Preparing to Die
By His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
Just as when weaving
One reaches the end
With fine threads woven throughout ,
So is the life of humans .Buddha
It
is in the nature of cyclic existence that what has gathered will
eventually disperse -- parents , children , brothers , sisters , and
friends . No matter how much friends like each other , eventually they
must separate . Gurus and students , parents and children , brothers
and sisters , husbands and wives , and friends -- no matter who they
are -- must eventually separate .
While my senior tutor , Ling
Rinpochay , was healthy , it was almost impossible , unbearable , for
me to think about his death . For me , he was always like a very solid
rock on which I could rely . I wondered how I could survive without him
. But when he suffered a stroke, after which there was a second , very
serious stroke , eventually the situation allowed part of my mind to
think , " Now it would be better for him to go . " Sometimes I have
even thought that he deliberately took on that illness , so that when
he did actually pass away , I would be ready to handle the next task --
to search for his reincarnation .
In addition to separating from
all of our friends , the wealth and resources that accumulate over time
-- no matter how marvelous they are -- eventually become unusable . No
matter how high your rank or position , you must eventually fall . To
remind myself of this , when I ascend the high platform from which I
teach , just as I am sitting down , I recite to myself the words of the
Diamond Cutter Sutra about impermanence :
View things compounded from causes
To be like twinkling stars , figments seen with an eye disease ,
The flickering light of a butter lamp , magical illusions ,
Dew , bubbles , dreams , lightning , and clouds .
I
reflect on the fragility of caused phenomena , and then snap my fingers
, the brief sound symbolizing impermanence . This is how I remind
myself that I will soon be descending from the high throne .
Any
living being -- no matter how long he or she lives -- must eventually
die . There is no other way . Once you dwell within cyclic existence ,
you cannot live outside of its nature . No matter how marvelous things
may be , it is built into their very nature that they and you , who
take joy in them , must degenerate in the end .
Not only must
you die in the end , but you do not know when the end will come . If
you did , you could put off preparing for the future . Even if you show
signs of living to a ripe old age , you cannot say with one hundred
percent certainty that today you will not die .
You must not
procrastinate . Rather , you should make preparations so that even if
you did die tonight , you would have no regrets . If you develop an
appreciation for the uncertainty and imminence of death , your sense of
the importance of using your time wisely will get stronger and stronger
. As the Tibetan scholar-yogi Tsongkhapa says :
When the difficulty of finding this human body is understood ,
there is no way to stay doing nothing .
When its great meaning is seen , passing the time
senselessly is a cause of sorrow .
When death is contemplated , preparation to go
to the next life is made .
When actions and their effects are contemplated ,
sources of non-conscientiousness are turned away .
When in this way these four roots have become firm ,
Other virtuous practices easily grow .
Thinking
about death not only serves as a preparation for dying and prompts
actions that benefit future lives , but it also dramatically affects
your mental perspective . For instance , when people are not accustomed
to this practice of being mindful about the certainty of death , then
even when it is obvious that they are old and will soon pass away ,
their friends and family feel they cannot be realistic with them , and
even feel the need to compliment them on their physical appearance .
Both parties know it is a lie . It is ridiculous !
Sometimes
even patients suffering from terminal diseases such as cancer avoid
using the words ' die ' or ' death ' . I find it almost impossible to
speak with them about their impending death ; they resist hearing about
it. But for one who cannot now face even the word ' death ' , never
mind the reality of it , the actual arrival of death is likely to bring
with it great discomfort and fear .
On the other hand , when I
meet with a practitioner who appears to be near death , I do not
hesitate to say , ' Whether you die or recover , you need preparation
for both . ' It is possible for us to reflect together on the imminence
of death . There is no need to hide anything , for that person is
prepared to face death with no regret . A practitioner who , early on ,
thinks about impermanence is much more courageous and happy while dying
. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the time of death develops a mind
that is peaceful , disciplined , and virtuous , because it is dwelling
on more than the superficial stuff of this short lifetime .
Summary Advice
- If you cultivate a sense of the uncertainty of the time of death , you will make better use of your time .
- To prevent procrastination with regard to spiritual practice , take care not to come under the influence of the illusion of permanence .
- Realize that no matter how wonderful a situation may be , its nature is such that it must end .
- Do not think that there will be time later .
- Be frank about facing your own death . Skillfully encourage others to be frank about their deaths . Do not deceive each other with compliments when the time of death is near . Honesty will foster courage and joy .