( Nyams-myong rgan-po’i ’bel-gtam yid-’byung
dmar-khrid) Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey Dharamsala, India,
Sept 5 - 12, 1975
[The paraphrase of the text is flush with the margin.
Geshe Dhargyey’s comments are indented.]
These teachings on suffering are from Advice of
an Experienced Old Man by the precious master Gungtang
Rinpoche (Gung-thang-bzang dKon- mchog bstan-pa’i sgron- me)
(1762–1823). Containing many parables, they flow as a story in
verse form, based on scripture. The main point of the teaching is
to help us to develop renunciation and the determination to be
free, and in general to lay the ground for bodhichitta to attain
enlightenment for everyone’s benefit.
Homage to the untainted Buddha who has abandoned the seeds of
rebirth uncontrollably recurring from the force of karma and
disturbing emotions and who, consequently, does not experience the
sufferings of old age, sickness, and death.
In the middle of the vast, lonely, wild plain of samsara lives an
old man visited by a young lad, proud of his youth and health. They
have this discussion.
"Hey old man, why do you act, look, and speak differently from
others?"
To that, the old man replies, "If you say I act, walk, move, and
speak differently, do not feel you are flying in the sky above.
Land back down on the same earth as me and listen to my words."
Some youth feel that old age is only for the aged and that it will
never come to them. They are very arrogant and have no patience to
have anything to do with old people.
The old man continues, "A few years ago, I was much stronger, more
handsome, and more vigorous than you. I was not born the way I am
now. If I ran, I could even catch up with flying horses."
Most old people speak like this. The present is never as good as
the old days were.
"If I caught something, I could even catch bare- handedly yaks of
the nomad lands. My body was so flexible, I could move like a bird
in the sky. My body was so fit, I looked like a youthful god. I
wore the brightest colored clothes and loads of ornaments of gold
and silver, ate tons of delicious food and sweets, and rode mighty
steeds. I hardly ever sat alone without playing, laughing, and
enjoying myself. Hardly any happiness exis ts that I have not
experienced.
"At that time, I never thought of the impermanence of my life or
about my death. Nor did I expect to go through the suffering of old
age as I am now."
Once there was a young person the region where I lived, who led a
luxurious life and always indulged in pleasures. Slowly he became
old, his body bent, his income decreased. He said to his friends,
"I never thought old age would come so suddenly."
"Living with the distraction of involvement with friends, parties,
and having a good time, old age sneaks up and overcomes you in the
midst of the sound of your laughter."
Geshe Kamapa said, "We should be grateful that old age comes
slowly. If it came all at once, it would be unbearable. If at
thirty years old we went to sleep and woke up looking eighty, we
could not bear seeing ourselves. We do not comprehend our own old
age. How we grew old is a total mystery to us. When all of a sudden
we realize our old age, it takes a while to accept it. Then it is
too late. Altho ugh it is said that the practice of Dharma for a
few hours before death is helpful, to engage in tantra we need a
physically fit body. Therefore, it is important to start tantric
practice while still young.
"When we become very old, we dislike our own selves when we look in
a mirror. At that time, our bodies and minds become weak. Our
bodies begin to degenerate from head to toe. Our heads are bent as
if always receiving a vase initiation.
"The white hair on my head, with no black left, it is not a sign of
purification. It is the arrow of frost from the mouth of the Lord
of Death, which has landed on my head. The lines on my forehead are
not the creases on a pudgy infant drinking milk from his mother. It
is the count by messengers of the Lord of Death of how many years I
have already lived. When I squint, it is not because smoke is in my
eyes. It is a sign of being helpless with the degeneration of my
sensory powers. When I try to make a big effort to hear with my
hand by my ear, it is not because I am making a secret
communication. It is a sign of the degeneration of my hearing.
"When I dribble and snot comes from my nose, it is not a pearl
adornment on my face. It is a sign of the thawing of the ice of
youthful vigor by the sunshine of old age. Loosing my teeth is not
a sign of cutting a new set like a young child. It is a sign of the
wearing out of the tools of eating which the Lord of Death is
putting away. When much saliva comes out and I spit when I talk, it
is not like sprinkling water on the earth to clean it. It is a sign
of an end of all the words I shall say. When I speak incoherently
and stumble over words, it is not that I am speaking a strange
foreign language. It is a sign of my tongue being tired with a
lifetime of idle chatter.
"When my appearance becomes ugly, it is not that I am trying to
hide behind the mask of a monkey. It is a sign of the total
degeneration of the body that I have borrowed. When my head shakes
a lot, it is not that I am disagreeing with you. It is a sign of
the overwhelming power of the stick of the Lord of Death that has
hit my head. When I walk bent over, it is not that I am trying to
find a needle I have lost. It is a clear indication of the
degeneration of the element of earth in my body.
"When I get up rising on my hands and knees, I am not imitating a
four- legged animal. It is because the support of my feet is no
longer sufficient. When I sit down, it is like dropping a bag of
something. It is not that I am angry with my friends. It is the
loss of control of my body.
When I walk slowly, I am not trying to walk like a great statesman.
It is because I have lost the complete sense of balance in my body.
When my hands shake, it is not that I am waving my hands out of
greed to get something. It is a sign of the fear of everything
being taken away from me by the Lord of Death. When I can eat and
drink only a little, it is not because I am miserly or stingy. It
is a sign of the degeneration of the digestive heat at my navel.
When I wear light clothes, it is not an attempt to imitate
athletes. It is because the weakness of my body makes any clothes a
burden to wear.
"When breathing is difficult and I get out of breath, it is not
that I am healing someone by blowing a mantra. It is a sign of
weakness and exhaustion of the energies in my body. When I do very
little and have few activities, it is not from intentionally
controlling my activities. It is because of the limit of what an
old man can do. When I am very forgetful, it is not because I think
others unimportant and look down on them. It is a sign of the
degeneration of the consciousness of my memory.
"O young man, do not tease and make fun of me. What I experience
now is not exclusive to me. Everyone experiences this. You wait and
see; in three years, the first few messengers of old age will come
to you. You will not believe or like what I say, but you will learn
from experience. In this time of the five degenerations, you will
be lucky to live to be as old as I am. Even if you live as long as
I have, you will not be able to speak as much as I can."
The young man replies, "Instead of being able to live as long as
you and become as ugly and ignored as you are and put in the ranks
of dogs, it is better to die."
The old man laughs. "Young man, you are very ignorant and stupid to
wish to live long and be happy, but not to have old age. Death may
sound simple, but it is not that easy. To be able to die peacefully
and happily, you need to be someone who has not accepted wrongly
obtained offerings or broken the morality of the ten positive
actions, and who has accumulated much listening to the Dharma,
contemplation, and meditation. Then death is simple.
"I do not feel this way, however. I have no confidence of my having
done anything constructive. I am afraid of death and am grateful
for each day I can stay alive. My strong wish is to stay alive each
day."
The young man changes his mind and says, "Old man, everything you
say is true. What others have told me about the suffering of old
age agrees with what I have seen in you. Your demonstration of old
age to me has been very beneficial to my mind. I am amazed at the
suffering of old age. O wise old man, if you have heard of any
methods to escape old age, do not keep them a secret; share them
with me and tell me the truth."
The old man pleasingly says, "There definitely is a method. If you
know it, it is easy to follow. With little effort, we can quickly
be liberated from this suffering. Although everyone who is born
dies, very few die after growing old. Many die young without having
the opportunity to reach old age. The methods are in Buddha’s
teachings. They contain many methods to gain liberation and
enlightenment, in other words not to be reborn, get old, sicken, or
die; but we have not practiced them."
Once in a monastery house there was a self- made lama. He was a
junior member in the monastery, and most of the monks did not pay
attention to him. They had a meeting to discuss the future of the
house. He said to prepare ropes and sheets to bind corpses.
Everyone said this was a bad omen and got angry with him. They then
discussed what everyone should do to help the monastery. He said to
meditate on impermanence. In saying this, he gave them a great
teaching. Many later Dalai Lamas have praised him. To prepare for
the future, one needs to prepare for death.
"Everyone wants immortality and the methods to attain it. But to be
born and not to die is impossible. Even thousands of Fully
Enlightened Beings, including Sakyamuni Buddha, have passed away.
And as for the bodhisattvas and great gurus of the past, only their
names remain. The same is evident in the history of the world. All
great historical figures have died and only ruins are left. Thus,
we must not forget the reality of our impending deaths. Even the
great gurus of the present will pass away. Babies born today will
all be dead in a hundred years. So how can you, young man, expect
that you alone will live forever? Therefore, it is advisable to
prepare yourself spiritually for death.
"A long lifespan cannot be bought with money or gained through
physical comfort. If you have spiritual confidence and know what
you want out of life, then the older you grow physically, the more
happiness and youth of mind you will have. If you enjoy great
physical comfort but have led an empty life, then the older you
grow, the unhappier you become. You have to travel as a tourist to
distract your mind from worrying about death. On the other hand,
even if you have just a little spiritual confidence, the closer you
approach death, the more you feel like a son returning to a happy
home. You are not repelled by death, but look forward to continuing
lives of happiness."
Once a great spiritual master said, "Because I have complete
confidence in my future births; I have no worry. Death can come at
any time, and I welcome it."
"Since the suffering of death is inevitable, we must do something
about it. We cannot just sit and be depressed. As humans we have
the wisdom to try many methods. Even Buddha cannot give you more
explicit teachings, young man. I have spoken from my heart.
Although this is my true heartfelt advice, do not rely only on my
words alone; analyze them for yourself. Do practices concerning
impermanence on your own. There is a proverb, ‘Ask for the opinions
of others, but make the decision yourself.’ If you let many make
decisions for you, many will give you different advice."
The young man says, "All you say is very true and beneficial. But,
for the next few years I cannott do these things. I have other work
to do. I have a large estate, wealth, and so on. I must do much
business and tend to my property. After a few years I must meet you
again, and then I shall do the practices."
The old man becomes very unhappy and says, "Everything you have
told me now turns out to be empty words and meaningless. I have had
the same thing, the wish to do something meaningful after a few
years; but I never did anything and now have grown old. I know how
vain what you say is. Things to do in a few years time will
never end. You will always put them off. Things to do in a few
years time are like an old man’s beard; if you shave today, you
will grow more tomorrow. After procrastinating until tomorrow and
tomorrow, soon you will find your life is over. This
procrastination of Dharma practice has fooled everyone. I have no
confidence in you that you will ever practice Dharma. Therefore, it
is a total waste for us to talk. Go back to your home and do
whatever yo u want, and let me say some mani’s (mantras)."
The young man becomes very surprised and feels a bit hurt. He says,
"How can you even think of saying such things to me? Tell me, how
quickly can material things be accomplished in this life?"
The old man laughs, "You ask me these questions, so I guess I have
to answer how long it takes to accomplish anything. In the southern
direction lives the Lord of Death who cares not at all whether you
have finished your work or not. He does whatever he wants. If you
can have friendly relations with him and get his permission to
accomplish something in life, then you can relax. Otherwise, you
can never relax. People die in the middle of a cup of tea, while
food is on the table, while walking, before they can finish taking
a whiff of snuff.
"This happens to everyone, even great masters. Many of their
teachings are incomplete, because they died before they finished
writing them. So when the Lord of Death comes, you cannot say, ‘I
have a big estate and much work to do.’ You cannot boast of
anything to him; you have to leave everything. In this respect we
are completely powerless. We cannot determine out lifespan.
Therefore, if you are able to do anything, start practicing now.
That will be meaningful; otherwise, your estates alone are
meaningless. But nowadays there are few people who tell the truth
about what will benefit you. What is even more rare is someone who
will listen to sincere advice."
The youth is deeply moved and, having built up great respect for
the old man, takes a few steps back and prostrates to him. He says,
"No other lamas surrounded by golden banners, Geshes, or yogis have
more profound teachings that what you have said. You have the
appearance of an ordinary old man, but you are actually a great
spiritual friend. I give my word of honor to practice all you have
said, to the best of my ability, and in the future, please give me
more teachings."
The old man agrees and accepts. He says, "I do not know much, but I
have experienced a great deal. I can teach you from that. The most
difficult thing is to make a beginning and establish yourself in
the Dharma. To begin practicing Dharma after you are already old is
more difficult. Therefore, it is important to start at a young
age.
"When young, your memory is fresh; you have dynamic intelligence
and the physical strength to build up positive force by
prostrations. In terms of tantra, the strength and vigor of your
energy channels are very good when young. If at a young age, you
can break through the barrier of greed and attachment to material
possessions and involve yourself in spiritual activities, it is
very valuable. Once you have accepted the Dharma, understood its
essential points, and gotten into its spirit, then everything you
do, say, and think will be Dharma."
Milarepa and Ra Lotsawa said the same, "When I eat, walk, sit, or
sleep – it is Dharma practice."
"There are no rigid rules in Dharma. So, try not to have too many
thoughts or a fickle mind. Start now and keep up your interest in
Dharma. Do not change your mind every minute. From this moment on,
dedicate your life – body, speech, and mind – to Dharma
practice."
Now the old man tells the youth what Dharma entails, "First, find a
well-qualified spiritual mentor and devote yourself properly to him
with your thoughts and actions. How much you can benefit others
depends on finding a proper spiritual mentor and on your
wholehearted committed relationship with him."
Atisha emphasized this point. He often related that he had an
equally wholehearted commitment to all 155 of his gurus.
"Then, you need to observe your words of honor and vows to practice
the ten constructive actions. Safeguard them as you would your
eyes. Cut off your attachment to this life, like a wild elephant
breaking a chain. Then accumulate listening, contemplation, and
meditation, and do the three together. Support this all with the
seven- limbed practice. This is way to build up positive force, to
accumulate merit. Having done this, Buddhahood is at your
fingertips."
The Fifth Dalai Lama said that if a qualified mentor guides a
qualified disciple, Buddhahood can be shaped in one’s own hands.
Milarepa also said that if you have a qualified mentor and a
qualified disciple practicing his qualified teachings, then
Buddhahood is not outside you; it is within. One must always
stress, however, that the guru must be properly qualified.
"This is happiness; this is joy. O dear son, if you practice in
this way all your wishes will be fulfilled."
These teachings are very beneficial for taming the mind. They
soften a tough mind. A proverb says, "Do not be like a leather bag
for containing butter. Do not be like a pebble in a stream." A
leather bag does not become soft no matter how much butter is
inside. No matter how long a stone stays in a stream, it too does
not become soft.
From that day on, the young man practiced pure Dharma unmixed with
the eight worldly, childish feelings.
We need to try to do the same. The more teachings we have heard,
the more we need to practice and cultivate ourselves through them,
and not be like pebbles in a stream that never get soft.
The old man says, "I have heard these teachings from my spiritual
mentors and they are also based on my own experience. May this
benefit limitless sentient beings for the sake of their
happiness."
The author ends: Although I have practiced little and lack Dharma
experience, yet because of the diversity of sentient beings’
dispositions, maybe these teachings will be of benefit to some.
With the hope of benefiting the minds of limited beings, I have
written this with sincerity and pure motivation. These teachings on
impermanence are not just an interesting story I thought up to
tell, but are based on The Four Hundred
Stanzas by Aryadeva.
