OurPreciousHumanRebirth

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.