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Milarepa
The
Sufferings of Death
"I
hope to practise (more) Dharma when death draws near," said Shindormo.
"Now please preach for me the suffering of death."
In answer,
Milarepa sang:
Listen, my
disheartened patroness:
Like the pain of repaying compound debts,
One must undergo the suffering of death,
Yama's guards catch and carry one
When the time of death arrives.
The rich man cannot but it off with money,
With his sword the hero cannot conquer it,
Nor can the clever woman outwit it by a trick,
Even the learned scholar cannot
Postpone it with his eloquence.
Here, the unlucky cannot make appeal,
Nor can brave man here display his valour.
When all
the Nadis converge in the body,
One is crushed as if between two mountains-
All vision and sensation become dim.
When Bon priests and diviners become useless,
The trusted physician yields to his despair.
None can communicate with the dying man,
Protecting guards and devas vanish into nought.
Though the breath has not completely stopped,
One can all but smell the stale odour of dead flesh.
Like a lump of coal in chilly ashes
One approaches to the brink of death.
When dying,
some still count the dates and stars;
Others cry and shout and groan;
Some think of worldly goods;
Some, that their hard-earned wealth
Will be enjoyed by others.
However deep one's love, or great one's sympathy,
He can but depart and journey on alone.
His good friend and consort
Can only leave him there;
In a bundle his beloved body
Will be folded and carried off,
Then thrown in water, burned in fire,
Or simply cast off in a desolated land.
Faithful patrons, what in the end can we retain?
Must we sit idly by and let all thins go?
When your breath stops tomorrow
No wealth on earth can help you
Why, then, should one be mean?
Kind kinsmen circle round
The bed of the dying,
But none can help him for a moment.
Knowing that all must be left behind,
One realizes that all great love
And attachment must be futile
When that final moment comes,
Only Holy Dharma helps.
You should
strive, dear patroness,
For a readiness to die!
Be certain and ready and when the time comes,
You will have no fear and regret.
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