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From the very moment humans began to exist, birth, aging, illness, and death have followed us like shadows. Time’s impermanence renders all the joy and sorrow, the unions and separations, and the highs and lows of life fleeting and seemingly devoid of meaning. Life, though radiant and resplendent, dismantles these experiences one by one, forcing us to confront profound questions: Can humanity achieve immortality? Can life transcend time and become eternal?
While some religions imagine an eternal paradise where people hope to secure everlasting life, the Buddha presented a different truth. He taught, “All things arising through dependent origination are bound to decay.” Even the sublime Buddha-lands are subject to the laws of impermanence, let alone the fragile and often harsh human world.
1. Impermanence
When it comes to impermanence, death is its most poignant reminder. In modern society, death is often treated as taboo—something to avoid discussing. This is because death signifies the end of one’s existence in the world, leaving one powerless to take anything with them. Yet, in Buddhism, death is regarded as merely the beginning of another life. It is precisely this endless cycle of birth and death that forms the wheel of samsara. If we can cultivate a correct understanding of death, we can approach every moment and every experience in life with joy and gratitude.
With unparalleled wisdom, the Buddha taught that life is an ongoing cycle of rebirth, where each birth and death constitutes another turn of the samsaric wheel. What is this cycle of life and death? Tibetan Buddhism offers detailed and profound insights into samsara that help us uncover the answer.
All things in this world are formed from the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and the human body is no exception. At death, the four elements within our bodies gradually disintegrate, causing bodily functions to fail. At the very moment of death, the mental state of the individual becomes pivotal, determining the quality of their next life.
2. Thoughts
At the moment of death, one’s thoughts can be categorized into three types: virtuous, unvirtuous, and neutral. Virtuous thoughts include positive mental states such as the aspiration for enlightenment (Bodhicitta), faith in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) and one’s spiritual teacher, and a mind imbued with compassion. Unvirtuous thoughts, on the other hand, stem from the three poisons—greed, hatred, and ignorance—and give rise to negative mental states. Neutral thoughts are neither virtuous nor unvirtuous, existing in a state of neutrality.
This final thought, arising at the moment of death, holds tremendous power and directly shapes the trajectory of one’s next life. A virtuous thought will lead to rebirth in one of the three higher realms: the realm of gods, demi-gods (Asuras), or humans. Conversely, an unvirtuous thought will drag one down into one of the three lower realms, where they will suffer the torments of hell, hunger, or animal existence.
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The 6 Realms in Buddhism of Samsara and Reincarnation Part 1
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Learning Buddhism is Definitely Life-changing
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