死缘无定故应修无常 (English translation: Claire Ang)
真正修行好的人，时时都会忆念死期不定，始终想着“不知我什么时候死”，有了这种观
念，修行起来会很精进，不会天天聊天、做些无义琐事。但现在城市里的人，最缺少的就
是无常观，一直把修持善法拖到明年、后年，甚至退休之后。我就遇到一个50岁的人，他
说自己等15年以后再来学院学法，把未来计划得相当“不错”。
《法句譬喻经》中也有一个这样的老人：佛陀在舍卫国时，城里有位年近80的老婆罗门，
家财万贯，生性顽愚吝啬。他为了给自己建造一栋豪华巨宅，花费大量时间亲自监工，指
挥工匠。佛陀通过智慧观察，得知他只有这一天的寿命，然其却毫不知情，忙忙碌碌于无
义之事，特别可怜，于是就亲自来到他的面前。
佛陀见到他后，问：“你这样卖力是否疲倦？修建如此豪宅有何用处？”
老婆罗门骄傲地说：“这房子前边是客厅，后边是我的卧室，东西两厢供家人、子女、仆
人住。夏天可到凉台乘凉，冬天搬回暖房居住，舒适得不得了。”
佛陀说：“你的想法不错，但我有一偈想送给你，你暂且放下工作，坐下来听听好吗？”
老婆罗门答言：“我很忙，没空坐下来听，过几天再跟你好好聊吧。你如果有事，可以先
简单说一下。”
佛陀说：“你虽然对未来安排得特别好，自己认为自己比较有智慧，但却不知无常迅速，
很快就会离开人间，还在一味不停地忙碌，再没有比这更愚痴的了。”
老婆罗门听后，说：“你讲得确实有道理，但我今天实在太忙，以后再聊吧！”
佛陀见他冥顽不化，怎么劝都无济于事，也只好由他去了。佛陀离开后不久，老婆罗门亲
自去上屋顶的大梁，结果大梁突然坠下，当场把他砸死了。
现在也有很多老人，像这个老婆罗门一样，人老心不老，好像自己还能再活几百年似的，
成天对未来做着打算，为子子孙孙计划安排，这是相当愚痴的行为。所以，每个人要经常
思维自己还能活多久，若能如此，就不会特别贪著今生的名声、财富、感情，甚至为此宁
愿舍弃生命。如果你无常修得好，一方面自己遭受疾病、痛苦时，有勇敢面对的能力，另
一方面，你身边的亲友发生意外时，也不会怨天尤人、寻死觅活。因此，学法不能只留在
形象上，必须要想方设法将其融入于心。现在有些宗教过于注重形象，倘若深入其教义，
没有什么可挖掘的，而我们佛教并非如此，不但理论上讲得非常究竟，还要求付诸于实际
行动中，让每个人多多少少有一些感觉，这即是佛教的伟大之处。
话说回来，正因为众生的死缘各种各样，所以死期无法确定。有些人在母胎中便已死亡；
有些人一出生就断了气；有些人刚学会爬就已夭折；有些人壮年时离开人世；还有些人在
垂暮之年寿终正寝。如佛陀在《因缘品》中云：“有者胎中死，有者落地亡，有仅爬行逝
，有跑时夭折，有老有年幼，有些壮年人，相继而离世。”汉地也有句俗话“黄泉路上无
老少”，一个人不管年老还是年少，死亡对他而言都是平等的。可有些年轻人认为：“你
看我头发还没白，怎么会死呢？决定不会。”他自己这么有把握，可能是获得了“长寿持
明”的果位，很了不起！
还有些人生病时，没有得到及时救治而死；有些人已坐上救护车，却死在了半路上；有些
人久病不愈、卧床不起，在瘦骨嶙峋中死去，并且死不瞑目（我见过很多这样的病人，想
死又死不了，想活又活不成。前段时间有个人给我打电话说：“请您加持我快一点死！我
这样活着，既拖累别人，自己也特别痛苦。”但他业力没有消尽的话，想死也不是那么容
易的）；也有很多患了“洞特”病（洞特病：患此病者会突然昏倒，需立即放血抢救，否
则就有生命危险。）的人，在食物还未吃完、话还未说完、事情还未做完中死去；还有些
人自杀身亡（ 《环球时报》有一篇文章报道：全球每年约有100万人自杀，其中30%来自
中国。据统计，全世界每40秒就有1人自杀身亡；在中国，每2分钟就有1人自杀身亡，8人
自杀未遂。）。
当然，凡夫人面对死亡时身不由己，只有随业力而去，而作为超凡脱俗的圣者，则已达到
了生死自在。前不久我讲过，我隔壁的那个喇嘛，正在念经时就跏趺坐而圆寂。后来很多
道友说，当天空中出现了彩虹。我刚开始不太相信，因为平时对这些不是特别盲从，但看
到照片以后，发现彩虹现得非常好，上面的日期也对得上，所以确信他已得到了成就。敦
珠法王所造的《藏密佛教史》中，这样的事例也不乏其数，如贝若扎那传承中的密宗持明
者，有些离开世间时，把披单、念珠挂在柏树枝上，腾空直接飞往清净刹土……如此境界
超越了世俗想象，一般凡夫人难以企及。
总而言之，在这个世界上，死缘非常非常多，不管是吃饭、走路，还是坐车、乘飞机，甚
至只是呆在家里，死亡都会突然降临。而在以上众多的死缘中，生缘却如风中残烛般微薄
。如《宝鬘论》云：“常住死缘中，如狂风中灯。”《大庄严论经》（《大庄严论经》：
15卷。相传为印度马鸣造，鸠摩罗什译。又作《大庄严经论》、《大庄严论》、《大庄严
经》。收于《大正藏》第4册。主要是搜集佛陀本生，及诸种善恶因缘、譬喻等90章故事
，以供求道者参考。）亦云：“命如风中灯，不知灭时节。”佛经中还说“人命在呼吸之
间”、“命如水泡”……既然如此，大家就不要天天忙于打扮、赚钱、对未来有许许多多
筹划，毕竟死亡的到来往往让人措手不及，也许现在它就会突然降临，谁也无法确定明天
会不会转生为头上长角的旁生（此处指的应该是一些湿生含生，如头上长角的小虫，它们
很短的时间即可形成身体，不像牦牛等需要住胎很长时间。）所以，大家应当诚信死期不
定、生处不定的道理，并对此长期认认真真去实修。
摘自索达吉堪布《前行广释》
As our time of death is uncertain, we should therefore be mindful of
impermanence
A true religious practitioner always reminds himself that death may come any
time and that “I am not sure when my time is up”, therefore he is very
diligent in his practice at all times. He does not chit chat or do things
that are meaningless. People living in the city, however, lack the awareness
of impermanence. They tend to delay the practice of dharma or good deeds to
next year, or the year after that, or even after their retirement.
Dhammapada Analogy tells such a story about an old man:
Once the Buddha was in Sravasti, there was a Brahman nearing the age of 80.
The Brahman was very rich but was stubborn and stingy. He invested a great
fortune building a luxury mansion for himself and spent most of his time
overseeing the construction, making sure everything was built the way his
heart desired. The Buddha, in his profound wisdom, saw that the Brahman has
come to his time and has only one more day to live. But the Brahman knew
nothing about it and was still busy doing things that are meaningless to
life. Mercy for him, the Buddha came to him.
The Buddha asked him, “Aren’t you tired working so hard? What is the use of
building such a mansion?”
The old Brahman said proudly, “The living hall is at the front of the
mansion, my bedroom is at the back, the east and west blocks are for my
family, children, and servants. There’s a cool veranda for the summer and
the rooms are warm enough for the winter. It’s such a comfortable mansion.”
“You planned well.” The Buddha said, “I have a verse for you, can you sit
down and listen to what I have to say?”
The Brahman said, “I am very busy and I don’t have time to sit down and
listen. We can talk some other days. You may do it quick, say what you have
to say briefly.”
The Buddha said, “You have planned out well for your future, thinking that
you have great wisdom. You work so hard day in and day out but you have no
idea that life is impermanent and that you will pass away soon. You are
ignorant.”
After listening to the Buddha, the old Brahman said, “You are so right. But
I am really very busy today. Let’s talk some other days!”
As the Brahman was stubborn and would not listen, the Buddha left. Soon after
the Buddha left, the Brahman climbed up to the roof to inspect the beam. But
alas, the beam fell and the Brahman was killed on the spot.
There are many senior citizens today who are like the old Brahman. They are
aged but they don’t feel old. They are always busy planning for the future
and for their children and grandchildren, as if they can live for hundreds of
years. This is very foolish. We must all wonder how long we can live at all
times. If we do that, we will not be especially attached to our fame, wealth,
and relationship or even be willing to give up our lives for these. If you
are mindful of impermanence, you will have the courage to face illness and
sufferings. You will also not harbor grudges or feel despair when your loved
ones are taken from you unexpectedly.
The practice of Dharma should not be focused on rituals but to be deep-rooted
into our hearts. Today, some religions over-emphasized rituals and overlooked
their teachings. In Buddhism, not only do we have a complete set of theory,
we are taught to put them into practice.
All beings have different conditions leading to their deaths and therefore
the time of death cannot be calculated. Some died before birth; some died
right after birth; some when they start to crawl; some in their prime years;
while some others in old age. All the above are mentioned in the Nidaanavagga
sutra. There is a Chinese verse which speaks of the same thing “death visits
all ages”. In the face of death, everyone is equal, young or old. Young
people may think that, “Well, look at my hair, they are still black and
shiny, how could I meet death? Impossible!” Well, you must have attained the
“longevity attainment” to be so sure!
Some died before they received prompt treatment; some died on their road to
the hospital; some are bedridden and died emaciated or even with their eyes
opened. (The writer of this article: I have seen many patients like this.
They are struggling living and are merely waiting for their time. Some time
ago, a patient called me asking me to bless him so that he can die faster! He
said he is enduring great suffering and has become a burden to his family. It
’s his karma that he will not die now and his time has not come yet. There
is a disease called “Dong Te” where the patient will faint out unexpectedly
any time and die unless they are resuscitated immediately. These people may
die while eating or before they finish their sentence or the job at hand.
There are also people who kill themselves. According to Global Times, 1
million people committed suicide each year in the world. Of these, 30%
happened in China. According to statistics, there is 1 suicidal death in
every 40 seconds; and in China, there are 1 suicidal death and 8 attempted
suicide in every 2 minutes.)
Lay people cannot decide their own death. Their death is decided by their
karma. The saints, however, can decide their death. The Lama living beside
the writer passed away while chanting in sitting position. Disciples said
that they saw rainbow in the sky at the time of the Lama’s passing away.
In short, there are many ways leading to one’s death in the world. Death
might come unexpectedly while we are eating, walking, driving, flying, or
even simply staying at home. Living is like a candle in the wind, weak and
flimsy. Many sutras described living and death as, “We are living in
different conditions leading to death, like a candle in strong winds,” “
Life is like a candle in the wind, about to be blown out at any time,” “
life is the time when you breathe,” “life is like a water bubble”… In
that case, we should not put our emphasis on dressing up, earning lots of
money, and devising plans for the future in our everyday life. Death often
comes by surprise and if it comes now, we can’t be sure that we will not be
reborn as animals or bugs tomorrow.
Do contemplate on the fact that time of death is not known and life is
uncertain and do put Dharma into practice seriously.
Excerpted from 前行广释 by Khenpo Sodargye