Question asked by Eric
Dear pastors,
One friend frequently gets quite lazy in visiting the temple and joining me in chanting. And he also tells me that sometimes he just is not in the mood to do his daily practice.
So I suggested to him to do meditation on death in graphic detail. So my friend said that he thinks it will work because it has worked before for him. But he says that fears that one day he will get numb of death meditation and even that wouldn't move him anymore.
He tells me that he wants to reserve death meditation for times when he "really needs it".
What should I tell him?
Dear Eric,
Thank you for your question. Death meditation is indeed very powerful, in fact His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche has advised his students on numerous occasions to practise death meditation regularly. Doing this lessens ones attraction to samsaric activities and generates a conviction to overcome samsara through the practise of the Dharma. When engaged in properly it becomes a very powerful meditation technique. In fact Tsem Rinpoche advised students to engage in this meditation every day for at least 5 minutes.
That being said, if we engage in death meditation properly and regularly we will see a very significant shift in our lives, to practice the dharma more, and to be more compassionate people. Rather than ‘getting used’ to it, or numb to the mediation, one actually strengthens the conviction to transformation. There is no risk of becoming numb to the meditation. The meditation itself can be changed to become less routine. For example, you can change your visualisation to include different circumstances that death can occur.
Death meditation is one of the foundational practices necessary to have a real transformation in one’s life. The great masters have all taught that we should engage in this practice on a regular basis, and in fact it also forms a major part of Buddhist tantra, albeit in a different form. However, it just goes to show that you don’t become numb to the practice. I hope this will help you encourage your friend to continue a regular death meditation practice.
Thank you.