the heart unsettled upon hearing it. The Self Enlightened Lord Buddha has given warning on this matter: turn every crisis into an opportunity. For human life is uncertain. In truth, it is not human life alone — the lives of all beings in this world are uncertain. We do not know when death will come. One should not assume that a person will live to seventy or eighty years of age — it is by no means certain. If one breathes in but does not breathe out, one dies. If one breathes out but does not breathe in, one dies. Therefore, whenever one hears news that is inauspicious, take it as a reminder to oneself: make haste to accumulate merit — do not delay any further.
Record of a Dhamma Teaching at Catumaharajika Pavilion, Wat Phra Dhammakaya
