Practice heroically

Some day you will die

Lying in your sick bed

About to breathe your last,

You will be assailed by every kind of pain.

Your mind will be filled

With fears and anxieties

And you will not know

What to do or where to go.

Only then you will realize that

You have not practiced well.

The Skandhas/aggregates

(matter, sensations, conceptions, impulses and consciousness)

And the four elements in you

Will quickly disintegrate,

And your consciousness will be pulled

Wherever your ancient,

Twisted karma leads it.

Impermanence

Does not hesitate

Death

Will not wait

You will not be able

To extend your life

By even a second

How many thousands more times

Will you have to pass through

The gates of birth and death

If these words are challenging,

Even insulting,

Let them be an encouragement

For you to change

Practice heroically

Do not accumulate

Unnecessary possessions

Don’t give up

Still your mind

End wrong perceptions,

Concentrate, and do not run

After the objects of your senses

Practice diligently

Be determinate not to let your days

And months pass by wastefully

“Encouraging Words” by Zen Master Guishan

(4^th serie Ashtanga Yoga with Mark Togni video)