【Mindfulness of Death】- What should we truly fear?

Therefore, what we should truly fear are the causes of non-virtuous karma that have not been eradicated. This is what we should be afraid of. We should also fear that the causes of higher status have not been cultivated. This is what we truly should be anxious about.

Therefore, mindfulness of death is to motivate us: Since this human life ends so quickly, there is nothing that we can bring along with us after death except for the karma that we have committed. And this karma determines our future, whether we rise or fall. Thus, at this juncture, we should contemplate what is really important and what to be anxious about? If we do not cultivate while we are alive, this is what we should be fearful of. We should fear that the seeds of the non-virtuous karma are not repented and eradicated fully, and that the seeds of virtuous karma have not been cultivated and continue to be accumulated. It will be scary when these have not been accomplished before death. Therefore, this is what we really should be fearful about.

SOURCE 来源 :

38A 19’28” Vol 5 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P182 L3
English Lamrim Vol 1 P148

日常师父法语📡38A 19’28”手抄稿第5册P182 L3

念死无常 : 真正要害怕的是什么？

我们真正害怕的，是害怕的—说，哦，还没有把恶趣的因消除掉，这个要害怕；我们也要害怕，说增上生的这个因还没有修持，那个时候要着急，这个才是我们真正着急的。

所以念死是策励我们：既然人生这么快地死亡，死亡了以后，眼前的东西一样都带不去，只有造的业，这个业会影响我们将来上升或者堕落。所以我们想到这里，真正重要的，着急在什么？说，在生的时候没有修行，为了这个事情而怕，怕没有把恶业的因，经过忏悔净除干净；怕没有将善业的因如法修持，而好好地继续积聚。在没有完成这件事情之前死亡，那是恐怖的。所以我们要恐怖的，恐怖这一件事情。