Death is a central theme in Buddhism. Thinking of our own death has a lot of benefits in Buddhism.
Introduction
There is this famous story about Buddha and the mother who lost her child.
During the Buddha’s time, a mother approached the Buddha, while carrying her dead infant in her arms. She was crying.
The Buddha, hearing her sorrow, asked her to get a sesame seed from the family that has never seen death, and bring that seed to her. For the whole day, she searched for that household but could not find one.
She went back to the Buddha, empty-handed. She slowly realized that she is not alone in her sorrow. Death is part of life, and death comes to us all.
To Practice the Dharma with Urgency
Geshe Kara Gomchung (meaning ‘small meditator’) is a scholar and accomplished meditator. He is famous for this story.
As Geshe-la was doing a retreat in a cave, he would come out every now and then to take a break. As he came out of the cave entrance, a small thorny bush would prick his robes and tear it. He said, “Later, when I come back. I will cut that bush”.
However, when he has come back, he would think, “If I die tonight, I would have wasted time cutting that bush. It is better for me to use that time for meditation. And I will cut that bush tomorrow.”
So this kind of back and forth thinking happened, for one month, one year. Until seven years have elapsed.
In the end, Geshe-la never cut the bush. The bush has grown into a tree, and Geshe-la succeeded in his Dharma practice.
Meditation on death, in Buddhism, makes us feel urgency in pursuing Liberation.
Other Points
Meditating on death is quite a central topic in Buddhism. The Buddha said,
“Of all footprints, that of the elephant’s is supreme. Similarly, of all mindfulness meditations, that on death is supreme.”
There is also another saying, “Meditation on death is second only to meditation on emptiness.”