Words from our Teacher:
Kushok Lobsang Damchöe
 

It is important to set your motivation for the day first thing in the morning. Think about how fortunate you are to have this precious human body, which gives you so much opportunity to practice Dharma. Think how you can take meaning from this rebirth.

A Meditation from
Kushok Lobsang Damchöe

The lam-rim (Stages of the Path) texts list the Eight Freedoms and Ten Endowments so we can identify we have the opportune human rebirth. Then we can see this opportune human body is so rare, so difficult to get, and more precious than any other possession. Strongly rejoice in this, and feel compassion for the suffering beings. Some people have no food, no place to live. Some have all the material things but are so unhappy with so many problems. Beings in the other realms don't have the opportunity or the freedom to use their lives wisely.

Also think a little bit about impermanence. We can see many examples all around us. How long can we use these 18 qualities? It will be short-term; the years of our lives go by quickly. So, don't be distracted by meaningless activities.

The Eight Freedoms:

  1. Freedom from being born in the hell realms (suffering intense heat or cold)
  2. Freedom from being born as a hungry ghost (suffering great hunger, thirst and longing)
  3. Freedom from being born in the animal realm (suffering from ignorance and inability to study/ practice Dharma)
  4. Freedom from being born as a long-life god (do not get Dharma teachings and suffer by foreseeing their downfall in samsara prior to their death)
  5. Freedom from being born at a time when there wasn't a Buddha (a dark eon).
  6. Freedom from being born in a place where I can not hear the Dharma teachings.
  7. Freedom from being born with an unclear mind or defective senses to understand the Dharma.
  8. Freedom from holding wrong views (not believing in cause and effect, etc.)

The 5 Personal Endowments:

  1. I am a human being.
  2. I live in a central land, meaning a place where there is religion/spirituality.
  3. I have a well-functioning mind and body.
  4. I have not committed the five heinous crimes (which includes harming a Buddha or Bodhisattva, killing a parent or causing a schism in the spiritual community)
  5. I have faith in the Dharma.

The 5 Circumstantial Endowments:

  1. A Buddha has appeared (this is a Light eon)
  2. Buddha taught the Dharma
  3. The teachings still exist in the world
  4. People still follow and practice Buddhism
  5. People generally live peacefully; it is a supportive environment to practice religion.
  
  Gaden Samten Ling
Tibetan Buddist Meditation Society
11403-101 Street, Edmonton, Alberta  T5G 2A9
Phone: (780) 479-0014 | Email: info [at] gadensamtenling [dot] org