Sonam Gyatso, the 3rd Dalai Lama (1543 – 1588) brought Buddhism to the Mongolian Empire, the largest contiguous state in the history of the world.

“The precious human form, difficult to gain and, when found, extremely meaningful, has actually been attained; one is now a human being. However, this life will not last forever, and it is definite that one will eventually die. Moreover, how long death will wait before striking is not known. Therefore one should immediately exert oneself to take life’s essence. One has had infinite previous lives in higher, lower and intermediate realms, but the Lord of Death, like a thief in a rich market place, has stolen from them all indiscriminately. How fortunate that he has let one live this long! Generate a mind so filled with the awareness of death that you sit like a person hunted by a desperate  assassin.

At the time of death, neither money, possessions, friends, nor servants will be able to follow after you, yet the traces of any negative karma created for these objects will pursue you like a shadow. That is how you must go from life. Think it over. At the moment, one is content to eat, drink and consume, yet life, wealth, sensual objects, and food just burn on and on, and nothing is accomplished. One should fully direct whatever remains of one’s life towards fully practicing Dharma. Furthermore, one should think to do so from today onward, not from tomorrow, for death may strike tonight.”

-The Third Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso, (born July 6th, 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. He has travelled to more than 62 countries and 6 continents and authored more than 72 books sharing the Dharma throughout the world.

“When  we contemplate death and the impermanence of life, our minds automatically begin to take an interest in spiritual achievements, just as an ordinary person becomes apprehensive upon seeing the corpse of a friend. Meditation upon impermanence and death is very useful, for it cuts off attraction toward transient and meaningless activities, and causes the mind to turn towards the Dharma.”

“It is not difficult to recognize the certainty of death. The world is very old, but there is no sentient being we can point to who is immortal. The very nature of the body is vulnerability and impermanence. Beautiful or ugly, fat or thin, we all steadily approach death, and nothing can avert it. Physical power, flattery, bribery, and all things of this world cannot persuade it turn away.

On hearing we have a fatal disease we run frantically from one doctor to another, and when that fails we come to the lamas and ask them to do divinations to help us. Eventually we find ourselves eating our last meal, wearing clothes for the last time, and sitting on our last seat. Then our body falls to the ground like a log.

Meditation upon death gives us a restlessness, an uneasiness, as though somebody dangerous were watching us. This feeling is very real and useful, for, in truth, the certainty of death looms before us.

The time that death will strike is unknown to us. We do not know which will come first, tomorrow or the hereafter. None of us is able to guarantee that he or she will be alive tonight. The slightest condition could cause us to have to suddenly part this world. Even conditions that support life, such as food  and medicine, can act as poisons and destroy one’s life.

When we die, our body and all its powers are lost. Possessions, power, fame, and friends are all unable to accompany us. Take me, for example. Many Tibetans place a great deal of faith in me and would do anything I ask; but when I die I must die alone, and not one of them will be able to accompany me. All that one takes with one are knowledge of spiritual methods and karmic imprints of one’s life’s deeds.”

Now that as humans we have met with spiritual teachings and have met a teacher, we should not be like a beggar doing nothing meaningful year after year, ending up empty handed at death. I, an ordinary monk in the lineage of Buddha Shakyamuni, humbly urge you to make efforts in spiritual practice. Examine the nature of your mind and cultivate its development. Take into account your welfare in this and future existences, and develop competence in the methods that produce happiness here and hereafter.”

-His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dali Lama

Excerpts from The Path to Enlightenment by the Dalai Lama, a commentary on The Essence of Refined Gold by Sonam Gyatso.