3. Death and Impermanence
Contemplation: We think 'I should definitely die. There is no way to prevent my body from finally decaying. There is no way to prevent my body from finally decaying. Day by day, moment by moment, my life is slipping away. I have no idea when I shall die; the time of death is completely uncertain. Many young people die before their parents; some die the moment they are born – there is no certainty in this world. Furthermore, there are so many causes of untimely death. The lives of many strong and healthy people are destroyed by accidents. There is no guarantee that I shall not die today.
Meditation: After contemplating these points we mentally repeat over and over again 'I may die today, I may die today' and concentrate on the feeling it evokes. Eventually we shall come to the conclusion 'Since I shall soon have to depart from the world, there is no sense in my becoming attached to worldly enjoyments. Instead I will devote my whole life to the practice of Dharma.' We then meditate on the conclusion for as long as we can.
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All meditations and contemplations presented here are extracted from 'The Meditation Handbook' by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (Tharpa Publications)
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