【Mindfulness of Death】- The true focus of your behaviour is with the “present”

【Although you may perchance engage in study, reflection and meditation, and so forth, it will be only for the sake of this life, and whatever virtue you create will be of meagre strength.】

Even if occasionally we give rise to this mind and wish to diligently practice, but because you did not apply the remedy on the concept of the mindfulness of death, the true focus of your behaviour is with the present. What is known as practice is definitely to practise for future lives and to ignore the present. So you practise for a period of time, eh, after a while, due to lack of remedy (i.e. not cultivating mindfulness of death), the root problem surfaces again and you will be busy with the present life again. The moment you are busy with the present, the strength of the virtuous activities you cultivate will be of meagre strength. This is the principle. In reality, for example, we make serious efforts to recite the Buddha‘s name, make serious efforts to read. After a few prostrations, we feel giddy and say, “ah, cannot go on this way, I need to take a rest. If I carry on prostrating, I will get giddy and lack nutrition.” So just after a few prostrations, you will think of tomorrow’s meal. I’m deficient in this, need to add more bean curd, add more peanuts. There are not enough vitamins, not enough chlorophyll, you will think of a lot, think very far. It is precisely this problem. It all originates from here. Therefore, even if you practice, whatever virtue you create will be of meagre strength.

SOURCE 来源 :

37A 24’22” Vol 5 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P150 LL5
English Lamrim Vol 1 P145

日常师父法语📡37A 24’22” 手抄稿第5册P150 LL5

念死无常 : 修时的现行仍在忙“现在”

【设有时趣闻思修等，然亦唯为现法利故，令所修善势力微弱。】

就算有的时候偶然生起来了，所以要修它一修，的的确确认真。可是因为你对这个死无常这个概念，没有经过对治，所以他真正的重心现行，经常都在忙现在！现在修了一些—所谓修的话一定是修以后，一定忽视现在—所以你修了一些时候，欸，过了一下，它没有对治，这个病根又起来了，他又要忙现在了。一忙现在的话，你所修的这个善啊，这力量就减弱了—这个道理。事实呢？譬如说：我们现在先认真去念佛、认真去看书，拜了几拜以后，晕了说到：“唉呀，这样拜是不行，休息一下。这样拜的话，头晕、营养不良啊！”所以你才拜了几拜佛，你就想到明天吃的时候，哎哟，我这个不够。豆腐要多加一点，花生要多加一点，维他命也不够，绿叶素不够，你想了一大堆，不晓得哪里去了！就是这种毛病，都从这地方来的。所以就算你修，你所修的善，势力就减退。