Death and Impermanence

In such a fragile and changing existence, what distraction, laziness, or ignorance is important enough to dismantle the awareness needed to rest in your fundamental nature?

Contemplating impermanence, focus your mind on this: If death occurs at this moment, what is most essential?

What will truly benefit yourself and others? Will any of the concepts, hesitations, or distractions that you allow to rule your life truly make any sense at the moment of death?

And if holding on to such things won’t help you or anyone else at that moment, why would any sensible human being with such precious endowments continue to be enslaved by them?

At this moment, you have the potential for control. You can take this opportunity to bring your potential to fruition.

To do this, you must let go of any stubbornness and grasping at notions of solidity where there is none—and bring whatever arises into genuine awareness inseparable from buddha mind, your enlightened essence.

Source: Rinpoche, Khandro. This Precious Life. Shambhala. Kindle Edition.