Kyabje Gosok Rinpoche
Teaching on Impermanence

To eliminate attachment to this life, in addition to contemplating the rarity of a precious human rebirth, one must also meditate on Impermanence. If a practitioner fails to realize that life will inevitably end and that the time of death is uncertain, they may mistakenly believe that life continues indefinitely. This illusion prevents them from letting go of their attachment to this life.

Four Mistaken Views of Impermanence

The key reason sentient beings continue to drift through samsara is their adherence to four mistaken views:

1. The first is taking Impermanence as permanence. Everything in the material world, including the human body, begins to decay from the moment it forms, inevitably leading to destruction and disappearance. Its very nature is impermanent. By observing and contemplating this, practitioners can reduce or even eliminate their attachment to this life.
2. The second mistaken view is taking suffering as happiness.
3. The third is perceiving impurity as purity. When practitioners examine their experiences in samsara, they see that everything is dictated by impure and tainted karma. As a result, they remain trapped in samsara, enduring the suffering of suffering, suffering of change, and all-pervasive suffering—painful and impure consequences. By contemplating the law of karma and the nature of suffering in samsara, they can dispel these two mistaken views and eliminate attachment to future lives.
4. The fourth mistaken view is seeing what is without inherent existence as possessing inherent existence. By cultivating the wisdom of correct insight into emptiness, practitioners come to understand that all phenomena lack intrinsic existence, thereby dispelling this mistaken perception.

Gross and Subtle Impermanence

Impermanence can be explained in two levels: gross and subtle. Gross Impermanence refers to phenomena that are easily observed, such as the breaking of cups and bottles or the death of humans and animals.

Subtle Impermanence refers to the principle of “all conditioned phenomena are impermanent,” one of the Four Seals of Dharma:

• all conditioned phenomena are impermanent,
• all contaminated phenomena are suffering,
• all phenomena are without self, and
• nirvana is peace.

From the moment something comes into existence, it is in a continuous process of decay, moving step by step toward destruction. Its nature is without intrinsic existence, and all conditioned phenomena result in suffering and contaminated consequences.

The concept of “Impermanence” includes both the gross level (physical death) and the subtle level (the continuous process of dying from the moment one enters the mother’s womb).

Understanding Impermanence

Practitioners may believe that the inevitability of death is common knowledge and that they already have a certain understanding of Impermanence. However, upon deeper reflection, they will realize that most people assume death will not come soon. This mistaken view of life as permanent leads them to invest all their energy into pursuing wealth and success in this life.

Day and night, people worry about whether they will have enough food and clothing, whether they will gain a good reputation, whether they can bring more benefits to their loved ones, and whether they can defeat their enemies. Yet, they never worry about when their own death will arrive or whether they are prepared to face it.

As a result, when death comes, their hearts are consumed by panic and fear. Their loved ones are powerless to help, and their wealth and status cannot be taken along. All that remains is the good and bad karma they have accumulated, accompanying them alone into the unknown next life.

Because people lack a correct understanding and deep realization of Impermanence, they find it difficult to engage in virtuous actions. Instead, they exhaust all means to pursue wealth and status in this life, creating grave negative karma, which leads to boundless suffering in the future.

Even if they take refuge in the Three Jewels and engage in spiritual practice, they may not attain any realization. The root problem lies in their failure to cross the threshold of deeply understanding Impermanence.

Conversely, if a practitioner develops a profound realization of Impermanence, all negative actions will cease. Their spiritual practice will become exceptionally pure and powerful, allowing them to quickly attain realizations on the path and ultimately achieve liberation and buddhahood.

One: Pitfalls of Not Practicing Impermanence:

1. Forgetting True Dharma

Because practitioners cling to the mistaken view that life will not end in a short time, all their thoughts and actions are devoted to chasing worldly wealth and splendor. As a result, they lose sight of the rare and excellent True Dharma.

2. Not Entering the Practice of True Dharma

Although practitioners understand the importance of practicing the True Dharma, they believe that they will not die tomorrow, next month, or even next year. Even when afflicted with severe illness, they expect the condition to improve, unwilling to accept that death can come at any time. Consequently, they lead a complacent and muddled life, continuously postponing the time to practice the True Dharma until they ultimately waste their lives.

Master Tsongkhapa said,

“Because people fail to grasp the importance of Impermanence, when faced with death they are at a loss and eventually die in regret.”

3. Not Practicing True Dharma Purely

Even though practitioners have begun to practice the True Dharma, their motivation is to secure a healthy body, a harmonious family and career, abundant wealth, and a good reputation in this life. They engage in acts of worship, sutra recitation, and ritual practices, and even when they vow to retreat for intensive practice, they still expect others to admire their diligence, hoping to achieve success and win respect in the future. With such a desire for worldly fame and gain, any teaching they practice becomes tainted and impure. Only by developing a profound realization of Impermanence and aspiring to be liberated from samsara — even to the point of aspiring to attain buddhahood for the benefit of sentient beings — can one practice the True Dharma purely.

4. Forgetting Diligence

Even if practitioners generate the aspiration “to attain buddhahood for the benefit of sentient beings” and practice the True Dharma, they often become weary and are unable to persist with diligent practice. Conversely, if one has a deep realization of Impermanence and understands that only practicing the True Dharma is truly beneficial, then one will be able to eliminate the feeling of weariness and practice with earnest diligence.

5. Failing to Subdue the Mind

Because practitioners have not realized Impermanence, they continuously give rise to thoughts of greed and anger. They exhaust all their efforts to seek benefits for their loved ones and to strike against their enemies, thereby engaging in various evil deeds. They frequently quarrel with others and even break the law, having to face legal punishment. All these misdeeds stem from their failure to comprehend the faults that arise from not understanding Impermanence.

6. Regret Only at the Moment of Death

Because practitioners have not realized Impermanence, they fail to enter into the practice of the True Dharma. Even if they do practice, their motivation remains impure, marked by laziness and disorder, so that the merits gained from their practice are extremely meager. They regard worldly wealth, power, and reputation as the primary goals of life and strive to pursue them, even if it means committing grave evil deeds. It is not until their karma manifests at the moment of death, when they are on the brink of passing away, that they realize that worldly glory and riches cannot be taken with them. The only thing that truly benefits them is diligent practice of the True Dharma. Yet, death shows no mercy and allows not even a moment’s delay, so with overwhelming regret, they helplessly face the end of life.

Two: The Benefits of Contemplating Impermanence

1. Entering Genuine Dharma

When the Buddha was still a prince, he once left the palace and witnessed the realities of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Deeply moved by Impermanence of life, he resolved to renounce the world and engaged in six years of ascetic practice. After attaining enlightenment, the first teaching he gave to the five ascetics was on Impermanence: “All conditioned things are impermanent.” Even before his parinirvana, the Buddha repeatedly emphasized the importance of contemplating Impermanence. Therefore, by meditating on death and Impermanence, a practitioner can overcome obstacles, step onto the path of learning the Dharma, and truly engage in authentic practice.

The Buddha once taught, “Among the footprints of all animals, the elephant’s footprint is the most supreme; among all contemplations, contemplating Impermanence is the most precious.” This is because the elephant’s footprint is the largest among all animals and resembles a lotus. Likewise, meditating on Impermanence allows a practitioner to genuinely enter the Dharma, fully manifest the power of the teachings, and develop various realizations on the path within their mental continuum.

Whether or not a practitioner’s efforts in the path bear fruit depends on their ability to develop renunciation toward the fleeting pleasures of samsara and to cultivate a profound realization of Impermanence. For example, to cut a log with a saw, one must continuously move the saw back and forth; merely placing the saw on the wood without effort will never cut through it. Similarly, only by deeply realizing Impermanence can one break through the initial barrier of Dharma practice and truly engage in pure and authentic cultivation.

Through the cultivation of pure Dharma, one can generate realizations of the various stages of the path within their mindstream, ultimately achieving the goal of perfect Buddhahood. However, if one does not diligently contemplate Impermanence, then no matter how much Dharma practice they engage in, they will fail to reach the essence of the teachings and will not attain true spiritual benefit.

2. Purifying All Practices into Genuine Dharma

Even simple practices such as prostrating to the Buddha, offering incense, chanting the Buddha’s name or mantras, and upholding precepts can generate great power. Thus, both the Sutrayana and Vajrayana traditions place great emphasis on the contemplation of Impermanence. In monastic quarters, it is common to see images of skulls or cloth representations of corpses. Vajrayana practitioners wear bone ornaments, use thighbone trumpets, and construct the Eight Great Charnel Grounds around deity mandalas. These ritual objects and symbols serve as constant reminders of Impermanence. Only through contemplating death can one’s practice gain immense strength and supreme meaning.

The root of a practitioner’s failure to enter pure Dharma practice and their continuous creation of negative karma lies in the deeply ingrained habits of attachment, aversion, and ignorance within their mindstream. By meditating on Impermanence, one can swiftly shatter these afflictions—just as a large iron hammer can smash a cup into pieces.

For example, if a practitioner becomes embroiled in a heated argument, their intense anger makes it difficult for them to calm down, even if others try to persuade them to let go. However, if they have regularly contemplated Impermanence, then simply recalling it in that moment can immediately subdue their anger. It is like pouring a bucket of ice water into boiling water—the scorching heat instantly cools down. Therefore, meditating on Impermanence has immense power in pacifying attachment, aversion, and ignorance within one’s mindstream.

Contemplating Impermanence of death not only swiftly destroys the habitual tendencies of attachment, anger, and ignorance within the mindstream, but also possesses great power in accumulating the wealth of wisdom and merit.

Throughout history, yogis and accomplished practitioners have been able to abandon their homes and the pursuit of worldly fame and wealth, retreating alone to remote mountains to practice asceticism. What force makes practitioners strive so diligently and rigorously in their practices?

The reason lies solely in the contemplation of Impermanence of death. Since the yogi knows that death will inevitably come and that the time of death is uncertain, they develop a great fear of Impermanence. When death arrives, they understand that nothing other than the practice of pure Dharma can truly benefit them.

Therefore, they do not waste a single moment of their life, dedicating all their time and energy to the practice of pure Dharma. By continually accumulating extraordinary merit and wisdom, they attain remarkable accomplishments, ultimately reaching the state of the union of wisdom and method, achieving the fruition of the Vajra Holder.

3.Essential for Beginners in Dharma Practice

At the very beginning of one’s journey in learning the Dharma, one must contemplate Impermanence in order to enter the path of pure Dharma practice. Without contemplating Impermanence, one cannot truly engage in authentic Dharma cultivation.

4.Crucial During the Path of Practice

During the process of Dharma practice, one must contemplate Impermanence and recognize that death could arrive at any moment. This awareness generates unwavering diligence and fearless determination, ensuring that one engages in pure Dharma practice without laziness or procrastination.

5.Essential for Attaining Ultimate Fruit

Even at the final stage of attainment, one must rely on contemplating Impermanence as a supporting condition to ultimately realize the non-learning path and attain the fruition of the Union of Vajradhara. Therefore, contemplating Impermanence is of utmost importance in every stage of Dharma practice—beginning, middle, and end.

6. Attaining a Peaceful Passing

By regularly contemplating Impermanence, a practitioner can greet death with joy and serenity when it truly arrives. Sentient beings often cling to the illusion that death will not come so soon, appearing fearless toward it in daily life. However, when death actually arrives, they become terrified and helpless, ultimately facing their passing with confusion and regret.

Throughout the three realms—from the highest peak of the formless realm’s “Summit of Existence” down to the lowest depths of the desire realm’s “Avici Hell”—no sentient being can escape the grasp of death. Even a mighty king who commands vast armies and conquers countless nations must bow his head in surrender when facing death. Yet, sentient beings continue to ignore the truth of Impermanence, living in a state of deluded perception and behavior.

A Tibetan proverb describes this mistaken mindset: “Only when one reaches the river’s edge does one realize the need to turn back.” When encountering an impassable river, only then does one regret their course—but by then, it is too late. Similarly, if a nation facing the threat of invasion prepares in advance, it need not fear an enemy attack.

If a practitioner diligently contemplates Impermanence and deeply realizes its truth, they will wholeheartedly engage in pure Dharma practice. When death finally arrives, they will have full confidence in their ability to be reborn in the Pure Lands of Amitabha’s Western Paradise or Maitreya’s Tushita Heaven. With this certainty, they will naturally face death with joy and ease, thereby attaining a peaceful and auspicious passing.

Teachings from Accomplished Masters

In the past, an accomplished master gave this teaching:

“It was because of my deep fear of Impermanence that I left my home, distanced myself from my loved ones, and abandoned my wealth and possessions. I went alone into the remote mountains and wilderness to engage in solitary retreat and practice. Now, through diligent engagement in pure Dharma practice, various realizations have arisen in my mindstream, and I am able to face death with joy rather than fear.”

Although not all practitioners can follow the example of ancient accomplished masters by abandoning their homes and undertaking harsh solitary retreats, they must at least resolve not to be attached to their loved ones and material wealth.

According to the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment by the revered master Atisha, the contemplation of Impermanence is the core practice of the path of the lower spiritual capacity, the guiding principle of the path of the intermediate capacity, and a supportive condition for the path of the superior capacity.

The goal of the intermediate path is to attain liberation, and achieving this requires the contemplation of Impermanence as a guiding force. The goal of the superior path is to recognize the boundless suffering that sentient beings endure in samsara and thus give rise to great bodhicitta—the aspiration to swiftly attain perfect buddhahood for the benefit of all beings. To reach this goal, practitioners must contemplate Impermanence and develop a deep realization of it. Only then can they truly comprehend the immense suffering of sentient beings and generate an unwavering bodhicitta.

An accomplished master once taught: “If a practitioner has not deeply realized Impermanence, even if they practice the supreme Highest Yoga Tantra sadhana of Guhyasamaja, it will be difficult to receive extraordinary blessings. However, if one deeply realizes Impermanence, then even reciting just a few lines of the Fourfold Refuge will generate immense power.”

Although the Guhyasamaja sadhana is an extremely profound and extraordinary tantric practice with inconceivable blessings, if a practitioner does not realize Impermanence, they will neither understand its true meaning nor gain its real benefits. Conversely, if they deeply realize Impermanence, then every recitation of the Fourfold Refuge will embody the deepest essence of the Dharma, generating immense power and receiving extraordinary blessings.

Geshe Kyungorwa once said: “If I do not first contemplate Impermanence before beginning my daily Dharma practice in the morning, then all of my practice for that day will merely become karma aimed at securing comfort in this life.”

Once, a disciple earnestly asked his master, “What is the key to Dharma practice?” The master repeatedly answered three times, “You will die. I will die.” Upon hearing this teaching, the disciple wholeheartedly contemplated Impermanence and later attained extraordinary realizations.

The Central Role of Contemplating Impermanence

From the above teachings, it is evident that contemplating Impermanence is crucial for practitioners. Many accomplished masters regard it as the core of their lifelong practice. Whenever disciples ask, “Which teaching will lead us to realization?” these masters always reply, “Contemplate Impermanence.”

If disciples further inquire, “Is there any teaching superior to contemplating Impermanence?” the masters still respond, “The most supreme teaching is contemplating Impermanence.”

If a practitioner has already realized Impermanence deeply, they may no longer need to emphasize its importance. However, if they have not yet attained such realization, they must diligently contemplate it. Only through this practice can various stages of the path arise within their mindstream. This illustrates the profound significance of Impermanence, particularly for beginners in Dharma practice.

Contemplate Three Fundamental Principles of Impermanence

The Methods for Contemplating Impermanence Can Be Divided into Three Fundamental Principles, Each with Three Reasons. By Practicing These Three Principles, One Can Attain Three Determinations:

One. Contemplate that You Must Definitely Face Death

1. No Escape from Death

The first reason for such contemplation: when death arrives, there is no way to escape it.

No matter where we are born or what kind of body we have, when karmic conditions manifest, we can only face death.

To dispel beings’ attachment to the eternal existence of life, even the great teacher, Buddha, who had attained the immortal diamond body, chose to manifest Nirvana. Before Buddha manifested Nirvana, many of his disciples who had attained Arhatship could not bear to see their teacher pass away into Nirvana. Therefore, 80,000 followed the passing of Shariputra, 70,000 followed the passing of Maudgalyayana, and 500 followed the passing of Vimalakirti. Additionally, there were those like Lohita and Kashyapa who, using their spiritual powers, traveled to other Buddha realms. Even Buddha himself manifested Nirvana to teach beings Impermanence.

Therefore, the practitioner should contemplate that throughout human history, whether it be kings leading armies, merchants with boundless wealth, or lamas with countless disciples—who can resist death? Who can avoid death?

In Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the Wheel of Life depicting birth and death is often displayed. The outermost circle shows the large mouth of Yama, the Lord of Death. The second layer represents the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. The third layer depicts the Six Realms of Samsara, and at the innermost layer, a rooster, snake, and pig symbolize attachment, anger, and ignorance. The meaning of the Wheel of Life illustrates that beings in all six realms, from the highest formless realms to the lowest hells, must face death. The time of death is uncertain; when Yama closes his mouth, the practitioner’s life will immediately end.

During Buddha’s lifetime, there was an occasion when the Shakyas faced an attack from another nation, risking the destruction of the entire clan. Maudgalyayana, unable to bear it, used his spiritual powers to place 500 Shakya people in Buddha’s begging bowl, while sending others to the Sun and Moon Palaces. After the war ended, all those in the Sun and Moon Palaces had died, and the 500 in the bowl turned into blood.

Therefore, if the practitioner continues to cycle through the Three Realms and Six Paths, when karma manifests, there will be no way to escape death.

Just as a king cannot command his army to defeat Yama, the Lord of Death; a merchant cannot use his wealth to ransom his life; an eloquent orator cannot use sharp words to convince Yama and escape death; even powerful animals like bears, lions, tigers, and leopards, with sharp claws and strength, must surrender to death when it comes, unable to resist.

The practitioner usually strives with all effort for reputation, wealth, and comfort in this life. The underlying motivation is often a subconscious hope that reputation and wealth will somehow help them at the time of death. However, if one examines honestly, does reputation or wealth bring any benefit when facing death? The answer is no. So why continue to pursue them with such intensity?

From the moment of birth, the practitioner is subjected to the relentless forces of aging, sickness, and death. These four are like four massive iron mountains, surrounding them on all sides and constantly pressing in, unyielding. From birth, people inevitably move towards aging. Due to imbalances in the elements, they often suffer from various diseases. Their wealth, health, and enjoyment gradually diminish due to unfavorable conditions. Ultimately, they will be captured by death, and there is no way to resist the crushing pressure of these four iron mountains.

2. Lifespan cannot increase

The second reason: lifespan cannot be increased and continuously decreases without interruption.

A person’s lifespan is determined by the karma of past lives. Once karma draws the practitioner into this life, the length of their life is already determined and cannot be changed. Even if one receives blessings from Amitayus Buddha, Medicine Buddha’s healing elixirs, or Vajrapani Bodhisattva’s power to remove all obstacles, it still cannot increase the practitioner’s lifespan.

Not only can lifespan not be increased, but it also continuously decreases by the second. Even while sleeping, when the body is in a resting state, it still steadily moves toward death.

It is like livestock waiting to be slaughtered, where the butcher holds the rope tied around its neck, and with each step toward the slaughterhouse, it comes closer to death.

However, if karma has not yet manifested, the practitioner can extend their life by accumulating good deeds and merit.

3. Very Little Time in Life to Practice Dharma

The Third Reason: There Is Very Little Time in Life to Practice the True Dharma, Yet Death Will Certainly Come.

If we take the lifespan of a person to be 60 years, the first twenty years are often spent on indulgence and are generally uninterested in the practice of the true Dharma. In middle age, around the thirties and forties, one is busy with family responsibilities and career, leaving little time or energy for studying the true Dharma. By the time one reaches their fifties or sixties, even though work burdens may lighten, one might have to worry about their children or care for relatives, or they may be in poor health, preventing them from focusing on the Dharma.

Even if one has leisure time to practice the true Dharma, the actual time available after subtracting sleep, meals, and rest is very limited.

Throughout their life, the practitioner spends most of their time seeking to secure comfort for this life, whether it is for the present, tomorrow, next month, next year, or even decades into the future. Their entire life is consumed with this pursuit.

However, when life is filled with the distractions of fame and fortune, how much time and energy is left to prepare to face Impermanence? Even if one has leisure time to practice, the strong habitual tendency to seek comfort in this life leads to procrastination, unable to make a firm decision to begin practicing the true Dharma immediately. This failure causes significant obstacles in the practitioner’s progress in Dharma practice and requires deep self-reflection and correction of such mistaken attitudes.

If one can make a firm determination to study and practice pure Dharma, such as the “Three Principal Aspects of the Path,” they will surely direct their mind toward the Dharma, leading to various realizations and the genuine benefits of the Buddha’s teachings.

Thus, by contemplating and reflecting on the certainty of one’s death, the practitioner will arise in their mind the determination: “I must practice the true Dharma.”

Two. Reflecting on the Uncertainty of the Time of Death

1. Lifespan is Uncertain

First Reason: Being born as a human in Jambudvipa, the length of life is uncertain.
Especially in the present age of the five defilements (the defiled world), where many unfavorable and contrary conditions abound, the length of one’s life is even more uncertain.

Some fetuses die before they are born, some infants die shortly after birth, and some children die before they reach adulthood. The practitioner is surrounded by many real-life examples of death, yet they still cling to the belief that they will persist indefinitely. They think that because they are young, healthy, and free from illness, they are not threatened by death.

However, upon observing those around us, we find that some people, though young, have died; others, in good health, have passed away suddenly and without warning. Therefore, one should not rely on their youth and health and ignore the fact that death, being impermanent, can come at any time.

The practitioner often faces the death of others with a casual, almost theatrical attitude, thinking it does not concern them. Yet, when will the same unfavorable circumstances that caused the death of others appear in their own life? This is always unpredictable.

An accomplished practitioner once taught, “It is uncertain which is closer, tomorrow or the next life.” Perhaps the practitioner will die before the end of today and transition to the next life. Yet, the practitioner continues to diligently pursue the comforts of tomorrow, never seriously considering preparations that would benefit the next life.

Therefore, one should reverse this mistaken attitude and actively strive for things that truly benefit the next life.

2. Many Conditions for Death, But Few Conditions for Life

Second Reason: There Are Many Conditions Leading to Death, But Few Conditions for Life.

At this moment, the practitioner’s life continues solely due to the merit accumulated in past lives and the blessings of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). However, when compared to the many unfavorable conditions that can lead to death, the fortunate conditions that sustain life are still exceedingly rare.

Any kind of adverse condition can bring the practitioner face to face with death. Life’s situation is like a candle in the wind, always at risk of being extinguished.

Moreover, many conditions that support life can, in certain circumstances, turn into conditions leading to death. For example, a house meant to protect from the wind and rain might collapse due to poor design or construction, causing injury or death; a fast and convenient mode of transportation, if misused or not followed properly, could lead to accidents and fatalities; medicine used to treat illness, if not taken properly, can worsen health or even cause death; food, which nourishes the body, can lead to food poisoning or chronic illnesses if improperly stored or consumed in excess, harming one’s health.

3. Human Body is Fragile

Third Reason: The Fragility of the Human Body.

Although there are few conditions that support life and many that lead to death, if the practitioner’s body were extremely strong, they would not need to fear the many conditions that lead to death. However, this is not the case. Even the Earth, made of solid rock, would be destroyed by the intense flames of a “fire catastrophe.” Everything in the three realms would be annihilated, even the smallest speck of dust, let alone the fragile human body made of flesh and blood.

If any organ of the body fails or has disease, life will come to an end. For example, if blood vessels become blocked or rupture, causing poor circulation, life will end. If breathing stops and suffocation occurs, life will end…

The human body is so fragile. Life is so uncertain. If one is pricked by a poisoned needle, one’s life will be severely threatened. The human body is as fragile as a bubble, that can burst with a single prick of a needle. Therefore, the practitioner must recognize the fact that they may face the threat of death at any moment.

Regarding the uncertainty of the time of death, the practitioner should reflect on this more deeply and no longer waste their precious life. They should no longer use the excuse of “needing to complete the goals of their worldly affairs before practicing the Dharma” because worldly matters arise according to conditions, like waves in the ocean, coming one after another, constantly and without end.

Although people know the supreme benefits of practicing pure Dharma, they miss the precious opportunity to practice due to their attachment to the belief that they will persist indefinitely. They always postpone beginning their practice to the next day, yet life may end today.

By reflecting on the uncertainty of the time of death, the practitioner arises with the decision: “I must begin immediately and diligently practice the Dharma.”

Three. When Facing Death, Only the Dharma Can Provide Support

The first reason: When facing death, not a single cent of the wealth accumulated in this life can be taken along, nor can it be used to redeem for one’s life. Even if one were a king with immeasurable wealth, when facing death, one cannot exchange that wealth for an extension of life, nor can one carry wealth into the next life.

The second reason: Although one may have many relatives, none can substitute for one’s own death. Even if a practitioner has many relatives, when facing death, no one can take their place. No matter how much the family grieves, cries, or tries to stop it, it will not prevent death. A person is born alone and will also pass away alone.

The third reason: The body, which is cherished due to the inherent attachment to self, must also be abandoned. People love their bodies dearly and always try various methods to maintain good health. However, when death arrives, the body they have clung to and valued must be discarded, and only the consciousness, alone, moves on to the next life, much like pulling a hair from hardened butter.

Throughout their life, people labor tirelessly, their main aim being the pursuit of wealth and the care of their family. In the pursuit of wealth, they compete with others and even resort to various unethical means to achieve their goals, thus creating heavy negative karma. It is only when facing death that they realize, “Nothing can be taken, only karma follows.” A lifetime spent struggling for wealth ends with the unfortunate result of carrying their negative karma with them—this is truly unwise and regrettable.

To care for their family, people do everything possible to provide comfort and to eliminate enemies that may threaten their loved ones. As a result, they also accumulate heavy negative karma. At the time of death, they realize that not one of their relatives can share the burden of their bad karma. Only they themselves must bear the great suffering alone.

By reflecting on this, the practitioner realizes that when facing death, wealth, family, and the body they cherished offer no assistance. Moreover, in the pursuit of wealth and in seeking benefits for family, many sufferings arise from attachment, anger, and ignorance. Additionally, due to the negative karma they have created, they will face unbearable suffering in the next life. For the practitioner, this is harmful rather than beneficial.

Only by diligently practicing the Dharma, following the Buddha’s teachings with effort, can the practitioner be guided onto the path of liberation, no longer sinking into the cycle of suffering, and thereby achieve true benefits.

By reflecting in this way, the practitioner frees themselves from any attachment to wealth, family, and their own life. They resolve to be cautious in guarding their body, speech, and mind, turning their thoughts to the practice of the Dharma at all times and places. They will exert themselves to the best of their ability to practice pure Dharma and within their heart, they will make the determination: “Only by wholeheartedly and diligently practicing the Dharma will I achieve true benefit.”

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