Kyabje Gosok Rinpoche
Teaching on Meditation of Death

Contemplating and Understanding Impermanence and Death

Since one has not developed a profound realization of impermanence and death, any practice undertaken will fail to produce any real attainments or substantial effects. At the time of death, the wish to generate wholesome thoughts, engage in practice, or receive the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will become unattainable.

Therefore, one should deeply contemplate and internalize the meaning of impermanence in daily life. By observing the deaths of others and meditating on one’s own condition at the time of death, practitioners can cultivate an understanding of impermanence, thereby generating renunciation.

If you feel confused or even doubt whether practicing the three roots, nine reasons, and three determinations of impermanence while still healthy might have negative effects, such concerns are unnecessary and should be set aside.

Reasons for Meditating on impermanence

There are two main reasons why one must diligently meditate on impermanence:

First, if a practitioner diligently meditates on impermanence and develops a deep understanding of it, then even reciting a single four-line refuge prayer can yield immense merit. However, without such meditation, no matter how many practices one undertakes, the resulting merits and benefits will remain extremely limited.

Second, if a practitioner diligently meditates on impermanence in daily life, when death comes—no matter how sudden or unexpected—they will be able to face it calmly without regret, thereby attaining a peaceful and virtuous passing.

Contemplating the Scene of Death

When contemplating the scene of one’s own impending death, a practitioner should reflect that all the beautiful things pursued in this life must be relinquished immediately. The beloved family members, no matter how deep the attachment and reluctance to part, must ultimately be left behind. At this moment, one is wearing the last piece of clothing of this life, lying on the final bed of this existence, while relatives are discussing how to handle the funeral arrangements.

Even if one wishes to leave final words, the disintegration of the “earth element” renders the tongue unresponsive, making speech incoherent.

With the breakdown of the “wind element,” each exhalation becomes long, while inhalations grow short. When the final breath is released, it is like a snapped string of a lute—this is the sign that the “wind element” has completely dissolved.

Due to the loss of bodily functions, there is incontinence of both urine and feces. The once-craved delicacies now induce nausea.

The wealth painstakingly accumulated throughout life cannot be taken along in the slightest. Worse still, before one’s final breath is drawn, relatives may already be embroiled in disputes over the inheritance. In the end, even siblings may turn against each other and take their grievances to court.

Reflecting on how one has toiled a lifetime, committing countless negative deeds to amass wealth for oneself and one’s family, only to meet such an end, the heart fills with profound regret—yet nothing can be undone.

At this moment, only consciousness remains, departing the body in solitude. Like a wisp of cotton, it is carried away by the powerful karmic winds generated by the virtuous and unwholesome deeds accumulated in this life. It is blown into the bardo, a state fraught with various perils, where it endures immense fear and suffering in isolation. Ultimately, it is led by karmic forces into an uncertain and unknowable next life.

By contemplating the scene of death in this manner, as if witnessing it vividly before one’s eyes, one develops an intense awareness of death’s impermanence, leading to a profound realization.

Letting Go of Craving and Attachment

Regarding the practice of renouncing attachment to this life, a practitioner may wonder: If one abandons everything in this life, how can one continue to live?

Such a question arises from a misunderstanding of what it means to renounce attachment to this life. Renouncing attachment does not mean giving up all means of survival; rather, it signifies that a practitioner should not develop craving and attachment toward the enjoyments and wealth pursued in this life. This is the essence of spiritual practice.

People in the world possess heirlooms that sustain the lifeblood of their families, enabling them to endure even through times of war and turmoil. The masters of the Kadam tradition, however, regard the “Ten Secret Treasures” (Ten Dharma Treasures) as the most precious inheritance passed down through generations, serving as the guiding principles for spiritual practice.

The above is a translation from our Chinese webpage, based on original Tibetan teachings.