Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 49-minute teaching, Geshe Sopa explains the Buddhist framework for understanding death and future rebirth, beginning with why disciplining oneself now—in thought, speech, and action—matters if death can come at any unexpected moment. He uses Tibetan monastic practices to illustrate impermanence: meditators use a special rope hanging over their legs during sitting practice, modeled on how corpses are prepared for sky burial, to keep death’s reality constantly close. Sopa walks through the four wrong views that confuse unenlightened beings (perceiving impermanence as permanent, the impure as pure, suffering as happiness, and a false self), contrasts childish people who live only for this life with ārya beings who see truth directly, and emphasizes that at death only dharma practice travels with us—wealth, family, and even our own body remain behind. He concludes by outlining the six realms of rebirth (three lower: hell, hungry ghosts, animals; three higher: humans, asura, and devas), explaining how karma shapes each realm, and stressing that this human life is a threshold moment where intelligent action now determines whether one descends or ascends. Suited to practitioners with some familiarity with Buddhist cosmology.
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File: 06 LP.mp3
UUID: 12a5c510-5c07-4a37-9ff4-370a801c711f
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.0 minutes
Words: ~5,778
Then not doing the Dharma practice of tomorrow, is not exist. Other like that where there is a danger between the who will come? Which one will come? Other Order that is the this or dangerous order. So, therefore, once one should not deceiving oneself.
Without deceiving one self, other if one do dharma, should be doing all from now on. Other that means immediate. Other that way, that means putting one’s own mind, body, and speech, or the awareness of the action of the novel or the virtues or any awareness of negative actions, which are now or stopping point as much try to stopping and then bringing other positive or whatever practice can be done. All of that is there, all should be doing. That is the same.
Other that is these other impermanence or marks or the other the in order, uncertainty of the when all that comes. Also, they therefore, an awareness of these things are great and noble. Or sometimes in the yogis we have Tibetan custom also. I maybe want to say that one. We go next.
Or they sometimes in the yogis also utilize what the women bones, thigh, something. Even all the mystical instrument made out of human thigh or the doing like that. Or then sometimes also the the monks on retreats, people who are doing that, there is a rope which is the made out of some kind of old grass grass or skin or whatever. Grass. Yeah.
Grass. Or some rough kind of rope. Ties and then hanging on on over one’s own other sitting cross-legged. What that rope is special rope, special rope. Why special is it there?
When in Tibet in Tibet, people who dies, they they or there’s somebody who called is in a powerful man. What that means who take the care of the body body or the body of death. So this person comes in his inside, and then then what you do is there’s some kind of white cloth and put there, and that body, take on that, then he or then put in the knees and all these bent, all limbs bent, and put those like this in between knee, one hand, head, and then tie with this rope or with this rope. And then outside, again, blanket, white blanket, and another tie, and then a little small mat, small, and then back and back carrying anyone, then to the cemetery. What cemetery doesn’t mean burying.
Or if they mostly, they don’t bury even because religious person is a people person dies, charity, virtues, doing this as much from the wealth, money, etcetera, to give as much to others. And also after that, one’s body also should be given to the bird. So they go special place where they put to a mountain, a huge rock on over there, then they lay the dead body, and this person just chopping and everything to give to vultures properly. Or that that is the unless there is a disease which can spreading kind of disease or which are not allowed to do that, then there’s something like that very, you know, ground. But, generally, all they do like that way.
And then all the this this this person does chop all the all things, and then finally, bones and left over also there. They keep the brain at the end. After you all the vultures and meat, know, or the lot of bones left there, they chased the vultures and then chopped those bones a little bit. And then if he kept the brain side and the brain with the mixed bones with the brain, whether they like brain very much. So that is a dessert.
Okay. For the so therefore, then cleaning up nicely. And then those then and then grease big big greasy rock left there. Oh, anyway, I’m joking. What?
Is the and that is the system. So, therefore, that rope that rope reminds very much if you’re sitting like there, here, and hanging there, always wanna look, oh, that this is a later tie in my body. There’s no one or thinking that way, remember, also, they were or urgent oneself for the good person or religious activity, body and the mind, life put into the purpose of the noble or virtuous way. Although that is the main purpose. Other like that.
Or the third or definitely or that will come definitely. On when that is calm or never uncertain. On or the anytime come. Or the actually, the next thinking, even the next moment, or the next, real impermanence momentariness. Momentariness means everything’s in a change to moment by moment.
Other lifestyle also lifespan as life means long looks like long. It has or it is the moment by moment changing so much, small way or bigger way. Or small way where our mind life changes every moment. Every moment, it will not change, then how we get certain old old like this. Or that that is the from little child fresh, very immediate birth chart fresh.
From there up to this and how they come, it didn’t come certainly one day. If it it comes one one day, then it’s very, very frightful. But deceiving way, every moment slowly order and order and then changing freshness, every moment changing like that way, finally reach like that way. The other, therefore, subtle way like that. Other big way changing is in the whole situation even cut.
That means when a big death comes. Other that other big death comes also, that also nothing. There’s nothing much, just very simple symbolically where order anytime can come. Order or like that way. Order that is reason or thinking many way or or finding the, you know, so or the definite reason for surviving next moment is no any reason or no any reason, food, cloth, or medicine, power, or money, or all kind of or the or the even a whole whole world filled with army to protect or no no no death.
There’s no no way of protection. Other thinking that way, all next moment next moment might die, all that that attitude if one have, other than that, one has less attachment, less greedy, less than evil or thought many things going on. Just simple enough to live on for then main aim is goes completely goes all much, much longer. What? As long side.
Or like Aryan. Aryan means those who realize truth, truth of traveling, truth of all these and birth, aging, death, sickness, etcetera. All that those are true or one who has direct realization of the form of truth, they are called ārya. Before that, when you not realize or we are confused with on and always in one’s own this mind, which is for for wrong mind. Means impurity things we perceive as pure, and then act to that way.
Impermanent things looks like stay longer, permanent way. What a second. Or any all nature of suffering things, we feel kind of all very, very pressure, you know, blissful look like taking that way. Although there’s no real all such absolute self or soul or one’s based on egotistical view, there’s some kind of misunderstanding, the misnotion, or wrong notion of the egotistical view based of that, there is a I, me. One always controlled, voice important or self challenging, selfishness arising from that.
Based of that, all the self or also without that such self, we always strongly perceived such self. Other these four main those things, then we always act that way. So therefore, those dominated by those called chipa or chipa. Chipa is the childish one. We have, you know, child, little child who has a mature knowledge on on sight, in experience, or the only like or just what what is right in front of the eyes, or the like, whether that is dangerous or or whatever doesn’t matter, or, you know, like, seemingly whatever playable joyable when he sees or child right way jump and wanting to do.
That is why parents stop certain things or dangerous. Certain things should not eat, certain things should not touch, certain to certain things should not go, etcetera, all kinds of things. All the child does not know or looks like a little bit really nice, enjoyable. Even the parent stops, and then they cry and really hard try to want to do as they want to do, but not seeing the behind what is the dangerous. So the All the grown people or parents have more sight.
Even temporarily something, oh, there is the dangerous. There is a dangerous, and they’re far seeing or much, much advanced on a more future. All the long all the how does the dangerous disadvantage and advantage? All that these things, you know, knowing that way, all certain things in a temporarily pleasant things looks like, or they can stop or doing not that way. Also, therefore, from the point of spiritual point of view, this situation are you all, you know, called a childish one.
What a child? A childish means only this life, you don’t see beyond such thing and never prepare how much dangerous, what is coming on on oneself, what is heading toward to one does not know. Only for this life, whatever pleasurable, seemingly whatever, only whole mind and body put into or to do that in every energy put that way, order that that is then called childish or chipa means like that. Order ordinary individual, order which is used in the with this teaching, other like child, other like that way. And then one who sees truth, ārya or aryan or superior, or like that way.
Other that is all of those things may have. And then this is the impermanence. Since this is important, I’m just a little bit, but although not all the details, but the on the net that this one is the third third topic, which is the third third topic among them is or the third topic. First topic, uh-huh, definitely. No.
That will come definitely. Or when it is come uncertainty. Other third topic is at when that comes at the time that or the what is the beneficial? Then except dharma, nothing is beneficial. Nothing helpful.
All the that topic. That’s also one topic. And then, again, all reasons, various kind of reasons. All the except the dharma, anything else, not beneficial, helpful. Or usually what we consider thinking or life spending for the beneficial thinking in the future is it there.
Other they are or nor means the wealth or or the first one is in wealth will not help. Or friend or relative or whatever, or these not beneficial, helpful. Or they even look on the finally ones own body also not helpful at the time. All of those things each case each case again, our thinking. Of course, then everybody knows, but we know when at the time of death, all the oneself has to go.
All this know how much rich, wealth, or money, whatever you have, gold, jewels, all kind of things. Even you order so much with hardship with all various kind of positive, negative, positive, negative mind and action. So many with these mixed together on a pile, how much None of them, one or even one single little tiny thing are not at the time of death, oneself has to go along. There’s no nothing carrying one one of them. Or the near or relative or friends and making any distinction in my side and other side and animosity, etcetera, or like that way, feeling of the or oneself and distinguishing or discriminating to certain people, my friend, my relative, etcetera, and for those purpose or doing very negative activities, many of those things.
How much you have done or the mountains of the maybe negative actions, thought, or many things in the whole life may be spent at many or that also that nian or relative, none of them, or when you go, when you die, I will come together with you. Nobody says, nobody can or help or none of them. Other can come. Even even one’s own body, which are born with oneself, which this body is looks like permanently stay with oneself, but this also has to leave behind. Other one single of this body also cannot carry.
Other these concentrating, thinking or like that way, what is the actually then what is the at the time of death when you go in the future life, what comes with or what comes with is two or two shadows, like shadow. When the body goes and shadow follows. Like that, where life goes with it and the two, other two is the white or black or the karma or karmic seeds or the what even a dharma or virtuous activity when done, a seed of that goes with them. Or negative karma action, how much you say none of them will disappear? All of these are as seed in the life or in the mind on the mind, these potentials will remain there when the conditions on a wrapping.
And then in the future, whatever root or seed is there, and all kind of necessary seed, and then a certain kind of condition, whatever a stronger condition meet, and then you wrap things. Also, they have both different lives, all kind of lives, and it happens. So therefore, these two are like shadow or like white or black karma. Also, therefore, other black karma will bring one’s self great great misery or suffering bad life. Virtuous karma will bring a positive or good life.
And, also, after being life, during the life, also many, many good experience or blessed enjoyment, happiness, and all all and and other various kind positive things, they all each of them, one by one, all created by good causes. All good cause always good result, bad cause bad result. There’s no question. All that way, or that that is the only they are beneficial help. So, therefore, at the time of the death, a real friend, a real friend who serve on beneficial things at the time of death, intermediate stage, or after death, born in other lives.
All of these area or this real friend is a Dharma or practice. Other unlike that one. Other except that nothing what we whole worldly or effort, what they have done to to the none of them objective. All of these are nothing beneficial. All of so therefore, Even a hundred years to enough or you create the food.
Hundred hundred years even or like that kind of food and even accumulate, you know, or put somewhere. So but none of them even at the time of death, even that much food. At the time of the death, without carrying one single drop of those food. Other, that’s the same thing. Other, same way, dress and cloth.
At the time of death, even you somewhere hired in a hundred years, even you enough to wear other dresses, or that at the time of death, none of them single or one hair you cannot carry, then oneself alone has to go. All that kind of thinking, or what is the beneficial. What is the carrier able to carry is it? Our thinking as explained. Well, we have the analogy or another Tibetan analogy.
Maybe all you want to hear. That is the we have southern and northern. Northern is nomads. South is an agricultural area. So nomads only once a year comes from north to south, being huge, or they can carry cheese and butter and and the wool, or like those various salt, etcetera.
Other, when they carry butter, yak butter, other many, many pounds, twenty pounds of the or something many, many pounds of the yak butter put in a yak skin, and then put in a compact, and a huge load of yak butter and bring into the south, and then they sell like that. Or the southern keep that in a huge water, and then somewhere in down the cellar, and then and then cut small way, little by little, and then they utilize. Whole year, you can and then several of these pound butter, you can use continue like that way. Of course, the way this is cold, is it you know, kind of able to survive like that way. So, anyway, when they cut the big this butt butter, huge butter cut there, sometimes you you find hair, yuck hair, long yuck black yuck hair.
Uh-huh. Or sometimes there’s a little bit of one in the hair looks like. Then try to pull that yuck hair, the hand, and it will come through singly without bringing any piece of butter. Just here, it is a long coming from or from the or that in the bottom or the bottom. Although that is the analogy because it is sitting in the right in the middle of the huge and the many, pound of butter, but when you pull out, it’s still alone comes.
Nothing in the bottle, even small pieces, not clinging with it. Also, that is another analogy. Other than when we have die, we have this huge body, which we have serve whole life for concentrate how you maintaining, serving, beautifying, healthy, all kind of and then surrounding, and then all the children, food, cloth, and all jewelry, and all these. And then in addition that name and the fame and all kind of things that we build so much of those things. All among all of those, one die, one step go alone.
None of them what we prepared, nothing helpful. Other that is the main reason. Other than what is most helpful is the other mental training or religious purpose or whatever you’ve done. Any single even it is small merit virtues, I think, that will not waste it. Whether that way other that is that enough, or about it, means to or to produce or to get a special kind of mentality or attitude which we lack all the time.
It is not easy to rise, arise, or constant, or strong solid kind of mentality like that, which push oneself, one’s body, speech, mind, action right direction. Or that that is the or this kind of meditation, concentration, or thinking that way, then one will bring. Once you have that, get there, that level, then everything much much become easier. On on the worldly around many things, it’s less bother because you don’t care too much. Or there is the less worrying about instead that all this body in the life, even love this body in service even you do simple way in order to make this work for oneself.
The rest of what we are doing is not working to oneself. It’s something what is what is almost like almost when a yogi sees purposeless. Other other that way, Other that is producing other such kind of noble attitude. When that becomes practice means meditation. Every one of these learning teachings, whatever taught various kind of angles, various reasons when you’re thinking that has to think much more many, many point.
And then it become mind and it become aware, strong, solid. And finally, also comes naturally or spontaneously. When that comes naturally, spontaneously comes, and then real on the measurement of this practice succeed. Or that way or like this. Now next, after this, what is the After this, on this thinking that way, then all death, etcetera.
And then just for the next life, in the future life. Now when you are thinking this strongly on emphasis of going to death, then what what kind of things in the ahead? What things come will are coming? Where oneself going from here? How?
What reason? And if one goes such place or such area, what will happen? What the situation, nature? All of these things what these things should be thinking. Like, we we say say, going somewhere far distance, some another country or somewhere long journey if we have to to go or or or if we have much to go, if we kick out from here or somewhere have to go and go, where you try to go there, what what kind of necessary, what kind of things, you know, or want to learn and preparation as if one can as much prepared because it is unknown in the future.
All like that. Same way, this spiritual way, much, much more complicated. So therefore, Other from here on after death, all again are reborn. Other rebirth, that rebirth is has only other or the code, and or happy rebirth or or bad migration, bad rebirth. Only two or or or two types or the or that is the whatever creative positive virtues, causes, whatever you have valuable, whatever you create much more good cause and virtues, then that life stream goes with the conditions or body structure, environment, everything will or harmonious kind of virtues, things will happen.
If there are negative action, so much black and negative on and create. And then then also next life will be life stream goes next. Or, again, what kind of life nature of bodily or an environment. All of these are negative or wrong or all those things. So therefore, so therefore, according to Buddhism, means three higher rebirth or three lower rebirth you know, taught in the teachings.
Other other three or the name the or most of you know already, you know, or except maybe some or even the don’t know and just have to mention it or briefly. All that mentioned. All that the three lower rebirth is the other law all the Buddhism. One is called the hell hell then you know, maybe like English word, like hell or something, you have to or worst in a kind of life anyway, or that is the hell then. Or that which are the among the most powerful negative karma, like killing other, you know, beings and especially most powerful or killing father, mother, etcetera, or or doing or or stealing, etcetera.
Where is the kind of negative karma or most pure, powerful concentrate, mentally so or equally concentrate. Action also done as much harm or hurt or doing all such thing. At the end, rejoice or special kind of unhappy or doing on oneself rejoice and have done those things, then full action, negative action only created. Those kind of negative actions one will or born, almost lost, on life. For example, one seven, some all beings, like, put into fire or burn in a life or with this concentrate or special kind of meditation.
And then an evil attitude to doing such a thing or can be like those things or other life that way anyway or as a result of that, life is born or or unborn, lost, kind of, or the karmic result wherein you once have only, during that life, only misery or suffering, pain, or oneself by karmic, or force, some kind of burning or burning in experience, etcetera, or like that where all the non stopping kind of painful situations can happen like that. Or that is only although Buddhist tells, etcetera, when you’re talking same word, but not like others religion like something have means permanent or absolute something there or exist externally or something. All Buddhism do not much believe like that way. What is it? Is it one’s own karma.
Whatever one create a karmic result, that will bring it to full with the result or like or the or advance the result or the result in a seed, little small seed can be a giant, many, many results. Same way, karmic little seed or giant experience and result like that way. Or once you experience that karmic result, and then that being can be freed from there. That being also same as our self, finally, they can after you’ve done certain things in the finish, they can have possibility to be born human. They can have possibility to be open in the future, perfect enlightenment, buddhahood.
They are not everlasting, permanent, or or situation. Or they have many, many seeds. So what are your powerful seeds? Or if it’s a pure negative seed, on a powerful seed, and then under that finish, or it it will, you know, born there, experience. Or sometimes, therefore, looks like almost a permanent situation sometimes because so long.
Once you’re born there, no chance to make positive action and a common good things. And a lower on those places, when you lower ones and goes to more and more. And also, dies, they are also another same way, even maybe worse way to born again. They’re all like that kind of situation. But it is not permanent, absolute that way.
Other there are other that naturally over these are the same like as sometime or the if the proper meeting or meeting or the proper teaching or proper effort or the proper path, etcetera, when you reach proper level of lifestyle. And then when you all conditions, when all positives meet sometime together, they also can be born into. All first from there, exhaustion of all the negative karmas experience millions in years after you finish, and then all negatives are finished in very thin. Or because the fruit is the same thing. Once you see it wrapping, it is into full fruit that is end.
And then some another way to like that way. When they finish, sometimes too long, those sphere of practice causes, experience when you have finished, then they have other many positive seeds also. Then some of them, what if a stronger, they are available, and then they may bring by those seeds up somewhere like that. Other than born sometimes women or the and etcetera. Other that kind of based on that, whatever here talking six types of realms, they are temporarily low or high or intermediate, whatever, or they are all same thing, exchangeable.
So therefore, three low ones. One is called the worst one is called. Next one is the or the pretas or the hungry ghosts or sometimes in the English word. What they say? hungry ghost?
Okay. What are anyway, the misery or something is mainly out of the most experience is the hunger and thirst because the karma which are destruction of others in their property or food and drinking and other like these kind of stealing, etcetera, many, many special kind of types of the karma or creates or that these type of or lack of the on whole life, lack of the drinking, thirst, and then hunger. When you they’re born naturally, they have other physically or something that kind of situation. We have I’m not going to detail each of those or the life, their nature or linked life, how to say, lifespan or the and then birth natural class environment, their own karmic world, what is looks like, and how their body looks like, and then what kind of experience, whether these are Buddhist teachings, detail Buddha himself taught many, many details, whether they are of whether they are held in a sense of type of explaining about eighteen different types of one from sūtra thought like that way. Other all of these, and then, the pretas or hungry ghosts, the second one has also many, different.
Although sometimes, like, each hungry ghost who have when you not finding drinking, eating in whole life. When even sometimes find looks like finding or outside obstacle, like some or not letting to eat. Somebody looks like appears as some god and not letting to eat or drink or something. Or when you go there, it disappears, like mirage or something like that. This kind of various kind of example, experience, of course, can experience all of these.
When we have experience during the life or certain strange things or sometimes dream life or dream times, you may so many strange things experience, other like that way, dream life, another state of life, only you can have an immeasurable this kind of experience. So therefore, anyway, ghost. And the third, among the law three lower beings, third one is the among them, better one is called animal or animal or life. Animal lives and animal is the day what we own, usual animals or the or animals, cattles, horses, dogs, etcetera, all including little small insects. All of these, all the animal life, all that they have different environment, different life, a different physical size, and be and small, how small?
Even the what is that? Macro. Microscopic, the body also very tiny, small, but they have full their lifestyle or organs experience suffering and present into all of these things. And whether size, big or small, doesn’t matter. They have same kind of other lifestyle environment, but condition different way, you know, like this way.
So therefore, all of these you have these anyway, these are the called animals or animal or some of the animals in it are better better life or even born as a result of negative karma, born as animals, but they have they can enter after born, their life, maybe during the life, many, many pleasures, enjoyment can be mixed or that is expressed mixed result. Or the or there is called the or the projecting karma, means main life bringing is the negative karma brought into all animal life. But the next karma means completing karma means there’s some other virtuous karma bring them during that life some other positive experience. Unlike we have pet dog, like, in this country or something. There are some of the pet dogs.
This dog with, I mean, so brought their life brought by negative karma or the projecting karma, or completing karma, what you call, or karma, which will lot of virtuous karmas bring them all into a a pleasant life. Oh, somebody loved to them, somebody served them, caring like little children, or giving food, and even they sick, they can take in doctor. All of these, all various kind of things also. So therefore, a mixed karma. Same thing, human and animals, and we can mix the karma have.
Some of them mixed karmic result come. Some of them not mixed like how some of them or sometimes pure a life which brought pure virtuous karma. And during whole life experience also result of virtuous karma. That is some of the heavenly denizens, some of the devas like that during that time. Or negative karma from the same way pure negative, brought by negative karma, entirely by completely negative karma, some of those hell, denizens, or like those.
There are intermediate human or certain kind of desire god and or certain kind of like animals, etcetera, mixed experience, mixed karmic. Life brought essentially some special thing, and during that life, you know, all experience result certain result of virtues, certain result of the or non virtuous karma. So those things can be experienced. So therefore, there are types of like that. So therefore, three lower rebirths and three higher rebirths.
Higher rebirths, one is human, our life is human higher rebirth. And then above as in the other deva deva realms. Other deva realms is the only life which is much more subtle or more peaceful or longer life. In environment, also much much in the pure type of life or this deva. Although deva has many, many different levels.
Although, sometimes, dharma has there are lot of type of dharma, which is sometimes or or something in translation. Anyway, lot of type of dharma, which is the only part of deva, but it is so low quality, many, many lacks of the deva’s quality. So, therefore, they are called asura or a- is negative. All Tibetan word, non devas. There are actually devas, but they are called non devas because lack of certain quality and then name given non devas.
Or the negative name called. Negative. Some some people, person who has little nose or say the the the nose one. He he or she named no nose one. No nose one is he or she has little nose, but almost therefore, nose.
What I like that way? Or like that. So, anyway, if sometimes five type of realms of beings, then there are three lower ones, two higher one, human and devas. But this non or the lower kind of the separately count, then devas, nondevas, or that non or demigods or whatever you call. Other than there are six of them.
Other each of them, specific, only virtues or karma when you’re explaining. If one wanders to those realms, those things, if one want to choose what specific area one should be working in this life, what kind of practice should be doing. If one does not want to go any of those lower lower rebirth, what our measure, what prevention should be taken in this life? This life is the most important place where you wanna say, let it go down or let it go up. This life has all power.
This life has all potential. This life has great great or or or the one on how to say power like that. If this loss, or never know. Or the new ones go down, and then we will never know. So therefore, this is one of the you call it, imagine, in the west, you don’t have door threshold.
Threshold. Threshold. When the door in there, little little board like we usually put there, that thing. On that, if you have little pea or something round, I think, put on the on the threshold. And whether it will roll in or will roll out, Like, there’s no something like that.
Also, this is the, like, threshold. This human life is the, like, threshold. From here, you may, drop down or go up. Whether that is the or the that whole power because human has so intelligent, most precious, and a noble life. Life which can make all kind of differences.
So therefore, why all these meditation concentration bring our mind, it become strong or powerful or way to to or how to say push the body and speech and the mind, all of these. Other. So therefore, this topic after after death in the future life or this