A Post by the Ocean
September 21, 2007
We live in a stormy world, a world of constant change. As in that passage we chanted just now about aging, illness, death, and separation — which, when you think about these things only that far, gets pretty depressing. But fortunately we don’t have to think about these things only that far. We can think a little further. As in the other chant: “May I be happy.” The Buddha has us respect that wish for true happiness. And he points out the way to true happiness, which is through our own actions. That’s the part of the first chant that says, “I’m the owner of my actions, heir to my actions.” This is what we can depend on.