Your Body is Borrowed

[ilikeshugden]

Our body is borrowed from the earth and it will return to the earth. Our human body is just a vessel for our mind. It is like a mindless puppet. A puppet of the earth. When we die, we give back our borrowed body.

[Barzin]

Thankyou for the post.  It is very true that actually nothing belongs to us.  We actually do not own anything, by the time of death.  We do not even own our body.  It is funny that so many of us are relying on many things, thinking that it will bring us happiness. We will try ways to keep the items, but knowing that once the items are gone, we get disappointed and sad,  some even will kill for it.  It is weird how our minds operate and sometimes i wondered what was the cause for our minds, i mean most of our human minds to be trained to believe in the same thing that causes us so much sufferings.

Nothing lasts.

[ratanasutra]

Thanks for sharing meaningful quote.

I think most of us know about this fact but how we really realize and practice about it.
Can it be the point that it really turn us around, for example we stop from what we are doing now and ordain to become a monk/nun who hold vows, cut out from all our attachment (which is so many in this degenerate time) and totally use our body to benefit others.

Of course it not easy to do, so now a day some of high lamas use skill full ways to let us practice in the way that we still be who we are, stay with our family and our love one and still have social, normal life but add activities that bring benefit others for us to do, without these kind lama we will be stuck with our samsara activities.



   

[Tenzin Malgyur]

I agree that the body we are having now does not really belong to us. It is very surprising though that many people does not believe so, and spend a lot of time and money to beautify and adorn it. It is so sad they did not realize the fact that the beautiful body will grow old and sick and finally die off and decay. I have been taught that nothing belongs to us, except our mind and the effect of all the things we have caused to happen.

[Midakpa]

This passage is about death and impermanence. The Buddha said that everything compounded is impermanent. It is a natural law. Our body is composed of many parts or elements and is therefore impermanent. Whoever is born will die. When we understand that the body is made up of elements that are borrowed, we will not be attached to it. When we die, the elements (earth, water, air, heat) that make up the body will dissolve and be returned to the earth. When we understand death and impermanence we will appreciate our precious human life, become less attached to worldly activities and our faith in dharma will grow. We will have a clear and detached view of life and devote our life to the practice of dharma.

[psylotripitaka]

The gross physical body is not our actual body. Our very subtle energy wind is our actual body. The gross body and mind and the self or 'I' imputed on these contaminated aggregates is the gross self that will cease when the mind of white appearance arises for the last time in this life. The very subtle body and mind are the basis for the actual body and mind of a Buddha. Knowing that this gross body is borrowed yet contains this treasure; knowing that this borrowed body will cease to function soon, we should urgently seek the instructions on the deathless vajra body from our Lamas and strive with every fiber of our being to access and realize it within this very life. Death is certain, but we can utilize that process to our advantage if we have the instructions, blessings, and vigilance.

[jessicajameson]

Thanks for sharing!

There was a teacher named Jetzun Tara Natha. He entered the body of a dead child and stayed there for 3 years. Whilst in the child's body, he benefited many disciples by giving teachings... he continuously led them on the path to liberation. While he was in the child's body, he kept his own body incorruptible and stored safely away.

After he reentered his own body, the dead child's body was blessed. He didn't do this once... but SIX TIMES!

This is an attainment if you have achieved Powa Drung Jug.

There is another story where a lama named Gyalsae Drindon Dawa entered the body of a dead pigeon - and crossed the river.

How cool is that? Lol

[Dondrup Shugden]

When I read this article the first thing I thought of was RENUNCIATION.  How we cherish this borrowed vessel called our physical body is intriguely interesting.  Imagine if we can truly understand that this physical body is borrowed, we shall be free to accept ageing, illness, death and decay.

With this acceptance, our mind will be liberated.  And the noble truth of suffering will be eliminated from our mind so that we can focus and dwell on make our lives worthy to everyone else.

[angelica]

Thank you Icy for sharing.

Our body is like a time vehicle that help to transport us from the time of birth to the time of death. When we die, we will abandon this body and move on to another one. We will not know how long we can keep this body. While we still have this body in perfect condition, we should use this body to benefit others and to do our practice. We should start our dharma practice now and not wait till a certain date to do it, cos we don't know whether our body will stay with us till then. What we do now, will determine our future. We need to accumulate enough merits to ensure that we have a perfect body to continue our dharma practice till elightenment.

[RedLantern]

Our present body is as if we borrowed it from someone. This means that the source of our body belongs to others. Our body developed from the union of our father's sperm and mother's egg. Consciousness into that union and then gradually our body developed. At death,we have no power to carry our body with us into our future life. We cannot prevent the decay and dissolution of our body after death.
Through Dharma practice there are three levels.The highest level is to achieve full  Enlightenment or Buddhahood in this life. The middle level is to achieve self-liberation from samsaric fears and sufferings.
The lowest level is to try to obtain a peaceful mind,to solve one's inner problems,and not to be reborn in the lower realms.