It seems to me that, in the times that are upon us and those that are soon to come, we must do our best to cultivate a special kind of courage. Not the kind of courage that seeks to vanquish a foe through force or violence but that courage which faces a terrible fate determined to hold fast to what is right and good until the end. The courage not to give in to the cowardice of low-minded self-concern in the face of certain doom.
Everyday I reflect on the pain of millions of hungry, hopeless and bereft mothers, children, fathers, and grandparents and everyday I come to the inescapable conclusion that death, destruction, war, drought and famine will soon be upon us. At times I feel like crawling into a hole and pretending the world isn’t crumbling around us but I owe to my children, my parents, my teachers and friends to do what I can in these final years.
May I live my life with compassion and have the courage to do what is right and good no matter how painful it is.
May we live our lives so that we may die without regret.
“‘Just as a cow to be slaughtered being led to the slaughterhouse, with every step of its foot closer to its slaughtering, closer to death, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a cow to be slaughtered — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.’
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
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