One of the good things about lay life in the human realm (or so I’ve heard) is the abundance of petit annoyances and irritations. Whether it’s the sound of your child eating like a farm animal, the constant nagging of your spouse or the aches and pains of a quickly aging body, this life gives plenty of opportunity for practice.
I imagine that if I were reborn in a brahma world I’d quickly forget to practice and bliss out for millions of years until falling from that world into hell or an animal womb. And, then, there are the hells, peta and animal realms where the suffering and ignorance are too great to effectively practice anything at all. How fortunate are we to have children to discipline, tickets to pay and disagreements with most everyone we meet?
May I make the fullest use of this life to practice khanti parami and may I never be reborn in a realm where I am separated from the Dhamma. May I meet with the great Ariya Metteyya and go forth under his dispensation.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
Leave a Reply