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The Middle-Length Stages of the Path The Stages Shared with Persons of…
The Middle-Length Stages of the Path
The Stages Shared with Persons of Lesser Capacity
Chapter 8 - Death and Future Lives
Training the mind in the stages of the path shared in common with persons of lesser capacity
Actual training in the attitude of persons of lesser capacity
a. Generating concern for future lives.
i. Recollecting death (that one will not remain long in this life).
Fault of not cultivating mindfulness of death.
Benefits of cultivating mindfulness of death.
What kind of mindfulness of death should be generated.
How to cultivate mindfulness of death.
Three roots; nine reasons; contemplation
a. Death is certain
i. Lord of Death will certainly come and no way to prevent this.
ii. Our lifespan cannot be increased but diminishes incessantly
iii. We die without having much time to practice Dharma while alive.
b. It is uncertain when we will die
ii. Contemplate that the causes of death are many and the causes of life are few.
iii. Contemplate that the body is extremely vulnerable, so the time of death is uncertain
i. Contemplate that the lifespan in this world is uncertain, so the time of death is uncertain
c. Nothing but Dharma helps
i. friends & relatives can't accompany you
ii. wealth & possessions can't accompany you
iii. not even your own body accompanies you
Three decisions
a. I must practice Dharma
b. I must practice Dharma now, today
c. I must practice Dharma purely, free of worldly influence
ii. Future lives (what happen in future lives in terms of happiness and suffering of the 2 types of persons).
b. Lower rebirths
Contemplate the suffering of hell beings
ii. The neighboring hells.
iii. The cold hells.
iv. The occasional hells.
i. The great hells of sentient beings
Contemplate the suffering of animals
i. Weaker animals are killed by more powerful ones
ii. Under the control of gods & humans and lack freedom.
iii.Worked, slaughtered, hunted, starved, terrifed
Contemplate the suffering of hungry ghosts
a. Those with external obstructoins to food and drinks
b. Those with internal obstructions to food and drink
c. Those with obstructions within food and drink itself
a. Fortunate rebirths
b. Relying on methods for gaining happiness in future lives.
Training in going for refuge
a. Causes of going for refuge
i. fear of the lower rebirths
ii. faith that the Three Jewels can protect you from them
b. objects to which you go to for refuge
i. identifying the objects of refuge
no faults
have all excellent qualities
ii. the reasons why they are worthy to be a refuge.
free of all fear
skilled in the means of liberating others from fear
steeped in great compassion toward everyone without closeness or distance
works for the welfare of all beings whether they help him or not
c. the way in which you go for refuge
going for refuge by way of understanding their excellent qualities
a. the excellent qualities of the Buddha
i. the excellent qualities of the Buddha's body
ii. the excellent qualities of the Buddha's speech
iii. the excellent qualities of the Buddha's mind
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iv. the excellent qualities of the Buddha's exalted activities
b. the excellent qualities of the Dharma
c. the excellent qualities of the Sangha
by way of understanding their distinctions
by way of commitment
by way of not advocating other ones
d. stages of training after having gone for refuge
Generating the faith of conviction in actions and their effects
Measure of that attitude having arisen
Clearing up misconceptions
Chapter 9 - Refuge in the Three Jewels