Dear Henry, Contemplate Daily
Dec 30, 2012
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear Henry,
I am happy to see your practice.
It’s ‘funny’, but at the time of death, considering all of our activities in our lifetime, the ‘activity’ below are the ONLY ACTIONS that will help you at the decisive moment of death.
When you do your daily practices as written below, please add death meditation while you are doing them. Daily be focused on your death meditation. Be creative… sometimes see yourself dying in a car accident with all the pain and gore… see yourself with a disease and dying slowly, or suddenly in your sleep… die different ways daily in your practice…. Contemplate in detail the death of your body, how your body will rot and decay. How you have taken care of your body and give it so much ‘pleasures’ yet it is a traitor dying and rotting on you. Yes, your body is not yours. See your body rotting, stench filled, decaying and infested with maggots. See the maggots really eating away at your body, till it becomes bones… and identify that this body IS NOT HENRY. Henry is not this body, although Henry was connected to this body… think deeply on that while you do your black tea, mantras, recitations, and prostrations… Don’t imagine your body decaying, but ‘see’ it with your mind’s eye. Make it real as possible as it will become real anyway eventually. Sometimes see your body being prepared for cremation, and see your body burning away. Do this type of death meditation daily… be aware of it… then your mind will shift even more… See your possession given away and your kids, friends, loved ones continuing after you are gone and how eventually you will be remembered less and less. People do not wish to forget you, but eventually will. Eventually they will be gone too. They will be forgotten… nothing but space remains… even that does not remain as we see it.
Everything that was identified as Henry’s or belonging to Henry will be gone. Then think within this ’emptiness’ of non-existent Henry, what is important then? Think deeply. You don’t have to come out with any conclusions from this contemplation…just think. The purpose of this is not for a conclusion, but the whole process of death and visualizing it is highly important….Please do it Henry. Do it daily and do it creatively and do it with 100% conviction. Ask the Buddhas and Protector to give you realizations while doing this meditation. Add to the meditation on your own. Put more into than what I have written. Death meditation if done continuously is the one practice that will transform the mind, our actions, motivations and aspirations for a higher end. It will really change us for bigger and much better purposes.
With care, I’ve written this to you and now when I re-read it, I wish to share it with other liaisons and students also. Your email is private, but I will share as it will benefit. Don’t mind please. I recommend the liaisons and students to do it also please … Henry, when the time of our lives come to an end, smile for a better journey ahead because you’ve ‘packed your bags and made good travel plans’.
Doing your practice, living a good life of Dharma, having a positive eventual death/bardo/rebirth/ and continuing your practice in the future is the ONLY PURPOSE WE MET. I am happy to have met you.
Tsem Rinpoche
Henry is a long time student, everyday he does his sadhanas, prayers and prostrations as I have recommended specific ones for him. I added the above contemplations for Henry today to do while engaged in his daily recitations/practices/prostrations. I thought I’d share this email to him with everyone as it will benefit many I feel. Everyone may add the contemplations with their practice daily…
May everyone be ok always,
Tsem Rinpoche
Below is a sample of Henry’s email to update his daily practice to me:
Dear Rinpoche,
UPDATE
Below is the update of my practices for the month of:
MAY 2011
Om Mani Padme Hung – recited daily one mala since 4th June 2011. Also 10 mala since my Aunt passed away. Will continue until the 49th day.
Kangshag – read up to 5500, target 10,000.
Guru mantra – recited up to 316,000
A Gem to Increase Life & Wisdom – recited daily.
Peace mantra – recited daily.
Long Prostration – done 2800, started February 8th.
35 Confessional Buddhas – read daily, started February 8th.
Serkym and sadhana – daily.
APRIL 2011
Kangshag – read up to 4226, target 10,000.
Guru mantra – recited up to 220,000.
A Gem to Increase Life & Wisdom – recited daily.
Peace mantra – recited daily.
Long Prostration – done 1710, started February 8th.
35 Confessional Buddhas – read daily, started February 8th.
Serkym and Sadhana – daily.
MARCH 2011
Kangshag – read up to 3665, target 10,000.
Guru mantra – recited up to 125,300.
A Gem to Increase Life & Wisdom – recited daily.
Peace mantra – recited daily.
Long Prostration – done 1135, started February 8th.
35 Confessional Buddhas – read daily, started February 8th.
Serkym and sadhana – daily.
FEBRUARY 2011
Kangshag – read up to 3401, target 10,000.
Guru mantra – recited up to 562,000.
A Gem to Increase Life & Wisdom – recited daily.
Peace mantra – recited daily.
Long Prostration – done 341, started February 8th.
35 Confessional Buddhas – read daily, started February 8th.
Serkym and sadhana – daily.
JANUARY 2011
Kangshag – read up to 2785, target 10,000.
Guru mantra (started January 22) – recited 11,400. Offering up and requesting Rinpoche to live long.
A Gem to Increase Life & Wisdom – recited daily.
Peace mantra – after completion of 114,000 mantras, reciting one mala daily.
Serkym and sadhana – daily.
Love always,
Henry Ooi
Liaison to H.E. Tsem Rinpoche
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Thank you Rinpoche for these profound teachings and sharing Pastor Henry’s update of his daily practice with us. A good example to follow . Death is something that no one could escape for sure. Its good to meditate on death nor matter how busy we are. The whole process of death and visualizing it is highly important for us . Reading this post will have us wake up , its time and never too late for anyone to practice.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this individual email with us, its so interesting to read!
I did death meditation before, but its not like what Rinpoche suggests in this post. The way Rinpoche describes the various kind of death are too details for me, especially “see the maggots really eating away your body”. Reading this make my hair stand on end. Then until “die suddenly in your sleep… die different ways daily in your practice…. Sometimes see your body being prepared for cremation, and see your body burning away. “, I feel calmer, the fear is lesser. So I know my mind is trying to choose “my way” to die, my mind want to feel comfortable, or good… but the reality is we never know how we will die.
In addition to practicing let go of attachment to the body, I find that people should really express how they feel to the person or matter they care for their life time. It’s help them to have ease before they die. The reason people fear of death are cause by unfulfilling of their life purpose, or denial of do something meaningful during their life time. People need time to grief before die.
The way of Pastor Henry update Rinpoche of his daily practice is simple yet sincere. I can feel so much care and love between Rinpoche and Pastor Henry. It’s very motivated too.
Thank you Rinpoche for your teaching and sharing of Pastor Henry’s update to us. It give us a very good reminder. We have very limited time and hence, shall always prepared for death. When we died we do not bring anything other than our karma.
Therefore, mind transformation and change of our action is very important.
How do we tell most people that one day the body that they have nurtured, cared, exercised, fought others for, pampered will one day betray their current existence. They also need to accept that spiritual practice, practices of that nature, and meditative practices that can affect the subtlest levels of our minds are the only ones that benefit us during death. Nothing of this world can we bring to the next life. Death meditation seeks not so much to shock us, but to make us realize that all that lives must one day pass away. Only by accepting that we have an expiry date can we truly live well.
对一般人来说，尤其是比较年长的一辈，他们都会避忌不谈关于死亡的一切。很多人不明白死亡到底是什么一回事，还有它的过程。也就因为这样，他们害怕甚至是恐惧死亡的到来。
而我以前，其实也是他们的其中一人。但自从在克切拉参加佛法班后，让我理解到原来死亡并不可怕。我们甚至可以从现在开始学习“念死”。就如上师尊贵的詹杜固仁波切所说的，我们必须利用在平时做早课或是晚课时间加插“念死”的部分。因为，每个人都必定会经历死亡，逃不了。不如趁早利用我们的想像力，想到自己在死亡中。而真正我们死亡的那一刻，我们就好会有心理准备的来面对一切。
感谢仁波切在这片博文提醒了我们要每天深思熟虑，要自觉。当我们学会与常常“念死”时，慢慢的我们会看到我们的心识转变，我们的行为，发心与意愿就会达到更高更好的标准。
Thank you Rinpoche for using this as one of the blog chat topic.
Reading it and discussing it, it pushes me to see that at the end of my life, what’s really matter is not what i possess now, such as my body, my family, my friends, the thing that i have or want to have, or even my enemy. At the end of my life, it is what Dharma that I have practiced, what karma and merits that I have collected that will be with me. It also shows me that I am so fortunate to have Rinpoche as my Guru to guide me and care for me not just in this life, but what I will be in my next lives. I should treasure it and do Dharma all the way while I’m still alive. Thank you Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this wonderful meditation with all of us.
Death is something that we will all face sooner or later, yet all of us fear of it and never want to once face the fact that we will all die no matter if we were to think about it or not.
Thank you Rinpoche for reminding us to be creative with the ways we die as there are many different ways that we are can die from. By being creative with the methods, we will be able to predict for all situations and will not be shocked with how we die when we are in face with it.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing the message for Pastor Henry with us. From my understanding, we need to prepare ourselves well for our death so that we will be ready for next life to continue with our Dharma practice towards reaching to enlightenment and Buddhahood. May more people starts to realise that one day , each of us will have to leave this place and take rebirth according to individual karma. Thank you Rinpoche for explaining in depth of the importance of death meditation.
With folded hands,
kin hoe
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this with us. I hope that with Rinpoche’s guidance and blessings, when my time comes, I will be unafraid and wear a smile for a better journey ahead because I have ‘packed my bags and made good travel plans’.
With folded hands.
Rinpoche had shared with us several teachings on Death. Here, Rinpoche emphasized again the importance and gave us guidelines on how to meditate on Death through an open letter to Pastor Henry.
Hence, it impressed on me that contemplation on Death is extremely important. By meditating on it, we will reduce the panic feeling at the exact moment of death. We will be able put urgency into things that matter instead of being lazy, procrastinating, depressed or self serving.
Thank You very much Rinpoche for your kindness to repetitively share with us the teaching on Death, preparing us for the most important moment of this lifetime of ours.
Humbly with folded palms,
Stella
Dear Rinpoche. There’s so much care and love for Pastor Henry in your message to him. Rinpoche has carefully planned every step to help the student achieve the ultimate. We are truly so fortunate to have Rinpoche as our Guru. Due to Pastor Henry’s request for more Dharma those of us around also benefit from this teaching. Thank you Pastor Henry Ooi. Thank you dear Rinpoche. With folded hands.
I read this this morning. In the afternoon after committing mass genocide, I mean cutting the grass, I went to pick up a dead bird I saw to move underneath a tree. Well the bird has been dead a while apparently because I picked it up and white maggots – tons fell out! The maggots had eaten into half the body. Disgusting. Now I have a very vivid image (and the smell) burned into my brain and can apply this image as happening to my own body. Much more effective then just trying to imagine is to see in person. Not just on a screen or photo but real live life!
This letter has been in mind for most of the time. Another letter is for G( if I am not mistaken). Both letters serve to shake my body and push me all this while. Thanks Henry, without you I think KWPC will not manifest this quick. Besides, it is overwhelming to have actually known the practices that you have to do daily! I am amazed. May your efforts continue to inspire and benefit others!
Salute to Henry, I’m inspired by your daily commitment.
Remembering death is a walk up call for me and an urgent one. Death meditation, I must say is a must to do for all of us, either weekly or daily basis, so that it can enhances our improvement on our spiritual path or simply just be a better human being. Never be too afraid of death because this is a must go through path for all of us, we have to be prepared for it so that we would not be afraid. Just like before we perform any concert, we must be practising few years before the actual performance. Death is instant and we must be preparing for it now, cause we don’t know what will happen to us next.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing on this subject matter again.
The below links are Rinpoche’s video teaching on the this matter:-
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AonaB3o22lk
2. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/dear-henry-contemplate-daily.html
Thank you, dear Rinpoche, for posting this as a reminder to me.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this.
I read it a few times but whenever i read it, i just feel it is so true that pursuing the world gain is so much meaningless. The more we meditate and see that our body is just nothing, we will not attach so much to the worldly things and would really make full use of our current live to do more to practise and benefit others. This really pushes me to do more as what Rinpoche said “when the time of our lives come to an end, smile for a better journey ahead because you’ve ‘packed your bags and made good travel plans. “
Thank you Rinpoche for teaching us the death meditation.
This is a profound teaching and i will include it in my daily prayers. I do have a fascination on death, not because i’m morbid, not at all but it’s because i’m curious about what happens when we leave the ‘shell’ of our bodies.
This teaching has shown me how we should contemplate on the moment of our death and not be attached to anything nor anyone that we have in our lifetime, including not the attachment on what happens after death and the whole afterlife stuff.
It’s what we do in our present lifetime that matters ! It’s what we do with our Body, Speech and Mind , it’s how we live our lives – in Compassion, in serving others, in the giving – in Dharma.
Henry is very lucky to have met Rinpoche at the right timing, he has since then followed Rinpoche’s instructions to do his daily practice given by Rinpoche and transformed himself,very inspiring. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the email Henry sent to you.
As from Achaan Chah’s narration on his experience as a young monk gained from sitting at his father’s sickbed duringthe last days of his father’s life. “When we don’t understand death”, Achaan Chah wrote, “life can be very confusing”. Because of this experience, Achaan Chah was strongly motivated in his practice to discover the causes of our worldly sufferings, and the source of peace and freedom taught by Lord Buddha. By his own account, he held nothing back, giving up everything for the Dharma – the Truth. Staying in the forests, he encountered much hardships and sufferings, but able to bring about what he calls a daring to his practice. Out of this daring, eventually grew wisdom, a joyful spirit and an uncanny ability to help others, so said his book of teachings, representing the quality of Dharma, which is universal and immediate, appropiate to each of us.
Henry is such a good superior and a good leader.KP outlets are doing so well under his leadership. Best boss anyone could ever ask for.
Dear Mr.Ooi, thank you for being a great leader and from this blog post, thank you for being an inspiration! I need to learn the determination and integrity that you have shown. Thank you.. =)
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche!
Meditation on death and impermanence is the best and most effective meditation to rid oneself of attachments. I was inspired by Rinpoche’s email to Henry Ooi to do meditation on death but I only do it occasionally. Recently in one of the meditation sessions in Kechara House’s Sunday service, I led the meditation on death and impermanence. The Buddha taught about death in the Samyutta Nikaya saying that life is short, therefore one must not cling to self or body and that one should become a wanderer, that is, leading a homeless life. In the Digha Nikaya, the Buddha talked about impermanence, saying that all compounded things are impermanent, and their nature is to rise and cease and the bringing of them to an end is bliss. So there is no need to cling to things that are impermanent.
每天的sadhana对一个修行的人来说都非常的重要，他可以提醒我们什么该做，什么不该做，它也可以帮助我们累积功德，让我们可以变成一个更好的人。
恭喜Henry可以坚持去做他每一天的功课，让我们一起加油。
This is really useful to us again, to remind us death is just around..what else we still attached to ? it sad that many of us still sinking in the sea of attachment..
Dear Rinpoche,
I really like Rinpoche’s teaching on visualising death and being creative in thinking how we die and to meditate upon this every day is truly empowering. While I was reading Rinpoche’s words, I was alreadly easily seeing the picture in my head… I must say it is a scary thought and then you realise… following Rinpoche’s words… yes it is true how much ‘pleasures’, ‘pain’ and time we wasted on trivial experience that will lead us no where. And the more I got creative, the more I felt disgusted with the body… what a huge betrayal… and to actually be so attached to it, so silly we are.
I’m gonna do this meditation daily to push myself to improve because with such reminders, we realise how short and precious this ‘human’ form really is and then we appreciate the important things we have now better… like the great fortune we have in meeting Rinpoche and the Dharma. I will share this on FB… may the smart and lucky ones benefit from it too. I wish many would be able to read this and realise how life is so short and so fragile… we should not waste it on meaningless affairs.
Sometimes when we look around us and all the happenings in life, we tend to ask “will all these be permanent?”. If they are not permanent, then what can we count on that will guarantee us a better future? If there is a better future, then how do we get there?
In Buddhist dharma, I learned we can train our minds into a certain state to anticipate the next stage of life and we can actually look forward to it, if we do the mind trainings. Contemplating on our Death is another method to remind us that death may look permanent on the surface but there is more to it than what it seems.
Life for me was so ‘typical’ before I come to know Dharma. While I am still very shallow in terms of Dharma knowledge and practice, I have come to understand how impermanent I am together with the belongings that I own now.
Nothing will stay with me permanently, within this life of mine and certainly all will vanish when I die. I will be remembered for sometimes, but these memories will be gone when those people are gone as well. Nothing is left.
We like to avoid the topic on death, yet it is something that is so sure. We indulge in doing many things that do not enable us to bring forward to our future lives.
Now when I look around, I count myself so fortunate to have met Dharma. Life without Dharma can be so void of meaning and explaination to life events.
Thank you Rinpoche for reposting this blog here. This reminds us once again that our lives are not just about eat, drink and sleep.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.I am glad for Mr Henry dedication and achievement.He truly shows guru devotion in his action and thoughts.he speaks dharma and share dharma.A good example for us to follow.I would start on the death meditation soon , hopefully I could experience the mind transformation soon too.
Thank you Henry for your inspiration.
This is incredible! I just chanced upon this again, not having seen this before and am astounded by the power of this letter that Rinpoche had written to Henry. This isn’t the first time I have heard this teaching from Rinpoche but it continues again and again to resound – perhaps indication enough that I haven’t yet contemplated enough on it and need to do it more.
I thought one of the most profound and striking teachings Rinpoche ever gave was a contemplation of being in the coffin itself. To think of ourselves lying in the coffin, dressed in our finest clothes, the people who love us standing around and looking at us; and then to think of them closing the coffin, nailing that last nail in, then being lowered into the ground and the earth being thrown on top of us. Rinpoche taught to do this meditation NOT as us looking down at ourselves, but as if we are in the coffin ourselves, looking outwards. then, as we visualise this, to think of all the things that we deem “important” right now – who won the last argument, our clothes, our wealth, our relationships, our wanting face etc… does it become important anymore? And how does it help us at that crucial moment as we’re being lowered into the ground? If we do this correctly, all the things we’re attached to begin to fall away and we let go of grasping onto it so tightly because we eventually realize exactly what Rinpoche talks about in this post, about realizing that this body isn’t really “ours” as we think it is.
PS: There are other death teachings on youtube from rinpoche too, here:
The Dying process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AonaB3o22lk
Meditation on death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4j5RJfu5X0
How to let ourselves think or believe that when that day come we can actually believing that we are just going to a new journey? Is that mean, we familiarize ourselves with how we gonna die to generate fear and hope that we see the ugliness of being in samsara chasing desire? Imagine if we are dying tomorrow, what would you want to do? Tomorrow is our last day! Basically we do not know what to do if we do not have any practice or dharma knowledge on it. Hence prepare from now so that we are ready when it comes.
hmm… looks like i’ll die twice a day for today onwards…
This reminds me of the saying that we die every second every instance but we cannot see it, most of us. To us we are existing continuously, physically and mentally, from one moment of thought to another moment of thought. It looks like there is no gap in between. If we can somehow see that we are dieing every moment every second our perspective our thought would change, and thus the things that we would emphasis on in our lives. There is nothing right or wrong of doing things but how we approach it. It is not about what is important to us but truly important to us because we have misled ourselves into what is important to something we can take hold of in the future instead of the now. Always pursuing something for the future brings nothing signficant to us now. Also it is not doing away without plans.
Thank you Rinpoche for the most potent of contemplations. It is not easy to think of death and yet we must face it. If it wasn’t for Rinpoche’s reminders, I wouldn’t given much thought much to my death and the idea of mortality seemed so distant and yet when I do think about it, I get scared. Perhaps, a lot of attachment to this body and enjoyments.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this powerful teaching on Meditation on Death and Impermanence which you gave to Henry.
I have been trying to do this meditation. Then last night, at our Lamrim class, which was also on Death and Impermanence, Mr Ngeow really jolted me ‘awake’ with his pointing out to us that everything,including the 18 opportune conditions of this our optimum human rebirth, is impermanent. If we don’t make full use of our time Dharmically, every moment that the 18 opportune conditions are still with us, then when they ‘disappear’ in part and then in total, we would be devastated!When death comes(which may even be before the 18 opportune conditions start to disappear!) it will be the end of all our hopes and dreams about our future rebirths, and our hope of Enlightenment. Nay, it will mean falling for sure into the lower realms!
Impermanence is ‘good’ provided we realize it and are aware of it every moment of our waking lives.Then , when we combine this awareness with regularly meditating on Death as vividly as Rinpoche has shown us, we will surely be propelled towards positive action and mind transformation.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this with all of us. It will definitely benefit those who dare to use their creativities to imagaine the types of death that may come….perhaps just round the corners……
It is only by facing death directly that we will be able to overcome it.
May we all be able to gain realisations by meditation on death.
We can overcome it. Do we want to pay the price? Either way we have to pay a price, but if we avoid, the price will be higher. Are you ready for that? TR
Hi Rinpoche, thank You for sharing Henry’s email and all the creative examples of death meditation. I will also do as what Rinpoche said and learn to meditate on that. Being able to practice Dharma is the most fortunate thing I consider having in this lifetime of mine. Thank You Rinpoche.
Dearest Rinpoche, thank you so much for sharing the post about death and impermanence. Thank you for Rinpoche’s teachings and love. I am SO HAPPY to have met Rinpoche and Dharma. Life is so much ‘easier’ now.
We are very proud to be guided by Henry Ooi in many ways, be it work or play.
Thank you immensely, Rinpochela; and in fact,Brother Henry too, (for, if not for your question, i would not have the wonderful opportunity to benefit from the wonderful answer from Rinpochela. i thought the answer given by Rinpochela was truly appropriate for me (although my problem may vastly differ from Brother Henry’s). Only two days ago, i bumped into friends whom i thought should be working hard to ‘let go’ of their attachments to the ‘flesh’ (all of them were already “uncle-uncle” types). i pondered deeply after that meeting – how should i practice so as not to be influenced by them. Now i see Rinpochela’s wise counsel to Brother Henry as the answer. “kam-sia chhe-chhe!” Rinpochela, and Henry-la!
Hi Benji,
I hear from Patsy that you are actively engaging in your practices at your dharma centre, I rejoice to hear that.
I hope one day I may meet you again, perhaps in KL/PJ.
Take care, Benji.
Henry
Yes, many are or try to avoid talking or even thinking about death as if it will never come. But as people get older, the fear of death is stronger… And that’s when most realized whatever they have accomplished whether it’s money, relationships, fame and recognition does not matter anymore. Because death is around the corner ANYTIME.
Worse is those who can not let go of their attachment and fear of death would think of hundreds different way to “program” their kids to accomplish what they have accomplished and pray that whatever they have, their kids will continue to bear the glory of the parents… It has been that way for decades.
Thank Buddha for us to meet dharma and prepare us for a bigger purpose than the regulars. Accepting death and look beyond that not only broaden our mind and also point of views… Nothing really matters in the end of the day.
Thankyou Rinpoche for this post. I hope it reach out to many and accept the beautiful truth eventually.