Khenpo Yeshe Phuntsok
The precious human life is a limited resource. Your lifespan is finite. Wanting to attain liberation in this life is easier said than done. In order for us to devote our body and mind to the Dharma, we need the same diligent attitude that Geshe Chengawa demonstrates in practicing Dharma day and night. Our longing to master the essential points of mind should infuse our entire life.
From the Dzogchen text “Yeshe Lama”, we can see that a genuine Dzogchen practitioner has his practice laid out in a full schedule for the entire day. The entire six periods of the day and night are used in practicing Dharma, otherwise it is hard to gain the realisations perfectly.
The threshold for entering Dzogchen is actually very high. Here it is said: when the strong determination to practice Dharma has not arisen in the mindstream, one has to continuously meditate on the topic of precious human life. Otherwise, there is no way for one to direct one’s mind into Dharma practice day and night.
In other words, if you do not have such fierce determination to practice Dharma, then the meditation on the topic of precious human life has not penetrated your mind sufficiently.
(Note:
From Words of My Perfect Teacher:
We should be like Geshe Chengawa who spent all his time practicing and never even slept. Geshe Tonpa said to him, "You'd better rest, my son. You'll make yourself ill."
"Yes, I should rest," Chengawa replied. "But when I think how difficult it is to find the freedoms and riches (of the precious human life) that we have, I have no time to rest." He recited 900 million mantras of Miyowa and did without sleep for the rest of his life. We should meditate (on precious human life) until exactly that sort of conviction arises in our mind.)
