Realizing that we’re going to die forces us to take stock of our lives and our actions, in light of the fact that we have a limited amount of time and it’s important to make the most of the time we’ve got.

"I’ve forgotten which Western philosopher said it, but I remember it from one of my classes at school: that all wisdom begins with consciousness of death. Realizing that we’re going to die forces us to take stock of our lives and our actions, in light of the fact that we have a limited amount of time and it’s important to make the most of the time we’ve got.

Of course, that reflection can go off in all sorts of directions. Some people say, “Well, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.” So it takes more than just consciousness of death to make you wise. It also requires a consciousness of your actions, the power of your actions to make a real difference in how your death goes, and what your death will result in.

This is why the Buddha said that heedfulness lies at the root of all skillful qualities. You realize that it’s not just a matter of limited time. There are also lots of important choices to be made. You want to be very, very careful about those choices because they really do make a difference. That’s the underlying insight of heedfulness.

This, too, is sparked by consciousness of death. In fact, there’s that passage of the four heavenly messengers. It tells of a person who’s lived a very heedless life, dies, and is taken before the lord of hell. The lord of hell says to him, “Why did you behave yourself so poorly? Didn’t you see the messengers that were sent to warn you?” And the guy says, “No, I didn’t see any messengers.” The lord of hell describes four messengers: a sick person, an old person, a dead person, and a person in prison undergoing punishment. He says, “These are the things that were warning you that you’ve got to live heedfully.”

So it’s always good to keep these things in mind, to keep our actions in line with the path, in line with what really is skillful."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Rooted in Heedful Desire"

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