The following notes have been excerpted from the book, The Essential Nectar: Meditations on the Buddhist Path, by Geshe Rabten.
Importance of Meditating on Impermanence and Mortality
The Buddha himself taught many times the importance of meditating on impermanence and mortality. He mentioned it in his first sermon near Varanasi, and almost his last words as he passed into parinirvāṇa at Kuśinagarī were, “Everything, whether stationary or movable, is bound to perish in the end.”
He also illustrated its importance with many examples. In the [Mahāparinirvāṇa-] Sūtra, he said: “Of all ploughings of a field, the autumn one is the best. Of all footprints, the elephant’s footprint is the best. And of all recognitions, the recognitions of impermanence and mortality are the best. They eliminate all attachments of the three realms, ignorance, and pride.”
In addition, it is also praised as being the hammer that destroys all defilements and misconduct at once, and the great gateway leading to the accomplishment of all virtues at once.
Mindfulness of impermanence and death is important at the beginning of the Path, to impel one to engage in the practice; it is important in the middle, to maintain one’s energy; and it is important at the end, to induce one to complete the practice [and receive Enlightenment].
This opportune, fortunate basis that we have — our precious human birth — is very rare and valuable. Now we are to contemplate how fragile and short-lived it is.
Our Karmically-Determined Human Life Span
This human life is the result of actions we have done in the past. Now we have obtained it, there is no way to make it any longer. The same applies in all samsaric destinies. The various Tantric practices for long life can clear away certain hindrances that have arisen since we were born and would otherwise have shortened our life, but they cannot add anything to our karmically-determined span.
So far from increasing, this life is all the time being used up. Whatever we are doing – working, playing or sleeping – it is gradually ebbing away. Second by second, hour by hour, day by day, we are approaching the end.
From the moment of conception onwards, our life is being exhausted and we are heading towards the end.
With our life, each day that passes brings us one day closer to our death. Between now and one week ago, a week has passed, therefore I am now a week nearer death than I was then. With analytical meditations of this pattern we can induce the feeling of impermanence.
Recognising Impermanence and Mortality Cuts Dissatisfaction
Perhaps at present we have a good situation — good food, adequate clothes, pleasant surroundings — but even so, we are preoccupied with trying to get more, so that we can be even happier.
The reason for such dissatisfaction is a lack of recognition of the fact of impermanence and mortality. If one really has this recognition, then the constant desire for even more pleasures, though not abandoned completely, dwindles into insignificance.
Practising Dharma Is a Vital Priority
Much of our life has already gone; we do not know how much we have left, but a lot of it we shall certainly spend in sleeping and necessary tasks, and probably a lot in arguing and insignificant actions, so that the time left to practise Dharma seriously will be very small.
If we examine our day carefully, we find that much of it is consumed in trivial tasks and activities, and very little in genuine spiritual practice. Seeing how little time we actually have for practice, we should develop the urge to use it as well as we can.
Thus we must realize that our life is very limited, but since at present we have conditions suitable for the practice of Dharma, we must use what time we have in the most positive way possible.
We must see that everyone is mortal, including ourself, and ask ourself if we are really succeeding in eliminating negativity and practising virtue, so that we shall be able to die without regret.
Contemplating the Uncertainty of the Time of Death
We contemplate the uncertainty of the time of death to see that we must engage in the practice of Dharma immediately, without procrastinating. At present we have life in our body, but it may well happen today that these two will separate and this body become a corpse, ripe for burial or cremation.
It is easy to see this uncertainty in the case of other people, but we have to apply it to ourself and realize that the time of our own death is completely uncertain, and therefore we must practise Dharma straight away.
Some people get up in the morning but are dead by the afternoon. Some go to sleep expecting to wake up, but never do. Some are alive in one moment and dead the next.
What if I am healthy just now? Conditions that cause sudden death can appear any moment and envelop us, like clouds on a mountain. One minute we look out of the window and see it is a beautiful, sunny day; the next, the clouds have rolled in and it is dark and gloomy. Thus, if we do not look after our mind but are simply concerned with petty things such as our work, last year, or next year, then some time or other, death will suddenly be upon us.
Usually we make plans for what we shall do tomorrow morning: I have this work to do and I shall get up at such and such a time. But in reality, we cannot say which will come first, that awakening and work, or the experience of the intermediate state between death and birth. Quite possibly we shall not wake up. Therefore, we must resolve to practise the Dharma now.
Reflecting again and again, over a long period, on these reasons why the length of one’s life is uncertain and one could very well die soon, one develops an increasingly strong awareness of the imminence and unpredictability of death. In proportion to this increase of awareness, one’s interest in trivial activities will diminish, until one is concerned only with the practice of Dharma and nothing else matters. Such mindfulness of one’s mortality is the gateway to genuine spiritual practice.
What Truly Matters at Death
Even this body, which we have cherished so much, is no use at the time of death. It is left behind, while the component of consciousness that goes on is propelled unpredictably by the force of karma to any of the six destinies, just as a leaf blown off a tree by an autumn wind may end up anywhere.
When we die, our body, possessions and friends and loved ones are of no use to us at all. But there is something that can help at that time, namely our own spiritual practice.
Geshe Rabten also refers to the eight worldly concerns, which are: concern with (1) gain and (2) loss, (3) pleasure and (4) pain, (5) fame and (6) dishonour, (7) praise and (8) blame.
These are elements of our own mind, not something physical that could be cut out by surgery. The most effective way to overcome them is by meditating on one’s mortality.
When we die, all our worldly activities will fade uselessly away. So we must now put all these insignificant activities aside and engage wholeheartedly in the practice of the Lam Rim, the Path to Buddhahood. (For further information on the Lam Rim, visit https://www.lamrimpath.org/)
For meditating on death to induce the wish to practise, we have of course to accept the existence of future lives. Anyone we ask will agree that he or she is going to die, but how they feel about this will vary widely, because of their different ideas about the future life. A Tibetan lama asked his disciples: “The future lives are much longer than this one – do you have provisions for this journey? They are much harsher – do you have a suitable companion?” The provisions and companion we need are our own practice of the Dharma.
It is best if we can devote our daily life completely to the Dharma. If we still have many other tasks and cannot do this, we must strive to increase the influence of Dharma in our life.
For further discussion of meditation on death, see the very clear article by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, “Death and the Way”, in From Tushita. (http://teachingsfromtibet.com/2017/04/14/death-and-the-way/)
Source: Rabten, Geshe. The Essential Nectar: Meditations on the Buddhist Path. Edited by Martin Willson. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2014.
Eight Worldly Concerns
The eight worldly concerns dominate our lives, cause us problems, and make us waste our potential.
They arise easily when we think only of the happiness of this life.
The eight worldly concerns are the chief distractions to practicing the Dharma and transforming our minds.
They can be grouped into four pairs:
(1) Attachment to receiving material possessions, and aversion to not receiving them or to being separated from them
(2) Attachment to praise or approval, and aversion to blame or disapproval
(3) Attachment to a good reputation (having a good image, others thinking well of you), and aversion to a bad reputation
(4) Attachment to pleasures of the five senses, and aversion to unpleasant experiences
Reflecting on impermanence and death enlarges our perspective and helps us set our priorities wisely.
This, in turn, enables us to turn our attention away from the eight worldly concerns to more important activities, such as cultivating compassion and wisdom.
The Nine-Point Death Meditation
Considering the mortality of ourselves and others helps us clarify our priorities so that we make our life truly worthwhile and meaningful. Thinking of your own life, consider:
(1) Death is inevitable, definite. There is no way to avoid dying.
Contemplate:
(a) Nothing can prevent our eventually dying. Everyone who is born must die, no matter who we are. Reflect that you and everyone you know and care for will die one day.
(b) Our lifespan can’t be extended when it is time for us to die. With each passing moment we approach death. We cannot turn the clock back or escape from death.
(c) We will die even if we have not had time to practice Dharma.
Conclusion:
You must practice the Dharma, that is, you must transform your mind.
(2) The time of death is uncertain. We don’t know when we’ll die.
Contemplate:
(a) In general, there is no certainty of lifespan in our world. People die at all ages. There is no guarantee we will live long. Reflect on the people you know who have died. How old were they? What were they doing when they died? Did they expect to die that day?
(b) There are more opportunities for death and less for remaining alive. It takes great effort to stay alive and very little to die. Protecting our body by feeding, clothing, and sheltering it requires a lot of energy. Dying, on the other hand, requires little effort.
(c) Our body is extremely fragile. Small things—viruses, bacteria, or pieces of metal—can harm it and cause death.
Conclusion:
You must practice Dharma continually, beginning now.
(3) Nothing else can help at the time of death except the Dharma.
Contemplate:
(a) Wealth is of no help. Our material possessions can’t come with us after death. We spend our lives working hard to accumulate and protect our things. At the time of death, the karma we created doing this comes with us, while we leave the money and possessions behind.
(b) Friends and relatives are of no help. They remain here while we go on to our next life. However, the karmic seeds of the actions we did in relation to these people come with us into the next life.
(c) Not even our body is of any help. It is cremated or buried and is of no use to anyone. The karma we created in beautifying, pampering, and seeking pleasure for this body, however, will influence our future experiences.
Conclusion:
You must practice the Dharma purely.
You may have spent your entire life accumulating and taking care of your wealth, body, friends, and relatives, but at the time of death, you must separate from them without choice.
What, then, is the use of chasing after these things while you’re alive and creating negative karma to get them?
Since your karma comes with you, and only your spiritual development aids you at death, isn’t it more worthwhile to pay attention to these?
Knowing this, what is a healthy and balanced attitude to have toward material possessions, friends and relatives, and your body?
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Imagining Our Death
Imagine a circumstance in which you are dying. Where are you? How are you dying? How are your friends and family reacting? How do you feel about dying? What is happening in your mind? Ask yourself:
(1) Given that I will die one day, what is important in my life?
(2) What do I feel good about having done?
(3) What do I regret?
(4) What do I want to do and to avoid doing while I’m alive?
(5) What can I do to prepare for death?
(6) What are my priorities in life?
Conclusion:
Feel the importance of making your life meaningful. Make specific conclusions about what you want to do and to avoid doing from now on.
Reflecting on our transient nature and mortality makes us concerned with preparing for death and for our future rebirths. To do this, we need guides on the path and thus turn to the Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha for refuge.
(Source: Based on Chodron, Thubten. Guided Buddhist Meditations: Essential Practices on the Stages of the Path. Boulder, CO: Shambhala, 2019.)