The Five Remembrances

Learning to Die in Order to Live

Monthly meetings: March to October 2027, different sites around the North Bay

Guides: Scott Eberle and Cynthia Eisho Morrow

Course fee: sliding scale of $1250-$2500

First non-refundable $500 deposit: due at enrollment

Second non-refundable $500 deposit: due by the end of next January

Final payment: due at our first in-person meeting next March

Again, please note: all payments are non-refundable

Scholarships available – please inquire if needed

Camping fees for each of the two weekend sessions: amount will vary depending on site,

typically $50 to $100 each time, payable at the start of a weekend gathering.

The Five Remembrances (also called “The Five Recollections” or “The Five Daily Reflections”) are a core teaching in Buddhism. A common practice, both for monks and lay people, is to recite or chant these remembrances every day:

1. I am of the nature to grow old. I cannot escape aging.
2. I am of the nature to have ill health. I cannot escape illness.
3. I am of the nature to die. I cannot escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. I cannot escape being separated from them.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The goal of this practice isn’t to be morbid, but to use the certainty of change, loss, and death as a catalyst to living life more fully. Thus the subtitle of this program: “Learning to Die in Order to Live” (which is also the subtitle of Scott’s first book The Final Crossing). We will meet monthly throughout most of the year, exploring these Five Remembrances one at a time.

   Schedule

            March 27 (day walk):     The Five Remembrances: Impermanence.

                April 17 (day walk):      Aging: I am of the nature to grow old.

               May 29 (day walk):      Illness: I am of the nature to have ill health.

           July 7-11 (camping trip):      Death: I am of the nature to die.

        September 15-19 (camping trip):      Grief and Loss. All that is dear to me.

               October 16 (day walk):      My Actions. My only true belongings.

In the tradition of EarthWays and the School of Lost Borders, much of our gathering time will be outdoors (weather permitting) with intention setting, day walks, stories and mirroring being central to our shared experience. We will also be sitting in meditation regularly, and yet an established meditation practice or an understanding of Buddhism are not prerequisites.

For more information, contact Scott at seberle@sonic.net