Sometimes our evening chants can sound pretty depressing: We’re subject to aging, illness, death, and separation; the world is swept away, it does not endure. But these chants are just simple statements of fact. And sometimes the statement of fact is actually consoling. When we’re suffering from aging, illness, death, or separation, it’s good to be reminded that we’re not the only ones. This is a fact of life for everyone. And it’s good to face it squarely. The Buddha was like a doctor. When you go to see a doctor and the doctor asks, "Where does it hurt?” you don’t accuse the doctor of being pessimistic. The doctor’s doing his job, recognizing that there’s a hurt. But there’s also the possibility of curing it. That’s why the doctor’s there."
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "The Self-correcting Mind"
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