From Tsem Tulku's blog
Death is so final. Even if we reincarnate
back, the life as we know it or how others knows us is gone
forever. Most of the time, we don't even remember that life again
once we are back.
It is so important not to lie, cheat, hurt
and give pain to the ppl around you or to anyone. Life's short and
it is hard to make up for th wrongs that we do, so why even do it?
Make it the best with the ppl around you always. It makes the short
time we have available have some sort of
meaning.
Death, the meditation of it, the thought of
it and the fear of it always motivated me to not hurt others, to
give, be generous and to let go. Just let go. It has kept me in the
dharma all these years.
Sometimes when something really frustrates
me to no end, I think about my mortality and death, and I lighten
up to the point of being able to think things through with some
sanity.
Death has been my strongest motivation to
try something even knowing I might fail. I don't want to fail. The
fear of failing can be paralyzing. But then when I contemplate how
many years I've wasted, I figure what is there to lose? Only death
makes me lose everything, so what is there to be afraid of? Just go
ahead and try it out.
When I am insecure, I contemplate how many
years I have left to live, and not knowing that, makes me let
go.
When I am upset with someone or a situation,
I really just think, does it matter if I was going to die today? Is
it such a big deal after all? Would I be upset if I was going to
die today?? Then again my mind releases whatever upsets me. it
doesn't release all the way, but enough to not be some wrapped up
that I can't do anything else.
Death meditation makes you face the biggest
challenge in life, your own mortality. Once you can handle that,
all the other challenges become small. And your fear of them start
to lose hold on you.