The following are five basic thoughts comprising meditation on impermanence:
1. “Think That Nothing Lasts.”
First, the external world is produced, then it persists. Finally, destroyed by fire and flood, nothing remains of it, not even specks of dust!
Last year, this year, yesterday, today, even months and years, are quickly used up.
All living beings, the contents of the world, are impermanent. First you were an infant; later a child; then a youth; now an old man. Each day, each month quickly brings us closer and closer to death. Meditate on all this, and think, “What should I do?”
2. “Think That Many Other People Have Died.”
Remember that although there are those living who are older, younger or the same age as yourself, there are many more who are dead. This one died; that one, too, turned to dust. First they grew old, then they died! The two always seem to go together.
Often, happy, joyful people die so suddenly that they have no time to think or reminisce.
Sometimes, even without dying, prominent men fall; the lowly become prominent. A beggar becomes rich; a rich man becomes a beggar, and so on.
Since absolutely nothing in your daily experience transcends impermanence, at some time it is bound to affect you also. So right now, while there is still time, think, “I really must practice Dharma strenuously!”
3. “Think Repeatedly of the Many Circumstances Which Might Cause Death.”
Since there are a great many circumstances which might cause death—such as avalanches, falling objects, thunder or lightning, strokes, internal ailments, and the like—we do not know how or when we will die.
But as long as we have accumulated karma, death is inevitable. Even our food, clothing, friends, attendants and servants may become the cause of our own death. We never know!
Since you do not know when you will die, now earnestly meditate on the thought, “What will happen to me?”
The Bodhisattva-pitaka [an early Mahayana sutra] lists the nine causes of sudden death:
1. Eating unwholesome food
2. Eating when you are full
3. Eating before digesting the previous meal
4. Not eliminating at the right time
5. While ill, neither heeding the nurse nor taking his prescriptions
6. Being possessed by a fierce disease-demon
7. Taking an emetic and vomiting
8. Impulsively engaging in violence
9. Indulging in sex without restraint.
Beware of these!
4. “Meditate on What Will Happen at the Hour of Death.”
The coming of death is never desired, but always unwanted and uninvited.
An individual who has done harm is terrified. In his dying hours, he experiences incredibly intense pain and the shuddering sensation of life being cut off. He sees apparitions everywhere. He cannot control his body or mind, so whatever comes to mind becomes immeasurable. Because the state of mind at death is very potent, even one careless unwholesome thought will assure his rebirth in the lower realms.
Since [your own rebirth] depends on your present behavior, from now on, get into the habit of practicing Dharma!
Since you cannot reverse a used-up lifetime, even with a Buddha’s help—to say nothing of the impotence of methods like divination, exorcism, medical treatment, scripture-reading, or offering of food or money—there is simply no way to escape death. So instead of grieving later, set to work now!
5. “Think About What Happens After Death.”
Think: From the moment of death, even a world-ruler lacks the power to take along one mouthful of food, one article of his clothing, one penny of his money. He cannot even take his most lowly servant.
After your corpse has been wrapped in a shroud and bound with rope, everyone will turn away from it in disgust. A few days later, not even “the remains” will be left. [This is because the corpse has been left for the vultures, a common practice in the mountainous regions of Tibet.]
Lacking mental control, like a wind-blown feather you travel the treacherous path of the terrifying bardo. [The bardo is the state experienced between death and entry into a womb, during which time the ordinary person acts in ways which reflect his past deeds and is unable to exercise free will. This drivenness and helplessness is symbolized by the feather (the individual) tossed about by the wind (of karma). An individual who is prepared for these experiences is not helpless and may attain enlightenment directly from the bardo instead of being conceived anew.] You wander aimlessly in an unfamiliar world, followed by your “black” and “white” deeds.
There is simply no way to undo the harm you have done, but the holy Dharma and wholesome action will help you.
Now, meditate, “If I do not practice strenuously at this time, after death [it will be too late] for anyone to grant me an extension!”
In brief, there is nothing for you to do but practice Dharma from now on. You cannot simply “let it be!” You must make it part of your very existence. You must meditate on making it part of your existence. Once you have achieved stability, you must become the type of person who will be happy at death, and whom others will venerate, saying, “He was a true religious man!”
Everywhere, people are crying, “A man has died! Oh no! Oh, guru, help him!” but you never think that death will stealthily and quickly overtake you, too! You know that you will die some day, but you imagine that it will not happen for a long time.
Intellectually you know that death may come at any time, but you are not really convinced of this. When things go wrong, you are distracted by samsara’s appearances [the distorted ways things ordinarily appear to us, due to our ignorance and emotionality. Especially heightened in times of stress] and act contrary to the Dharma. Since such behavior cannot do you any good, you have already wasted the greater part of this lifetime!
Think: “Right now, since death is at my door, I must forget about things like food, money, clothing and fame. There is no time to spare!” and fit yourself, body, speech and mind into the path of the Dharma.
When you consider those who simply take it easy, who lack mental discipline and do not take seriously the immanence of death, you should think—“What can they be thinking? Oh, no! They are not afraid of death!”—but keep your own mind focused on it.
Source: Based on Jamgon Kongtrul. Translated from the Tibetan by Judith Hanson. Foreword by Chogyam Trungpa. The Torch of Certainty. Boston and London: Shambhala Publications, 1977.
(Jamgon Kongtrul. The Torch of Certainty.)