The Great Chariot

by Longchenpa | 268,580 words

A Commentary on Great Perfection: The Nature of Mind, Easer of Weariness In Sanskrit the title is ‘Mahāsandhi-cittā-visranta-vṛtti-mahāratha-nāma’. In Tibetan ‘rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid ngal gso’i shing rta chen po shes bya ba ’...

Part 10 - The impermanence of the three times

Cyclic existence and the being of ourselves and hosts of others are all more impermanent than we think:

Think of the succession of former and later times.
Countless former generations have passed away.
Also most of the beings of the present world
Certainly will not last another hundred years.
Those of the future will follow in a similar way.
Young and old are equal in their lot of passing away.
Because we too will not transcend this common nature,
Thinking that death is certain, let us practice Dharma.

Our existence may be primordially good and pure, but think of the changeability of the realm of external appearance. Look and see whether the people who lived a hundred years ago are still embodied. We who are now human beings a hundred years from now will mostly be gone and be only names. It will be the same for beings of the future, as no one was ever born who did not die. The Collection of Indicative Verses says:

A person who, just for a night,
First enters into a womb
Suffers tremendous harm.
Such going is irreversible.

In the morning one would see
Many different people.
By evening some would be gone.

In the evening one would see
Many different people.
By morning some would be gone.

When numerous men and women
Die even in their youth,
Why are Those called “the young”
So confident they will thrive?

Some will die in the womb.
Some the day they are born.
Some meet their end in ravines
And some when in a hurry.

Some will die old, some young,
And some in maturity;
But one by one they will go,
Like fruit that ripens and falls.

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