A short reflection that's often chanted in Theravada
monasteries states in part, "I am subject to aging... subject to
illness... subject to death." That's the standard English translation, but
the standard Thai translation is more pointed: "Aging is normal for
me...illness is normal for me... Death is normal for me."
The extended version of the reflection goes on to say
that these things are normal for everyone, no matter where. To be born into any
world is to be born into a place where these dangers are normal. They lie in
wait right here in the body that, at birth, we laid claim to, and the world
around us is full of triggers that can bring these dangers out into the open at
any time.
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