Ajahn Chah

It can't be any other way.

Having been born, it gets old and sick and then it dies.

This is a great truth that you are presently witnessing.

Look at the body with wisdom and realise this.

If your house is flooded or burnt to the ground, whatever the threat to it, let it concern only the house.

If there's a flood, don't let it flood your mind.

If there's a fire, don't let it burn your heart.

Let it be merely the house, that which is outside of you, that is flooded or burned.

Now is the time to allow the mind to let go of attachments.

You've been alive a long time now.

Your eyes have seen any number of forms and colors.

Your ears have heard so many sounds.

You've had any number of experiences.

And that's all they were, experiences.

You've eaten delicious foods.

And all those good tastes were just good tastes, nothing more.

The bad tastes were just bad tastes, that's all.

If the eye sees a beautiful form, that's all it is, a beautiful form.

An ugly form is just an ugly form.

The ear hears an entrancing, melodious sound and it's nothing more than that.