Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Of the Four Divine Messengers I think it’s safe tto say that Sickness is the one that we are most often aware of in our daily lives. For some reason Aging and Death seem to be either abstractions or something that happens to other people (and ordaining as a Samana certainly doesn’t just happen). The immediacy of a head cold and the frequency with which sickness visits us (especially those of us with young children) make it a poignant reminder of our mortality in a society where it’s all too easy to imagine oneself free of the constraints of embodiment. At least, that is, when we hold our sickness correctly.

Usually when I get sick I view it as anything but an opportunity to contemplate the Dhamma. Rather I feel sorry for myself while simultaneously pushing through the illness, completely disregarding my body’s pleas for rest. So, how does one hold sickness in a way that befits a practicioner of the Dhamma? Until now I guess I never really thought about it except to criticize myself for my failure to do so. It seems to me now that sickness should be taken as a reminder of anicca and that all phenomena are anatta. This seems especially relevant to me as I often (if only semi-consciously) regard myself as little more than a worker drone that must always complete my tasks come hell or high-water with little regard for the fact that I don’t own or control this body or mind.

Another thing which occurs to me now is that when I’m sick (and, sadly, when others are sick around me) I have precious little compassion in my heart. Maybe, as I my symptoms progress from sniffles to a full blown cold I can do so tenderly and realize that this is the way of bodies so I might as well meet the experience with some metta, karuna and, when all else fails, upekkha.

May this be of some benefit.