May all beings live with death over their left shoulder and kindness in the center of their heart.
May all beings be free of suffering. May all beings know the great good fortune of their great nature.
May all beings be at peace. . . .
For almost a year I have, as they say, kept death over my left shoulder. It has made me more alive. It has brought a deep appreciation and joy to impermanence, the joy of paying close attention. It invites me to participate in the ever-changing present. It says time is a fallacy.
— Stephen Levine, A Year to Live