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Thistopicishowtotrainintakingtheessenceofourperfecthumanrebirth.Withinthistopic,
therearetwomainparts:
Recognizingtheperfecthumanrebirth
Understandingitsgreatvalueandrarity.
Aperfecthumanrebirthisendowedwithtwouniquesetsofprivileges:
TheLeisures:theeightstatesoffreedomfrombeingunabletodevelopourmindsthrough
Dharmapractice
TheOpportunities:thegoodconditionsthatwehavetodoso
TheEightLeisures
Theeightleisuresarecharacterizedbybeingbornfreefromcertainkindsofexistencethatlackthe
conditionstobeabletopracticeDharma.Therearefourhumanstatesandfournonhumanstates
thatlacktheleisuretobeabletopracticetheDharma.
Thefournonhumanstatesare:
Freedomfrombeingborninthehellrealm
Freedomfrombeingbornasahungryghost
Freedomfrombeingbornintheanimalrealm
Freedomfrombeingbornasalonglifegod.
Thefourhumanstatesare:
FreedomfrombeingborninaplacewithnoDharma
FreedomfrombeingborninaplacewhereBuddhahasnotappeared
Freedomfrombeingbornwithdefectivesenses
Freedomfrombeingbornwithstrongwrongviews
TheTenOpportunities
Thetenopportunitiesaredividedintotwosets:fivearepertainingtooneselfandfivepertainto
externalconditions.
TheFivePersonalOpportunitiesare:
Beingbornasahumanbeing
BeingborninacentralplacewherewecanpracticeDharma
Beingbornwithawellfunctioningbodyandmind
Nothavingcommittedanyofthefiveheinouscrimes
HavingfaithintheLamrimandthecollectionofBuddhasteachings
TheFiveCircumstantialOpportunitiesare
BeingborninthefortunateperiodwhenaBuddhahasappeared
BeingborninthefortunateperiodwhenBuddhahastaughttheDharma
BeingborninthefortunateperiodwhenDharmaexistsandflourishes
Beingborninthefortunateperiodwhenweareabletomeetwithpurefollowersofthe
Dharma
Beingborninthefortunateperiodwhenpractitionerscanenjoykindsupport
Ifwefindourselveswithahumanrebirthendowedwiththeseeighteenattributes,rememberthat
suchfortuneistheresultofourpositiveactionsandprayersfrompastlives.Whynotrejoiceagain
andagainwhenoursituationisfullrealizedandappreciated?
RecognizingtheValueandRarity
Fromatemporarystandpoint:
Topracticepuremoralitytocreatethecausesforahigherrebirthandtoavoidalowerone
Fromtheultimatestandpoint:
ourprecioushumanlifeisthebasiswhichwecanattainenlightenmentforthesakeofall
sentientbeings
Fromamomentbymomentstandpoint:
itbecomespossibletouseeachinstantforabeneficialpurpose;allactivitiesbecome
meaningful.Eachmomentofthedayisforcreatingthecausesofenlightenment.
TheDifficultyofObtainingaPerfectHumanRebirth
Rarefromthepointofviewofcause:
Itiseasytoencounterahumanlifeoverandoveragain;inordertoobtainthiskindof
rebirth,wemustpracticepureethicsandthesixperfectionsandsupportallofthisby
makingpureandferventprayers.
Rarefromthepointofviewofexample:
Byrememberingtheanalogyofacrippledblindturtleswimminginahugeoceanand
comingtothesurfaceonceeveryhundredyears,onlytoaccidentallypokeitsheadthrough
aringfloatingonthesurfaceoftheocean,sucharethechancesofreceivingaperfectbirth
asahuman.
Rarefromtheviewofnature,ornumber:
Rememberingthatamongalltherealmsofnaturethegreatestnumberofbeingsexistinthe
hellrealms.Fewerstillexistinthehungryghostrealmsandfewerstillintheanimalrealm.
Thosethatarebornhumanwiththeeightleisuresandthetenopportunitiesareevenfewer
still.ThosethathaverealizedBodhicittaofcourseareevenmoreuncommon.
FourPointsworthRemembering:
YouneedtopracticeDharmabecauseallsentientbeingswanthappinessandnotsuffering.
EliminatingsufferingandattaininghappinessdependentirelyonthepracticeofDharma.
YouhavethecapabilitytopracticeDharmabecauseyouhavetheexternalconditionsofa
perfectguruandtheinternalconditionsofleisureandfortune.
YoumustpracticeDharmainthislifebecause,ifyoudonot,leisureandfortunewillnotbe
gainedformanylifetimes.
YoumustpracticeDharmanowbecausethereisnocertaintywhenyouwilldie.
AbandonClingingToThisLifeandEightWorldlyConcerns
Clingingtotheappearancesofthislifemeansfocusingonthebenefitsofthisonebrieflifetime
alone:seekingourhappinessintermsofabetterreputation,betterfood,betterclothing,better
shelter,andthetemporarypleasuresofthisexistence.Thismentalityisobsessedbytheeight
worldlyconcernsofgain/loss,pleasure/pain,praise/blameandfame/dishonor.
Tofreeourselvesfromthiskindofthinking,reflectonthegreatvalueofourperfecthuman
rebirth,impermanenceandthecertaintyofdeath.Eventhoughweseektosubdueourminds
throughDharmapractice,thinkingofatleastonoftheeightconcernsstillusuallyaffectsour
practice.Ofthese,themostdifficulttogiveupisthewishforagoodreputation.
TheThreeScopes
Totaketheessenceofourhumanrebirth,weneedaclearunderstandingofthespiritualpath,
particularlyofthethreeprincipalpathsastaughtbyManjushri,astheyhavebeenappliedtothe
frameworkofthethreescopesbyLamaTsongkhapaintheLamrim.
AsummaryofthethreescopesaslaidoutintherestoftheLamrimisasfollows:
Practitionersofthesmallscoperenouncethetemporarypleasuresofthislife,hopingfora
higherrebirthinthenext.
Practitionersofthemediumscopeconsideranybirthwithincyclicexistenceunfavorable
becausesuchabirthisstillsubjecttodelusionsandkarma.Therefore,mediumscopers
seektoterminatetheentirecycleofbirthanddeath,achievingliberation.
Thegoalofthepractitionerofthegreatscopeistoattaincompleteenlightenment,complete
inallqualitiesandknowledgeandmotivatedbycompassionforalllivingbeings.
ThisendsthesectionofLamrimontheprecioushumanrebirth.