Every Breath You Take

A former Mrs. Singapore contestant, Liu Jin Lian plunged to her death from her flat in Singapore last Saturday. Her husband, Yu Ming Yong blamed her death on loan sharks.Yu said his wife had obtained a loan to renovate her food stall. She had to pay S$200 daily to the loan sharks but each time when she banked in the money, the loan sharks would either say they did not receive her payment since they had changed their bank account number or else, they would say that payment was late and she was forced to pay additional interest. Yu said the loan sharks pressured his wife to contemplate death. In a situation like this, I suppose there is no time for the Buddhist way of contemplating death. Ajahn Agaro writes an interesting article on the contemplation of death. It is supposed to be beneficial as it relieves fear as well as brings a new quality to our lives, enabling us to live our lives with proper values, and even to enable us to die a good death. As it is then, I suppose that is why it is advised that this sort of contemplation is done at every inhalation and exhalation...or should I say, at every breath you take?