LONGCHENPA
The Great Perfection
Meditations on Awakening — Inspired by Longchenpa
Now you have found freedom
A rare and precious gift
Yet even as you hold it
It slips through your fingers
Like morning dew in sunlight
Like foam upon a river
It vanishes before your eyes
Look closely
See the truth
This life is hollow
Fleeting
Not worthy of your trust
Reflect day and night
On the certainty of death
...
This body
A house of pain and sorrow
A source of attachment and delusion
A dwelling destined to collapse
Yet you adorn it with jewels
Feed it with delicacies
Dress it in fine robes
But what is this body
But the future feast of jackals and birds
Do not mistake it for something lasting
Do not cling to what must decay
Instead practice now
Without delay
...
Brahma
Shiva
Indra
Great gods of power and wealth
Radiant in their glory and renown
Yet none can outwit the Lord of Death
Even those who have mastered deep samadhi
Living for vast eons
Must one day see their karma exhausted
Then the hour of death arrives
Kings and sages
Rulers and servants
No one is spared
The wheel of birth and death
Turns for all
...
This universe magnificent and vast
Will one day be swept away
Continents will crumble
Oceans will rise and vanish
Mountains will be ground to dust
Even mighty Sumeru
Jewel of the cosmos
Will dissolve into empty space
As fire
Flood
Wind
Reduce all to nothing
Where then will you take refuge
Remember this
Practice the Dharma
With all your heart
...
The Buddha
The Guardian of the World
Surrounded by countless disciples
Shining like the moon in a clear sky
Radiant
Resplendent
Beyond compare
Even he demonstrated impermanence
He showed his passing
To teach the truth
And as generations pass
Even the sun of his wisdom
Sinks beneath the horizon
...
Life is like a passing cloud
Like lightning flickering in the sky
It moves ceaselessly
Never pausing
Never waiting
Every breath brings you closer to the end
No moment can be reclaimed
Yet still you dream of permanence
Still you chase the illusions of tomorrow
Do not be deceived
Now is the time to awaken
Now is the time to practice
...
Death is certain
But its time is unknown
It may come suddenly
Like a candle extinguished by the wind
Or it may creep in slowly
Like a shadow growing long at dusk
No one knows when
Where
Or how
Their final moment will arrive
This life dwindles
With every passing second
How can you still delay
Begin the path of Dharma now
...
This body
A house built of the four elements
Inhabited by fleeting thoughts
Is fragile
Impermanent
Bound to crumble
Like a village sinking into ruins
Like a dream dissolving at dawn
This life will not last
Be swift in your practice
Do not waste time on empty pursuits
...
Your possessions
Your loved ones
Your strength
Your beauty
Your status
Your wealth
You must leave them all behind
But your actions
Good and bad
They will follow you like a shadow
They alone shape what comes next
There is no refuge but the Dharma
Why then do you not dedicate yourself to it now
The Dharma is not scriptures
Not intellectual knowledge
It is the direct experience of reality
...
Look back upon the world
How many have already come and gone
Countless generations before you have passed
And soon within a hundred years
Most of those alive today
Will also be gone
The cycle repeats
Birth
Aging
Sickness
Death
No one escapes
Why do you imagine yourself to be different
Reflect deeply
Only the Dharma can guide you beyond
...
Throughout the three realms
From the lowest hells to the highest heavens
There is no hiding place
All things change
All things pass
All things dissolve like mist
The wheel of time turns ceaselessly
Dragging all beings toward the same fate
What do you rely on
Wealth
Strength
None of these will remain
...
All things can become the cause of death
The food you eat
The comforts you enjoy
Even these may turn to poison
Disease
Accidents
Disasters
Unseen forces
Sudden misfortune
All threaten your fragile existence
Since the cause
The time
The place of death
Are all uncertain
Rid yourself of distractions
Turn to the only thing that matters
The Dharma
...
Now you have found the rare vessel
Of human life
With the guidance of a true teacher
And the rudder of wisdom to steer your course
Yet if you do not strive now
If you let this opportunity slip away
There is no betrayal greater than this
Like someone with a precious jewel
Who throws it into the ocean
You will have wasted the greatest gift of all
Do not be reckless
Do not delay
Now is the time
To cross the ocean of suffering
...
Alas
Most beings do not understand
They refuse to listen when taught
They do not reflect when advised
They believe they will live forever
Ignoring the certainty of death
They do not fear samsara at all
They do not desire liberation at all
And if they possess knowledge
It only makes them arrogant
What sadness
To see them lost
They cling to their distractions
Blind to what truly matters
But you who wish for freedom
Take this to heart
Reflect on death
Deeply
Constantly
...
The key to wisdom
Is remembrance of impermanence
Reflecting on death destroys pride
Cuts through delusion
Awakens the heart to what is true
All virtues arise
From seeing the fleeting nature of all things
Impermanence is the root of Dharma
It is the key to liberation
Reflect on it always
...
May the wearied minds of beings
Lost in the storms of distraction
At last find peace
May they awaken from their slumber
See through the illusions of the world
And realizing the truth of impermanence
Set their hearts upon the path of liberation
Practice now
There is no time to waste