Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche
Treat yourself in a better way. Right now, you are able to undergo any situation no matter how bad it is. However, one day, it will not be as simple or as easy. Whenever I return to my hometown, many corpses are placed in front of me (for deliverance), the impact on one's mind is quite strong. A few minutes ago, this person was breathing and alive, yet a few minutes later, he has departed for another world. When this person was leaving, what was he experiencing? One day, it will be our turn.
If you are unable to feel any fear from contemplating impermanence, you should think about it before sleeping, "Tonight I am sleeping, I can wake up tomorrow. But one day, it is for sure that I will not wake up anymore. When that time comes, might it not be the very same pillow beneath my head and the very same blanket covering me? The only thing that has changed is that i will not wake up. I will vanish from this world. What is to be done then?"
In the near future, everyone has to go through this. This is absolutely certain. No one can escape this fate. Why are we not changing our present state to get ready for this? This coming suffering is fixed. Some people tell me that they do not dare to visit the hospital for a checkup even though they are sick because they fear receiving the prognosis of some terminal illness. This shows how much fear we have about death. No matter how strong you seem mentally now, when death actually comes, you will not have the slightest strength.
An official once asked me, "Master, you have been practicing Dharma since you were young, what do you have to show for it today? What have you gained?" I thought this question was very meaningful, so I often asked others the same question. For example, let me put the same question to you listeners now : since you have been involved in all kinds of Dharma activities till now, what actual benefits have you gained since becoming Buddhist?
When I replied to this question, I said to the official, "I can answer from many angles. But since these are my personal experiences and states, you will not understand them. So, I will reply from a perspective you can comprehend. Both of us are alive right now. In this life, you are much better off than me; I am just a monk who keeps reciting and meditating in solitude, while you might be respected by many thousands of people. But one day, you will die and I will die too. I am not cursing you; this is a universal law. Both of us will die one day.
“When it comes to facing death, you will definitely be worse off than me. My courage in facing death will undoubtedly surpass yours. This is because my main focus in life now is on transcending birth and death. In death, you will definitely not be on par with me. In the world's eyes, I am just an ordinary monk, nothing special. But when death comes, you won’t be able to compare to me at all. This is the real purpose of Dharma practice.
"In death I will not have much fear; in life now I do not have as many afflictions as you. You might say that's because a monk has less responsibilities. Yes, that's true, a monk has relinquished many worldly burdens. Apart from Dharma, there is nothing else to worry about. However, even if you relinquish many responsibilities, there are still many afflictions. Some people who are old and retired are still struggling with many afflictions, perhaps even more afflictions than before retirement. This shows that wishing to let go does not mean that you will be able to let go. You need a certain depth of insight for it. So, even now, I have less afflictions than you, needless to say in the future.
“In death, I will have more courage than you because I am able to control many factors. But you will not be able to control anything -- you will be like a feather being blown by the winds of karma and afflictions. This feather does not have any choice in where it falls eventually. Everything is in the hands of the wind.”
That's why you need to practice Dharma well now. Remember, we will not always be in such comfort and ease like we have today. We see so many past actors on TV from the 1960s or 70s who are no longer existing. Looking at them, we are still quite fortunate — we are still alive. But after a little more time, it will be our turn to fade out of existence. It is time to do something meaningful.
Some people ask me about the meaning of life. It is good to think about this a little. If we talk about food we have eaten, clothes we have worn, our youthful past -- all these we have experienced and so what? If you read the teachings in Words of My Perfect Teacher like the four renunciation thoughts, I am sure you will find your true meaningful goal.
Thus, practice well, be kind to yourself! I am probably the person who is most afraid of death in this world. That's why I pushed myself to practice. “When the time comes to face death soon, what should I do?” — that’s how I think.
A person should take responsibility for his entire future. You must practice well. It is not due to being a monk that I am asking you to do this. I am not so stupid as to follow other's instructions blindly. I have asked myself this same question many times -- is it worthwhile to practice Dharma this way? But my greatest fortune is to have met a teacher who is like the Buddha himself -- Lama Achuk Rinpoche.
Due to following my Guru for more than 30 years, listening to his teachings and putting it into practice, I have some experiences myself and it is clear to me whether it is beneficial to practice or not. I need not seek anyone's opinion as I have verified it for myself. If many people are discussing the taste of food in a place, some people may say it is delicious, others may disagree. But if you have tasted the food for yourself, you form your own opinion, then it doesn't matter what others say.
So, please remember to keep practicing. Remember that life will not always stay the same like it is now. We are very comfortable now; we can choose what we want to eat. Some people who come to Chengdu love to eat hotpot. You have so much freedom. But one day, you will not have the same freedom or choice. How much time do you have left to enjoy this freedom is really hard to say.
We need to have this freedom not only now, but forever. Therefore, we need to create the causes and conditions for this freedom.
Okay, that's all I have to say today.
