Kyabje Gosok Rinpoche
How to Get Rid of Attachments in This Life

The great teacher of humans and gods, Shakyamuni Buddha, was born into the world to liberate sentient beings in this degenerate age. After attaining Buddhahood, he taught for forty-nine years, imparting eighty-four thousand teachings with the purpose of freeing sentient beings from afflictions and enabling them to generate realizations of the path within their minds.

This vast ocean of teachings was continuously practiced, transmitted, and propagated by accomplished masters in India. During the Old Translation School (Nyingma), many masters brought precious sutra and tantra teachings to Tibet. Later, King Jangchub Ö (“Bodhi Light”) and Yeshe Ö (“Wisdom Light”) invited Atisha to Tibet, allowing him to further spread the sutra and tantra teachings, establishing the New Translation Schools (Kadampa, Sakya, Kagyu, Gelug).

These teachings were passed down through generations until they reached Lama Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school. He condensed the essence of the eighty-four thousand teachings into the Three Principal Aspects of the Path. Thus, the Three Principal Aspects of the Path serve as the key for practitioners to enter the path of liberation and ultimately attain perfect Buddhahood.

Meditating on Impermanence and Death

Meditating on impermanence and death: Practitioners must put the meaning of impermanence and death (the three roots, nine reasons, and three determinations) into practice rather than merely understanding it intellectually.

If one earnestly contemplates impermanence daily—both during meditation sessions and outside of them—one will discover that all phenomena in nature constantly demonstrate impermanence. For example, the rising and setting of the sun, flowers and trees withering in autumn and flourishing again in spring, and the unpredictable increase and decrease of all things reveal the truth of impermanence.

These phenomena can inspire practitioners to realize the inevitability of death. When observing the changes of impermanence in nature, one should reflect that one’s own life is no different. As Milarepa taught in his songs of realization: “Seeing the uncertainty of arising and ceasing has made me realize the truth of impermanence and death.”

When partaking in food and clothing in daily life, one should remember the meaning of impermanence and death. At the time of death, even if delicious food is placed before us, we will not be able to swallow it and must endure the suffering of hunger. Similarly, though dressed in beautiful garments, illness and pain may cause one’s body to emit foul odors or lose control of bodily functions, thus soiling those clothes.

When interacting with close friends, one should reflect that when facing death, these dear companions cannot and will not accompany us; one must face the terrifying journey to the unknown next life alone. While bathing and grooming, one should contemplate that at the time of death, the body will naturally emit a decaying stench. After death, the body will be carried by loved ones to the charnel ground (cemetery) for burial, thereby generating fear of impermanence and death.

Practitioners must always remember and reflect on the meaning of the Dharma teachings; mind and Dharma must never be separated, even for a moment. One must not think that only visiting temples, prostrating, or reciting scriptures constitutes practice, while daily life is unrelated to practice.

Another method of meditating on impermanence is to visualize one’s own appearance at the time of death. By observing the faces of others as they pass away, one can imagine how one’s own face might appear at death, thereby deepening one’s understanding of impermanence.

In this life, people strive to achieve goals such as helping loved ones and defeating enemies, accumulating resources to secure worldly happiness. Because they are solely focused on pursuing this life’s pleasures and cling to the illusion of permanence, they regard others’ deaths as irrelevant. They fail to feel any sense of urgency about their own inevitable death.

Time of Death is Uncertain

Because of clinging to the illusion that impermanent things are permanent, practitioners remain blind to the fact that the time of death is uncertain. All their thoughts and actions are aimed at securing this life’s happiness. Even if Yama, the Lord of Death, arrives suddenly like a bolt of lightning, they still cling to the belief that they will not die immediately.

Once death actually approaches, they realize that the loved ones they worked so hard to support cannot accompany them or share in their negative karma. The wealth and possessions they accumulated cannot be taken with them, leaving only a heavy burden of negative karma. At that moment, their minds are filled with regret, but it is too late—even if they awaken to the truth and wish to practice the Dharma, it is no longer possible.

Therefore, practitioners must contemplate their own death by observing the deaths of others. Even those who are strong and powerful in life may find themselves unable to lift an arm at the time of death. They may see their favorite foods placed before them but be unable to eat. No matter how many miraculous medicines they take, none will have any effect.

Contemplate and Internalize Impermanence 

Because practitioners fail to deeply realize impermanence and death, their practice of any teaching fails to produce realizations or meaningful results. At the time of death, the wish to generate virtuous thoughts, practice the Dharma, or receive the blessings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas becomes unattainable.

Therefore, in daily life, one should deeply contemplate and internalize the meaning of impermanence and death. By observing the deaths of others and visualizing one’s own death, practitioners can cultivate a profound understanding of impermanence and death. This helps generate renunciation.

Reasons to Diligently Meditate on Impermanence

Practitioners may feel confused or even doubt whether contemplating impermanence and death while still healthy might have adverse effects. Such concerns are unnecessary and unhelpful. There are two key reasons to diligently meditate on impermanence and death:

First, if practitioners can earnestly contemplate impermanence in daily life and gain a deep understanding of it, even reciting a single four-line refuge prayer can generate immense merit. Conversely, without contemplating impermanence, no matter how many practices one engages in, the resulting merit will remain extremely limited.

Second, by regularly meditating on impermanence and death, when death arrives—whether suddenly like a bolt of lightning—one can face it calmly without regret, thereby achieving a peaceful passing (“good death”).

Contemplate the Scene of Death

When contemplating the scene of one’s own death, a practitioner should reflect on the fact that all the desirable things one has strived for in this life must be immediately abandoned. The loved ones cherished in this life, despite any deep attachment or longing, must also be parted with. At this moment, you are putting on the last garment you will ever wear and lying down on the final bed of your life, while your family and friends discuss how to handle your funeral arrangements.

Even if you wish to leave a final message, you will find yourself unable to speak coherently due to the dissolution of the “earth element,” which causes your tongue to lose its function. As the “air element” dissolves, your exhalations become long while your inhalations grow short. When your last breath leaves your body, it is like the snapping of a string, signifying the complete dissolution of the “air element.” Due to the loss of bodily functions, you may lose control over your bladder and bowels. Food that you once craved now makes you feel nauseous.

The wealth you have painstakingly gathered in this life cannot accompany you beyond death—not even the smallest fraction of it. Even before your final breath departs, your relatives may already begin arguing over your inheritance, resulting in fierce disputes and even legal battles among siblings. Reflecting on how you labored tirelessly throughout your life, accumulating wealth for yourself and your loved ones while committing countless harmful actions, only to meet such a sorrowful end, fills you with profound regret. Yet, at this point, there is nothing that can be done.

Your consciousness, now solitary, departs from the body, drifting like a piece of cotton carried by the strong winds of karma accumulated throughout your life. You are propelled into the intermediate state (bardo), fraught with peril, where you must endure limitless fear and suffering. Ultimately, your karma will determine your destination in an uncertain future life.

By contemplating the scene of death in this manner, it is as if one personally witnesses it with vivid clarity. This enables one to develop an intense sense of fear toward the impermanence of death, thereby giving rise to a deep and profound realization.

Gaden Tradition’s Ten Secret Treasures

Some practitioners might wonder: If we renounce all attachments to this life, how can we continue to survive? Such doubts arise from a misunderstanding of the meaning of renouncing worldly attachment. Renouncing attachment to this life does not mean abandoning the necessities of living but rather refraining from developing any craving or clinging toward the pleasures and wealth pursued in this life. This is the essence of spiritual practice.

Just as ordinary people possess heirlooms that sustain their families through generations—even during times of war—the masters of the Gaden tradition regarded the Ten Secret Treasures (or Ten Dharma Treasures) as their most precious legacy, passed down through the generations. These treasures serve as guidelines for spiritual cultivation.

The Ten Secret Treasures include:

• Four Reliances (complete reliance on the Dharma, ultimate poverty as reliance, death as ultimate reliance, and desolation as ultimate reliance),
• Three Vajras (the vajra of no entanglements beforehand, the vajra of no regrets afterward, and walking alongside the wisdom vajra), and
• Three Attainments (emerging from the crowd, entering among dogs, and attaining the holy status).

Below is an explanation of their meanings:

1. Complete Reliance on the Dharma

Through the contemplation of the certainty of death and its unpredictable timing, practitioners come to realize that only the Dharma practiced in daily life can bring supreme benefit at the time of death. Therefore, they direct all their thoughts entirely toward reliance upon the Dharma.

2. Ultimate Poverty as Reliance

Practitioners may wonder: If I focus all my thoughts on relying solely upon the Dharma and do not strive for worldly livelihoods, how can I ensure that my basic needs for clothing and food are met? Therefore, practitioners should resolve to live like beggars, maintaining their lives with the bare minimum necessities. Even in extreme poverty, their minds remain entirely focused on the Dharma, without any disturbance or wavering.

3. Death as Ultimate Reliance

Due to extreme poverty, practitioners may harbor doubts: If I do not prepare the necessary provisions for living, and if I unfortunately die of hunger or cold, I will lose the opportunity to diligently practice the Dharma.

However, practitioners can reflect that all sentient beings must face death, regardless of whether they are poor or wealthy. Since death is inevitable, it is better to accumulate merit by diligently practicing the Dharma and die for that cause, rather than die while accumulating heavy negative karma in pursuit of wealth. The significance of these two outcomes differs vastly.

Throughout the endless cycle of samsaric rebirths, practitioners have died countless times in pursuit of worldly wealth and honor. In this life, if one has the rare opportunity to die while striving to practice the Dharma, one should feel deep joy within.

In past lives, the Buddha Shakyamuni, as he followed the Bodhisattva path, completely purified his attachment to the self and often sacrificed his own life to benefit others.

Therefore, for the sake of attaining perfect Buddhahood, practitioners should not hesitate to offer even their own lives for the purpose of generosity.

4. Desolation as Ultimate Reliance

Practitioners might think: If I die in poverty due to focusing on the practice of the Dharma, who will take care of my funeral arrangements? However, our bodies are merely impure aggregates of the four elements, which decompose and return to the earth after death—there is nothing truly worth cherishing. If one dies in poverty while diligently practicing the Dharma, even if the body is left unattended in the wilderness like a stray dog, one should remain resolute in enduring ascetic practices with unwavering determination.

5. Vajra of No Entanglements Beforehand

Having established a firm resolve to practice the Dharma through the aforementioned four reliances, when practitioners’ family and friends become aware of their intentions, they will inevitably use persuasive words to convince them that they can practice the Dharma while remaining at home. Why must they abandon wealth, pleasures, and loved ones to live in solitude in remote places, enduring the hardships of solitary retreat? They may even resort to various threats to prevent practitioners from leaving home to practice.

At this time, practitioners remain steadfast like a vajra, unmoved by such persuasion, and focus entirely on practicing the Dharma with unwavering determination. This is the meaning of the “Vajra of No Entanglements Beforehand.”

6. Vajra of No Regrets Afterward

With firm determination, practitioners retreat to secluded places in the wilderness or among lofty mountains to practice in isolation.

Others may look at them askance, criticizing their unconventional lifestyle—wandering homeless, wearing tattered clothes, neglecting personal hygiene, and eating simple food. Some may ridicule them as mad beggars, while others may regard them as great accomplished masters with supernatural powers, spreading their fame far and wide.

Regardless of such praise or criticism, practitioners remain unaffected, harboring no sense of shame or regret in their hearts. This is the meaning of the “Vajra of No Regrets Afterward.”

7. Walking Alongside the Wisdom Vajra

Having begun a retreat, practitioners should resolve to persevere and not retreat due to the hardships of solitary practice.

In Tibet, there was once an official who, after reading the biography of Jetsun Milarepa, was deeply moved by the master’s unwavering dedication to austere practices. He decided to emulate Milarepa’s path, giving away all his wealth and possessions to others before retreating into the mountains for solitary practice. However, lacking firm determination, he could not endure the difficulties of the practice and returned home after only three days. He even blamed Milarepa for his troubles, becoming the subject of ridicule.

8. Emerging from the Crowd

Since practitioners are now able to walk alongside the wisdom vajra, their minds are entirely focused on the practice of the Dharma. Their behavior and actions differ greatly—or are even opposite—from those of ordinary people who zealously pursue worldly wealth and honor.

People may view practitioners as madmen, yet the practitioners remain steadfast in their reliance on the Dharma and take no joy in mingling with crowds.

9. Entering Among Dogs

By renouncing all pursuits of wealth and enjoyment, practitioners find joy in retreating to secluded places for devout practice. They live without a fixed abode, eating only the simplest foods necessary to sustain their physical bodies.

Such a lifestyle appears to the world like that of stray dogs, but it cannot shake the practitioner’s resolute commitment to arduous ascetic practices.

10, Attaining the Holy Status

By abandoning all worldly wealth, pleasures, and meaningless pursuits, practitioners diligently practice the Dharma, thereby attaining the fruit of liberation and Buddhahood.

When Jetsun Milarepa first began his retreat, his life was extremely arduous, and he often had no food to eat. Later, as news of his diligent and severe practices spread, he became revered by many. Numerous patrons then offered him clothing and food in such abundance that he could not possibly use or consume it all.

Key to Practicing the Ten Secret Treasures

The guides of gods and humans—Shakyamuni Buddha, Atisha, and Shantideva (the author of A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life )—were all born as princes of great kingdoms, possessing immeasurable wealth and power. Yet, they resolutely renounced everything to become monks and practice various forms of austerity.

The founder of the Gelug tradition, Je Tsongkhapa, despite having countless disciples, followed the advice of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Even when his disciples repeatedly requested him to teach more scriptures and when Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty sent envoys inviting him to Beijing for offerings and Dharma propagation, he resolutely declined. Instead, he sent his disciple “Zhangja Hutuktu” to represent him in the imperial court while retreating with eight disciples to practice austerities. This was because the master understood that without diligent practice leading to realization, there would be a deficiency in benefiting sentient beings.

The key to practicing the Ten Secret Treasures is not necessarily about abandoning everything and retreating into the mountains for solitary practice. Rather, it involves cultivating a profound sense of detachment from worldly attachments within one’s mind. Only then can genuine realizations arise in one’s mental continuum.

If one fails to develop aversion toward worldly attachments, even if all possessions are given away and one retreats alone to desolate places, true and deep insights will still not arise.

Milarepa once taught: “All the wealth and pleasures of this world cannot be taken with us at the time of death. Since we must ultimately let go of everything, why not release our attachments now and seek far greater benefits?”

Correct Thoughts and Motivations

Before practicing any Dharma teachings, it is essential to correct one’s thoughts and motivations. In previous teachings on meditation and mindfulness, the method of counting the breath was mentioned as a way to calm the coarse discursive mind.

Another commonly used method for correcting one’s intentions and motivations is to visualize the refuge field in front of oneself, with Shakyamuni Buddha as the principal deity, recognizing the Buddha as the embodiment of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).

Through contemplating reliance on spiritual teachers, the rarity of human rebirth with leisure and opportunity, and the impermanence of death (the three fundamentals, nine causes, and three determinations), one should meditate on the appearance of one’s own death and gradually adjust one’s thoughts and motivations using the essence of the Ten Secret Treasures, focusing the mind on virtuous thoughts and actions. Reflecting on the countless negative actions committed in past lives, one realizes that at the time of death, these actions will inevitably lead to rebirth in the three lower realms, where one will endure unimaginable suffering.

Such reflection generates a profound aversion to and fear of samsara. At this point, with sincere faith, one prays for the protection of the Three Jewels and visualizes the deities of the merit field emitting countless rays of light and nectar that enter one’s body, completely purifying all negative karma and afflictions. This is the foundation for practicing any Dharma teaching.

Final Remarks

The purpose of any teachings given by the guru is to enable practitioners to gain supreme benefit. It is hoped that everyone will put these teachings into practice, for only then can the profound benefits of the Dharma be realized, making the act of teaching and explaining the scriptures truly meaningful.

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