So,
First of all,
Greetings to my Dharma friends.
This Stages of the Path series.
Previously we did number one and two and this brings us to number three.
So this third topic is on the precious human rebirth.
Specifically the essence of this human rebirth,
How it is something that is greatly meaningful and how it is something that is very difficult to find.
We need to examine this topic in a steady way with mindfulness and introspection to maintain an awareness and a feeling of it.
Otherwise because we have so many activities,
Meet so many people,
It's easy to lose that awareness.
So the trick here is with this human rebirth,
If we are able to have a mind that recognizes its value and if we are able to maintain that awareness all the time,
Then what this will do is it will help us to bring forth a steady attitude of joy and a steady attitude of courage.
So today we will approach this from the style of meditation on the important points.
So we shall begin that now.
So first of all just take a few moments to in stages settle that body and mind in a relaxed state.
So we think that there is a sun,
Just as the sun can evaporate the water,
We will evaporate or dissolve any of those uncomfortable or stressful thoughts.
Just reflect with awareness how right today at this moment we have this human rebirth and not just any human rebirth,
A precious human rebirth with the eight leisures and the ten richnesses.
I think for example if I was born in one of the three unfortunate realms of existence,
Not only would I not be able to have even an experience of temporary happiness,
But I would constantly be enduring difficulty.
And to have a human rebirth separated from that type of lack of leisure,
How fortunate I am.
And even if I were to be reborn as a human being but in an unfortunate land where there were constant wars and scarcity of the things I needed to sustain myself,
I wouldn't be able to do activities even aimed at temporary happiness.
But I have been reborn in a place that is free of these problems where I can make use of my human rebirth.
How amazing to have such an opportunity.
And even amongst those humans,
There are those who have this tremendous difficulty of being reborn with incomplete sense faculties,
Being born without the discernment,
Ability to understand and so forth.
And because of those obstacles,
With compassion we understand that because of those obstacles they cannot take full advantage of their human rebirth.
But I am not in this situation.
So in this way we contemplate how this human rebirth is difficult to find,
That it has this very great meaning,
It has something that is greatly meaningful.
It is like a precious wish fulfilling jewel.
It is something that the holy beings advise us to contemplate.
This human rebirth,
Whether we think about it from the perspective of temporary happiness or ultimate happiness,
It is a basis,
It is a foundation to be able to achieve both those types of happiness.
How amazing this opportunity is.
This human rebirth,
It gives us the basis not only to be able to achieve the happiness of this lifetime,
But to achieve a happy rebirth from lifetime to lifetime in the human and the celestial realms of the devas from lifetime to lifetime.
It gives us the opportunity to practice the six perfections,
Generosity and so forth,
All of these amazing capacities.
This human rebirth is like the perfect boat which can carry us across the ocean of the cycle of existence,
Across the ocean of samsara to the shore of freedom of liberation.
If I don't use this boat to get closer to that shore of liberation,
It would be a waste.
So,
Not only that,
But all of the happiness that I wish to achieve,
I can achieve on the basis of this human rebirth.
All the happiness,
I can also help those close to me to achieve that happiness on the basis of this rebirth,
I can help all sentient beings,
Myself and others to achieve that happiness.
I can bring forth the minds that lead to that happiness such as love,
Compassion and so forth.
On the basis of this human rebirth,
I can target the problems of myself and others to achieve that happiness.
I can get rid of those afflictions as well as their imprints and lead all myself and all sentient beings to the state of supreme enlightenment.
Think about this altruistic mind.
To recognize this situation that I have right now,
I will always be able to bring forth a joyful attitude.
I will always be able to bring forth an attitude of courage.
I will definitely be able to bring forth that outlook.
How amazing is this opportunity?
I will always be able to bring forth a joyful attitude of courage.
The Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas,
The inhabitants of the Pure Lands such as Sukhavati,
Devaccha,
They look upon our situation on the basis of the perfect human rebirth with the eight freedoms and the ten richnesses as something truly amazing,
Truly incomprehensible.
How wonderful our situation is.
That concludes our brief meditation on this topic.
With joy,
We want to approach familiarizing ourselves with these teachings on the precious human rebirth.
One of the benefits of that is that whenever we are experiencing difficulties,
Troubles,
Stress,
If we remind ourselves of the preciousness of this human rebirth,
We will be able to reinvigorate ourselves with courage and joy.
Please engage in this contemplation thinking I have arrived at this island of jewels and I am going to do my best to make sure that I do not leave this island of jewels empty handed.
Thank you.
Thanks so much.
