Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute teaching, Ven Pende Hawter guides practitioners through a foundational Buddhist meditation on death and impermanence. He develops three interconnected themes: death is certain and unavoidable; the time of death is unpredictable, striking at any age or moment; and only mental or spiritual development can truly help us when we die, since possessions, relationships, and even the body must be left behind. Using concrete examples—young children dying of cancer, a wealthy businessman who collapsed mid-speech about living for the moment, people at Karunā hospice facing their final days—he explains how reflecting on death creates urgency to practice now and to release attachment to worldly concerns. The talk concludes with guided meditations on impermanence and compassion, anchoring intellectual understanding into lived experience. Suitable for newcomers and established practitioners alike.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 D and D 1994 11 12.mp3
UUID: 2a5c47f7-97d9-4cff-bc1d-542a2ebbd4a4
Teacher: Ven Pende Hawter
Collection: Death and Dying (Ven Pende Hawter)
Date: 1994-11-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.7 minutes
Words: ~3,747
Perhaps get food poisoning or or the the cars we drive in, we can have an accident and be killed that way. So life is quite fragile, and even things that sustain life can can kill us. And there were many of you have heard of Thomas Merton, the American monk, and how his life ended tragically when he was visiting Thailand, I think, and he was electrocuted with a faulty fan in the bathroom or something. So his life ended suddenly. And the third point here is that the weakness and fragility of our body contributes also to life’s uncertainty, and we know how quickly the body can be struck down by disease, how we can be perfectly healthy one day and yet we can suddenly get a flu or something and feel like death warmed up the next day, and how easily diseases and accidents can occur.
And we see all the time people who can be perfectly healthy at one stage, and then within several months they can be dead from cancer or some sort of life, some illness that they contract, and of course, different types of accidents like car accidents or whatever. So by gaining that understanding of how fragile life is and how it can end at any time, we that can help us to gain the conviction to to try and develop our our potential now immediately without putting it off or postponing it. Because if we don’t practice now, then it it it may be too late. We may we may not have the chance to try and understand just how precious and short life is and to really gain that gain the opportunity now while we have the chance. Because if we don’t take the chance now, then it it can only be detrimental.
We’re going to end up having regret. Now perhaps the in a sense, the most important part of this meditation is to reflect that the only thing that can help us at the time of death is our mental or spiritual development. And that is because in Buddhist terms, the only thing that goes on after this life is our very subtle mind, our very subtle consciousness, which contains on it all of the imprints of all of our past actions. All of our past actions of body, speech, and mind are are contained or held within this very subtle consciousness. And at the time of death, as we’ll describe in the after lunch, all of the energies in the body absorb to this very subtle consciousness, and that with all of our karmic imprints leaves the body and goes on to the next life.
So that’s all all that we take with us, everything else gets left behind. So our worldly possessions, position, reputation, etcetera can’t help us, our relatives and friends can neither help us nor go with us, and even our precious bodies that we look after so well and take to the gym and do aerobics and things with, even that can’t help us, and it has to be left behind like an empty shell. So when we reflect on on this, on on the fact that only our spiritual development can help us at the time of death, that helps us to gain the conviction to to practice in a very pure way without getting caught up, as I said before, these eight worldly dharmas, in this gain and loss and reputation and disgrace, and to always have in mind that ultimately the only thing that’s worthwhile doing in life is things that can contribute to our own inner development and that everything else is going to be left behind, which is not to say that we should run off and live in a cave somewhere, but to always keep in mind that ultimately it’s it’s meaningless to spend our life acquiring acquiring different things that have to be left behind.
And even, you know, the wealthiest people in the world, at the moment they die, all of their wealth just goes to somebody else. It’s absolutely useless. And so we see constantly that people as they approach death, because because they spent their life acquiring things and living a material life and not working on their inner development, that when they’re faced with the end of life, it generates a great deal of fear in the mind because there’s nothing for them to hang on to. There’s no refuge for them to hang on to. And in fact, when Lama Zopa asked us to establish Karunā Hospice, his his advice was that the main purpose of the work we were doing was to help put positive imprints on people’s minds to help them with future lives because because he said, you know, when most people approach death, they do so with a great deal of fear because of of what they’re losing.
And if we can help them to assist them by putting some positive imprints in their minds, then that’s the best gift that we can give them before they die. So what I’d like to do now is to I’ve talked a lot. Is there any particular questions you want to ask before we do a meditation? Okay. So the the question relates to about where do these two hundred thousand people go to when they die?
So which we’ll cover in detail after lunch. We can reflect on it at lunchtime about where where they can go, where they go. But, yes, I mean, what we’ll talk about after lunch, we’ll we’ll go into detail and talk in in detail about the actual dying process and the the transition from this life to the next and how all those two hundred thousand little souls find another home somewhere, another place of rebirth. So we’ll do that after lunch. So now let’s just do some meditation.
So just get yourselves comfortable for meditation. So again, just for a moment, just bring the mind back to the breath. Allowing the mind to become still and clear. And just thinking about these, reflecting on these various points that we’ve covered in this discussion, And again and again we can remind ourselves of these three main points: death is certain, time of death is uncertain, and the the only thing that can help us at the time of death is the state of our mental or spiritual development. Everything else gets left behind.
So the first point, death is certain. So just thinking about the fact that there’s no possible way to escape death, nobody has ever escaped death, and the current idea of in America of cryonics, of having your body or your head put in in whatever it is, particular liquid nitrogen until they find a way to revive your your mind or your body, is just absolute folly. And just reflecting on the fact that our life does have a definite inflexible limit, and each moment, each minute, each hour, each second, each day brings us closer to the end of our life. By the end of today, our life will be that much will be that much closer to our death. In fact, there’s no guarantee we’ll still be here tomorrow.
Tonight, many people will die. Many people who are so much looking forward to the Grand Prix will not be here tomorrow to watch it on television. And the third point that death comes in a moment and its time is unexpected. Again, in our work, we see this all the time, our work with the dying that and as nurses, doctors in hospitals that people just aren’t prepared for death. It always comes as a shock.
In our bereavement groups, we’ve seen people married for sixty years in their seventies and eighties. And one of the partners dies and the other one is completely shocked. Didn’t expect it to happen. We breathe out. We don’t breathe in, and the life is finished.
It’s that it’s that close, that fragile, and yet somehow we kid ourselves into thinking that we’re going to be here for a long time. So unrealistic. So the only thing that can help us, the only thing that makes sense is to practice the spiritual path, the path of inner development, mental development. And then the second main point that the time of death is uncertain. The first point here that the duration of our lifespan is uncertain.
Young people dying before old people, sick people before healthy people, etcetera. In the last year in our hospice service, we’ve cared for four children who died of cancer, leukemia, etcetera. The youngest of whom was, I think, two years old. Always a great shock to the parents because the expectation in society is that you will you will die before your children. When your children die before you, it comes as a terrible shock because we don’t understand that death can come to anybody at any age.
And the fact that there are many causes and circumstances that lead to death, but few that that lead to the continuation of life. Life is very fragile, and even those things that normally sustain life can can kill us. The third point here that the weakness and fragility of our body, our physical body, contribute to life’s uncertainty, and how easily we can be overcome by diseases and accidents. At Karunā in Brisbane, we’re currently caring for a husband and wife who are both dying of AIDS. They they don’t know where they contracted the AIDS.
So by reflecting on the fact that the time of death is uncertain, it gives us the conviction, the recognition that there is no time to lose. If we don’t practice now, then it’s going to be too late. And then the third main topic of this meditation, the third main part that reflecting on the fact that the only thing that can help us at the time of death is the state of our mental spiritual development. Everything else gets left behind. So all of our worldly possessions, all of our wealth, our position, our money, none of that can help us at the time of death.
It’s all useless. Our friends, our loved ones can’t help us, they can’t go with us. We could have any number of wonderful friends, the most caring family, loved ones, but time of death ultimately they can’t help us, they can’t go with us, we have to leave them behind also. And even our own precious bodies has to be left behind like an empty shell, like an old coat that has to be left behind. Everything that we’re familiar with has to be discarded, left behind.
So because the only thing that can help us at the time of death is is our mind, our spiritual development, then we try and develop the conviction to practice purely in a pure way without allowing those eight worldly dharmas to distract or interfere with our practice, practice without getting caught up in gain and loss, reputation, disgrace, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Wanting the first four of those four pairs, wanting to avoid the second four, putting all of our energy into those things is is again meaningless, can’t help us at the time of death. Just coming to some conclusion from the meditation, just trying to get a sense of the fragility, the shortness, the preciousness of life, and what can help at the end of life, at the time of death. And just for a moment just meditating in a fixed way on that conclusion that you’ve come to from the meditation. And it’s this type of meditation and coming to a conclusion about the meditation and meditating in a fixed way upon that conclusion, it’s it’s this type of process that brings the information into the mind and mixes it with the mind.
So that it goes from being some intellectual knowledge to actually becoming part of our experience that helps us to live in the realization of the preciousness and shortness of life so that we live with that throughout our day, throughout our life. And what also can help with this reflection is that each day when we get up in the morning, if the first thing when we get up in the morning, if we just remind ourselves, today may be the last day of my life. First thing you say to yourself, today, this day, may be the last day of my life. Again, Lama Zopa puts it more strongly. He says, you should say to yourself, today is the last day of my life.
To to make it even more more strong, more powerful, today is the last day of my life. And then you add to that using your own words, but something like, today may be the last day of my life, let me live it therefore by helping others as much as I can, making life as meaningful as as possible, opening up my heart to others as much as possible, whichever suits our own mentality. And again, sometimes as an exercise we can imagine that we only have, say, three to six months to live. We might imagine that someone has just given us a diagnosis of a life threatening illness, and we only have a few months to live. We do this meditation, this reflection as seriously as we can, as realistically as we can, then it can be very beneficial.
I’ve only got three or six months to live. Then ask yourself, am I ready to die? What unfinished business do I have? What things do I need to do or accomplish before I die? Would my values change?
Would my priorities change? Would I continue to live each day as I’m living it now? Or somebody said in a slightly lighter note that to live each day as though it was our last because one day will be right. And if we use this sort of meditation in the in the right way, some people may think that this could be perhaps depressing or create anxiety, but if if we use it in the right way in the context of the other aspects of the philosophy, then it actually gives our practice a lot of energy, a lot of inspiration. We live in this it, like, gives us energy because it’s like there’s there’s so little time to practice and to make the most of each day.
And if we live each day as though it’s our last, then whether we live for one week or one year or ten years or fifty years, when the end of our life comes, automatically we would have lived it fully and we’ll look back without regret because we’ve lived with this realization of death and impermanence, if you like, looking over our shoulder in in the positive way, in the positive aspect, can give our practice a great deal of energy and inspiration. So now let’s conclude the morning’s sessions by dedicating, by sealing any positive energy we’ve generated this morning by listening, reflecting, meditating, discussing with the wish that that through these activities we may quickly gain these awarenesses and realizations in our mind in order that we can be of of most benefit to others and to lead all others out of their suffering and confusion to a state of peace and happiness. So I’ve got a small pre lunch story for you. And the story is about a businessman the the heading of the story is businessman dies moments after speaking about death. A South African businessman collapsed and died moments after making a speech warning that death could come at any time.
Sunday newspapers reported here, Danny Dutois, forty nine, is believed to have choked to death on a peppermint minutes after delivering a speech on the need to live for the moment at a Toastmasters Club meeting near here near here last week, the last words Dutois spoke were, you must enjoy life while you can. Tomorrow may be too late. He sat down to a big ovation, and when the next speaker began talking, the audience heard him making choking sounds. At first, we thought he was having an epileptic fit, said the president of the Florida Toastmasters Club, Joe Fenske. Then we realized he had stopped breathing, and a guest from another club pumped his chest and gave him the kiss of life.
Fenske said paramedics called to the scene had also tried to save Dutois, but something was blocking his windpipe. There was no food around. The only thing he could have eaten was a peppermint. We were all very shocked, said Fenske. Danny’s speech proved to be so prophetic.
It was uncanny. A postmortem revealed only that Dutois died of unnatural causes. So please enjoy your lunch. And for those of you who are still alive Congratulations on not dying. Is anybody not here?
So perhaps we can do a sitting meditation. No? Let’s just start with a short short meditation just to bring us back to the afternoon. Just immediately bring the mind to the breath. Just letting go of the conversations, etcetera, from lunch, just allowing the mind to be relaxed and still.
Then just above the crown of your head visualizing a ball of brilliant white light. If you wish visualizing that ball of light as being in the nature of, Guru Śākyamūni Buddha or any of the other, deities, or if you prefer, use the image of Christ or Mary or one of the saints, or of your guru. We’re just simply seeing the, the ball of light as representing, universal healing energy. They even visualize that ball of light as being, in the nature of healing crystals or, any other holy object like a stupa, just whatever suits the mind. And the light radiating out from that, either that ball of light or that spiritual being, if you’re visualizing a spiritual being, seeing that being as being in the nature of light, alive, vibrant, completely, made of light, in the nature of light.
And the light spreads out in all directions. In particular, it washes down through your own body. So visualizing rays of nectar light coming down through the crown of your head, and gradually moving through the body, completely filling the body from head to toe with this white light healing energy, down through the head, the chest, stomach, pelvis, legs, arms, hands, so that your whole body from head to toe becomes completely filled with this white light healing energy, completely dissolving away all mental and physical problems, all sickness, spirit harms, negative karmas, their imprints, all our past negative actions. Completely dissolved away by that universal healing energy. That our whole body becomes in the nature of light, completely transforms into this light, this healing energy.
And here it’s good to visualize the body as being hollow, transparent, so that in a sense we become, thinking of yourself being like a light bulb just glowing with light. And that, healing energy also brings with it all of the positive qualities, all of the, the love, the kindness, the compassion of all of the holy beings, completely imbuing our mind streams with those positive qualities. So that the whole body and mind is completely healed, energized, purified. We just rest in that state of openness, spaciousness, clarity, stillness. And then by way of extending extending the meditation to to think of others, to turn it into a meditation on compassion, and as a way of setting our motivation for this afternoon session, we can now visualize around ourself all of the sentient beings, of the living beings of the six realms of existence, all in human form surrounding us, this vast sea of humanity surrounding us.
And in exactly the same way that each one of us wants happiness and doesn’t want the slightest discomfort or suffering, so every one of those living beings wants happiness and doesn’t want, even the slightest suffering or problem. They’re all exactly the same as us. And when we analyze, we can think that, we’re only one being and others, who are the same as us are countless. So for us only to think of our own welfare, our own well-being is something very narrow, very selfish. So we try and extend that to expand that limited limited compassion, you like, to think about all of the other beings and to wish for them to have happiness and be free of suffering.
So from our hearts now, we visualize streaming out from our hearts from this limitless, supply of, enlightened energy that we’ve taken into ourself. From our hearts, rays of light go out and touch all of those sentient beings around us, each and every one of them. And as the rays of light hit each of the sentient beings, it completely eradicates their suffering, their pain, their dissatisfaction, and and brings with it all of the positive qualities, all of the love, compassion, wisdom, and in particular, the the ultimate qualities, ultimate peace, healing of complete awakening, complete enlightenment. So all of those beings, all their suffering is removed and they receive all the positive qualities through the power of our meditation. And you can visualize all of them being transformed into this, pure blissful healing light energy.
So just really feeling that through the power of our meditation that we’ve been able to lead every other living being to that state of ultimate peace and happiness. So then now the the rays of light that we’ve sent out from our heart absorb back into into us, back into our heart. And the, ball of light or the spiritual being above our crown, becomes smaller and smaller and sinks down through the crown of our head and comes to rest in the center of our chest and becomes completely oneness with the very subtle mind, the drop of light at our heart completely absorbs into that, so that our body, speech, and mind becomes completely oneness with the body, speech, and mind of all of the holy beings. And then just bring the mind back to the breath. And then just in your own time again just finishing the meditation by opening your eyes coming back into awareness of the room.