Precious Human Life

From the four thoughts that turn the mind to the Dharma, “Oh! This kind of leisure and endowment is supremely difficult to obtain. When we obtain this body, which is easily lost, do not waste it meaninglessly but use it to attain the ultimate liberation – joyous result.” This is talking about what we call precious human life which is indeed most precious and quite rare.

When one considers all of the different forms of life on this planet, human beings are but a tiny minority here. Furthermore, having the “leisure and endowment” makes “precious human life” rarer even than just being born human. “ Leisure” refers to having time and energy not devoted to survival that one may invest in the study and practice of the Dharma. “ Endowment” refers to having the mental or physical capacity for such study and practice and to have the contact with the Dharma.

Today I made a thrift store shopping trip during which I found nothing for which I was searching. However, I did look around and reflected that I was most fortunate to have “precious human life.” While sitting on a bench resting from my walk, I saw a young man passing by me who obviously was dealing with frightful visions that stood between him and interacting with other human beings. Others were struggling to obtain the basic necessities. Still others were caught up in the dramas of their lives. Yet others faced Down's Syndrome or other mental challenges.

For all of these persons I felt great compassion both for the struggles they faced and for their lack of the opportunity to study and practice the Dharma. At the same time I felt the deepest gratitude for the opportunity that I have both to study and to practice the Dharma. I could just as easily been born in similar circumstances or just been oblivious to the Dharma. Indeed, I know that I have had other rebirths in which I had no contact with the Dharma.

On his occasion as on many others when I am out and about I was chanting mantras silently. Some time as I am starting out I say the short refuge prayer and the “four immeasurables” to establish the right motivation. After chanting whatever mantras I have been chanting I will dedicate the merit with a brief prayer. I actually think of this as protecting myself as best I can from the mental poisons, because a mantra is quite literally “mind protection.” However, tonight as we were doing Green Tara practice, I realized that I had given to all these suffering persons a real help, the only help I was able to give them, my mantra recitation, because most of the time I had been chanting the Green Tara mantra.

I do not have the financial wealth to help them. In fact when I dug in my bag to give to one man I only found a few nickels and pennies. Nor do I have professional expertise to deal with their conditions. I clearly do not have siddhis to help them by miraculous means. Nevertheless, I did give them the help that I do have for them.

In this lifetime I actually had my first contact with the Dharma quite early although I ignored it for so many years. It is only at this late age that I have devoted attention and energy to the study and practice of the Dharma. I am most fortunate to have been granted ordination in order that I may devote myself to this for the rest of my life no matter how long or short.

I cannot know whether I have enough years left in this life to attain enlightenment, the “joyous result,” but I rather doubt it. Nevertheless, I can draw closer to it and perhaps accumulate the merit for the positive Karma to have not only another “precious human life” but also an earlier contact and devotion to the Dharma. Lama has said that I must have done something right in my previous rebirths to have the opportunities that I have had in this present lifetime.

Whatever the future may hold, whether in this lifetime or in a future rebirth, I do have the most precious chance to work not only for my own benefit but also for the benefit of all sentient beings. Indeed that is the most important effort we may make. Therefore I am certain that it was not useless or meaningless that I was silently chanting some Chenrezig mantras and even more Tara mantras and dedicating them “ for the benefit of all sentient beings.” I truly want the compassion that I felt for and the intention that I directed toward all these suffering people to bear fruit for their benefit.