36. Contemplating Death
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
September 29, 1985
We are born with the four elements – earth, water, fire, air – mixed together as a lump. People conventionally call it a "person" and then put it to use. This lump can be used for everything, in every way. It can be used in water, on land, in the air – it can be used for all sorts of things. It can do good, it can do evil, everything. It is a kind of magical device, like a puppet. The Lord Buddha taught that the body (sarīrayanta) is a machine with four wheels (chatukka) – the four postures – and nine doors (navadvāra). The Buddhas and all the monastic disciples do not call it a person or a being; they call it merely a body-machine. When they ask each other about well-being, they do not say, "Are you comfortable?" They say, "Are the four wheels with nine doors still bearable?" That is what they say. They do not say, "Are you comfortable?"
Why "bearable"? Because every person is born and lives by means of the four postures as a way of abiding. Endurance means: when any part of the postures weakens, the body becomes distorted and deteriorates in due order. When one part deteriorates, we use the remaining parts. For example, when the ears deteriorate – that is, become deaf – we still use the eyes, nose, tongue, and body. When the eyes deteriorate, we use the other eye. If both eyes deteriorate, there is nothing left to use, and so on. That is why they ask, "Is it still bearable?" They do not say, "Are you comfortable?"
In truth, there is no comfort anywhere. When we are born, the four postures manifest suffering: standing, walking, sitting, lying down – changing the four postures. Changing each posture is a matter of changing suffering. Sit too long, you get tired, so you change to walking. Walk too long, you get tired, so you change to lying down. Lie down too long, you change to standing, and so on. All movement – changing postures – reveals restlessness and discomfort. That is why we keep changing postures. We endure painful feelings like this all the time.
Those who contemplate and see these drawbacks of suffering realize that we have no happiness at all; we simply endure and get by. When we walk, we endure walking. In truth, we don't want to walk because it's tiring. When we lie down, we endure lying down as it happens. Even eating and drinking – all actions and expressions are matters of suffering, merely experiencing suffering, with no happiness to be found.
Now, things deteriorate in due order. For example, vigorous strength in all things – walking around energetically and strongly – that is being strong. But in reality, that strength is there; when you do too much, you get tired. However, when you appear strong, your energy can still cope, so you carry on – you can manage. But if you become weak, you cannot manage. That is called deterioration. It arises: eyes deteriorate, ears deteriorate, nose, tongue, body, mind deteriorate – they deteriorate in due order. Vigorous strength completely deteriorates. That is called death. Deterioration is called death. It gradually dies, one thing at a time, two things at a time. Eventually, when lying down, it deteriorates – it gradually dies. In the end, it truly dies; there is no in-and-out breathing. In truth, we live by breath.
Observe all things: everything finishes, every affair ends. It gradually deteriorates. Only a faint breath remains, and that too deteriorates. Soon that breath also ceases. That is the end of the story. What then? Death.
Speaking truly and seriously, it is not that this body breaks apart and dies. It is a matter of its own nature. It arises as the four elements, as explained. But in truth, it is not the four elements – it is some kind of form, we don't know what, that arises and becomes a "person." We conventionally call it a "person," but in reality it is not a person; it is a "nature" that arises, just like a puppet that is molded into shape.
That puppet deteriorates, then disintegrates, according to its own true nature – its earth, water, air, fire. That's the end of it. No one dies. Who knows about "I die" or "you die"? It's not that the body dies. Rather, it is constantly arising and ceasing. After arising and ceasing, it goes on its own way.
As for the mind, it is the one that takes up residence. It's like a hermit crab: it goes into someone else's shell, enters it, and then grasps that shell as its own. It goes along according to its own nature, as a self, as an entity. When it becomes disenchanted and leaves that shell, it becomes empty of that shell. After leaving the shell, it exists separately. This body is the same. Our mind enters and dwells there. But after dwelling, it becomes disenchanted, and then ends – that is, it deteriorates and ceases completely. Then it goes again. It leaves this existence and goes to another existence.
Therefore, being born as a person is not about anything else. We are born only to experience kamma – actions. Changing postures and so on is called kamma. It is the mind itself that is born, that creates kamma, that makes us do this and that – doing good, doing evil, doing coarse or refined actions. All these postures are called "making kamma." When the body deteriorates, dies, and disintegrates, the mind can no longer use it. Now, where can it use the body? There is only the mind alone, with no postures – so it cannot be used. The mind is a very important thing. As long as there is still movement and postures – that is, as long as the body exists – we must use it. When the body completely ceases, disintegrates, and vanishes, the mind no longer has anything to use. At that time, only the mind itself remains. It thinks, proliferates, and fabricates all sorts of things – these are the activities of the mind alone, with no body appearing. The mind struggles and thrashes about without limit.
That is why the Lord Buddha taught us to teach the mind, to train the mind – not to train anything else, only the mind alone. Train it to be calm, to be still, to not fabricate, not concoct, not think, not ponder. When there is no thinking, no pondering, no fabricating, no concocting, then the activities of the mind cease. It becomes still and neutral; only the heart remains. The mind then enters the heart, which is still and neutral.
What is there then? There are no defilements. When the mind is neutral, there are no defilements. Without fabrication or concoction, it ends. Fabrication and concoction are defilements – causes for sorrow, dullness, and lack of clarity. That is the mind itself. When its activities cease, there is nothing. Just get that much for now. Even if it's not supremely excellent, take it. Stop fabricating, stop concocting, stop thinking and pondering completely. Then only the neutral, still heart remains. Let the defilements cease first. You don't need to aim for a lot. That's enough.