Description
The second of the eight death contemplations is contemplating death by comparison. In it, you consider exceptional people and the reality that those people will die. You then compare them to yourself. Even those people will die. Will you die?
The traditional form of this contemplation goes through categories that were important in fourth-century monastic Southeast Asian Buddhism: famous people, those with great merit, physically strong people, those with supernatural powers, wise people, self-realized people (Paccekabuddhas), and fully enlightened Buddhas. Because we live in a different time and experience, I’ve used the categories: rich people, intelligent people, young/youthful people, moral/good/caring people, spiritual figures, and otherwise exceptional people. After doing this for a bit, you can change them to suit your own needs if you feel you need something different. (Write me an email and let me know what you’ve done and why – I’m always curious what people do.) In any case, the idea is to go through each category and think of an extraordinary person in the category. This should be someone genuinely exceptional – either someone you know or a famous person that’s special enough that you feel like you don’t compare to them. Then consider that the extraordinary person is subject to death, despite being extraordinary. And by comparison, you know you are too.
How to use
As with all of the eight contemplations, I encourage you to start with either a series – in this case the first series – or with a short or long version of this contemplation. Once you’re familiar with it, you can do it on your own and use the brief version in your daily life.As with all of the eight contemplations, I encourage you to start with either a series, in this case, the first series, or with a short or long version of this contemplation. Once you’re familiar with it, you can do it on your own and use the brief version in your daily life.
Brief version
To do this briefly in your daily life, whenever you interact with, hear about, or see someone extraordinary, ask yourself whether that person will die. On other occasions, consider your own special traits, actions, and abilities. Do they protect you from death?
Discussion: indications, side effects, and results
This is perhaps the most intellectually frustrating of the eight death contemplations. Some people find it annoying because it seems so obvious: “Of course being special doesn’t mean you won’t die!” They’re right, of course, but deep down we dare to believe fate could make an exception for us.
Have you ever had the experience of hearing about someone who had something bad happen to them, and a little voice pipes up inside you and says, “but that won’t happen to you because…”? This contemplation is a slow grinding down of the defense of thinking we’re immune. On the one hand, this defense serves a useful purpose of allowing us to go about life without constant despair or fear. On the other hand, this defense can keep us from actually living because we think, despite all evidence, death won’t happen to us. We need to wear down that defense at least enough that we wake up to actually being alive before it’s too late.
This evokes samvega, the urgency to not waste time and to go about one’s life purpose. This particular contemplation is also an antidote to conceit, the Buddhist idea of comparing oneself to others and finding oneself better than, less than, or equal to – all of which are mental fabrications that blind us from reality as it really is. Unfortunately, done the wrong way, this contemplation can lead to the above-mentioned frustration or annoyance. If you experience this, relax and pretend like you’re doing it for the first time each time you do it. Eventually, you’ll notice that you have actually believed you’ll escape, and doing this practice will make sense. Likewise, sometimes this practice can lead to or heighten a sense of self-loathing or (more rarely) self-aggrandizement. If you experience this, focus on the fact that all the extraordinary people are just like you in that they’re all going to die. You’re all the same. From a psychological perspective this can create a lot of tension but be very relieving when it’s finally deeply understood.
Regarding Climate Change, because this contemplation combats exceptionalism, it can help people see how others’ lives and well-being are just as valuable as one’s own, which puts the unfairness of climate change effects into context. It can also bring up compassion and motivation to help.