Part 1 - How those who wish to cross over from cyclic existence should think of impermanence

Now the final summary teaches the great exhortation to meditate and work until the mind turns away from samsara:

Whoever truly wishes to cross this ocean of evil
And establish the wondrously risen excellent qualities,
Now should contemplate the certainty of death.
Meditate day and night on impermanence alone.
Again and again arouse renunciation and sorrow.

Whether going, staying, eating, sleeping, arising, walking, talking, or seeing a crowd of many people; and whether staying in villages, solitary valleys, or monasteries, always meditate on the aspects of impermanence. Whatever we see, hear, and remember has the nature of impermanence. It is an example of impermanence. Remember the exhortation of impermanence. The Bodhicaryavatara says:

Every single day and also every night
It is right that I should think of this alone.

If we do not think about it, what is the problem? Well, having come into the power of this life alone, there will be ambition, love of fame, desire, hatred, laziness, hoarding, indolence, cantankerousness and sometimes the Dharma's not arising. We will not quickly be liberated from cyclic existence. We will not have the spare time to accomplish our ordinary tasks, let alone for the liberation of enlightenment.

So strive with a long and continuous effort until buddhahood is attained. The buddhas Dipamkara, Shakyamuni, and so forth were at first sentient beings like us; but by their exertion, they made themselves into Buddhas. Now we are the ones wandering in cyclic existence. Even though countless former buddhas have come, we have not come within the scope of those who were healed by their realization of enlightenment.

Thinking that by our own karma, we will wander limitlessly in samsara, now at the present time we need to be guided to begin their path of enlightenment. Thinking that this life is impermanent, like a borrowed moment or instant, we should try to practice the Dharma from our hearts. The Bodhicaryavatara says:

If I do not make an effort from now on
I will simply go ever lower and lower still.

Though countless former Buddhas have come throughout the past,
Having the purpose to benefit all sentient beings,
I, because of my own faults and shortcomings,
Was not within the scope of their healing ministrations.

If from this time on, I continue to act like that,
Again and yet again, just as it was before,
I will die and have to go to the lower realms,
Being cut in pieces and suffering other tortures.

The Ornament of Realization (abhisamayaalamkaara, mngon rtogs rgyan) says:

Though, due to the king of the gods, the rain may fall.
Unsuitable seeds will never germinate.
So although the buddhas have appeared
Those of bad fortune have no good experience.